Musical Links Investigation:

IV: Welcome back to NPRtonight we have two very special guests in our studiosmasters of
improvisation, John Coltrane and Simon Shaheen. Today we will discuss how both John and Simon were
able to create developed harmonic sounds and progress their music rhythmically while limited to a one
chord composition. Looking specifically at Coltranes psalm, the fourth and final part of his A Love
Supreme, and Shaheens Maqam Bayati. John would you care to explain exactly what Psalm is?
JC: Not at all; Psalm refers to the poem that I wrote which inspired my interest to create the album,
along with band mates McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones (us four made up what was called
the Classic Quartet). Each syllable of the poem is articulated through my horn as I tried to sing the
poem. It was the most honest way that I could spiritually connect and speak my thanks to God. Of
course, the song wouldnt be as nearly as expressive if not for McCoy supporting me. See unlike most of
my playing during this time (1962-65) I restricted myself to simple pentatonic based lines over the tonal
center of Psalm (C minor) and restrained from modulating. Because this passage was much less
aggressive McCoy pushed the music forward with a motif of a 5 chord repetitive phrase going up the
upper structure of the C minor, heard from (0:44-1:03). The effect of this drone like pattern creates a
sort of foundation for me to further develop the poem, without having the need for laying down sheets
of sound or ruining the simplicity of the song. McCoy plays a vast pallet of colors due to his unique
quartal playing; and this open sound of 4ths infuses a heavier texturemaking use of the prettier
sounding 9ths and 11ths commonly associated with Jazz. Think of his motif starting at (0:44) as an
orchestra is to a soloist in a concerto. The contrast of static repetition to my undulating phrase creates
tension in the piece simply out of harmonic push and pull. We had successfully developed the song
without the need for a dominant to tonic resolution, or other harmonic devices such as superimposed
notes or even dissonance (trying to move either up or down to resolve). I valued the importance of
resolution by polyphonic textures so much that I had the ending dubbed over, and it was only when I
had both recordings of myself (6:42) that I felt we had done enough to end not just the piece but the
whole album. In short, we wanted to accomplish nothing more than to put a shape to the Psalma rise
and a fallwith nothing more than our instrumental range and dynamics as McCoy and I worked to
form a simple harmony.
(Example of a chord based off of intervals of a fourth)

IV: Shaheen, something seems to have come over you, do I sense excitement?
SS: Well see I think John touched up on a facet of this Modal style of playing that we both share that is
very interesting. Although our music seems to be extremely separated, not just geographically but

culturally as well, we still make use of trying to shape the music. In Taqsim it is commonly know that
when playing a piece, because it is all improvised you always have one of the two performers play a
drone to sustain a tonal center for the other. However what is unique is that instead of sitting on the
tonic, all tonal levels are explored (much like what McCoy did with the upper structure). The tones rise
to a climax within the piece until the pitches fall back once more to conclude the Maqam.
(a simple diagram showing possible tonal levels)

This holds the exact same purpose as stated by John before and this rise and fall is one of the many ways
to move throughout a piece and impose growth. Understand however, the music of Taqsim has more
specifically traditional guidelines, for example in this piece entitled Maqam Bayati we (Ali Jihad Racy and
I) refrain to one of the ten different forms of MaqamBayati. In western music, think of the Bayati as a
scale. In fact, Bayati is very similar to a flat 2 flat 6 pentatonic idiom that is fairly common in Jazz, or
more specifically it is the second mode of a minor scale with a dominant 7. What is import to note
though is that in Maqam there are actually 24 tones, or twice as many as in western art music. This is
because of the use of the 24 tone equal temperament system that is prevalent in Middle Eastern
compositions. So although its easy to compare the mode to western parameters the Bayati actually
has a quarter tone flat 2, which to most peoples ears sounds wrong.
(Bayatione of the 10 different scales of the Maqam family)

