#modal pentatonics

[guitarguitarworld]

MINOR TOPIC-EASIER WAY TO IMPROVISE WITH MODES

Minor topic-improvising on modes mad easier for guitar

CLICK SUBSCRIBE! minor topic-an easier way to improvise with modes of music IMPORTANT: Please watch video above for detailed info: Hi Guys, Today, a quick look at another way of exploiting modes/improvisation on the guitar fingerboard. We will be creating music via concepts/musical tools based on this minor shape. Why do this? Because with this 5 fret shape arpeggio we can easily…

[achoshistor]

parallels between dgs music pieces

good morning guys i am procrastinating on my chemistry again so im finally writing this but liek basically pursuit and kazumas theme are both based off of the c minor scale i think. here is me writing out the notes (i hate melodic dictation) [dgs1&2 spoilers ahead]

sorry 4 the cropping (btw this the one rising part asougis theme has in the middle)

anyways i gave up putting down the values of the notes because this was jut to get a general idea of what was going on and i think pursuit might actually be in 3/4 or 6/8 but samurai w/ a mission is def a steady 4. also i think both pieces are technically modal (probably dorian cuz they sound vaguely minor but not quite evil) but the parts in question are built off of the Cm pentatonic rather than the whole diatonic. Does that mean anhything?? idk. maybe its like all five people in the game like ryu, sholmes, susie, iris, and asougi for the main characters. I dont think it means nothing cuz at one point a teacher said that nothing is unintentional in music and idk even just looking at the motion theyre both like going in contrary motion (pretend these r 2 voices in one piece) and sound vastly different despite using the same scale. Like pursuit goes (srry no qualities) 8 2 3 2 2 3 4 2 3 3 while asougi's goes like 3 U 2 U 2 U 3 U etc. actually i just realized disregarding the 8 they both heavily utilize 3 & 2 (grrr... eighteenth century voice leading guidelines... using mostly stepwise motion and a few skips and leaps...) which actually i think moreso represent the time period rather than anything about the characters themselves.

also speaking of voicing i think almost all of the same insturments are used for both pieces (basic string 4 and koto?) which just draws more parallels ig but also again reflects the setting and backgrounds of the characters too... which avctually i remembred the evil version of asougis theme also utilizies this same rising motion iirc just a different rhythm which should probably bring me to another point... pursuit is used a lot in dgs 2 and u could tbh say revived prosecutor is just asougis objection which tbh i think thats where i should have headed from the get go but im literally just writing down what im thinking. The fact that theyre now on opposite sides of the courtroom reflects the different motions each piece uses to create the contrast between them, while the repeated 3 and 2 intervals serve to create parallels between them as thats pretty much what the final case does lmao

anyways overall i think that i have a solid basis but maybe i am wrong bc i saw another arrangement of samurai with a mission in Dmaj (Bm) w/ tonal center at D so i would bet it changes modes at one point rather than staying maj? Bc the piece doesnt sound major enough yet it cant be minor because it doesnt sound minor enough. Revived prosecutor on the other hand i think thats just straights Cm...please pray for me so i dont fail music theory...sorry for spelling errors...gootbye guys...

[votava-records]

The Invisible Session - People All Around The World, Can Make It (Studio Live Take)

