Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lydian Dominant Theory For Improvisation Norm Vincent PDF
Lydian Dominant Theory For Improvisation Norm Vincent PDF
for
Improvisation
by
Norm Vincent
OverTone # 1 - 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ...
Note # 1 - 1 5 1 3 5 b
7 1 2 3 #
4 5 6 b
7 7 1 ...
Note Name C - C G C E G Bb C D E F# G A Bb B C ...
Try this experiment on a Piano. Hold Down the Sustain Pedal. Strongly Hit
and Release a low 'C'. What do you hear? I hear all sorts of other strings
vibrating. The sounding strings are not accidental, they are strictly
determined by the OverTone Series. These associated frequencies are called
Harmonics.
The exact single-octave Harmonic Series values are given in the next
table. It is an ordering of the Rational Numbers. These values are used the
same way the fundamental values of Sines and Cosines are used in
Trigonometry. You simply multiply the initial pitch by these values to
derive the frequency of the desired harmonic.
OverTone # 1 - 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ...
b # b
Note # 1 - 1 5 1 3 5 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 1 ...
Harmonic # 1 - 1 3/2 1 5/4 3/2 7/4 1 9/8 5/4 11/8 3/2 13/8 7/4 15/8 1 ...
What is a 5th? Briefly, what is known as a 5th is the first distinct (other than
octave doublings) OverTone to emerge from the OverTone Series and is
associated with the number 3. Experiments on strings by ancient people
showed that when you take a string tuned to any starting pitch and divide it
into 2's you get octave doublings. When you divide it into 3's, you get what is
known as a perfect 5th. When you divide it into 5's, you get what is known as
a Major 3rd. When you divide it into 7's, you get what is known as a Minor 7th.
This process can continue to any desired level and is explained in greater
depth in my book Natural Music Theory.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
C G D A E B F# C# G# D# A# E# B#
C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb Bbb Ebb Abb Dbb
The Cosmic Quirk involving the number 12, legendary for its number
mystic properties, in evolving our common 12-Tone Tempered System and
the evolution of other N-Tone Tempered Systems from Cycles different from
(3/2), some of which are more exact than the 12-Tone Tempered, are
developed in great detail in my book Natural Music Theory.
The four note Chord formed on the 5th degree of the Major Scale is called
the Dominant 7th Chord. It is formally referred to as the V7 Chord. The
presence of the Dominant 7th (b7) in the Chord sets up a tension that needs
to be released. Classical theory states that this tension is released by
resolving to the Key Root Chord, also known as the I Chord - G7 »»» C.
The table to the right shows an
idealized form of this resolution.
What, exactly, causes this resolution
to occur? Remember, we are dealing
with psycho-acoustic phenomena
which is highly subjective and the
topic of much debate down through
the ages continuing to the present
day. For now, let's put politics aside.
In the G7 Chord, the root (G) and fifth (D) are quite consonant, as are the
root (G) and Major third (B). The Major third (B) and the fifth (D) form an
interval of a Minor third, also considered consonant, as do the fifth (D) and
the Dominant 7th (F). The interval between the root (G) and the
Dominant 7th (F) was considered dissonant in old classical theory. Most
modern theorists are not so strict and would consider the interval as colorful
if not downright consonant.
This leaves us with the interval B-F. This interval was actually outlawed by
the Medieval Christian Church and marked with the name Intervallo
Diabolo. This Interval spans 3 whole tones. There are many names for this
interval - diminished 5th, augmented 4th, #11th, and my favorite - TriTone. A
TriTone is naturally formed between the Major 3rd and the Dominant 7th.
Because of the relative consonance of all the other intervals in the G7 Chord,
most, if not all, of the tension in this Chord is caused by the presence of this
TriTone interval. Lydian-Dominant Theory is, literally, the study of
TriTones.
You should try this out repeatedly on a Piano and let your ear be your final
arbiter. These resolutions are symmetric and, I believe neither has any
precedence over the other. I agree with most modern theorists, that they
are equivalent and neither should be preferred for any subjective reasons.
So what does this mean???