But I digress; analyzing the work, another way to harmonically alter the piece is by passing the phrase
onto the next player for them to develop. Note that even though we are limited in pitches, starting on
any scale degree other than the tonic will create a different set of intervals so that if I was to start on the
second scale degree, suddenly I now have a new sounding order of notes that contain a sharp 4 and a
major 6. Having knowledge of the intervals drastically affects the harmonic options that you can access,
and even though the piece is mostly minor in tonality, I am still able to play major sounding passages.
One last way to access harmonic modulation of the piece is to fashion dominant to tonic resolutions
over the drone pattern. For example at (3:44) you will hear Ali clearly outline this release.
IV: So are there any other ways to build the piece other than through harmonic devices? John?
JC: Well although there are endless harmonic options (on these Modal pieces) rhythmic variation is
often essential to creating successful, musical compositions. Especially in improvised music rhythmic
repetition (similar to the harmonic repetition discussed earlier) allows you to play a distinguishable
melody that others of the group can pick-up and from there the amount of rhythmic interplay
becomes endless. Because Psalm is a poem, every time I sang Thank you God I wanted to mark the
end of a poetic line. It was my constant in a mathematical sequence, and no matter how far we chose to
develop Psalm, I would always come back to this phrase. Heard here at (1:06, 2:27, 2:58, 3:08, 3:48,
4:11, 5:34, 5:52, 6:11, 6:31). Notice once again I will refer to an arch that is found commonly throughout
all improvised musicas the piece progresses the intensity of responses from Garrison and Jones and

McCoy becomes more texturally dense. At (2:27) there is hardly any response from the rhythm section,
compared to the climax of this motif at (5:52) where the dynamic climax also occurs as Jones plays
multiple hits on the cymbal. The phrase is repeated twice more before we arrive at the end. I feel what
people lack to comprehend is that even though our music (Simons and mine) is improvised, that doesnt
mean we arent searching for a melody to base the composition around. Our music proves that there is
no need for harmonic gravitation, and that we can play freely around the tonal center without fear of
sounding disconnected. We do this by incorporating these rhythmic tendencies, and allow for the other
musicians to pick up on the idea. It truly is spontaneous music.
SS: Ha! It is beautiful isnt it John? Whereas both Ali and I do search for rhythmic repetition and growth,
accented rhythms that imply a meter can also have a noticeable effect on the listeners. Although
Maqam Bayati doesnt have one specific rhythmic phrase, the drones behind the soloist are intentionally
free and unpredictable, so that in the chance that a pattern may arise, we quickly catch on and develop
the rhythm. Unlike Coltranes predetermined 3 note pattern used the amplify thank you God, we
allow the rhythm to present itselfso in a sense it is more random and improvised. From (1:55-2:35)
the drone becomes increasing more audible and textually rich, and it is easier to feel a pulse. At (2:41)
Ali clearly outlines a running eighth note passage to which then gives the Maqam a focal point, before
he returns it to a free time signature, as he passes the next solo to me. This is extremely effective as the
drone, starting at (1:55) slowly develops into more of an individual line. Suddenly the drone has become
incorporated into the melody that Ali plays, and now instead of being in the background, we created a
unique polyphonic passage that feels developed and completed. One final example of this is found at
the end (7:47) where I play a simple rhythm, a 3 eighth note grouping, and Ali quickly attaches himself to
this. You can hear him join me in the melody at (8:05) a bit timid, but then without losing a beat
continues to follow the natural flow of the line. And at (8:09) it sounds as if we had written out a specific
melody. This developing theme signals the end of the song, and gives a precise momentsomething
memorablefor the listeners to know that the piece is over.
IV: That really is fascinating Mr. Shaheen. I had no idea that you could make music sound composed
simply by allowing the improvised solo to present a theme! It really gives meaning to giving yourself to
the music, and becoming vulnerable to what may happen. Moreover, it seems equally important to be
able to access all possibilities of harmonic expansion, whether its McCoy soaring into the upper
qualities of the chord, or Ali moving through the tonal levels. Mr. Coltrane, Mr.Shaheen, thank you for
coming today. From all of us from NPRthank you for listening.

Works Cited
"A Love Supreme." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

"Arabic Maqam." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

Mazzola, G., and Paul B. Cherlin. Flow, Gesture, and Spaces in Free Jazz: Towards a Theory of
Collaboration. Berlin: Springer, 2009. Print.

Powers, Cameron. Arabic Musical Scales: Basic Maqam Notation. Boulder, CO: G.L. Design, 2005.
Print.
Discography
"Maqam Bayyati - Simon Shaheen & Ali Jihad Racy." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 18 Apr.
2014.

"Psalm- A Love Supreme by John Coltrane." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.