After a long hiatus since the homonymous 2006 release on Schema Records, The Invisible Session is back with Echoes Of Africa to be released on the newly-launched Space Echo label. Initiated in 2006 by Schema Records’ co-founder and musician Luciano Cantone, The Invisible Session’s influences are rooted in Black music. Written in collaboration with trombonist and multi-instrumentalist Gianluca Petrella, and with lyrics by poet, rapper, and MC Martin Thomas Paavilainen (aka Benjamin “Bentality” Paavilainen), Echoes of Africa is an homage to African music. From a recording point of view, The Invisible Session embraces jazz as a constantly evolving mosaic - a fusion of musical influences that finds force and authenticity in the groove and cultural synergies. Part of the ensemble, are some of the best musicians on the international jazz scene: kora player Jalimansa Haruna Kuyateh, guitarist Riccardo Onori, singer Joyce Elaine Yuille, drummer & percussionist Abdissa “Mamba” Assefa, bassist Jukka ”Jukkis” Kiviniemi. Drawing influences from the rhythmic structures of Afro-beat and Ethio-jazz, the 11 compositions sparkle in various timbres by incorporating elements of funk, psychedelia, and modal music. But it is the intersection of ancestral melodies built on African pentatonic scales that gives the album its sustained flow and vibrant atmosphere. Under the influence of vibraphonist Mulatu Astatke’s music, “Journey To The East” incorporates sound studies on Ethiopian music with melodic structures built on the Bati Lydian major scale - a pentatonic scale with origins in the Middle East. Ethiopia is also celebrated in “Entoto” and “Breathe the Rhythm” - both entirely written by Gianluca Petrella. Although it may seem speculative after May 25’s event in Minneapolis, “Hearing The Call” was conceived and written in 2018, and expands on the themes present in Haki R. Madhubuti’s poem “Children”, released on Medasi’s 1984 album “Nation”. In “Hearing The Call”, ancestral sounds and percussions hypnotize the listener, while the performance of the poem written and interpreted by African-American/Finnish artist Benjamin “Bentality” Paavilainen, flows with naturalness. A theme already addressed by The Invisible Session with “To The Powerful’’ released in 2006 on the homonymous debut album on Schema Records is climate change. On Echoes of Africa, The Invisible Session’s “Ideas Can Make the World’’ and “People All Around The World Can Make It’’ are messages of hope and encouragement. Further reflections on this theme can be found in “Mother Forgive Us’’, with lyrics and interpretation channeled by Bentality, and Joyce Elaine Yuille.

[musicalcolorsmc]

Exploring Jazz Bass Guitar Scales: A Comprehensive Overview

In the realm of music theory, few concepts are as fundamental and versatile as music scales. As bass guitarists, understanding and mastering various scales is essential for navigating the rich harmonic landscapes of jazz music. Whether you're a beginner just starting out or an experienced player looking to expand your repertoire, delving into jazz bass guitar scales opens up a world of possibilities for creative expression and musical exploration.

At the heart of this journey lies Musical Colors, a revolutionary system that transforms traditional music education into a vibrant, immersive experience. With its color-coded keyboard, fingerboard, and fretboard sticker guides, along with powerful online music theory resources, Musical Colors provides bass guitarists of all levels with the tools they need to unlock their full potential.

One of the most exciting aspects of exploring jazz bass guitar scales is the opportunity to delve into the rich history and tradition of the genre. From the iconic walking bass lines of the swing era to the complex harmonic progressions of bebop and beyond, jazz music offers a wealth of inspiration for bassists seeking to hone their craft. Imagine music scales from around the world, color-coded to your musical instrument.

With Musical Colors' innovative approach to music education, learning the myriad of jazz bass guitar scales out there becomes not only educational but also highly engaging and enjoyable. By assigning each natural note a distinct color from the color spectrum, the system makes it easy for players to visualize and internalize the intricate patterns and intervals that define jazz harmony.

But jazz bass guitar scales aren't just about technical proficiency—they're also about creativity and expression. As you explore the melodic possibilities of scales like the blues scale, the augmented scale, diminished scales, pentatonic scales, and various modal scales, you'll discover new ways to infuse your playing with emotion and personality.

Of course, mastering jazz bass guitar scales requires dedication and practice, but with Musical Colors by your side, the journey becomes both accessible and rewarding on the entire fretboard. Whether you're working on your finger technique, studying chord voicings, or improvising over a challenging jazz standard, the system's color-coded guides provide invaluable visual cues to guide your progress every step of the way.

In addition to its sticker guides, Musical Colors offers a wealth of online resources to support your learning journey. From a growing list of video tutorials and interactive lessons to an incredible list of color-coded scale and chord cards, the platform empowers bass guitarists to take their playing to new heights, regardless of their skill level or musical background.

As you delve deeper into the world of jazz bass guitar scales, you'll find yourself drawn to the intricate nuances and subtle variations that define the genre. Whether you're exploring the smooth, soulful lines of the D Dorian mode (Blue, Indigo, Violet, Red, Orange, Yellow and Green) or the exotic rocking sounds of the Phrygian scale (Indigo, Violet, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue), each scale offers its own unique flavor and personality to incorporate into your playing.

In conclusion, jazz bass guitar scales are a rich and rewarding area of study for any aspiring bassist. With the help of Musical Colors' color-coded sticker guides and online resources, you'll be well-equipped to embark on this musical journey with confidence and enthusiasm, and be able to do this anywhere on the bass guitar fretboard. So don't hesitate to dive in and start exploring the fascinating world of jazz bass guitar scales today!

[jayeudaly]

Chances are, you’re somewhat confused by the whole modal-theory thing; Rather than go through a lengthy explanation of what modes are and where they come from, I’m going to approach this from a more limited and practical viewpoint. I am starting from something simple and easy to understand, the Minor Pentatonic Scale. https://www.masterguitarschool.com/post/easy-lesson-the-aeolian-dorian-distinction

[proexxa]

24MJ_Music Theory

Thiss my blog for assignment, by Oleksandr Sodol, for Phil Dobie

Explain a range of harmonic and melodic theory concepts as typically used in popular music. 

Several harmonic and melodic theory concepts contribute to its musical structure and appeal.

Harmonic Concepts:

Chord Progressions:

The song employs a common chord progression found in many pop songs, often revolving around a sequence of chords that create a harmonic foundation. This progression typically involves chords from the key of the song and can feature variations in inversions or extensions.

Modal Interchange or Borrowed Chords:

Popular music frequently utilizes borrowed chords from parallel scales or modes, adding color and variety to the harmonic palette. This technique could introduce unexpected chords that create tension and interest.

Melodic Concepts:

Melodic Phrasing and Rhythm:

Melodies in popular music often emphasize catchy and repetitive phrases or motifs that stick in the listener's mind. These melodies may incorporate rhythmic syncopation or unexpected pauses to create a memorable hook.

Use of Pentatonic Scales:

Pentatonic scales, with their five-note structure, are prevalent in popular music melodies due to their simplicity and versatility. They create melodic lines that are easily memorable and accessible to a wide audience.

Modal Inflections in Melodies:

Some melodies might employ modal inflections, incorporating notes from different modes or scales to introduce a unique flavor or mood to the song. This could involve using notes outside the typical major or minor scales.

Melodic Repetition and Variation:

Repetition and variation of melodic motifs are common techniques used to create a cohesive yet evolving melody throughout the song. These variations maintain interest while still connecting the different sections of the song.

Structural Concepts:

Verse-Chorus Structure:

Many popular songs, use a traditional verse-chorus structure. Verses typically feature storytelling or narrative elements, while the chorus contains the main hook or central theme of the song.

Bridge or Middle Eight:

Some songs incorporate a bridge, often in the middle of the track, providing a contrast to the verse-chorus pattern and leading back to the final chorus or outro.

Production Elements:

Instrumentation and Sound Design: The choice of instruments and sound design, including synthesizers, drum patterns, and effects, contributes to the overall atmosphere and character of the song.

Arrangement and Dynamics: Dynamic changes in the arrangement, such as build-ups, drops, or changes in instrumentation, add excitement and interest, enhancing the song's impact.

Understanding these harmonic, melodic, and structural concepts can provide insights into the compositional and production elements that contribute to the appeal and success of a popular music track.

Basic Musical Principles in Music Theory:

Music theory encompasses several basic principles that form the foundation of understanding how music works:

Pitch:

Notes and Scales:

Notes represent specific pitches in music. Scales organize these pitches in ascending or descending order, forming the basis for melodies and harmonies.

Common scales include the major scale, minor scale, pentatonic scale, etc.

Intervals:

Intervals measure the distance between two pitches. They define the relationships between notes, such as the interval of a perfect fifth or a major third.

Rhythm:

Beat and Meter:

Beat is the basic unit of time in music, while meter organizes beats into patterns, like 4/4 time signature indicating four beats per measure.

Rhythmic patterns, syncopation, and accents create rhythmic interest within a piece.

Note Duration:

Notes and rests indicate the duration of sound and silence in music. They vary in length, from whole notes to sixteenth notes, dictating how long a sound is held or how long a pause lasts.

Harmony:

Chords:

Chords are made up of multiple notes played simultaneously. They form the harmonic backbone of music and create the tonal foundation of a piece.

Common chords include major chords, minor chords, dominant chords, etc.

Chord Progressions:

Progressions are sequences of chords that form the harmonic structure of a piece. They create tension and resolution, guiding the listener through the music.

Form and Structure:

Musical Forms:

Structures like verse-chorus, AABA, or sonata form organize the arrangement of musical ideas within a composition.

These forms help shape how sections of music relate to each other.

Cadences:

Cadences mark the end of musical phrases or sections, providing a sense of closure or pause in the music. Common cadences include the authentic, plagal, and deceptive cadences.

Dynamics and Expression:

Dynamic Markings:

Indications like pianissimo (very soft), forte (loud), crescendo (gradually louder), or diminuendo (gradually softer) convey the volume and intensity of the music.

Articulation and Expression Markings:

Markings like staccato, legato, or accents denote how notes should be played, influencing the overall character and expression of the music.

Understanding these fundamental principles in music theory helps musicians, composers, and enthusiasts analyze, create, and appreciate music more comprehensively.

Explain a range of rhythm and meter theory concept as typically used in popular music.

In popular music, rhythm and meter play crucial roles in shaping the feel, groove, and overall impact of a song. Here are various rhythm and meter theory concepts commonly found in popular music:

Rhythmic Elements:

Backbeat:

Emphasizing the second and fourth beats in a 4/4 measure, creating a strong rhythmic accent. It's prominent in rock, pop, and many other genres.

Syncopation:

Off-beat or unexpected accents that fall between the main beats, creating a sense of rhythmic tension and interest. It's often used in funk, jazz, and hip-hop.

Groove and Feel:

Refers to the rhythmic "feel" or "pocket" created by the interplay of instruments, such as drum patterns, bass lines, and accents. It influences the overall vibe of the music.

Meter and Time Signatures:

4/4 Time Signature:

The most common time signature in popular music, featuring four beats per measure with a strong emphasis on the first beat. It provides a straightforward and danceable feel.

6/8 Time Signature:

Divided into two groups of three eighth notes per beat, giving a compound feel. Often used in ballads, folk music, and certain rock songs.

Rhythmic Patterns:

Shuffle Rhythm:

A triplet-based rhythm where the middle note of each triplet is skipped, creating a swinging feel. It's prevalent in blues, rock, and some jazz styles.

Offbeat Rhythm:

Placing rhythmic accents on the offbeats (e.g., the "and" in between beats) to create a lively and danceable groove. Common in reggae, ska, and some Latin music.

Percussion and Drum Patterns:

Drum Fills:

Brief rhythmic patterns played by drummers between sections or phrases, adding excitement and leading into a new part of the song.

Rhythmic Breaks:

Moments where instruments drop out momentarily, creating pauses or breaks in the rhythm. They add tension and anticipation before a new section.

Electronic Rhythms:

Programming and Sequencing:

Utilizing drum machines, samplers, and sequencers to create electronic rhythms with precise and repetitive patterns, popular in electronic dance music (EDM), techno, and hip-hop.

Looping:

Repeating short sections or loops of rhythms, often digitally manipulated, to create hypnotic and continuous patterns.

Melodic Rhythms and Hooks:

Vocal Rhythms and Phrasing:

The rhythmic patterns and phrasing of vocal melodies contribute significantly to the overall rhythmic feel of a song.

Catchy Rhythmic Hooks:

Memorable and repetitive melodic patterns that have a rhythmic quality, often serving as the main hook of a song.

These rhythm and meter theory concepts form the rhythmic backbone of popular music, contributing to its energy, danceability, and overall appeal. They vary across genres and styles, defining the unique character of each musical piece.

Create a lead sheet for an original, or existing well known piece that will demonstrate application of concepts explored in Task 1. 

Title: Flashing Lights

Artist: Kanye West

Key: B minor

Explanation:

Chords: Represented above the lyrics, indicating when to change chords in the song.

Lyrics: Displayed with the chords, marking where each syllable aligns with the chord changes.

Key: Indicates the song's key signature (B minor in this case).

Structure: Divided into verses, choruses, a bridge, and an outro, following the arrangement of the song.

This lead sheet serves as a reference for musicians to play or interpret "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West, outlining the song's melody, chords, and structure.

[belindathemarimba]

🫣

WEEK 1

Personal Tutor:

- Apparently I'm class rep

Principle Study:

- Recap of harmony

Key to reharm is a convincing bass line

Ways to make more 'hot' reharms more palatable for audiences is assigning different instrument sections to different the triads and bass line

Tritones cannot be overused, it will sound like a siren. They should be used in pairs

Minor 11ths sound nice because they have open 4ths in the bottom for the angular sound and triads on top for the round sound

- La Mer (Impressionism, Debussy)

A lot of interwoven textures

Orchestration is very intricate, detailed and delicate

Melodies are more coloristic and make 'impressions', vs clear melody lines

Overall Modal harmony, sounds pentatonic

A lot of planing

Things to listen :

Tours du Monde Tours du Ciel - Suite - Georges Delerue

George Delerue Contempt Theme de Camille 1963

Reflection:

Realised I have a a big year ahead of me, and I want to consciously make more of an effort to stay on top of things, especially with balancing school work with my commitments outside of school.

This means scheduling time to do work, which I've never done in the past. I've adopted the habit of setting alarms to get tasks done throughout the day.

Me, Shyvon and Maegan have made a pact to journal every week together to ensure we pace ourselves ad not die last minute. Furthermore, we will nag each other consistently.

As I have learnt from listening to Formula 1 podcast's, motto this semester is to be FIERCELY OPTIMISTIC.

15/8/23

[the-digicorn]

Help how am I supposed to write melody that is not pentatonic or modal and is also somber I should not be expected to work in these vile conditions

[werewolvesandaccordions]

Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of Modernist composers, he was a bit more conservative than some. He loved Mozart and considered his music to be Mozartian – not because of harmony or development, but because of balanced phrases and repeats, which is something that composers like Debussy and Stravinsky completely did away with. He wrote this piano trio faster than he’d written any of his other great works during the summer of 1914, fueled by the desire to enlist in the war, and afterward he wrote to Stravinsky, “The idea that I should be leaving at once made me get through five months’ work in five weeks! My Trio is finished.” He wrote the work while spending the summer in Basque country. His mother was Basque and he identified strongly with this heritage, and at the time he was drafting a piano concerto of Basque themes that would be a nationalistic piece. He abandoned that project, but the influence still held over this trio, especially the first movement which is based on a Basque dance, a zortziko. It opens with a melody that sounds as if it were a direct transcription of a guitar piece, with a lot of strumming on a low E, before the strings come in and comment. Side note, while Ravel loved Mozart, he claimed to hate Beethoven, mostly because Beethoven was ‘everywhere’ at the time and also because he, like the other French composers of the day, were sick of German standards dominating in Europe as “the” standards for “good music”. So instead of following forms that broke down melodies and used them for the structure of the work, and had these melodies developing this way, French musicians liked to keep melodies the same but color the harmonies differently. So here we get the main melodies going through a river of harmonic colors and new textures, plucking in the strings, going to different registers of the instruments, and stretching chords out and displacing the notes octaves apart, playing around in a space that is dominated by modal writing. And it is incredible to hear the main melody go on a journey where the texture and drama gets more and more intense, until resolving in a serene coda. The second movement is like a scherzo, but Ravel calls it a pantoum, which is a type of poem that was popular with children at the time where lines were repeated in mixed order. Here, Ravel tries to recreate the sensation by having a simple motif in the strings repeat over and over like a kaleidoscope while the piano plays a slow dramatic choral. The effect is strange, creating the sensation of listening to two different pieces – one fast, one slow – being played over each other at the same time. The passacaglia opens with a long pentatonic melody, then the cello comes in playing in a full minor scale, then the violin helps fill it with sevenths and finally the piano fills out more to fill the soundscape with ninths and elevenths, intervals that Ravel absolutely adored and used throughout all of his output. Here it is like listening to the development of musical theory, starting with the basics and then growing more and more colorful and ‘unstable’ over a solid base. The last movement is the most intense and large scale, the sound world is borderline symphonic with how it pushes and pulls at the instruments’ abilities. It opens with a beautiful glassy melody in the piano over shimmering strings. It soon breaks out into the intense moments, a grand flourish all the way to the coda. Movements: 1. Modéré 2. Pantoum: Assez vif 3. Passacaille: Très large 4. Final. Animé

mikrokosmos: Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of…

[guitarguitarworld]

John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner Style Quartal Guitar Line | Jazz Improvisation Lesson

[achoshistor]

more about kazumas theme + extra?

GRAAH i didnt study as well for chemistry so the test went kind of mid but its ok because i understand cadences better than i did 29 hr ago. Anyways when i tried to learn how to play it i used this sheet (https://musescore.com/user/17014911/scores/5549453) which notates it at Dmaj/Bm which works cuz the intervals r the same but when i was playing it by ear on the piano Ebmaj pentatonic fit a lot better imo esp since it follows how like half of the pieces in this game are this key/relative minor...

it goes fast & i am LAZY

anyways like as u can see the tonal center is on Eb and not C this time unlike ryunosukes songs but its still in pentatonic. now for his prosecutor theme it just goes into minor. I dont think these pieces r remotely modal at all in fact its just major to minor which liek is happy to sad which again is just a reflection of his character.

writing this down makes me feel soo fancy (harps = harpsichord)

Ive marked the tonics and like u can def see they have diff tonal centers but still are in the same key because they use the same notes... i also tried to mark the chords but idk if im right because it might be I->V (i ->leading tone chord) or I->II/i->ii... IDK. anwyasy if ur still reading this shout out to you... i am using these to study for music theory lol

[tinas-art]

Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of Modernist composers, he was a bit more conservative than some. He loved Mozart and considered his music to be Mozartian – not because of harmony or development, but because of balanced phrases and repeats, which is something that composers like Debussy and Stravinsky completely did away with. He wrote this piano trio faster than he’d written any of his other great works during the summer of 1914, fueled by the desire to enlist in the war, and afterward he wrote to Stravinsky, “The idea that I should be leaving at once made me get through five months’ work in five weeks! My Trio is finished.” He wrote the work while spending the summer in Basque country. His mother was Basque and he identified strongly with this heritage, and at the time he was drafting a piano concerto of Basque themes that would be a nationalistic piece. He abandoned that project, but the influence still held over this trio, especially the first movement which is based on a Basque dance, a zortziko. It opens with a melody that sounds as if it were a direct transcription of a guitar piece, with a lot of strumming on a low E, before the strings come in and comment. Side note, while Ravel loved Mozart, he claimed to hate Beethoven, mostly because Beethoven was ‘everywhere’ at the time and also because he, like the other French composers of the day, were sick of German standards dominating in Europe as “the” standards for “good music”. So instead of following forms that broke down melodies and used them for the structure of the work, and had these melodies developing this way, French musicians liked to keep melodies the same but color the harmonies differently. So here we get the main melodies going through a river of harmonic colors and new textures, plucking in the strings, going to different registers of the instruments, and stretching chords out and displacing the notes octaves apart, playing around in a space that is dominated by modal writing. And it is incredible to hear the main melody go on a journey where the texture and drama gets more and more intense, until resolving in a serene coda. The second movement is like a scherzo, but Ravel calls it a pantoum, which is a type of poem that was popular with children at the time where lines were repeated in mixed order. Here, Ravel tries to recreate the sensation by having a simple motif in the strings repeat over and over like a kaleidoscope while the piano plays a slow dramatic choral. The effect is strange, creating the sensation of listening to two different pieces – one fast, one slow – being played over each other at the same time. The passacaglia opens with a long pentatonic melody, then the cello comes in playing in a full minor scale, then the violin helps fill it with sevenths and finally the piano fills out more to fill the soundscape with ninths and elevenths, intervals that Ravel absolutely adored and used throughout all of his output. Here it is like listening to the development of musical theory, starting with the basics and then growing more and more colorful and ‘unstable’ over a solid base. The last movement is the most intense and large scale, the sound world is borderline symphonic with how it pushes and pulls at the instruments’ abilities. It opens with a beautiful glassy melody in the piano over shimmering strings. It soon breaks out into the intense moments, a grand flourish all the way to the coda. Movements: 1. Modéré 2. Pantoum: Assez vif 3. Passacaille: Très large 4. Final. Animé

mikrokosmos: Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of…

[dariaandjanelanefanboy]

Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of Modernist composers, he was a bit more conservative than some. He loved Mozart and considered his music to be Mozartian – not because of harmony or development, but because of balanced phrases and repeats, which is something that composers like Debussy and Stravinsky completely did away with. He wrote this piano trio faster than he’d written any of his other great works during the summer of 1914, fueled by the desire to enlist in the war, and afterward he wrote to Stravinsky, “The idea that I should be leaving at once made me get through five months’ work in five weeks! My Trio is finished.” He wrote the work while spending the summer in Basque country. His mother was Basque and he identified strongly with this heritage, and at the time he was drafting a piano concerto of Basque themes that would be a nationalistic piece. He abandoned that project, but the influence still held over this trio, especially the first movement which is based on a Basque dance, a zortziko. It opens with a melody that sounds as if it were a direct transcription of a guitar piece, with a lot of strumming on a low E, before the strings come in and comment. Side note, while Ravel loved Mozart, he claimed to hate Beethoven, mostly because Beethoven was ‘everywhere’ at the time and also because he, like the other French composers of the day, were sick of German standards dominating in Europe as “the” standards for “good music”. So instead of following forms that broke down melodies and used them for the structure of the work, and had these melodies developing this way, French musicians liked to keep melodies the same but color the harmonies differently. So here we get the main melodies going through a river of harmonic colors and new textures, plucking in the strings, going to different registers of the instruments, and stretching chords out and displacing the notes octaves apart, playing around in a space that is dominated by modal writing. And it is incredible to hear the main melody go on a journey where the texture and drama gets more and more intense, until resolving in a serene coda. The second movement is like a scherzo, but Ravel calls it a pantoum, which is a type of poem that was popular with children at the time where lines were repeated in mixed order. Here, Ravel tries to recreate the sensation by having a simple motif in the strings repeat over and over like a kaleidoscope while the piano plays a slow dramatic choral. The effect is strange, creating the sensation of listening to two different pieces – one fast, one slow – being played over each other at the same time. The passacaglia opens with a long pentatonic melody, then the cello comes in playing in a full minor scale, then the violin helps fill it with sevenths and finally the piano fills out more to fill the soundscape with ninths and elevenths, intervals that Ravel absolutely adored and used throughout all of his output. Here it is like listening to the development of musical theory, starting with the basics and then growing more and more colorful and ‘unstable’ over a solid base. The last movement is the most intense and large scale, the sound world is borderline symphonic with how it pushes and pulls at the instruments’ abilities. It opens with a beautiful glassy melody in the piano over shimmering strings. It soon breaks out into the intense moments, a grand flourish all the way to the coda. Movements: 1. Modéré 2. Pantoum: Assez vif 3. Passacaille: Très large 4. Final. Animé

mikrokosmos: Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of…

[hushilda]

Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of Modernist composers, he was a bit more conservative than some. He loved Mozart and considered his music to be Mozartian – not because of harmony or development, but because of balanced phrases and repeats, which is something that composers like Debussy and Stravinsky completely did away with. He wrote this piano trio faster than he’d written any of his other great works during the summer of 1914, fueled by the desire to enlist in the war, and afterward he wrote to Stravinsky, “The idea that I should be leaving at once made me get through five months’ work in five weeks! My Trio is finished.” He wrote the work while spending the summer in Basque country. His mother was Basque and he identified strongly with this heritage, and at the time he was drafting a piano concerto of Basque themes that would be a nationalistic piece. He abandoned that project, but the influence still held over this trio, especially the first movement which is based on a Basque dance, a zortziko. It opens with a melody that sounds as if it were a direct transcription of a guitar piece, with a lot of strumming on a low E, before the strings come in and comment. Side note, while Ravel loved Mozart, he claimed to hate Beethoven, mostly because Beethoven was ‘everywhere’ at the time and also because he, like the other French composers of the day, were sick of German standards dominating in Europe as “the” standards for “good music”. So instead of following forms that broke down melodies and used them for the structure of the work, and had these melodies developing this way, French musicians liked to keep melodies the same but color the harmonies differently. So here we get the main melodies going through a river of harmonic colors and new textures, plucking in the strings, going to different registers of the instruments, and stretching chords out and displacing the notes octaves apart, playing around in a space that is dominated by modal writing. And it is incredible to hear the main melody go on a journey where the texture and drama gets more and more intense, until resolving in a serene coda. The second movement is like a scherzo, but Ravel calls it a pantoum, which is a type of poem that was popular with children at the time where lines were repeated in mixed order. Here, Ravel tries to recreate the sensation by having a simple motif in the strings repeat over and over like a kaleidoscope while the piano plays a slow dramatic choral. The effect is strange, creating the sensation of listening to two different pieces – one fast, one slow – being played over each other at the same time. The passacaglia opens with a long pentatonic melody, then the cello comes in playing in a full minor scale, then the violin helps fill it with sevenths and finally the piano fills out more to fill the soundscape with ninths and elevenths, intervals that Ravel absolutely adored and used throughout all of his output. Here it is like listening to the development of musical theory, starting with the basics and then growing more and more colorful and ‘unstable’ over a solid base. The last movement is the most intense and large scale, the sound world is borderline symphonic with how it pushes and pulls at the instruments’ abilities. It opens with a beautiful glassy melody in the piano over shimmering strings. It soon breaks out into the intense moments, a grand flourish all the way to the coda. Movements: 1. Modéré 2. Pantoum: Assez vif 3. Passacaille: Très large 4. Final. Animé

mikrokosmos: Ravel – Piano Trio in a minor (1914) I didn’t make a post for Ravel’s birthday because I was on vacation, but while I was gone I watched the ocean from my hotel room and drank Mexican spiced coffee and was listening to this piece. Even though Ravel was considered among the forefront of…

[oer4]

No, not heptatonic...pentatonic...it's five, not seven, and here's why... ~ #oer4

[ongtk]

Modal Minor Blues & Major Pentatonic Modes