II m7 » bII7 » I Maj7
Consider the Chord progression of the verse part of The Girl From Ipanema
by Antonio Carlos Jobim. It goes like this:
What in the world is that Gb7 doing all over the place??? By classical rules,
this should be a C7 as it is the Dominant 7th Chord in the Key of F. How
does the Gb7 cause the desired resolution to the I Maj7 Chord? This is the
heart of Lydian-Dominant Theory. In the table that follows I will spell out the
requisite chords, identify the relevant
TriTone - the rest is magic.
Postulate 1
Postulate 2
Each pair is associated with two interchangeable Dominant 7th Chords. That
is, they may be substituted for each other to provide harmonic richness
and/or chromatic movement as can readily be seen in the Chord progression
snippet from The Girl From Ipanema used above.
The following table enumerates the 6 Dominant7 pairs and their associated
TriTones. Read this table up and down the columns - the involved TriTone is
in between.
C7 G7 D7 A7 E7 B7/Cb7
Now we know why that Gb7 is there in Jobim's Song. In fact, all of his work
is heavily Lydian-Dominant. Check out his compositions Wave and
Desafinado to see what I mean.
The BIG Fact is, that Jazz is heavily permeated with Lydian-Dominant
Chord Progressions and Melodic development. Swing, Blues and their
derivatives in the Pop/Rock styles less so, but still Lydian-Dominant. South
American forms like Samba and Bossa Nova and Tango are, again, heavily
permeated with Lydian-Dominant Chord Progressions and Melodic
development. Likewise, the Afro-Cuban inspired Salsa forms. Certain 20th
Century Classical Composers have also ventured into Lydian-Dominant,
Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky to name just a few.
You should become aware of an odd thing with these pairs. Are they
augmented 4ths (#11) or are they diminished 5ths (b5)? In Natural Music
Theory (pure Harmonic Series intervallic evolutions), there is a definite
difference. In the 12-Tone Tempered System there is not. The very
process of Tempering obliterates any difference.
No rational number, that is, an number of the form a/b , where a, b are
natural numbers, can equal √2. TriTones are intimately related to this
number that caused the Pythagoreans so much trouble with ir-rational
numbers. This topic and other related items are explored in greater depth in
my book Natural Music Theory.
Postulate 3
B7 b5 = F7 b5 = { F A Cb/B Eb/D# }
The Chord is comprised of two TriTone pairs a Major 3rd apart. In the case of
the C7 b5 - F#7 b5 pair, they are {c - f#/gb } and { e - a#/bb }. Play this
Chord - listen to it. Grab the 4 notes in the C-F# pair - { f# a# c e }. Now
play a C bass note - listen. Now play an F# bass note - listen. What do you
hear? I hear the same tonality in each case. Nothing really changes except
the voicing, i.e. a particular rearrangement of notes.
For the Improviser, this is really important. The first problem encountered
when analyzing a particular Chord progression is figuring out what Scale(s)
are implied by which Chord(s). It doesn't matter how fast your fingers are
or how good your tone is if you're playing the wrong notes - it'll still sound
bad. This is the major problem I have with some Improvisational Methods of
listing a seemingly different Scale to each and every Chord in a
progression. I find it more confusing than helpful, especially to the novice.
The fact is, that the underlying scalar note group frequently does not
change at all ! More often than not, whole sequences of Chord changes
define the same note group. It doesn't matter which notes in a particular
Scale you choose to include in a motif, its still the same underlying
tonality. This is why Handel sounds as homogeneously boring as a lot of
more modern music of all kinds - the whole song is defined by one
scalar group! You might see a lot of Chord changes, but all that is really
changing is which note(s) the bass player is currently emphasizing. For the
Improviser, nothing changes at all - its same Scale throughout.
Once the student progresses up to Lydian-Dominant, they find that what
looks like wicked hard Chord changes are really not so bad at all. There are
only 6 Dominant7 b5 Chords, not 12 as with most other chords. This makes
learning them take half the time. All that remains is to fit them in properly.
Lydian-Dominant is actually easier than it looks. Things get even simpler in
the next postulate.
Postulate 4
This is the infamous Diminished7 Chord. As we can easily see, the quads
form 3 mutually exclusive sets of 4 notes. Each group is comprised of 2
interlaced TriTones a minor 3rd apart. Notice that 4 super-imposed minor
3rds equals an octave in the 12-Tone Tempered System. This note group is
totally symmetric any way you look at it.
No group of notes has caused more problems for Music Theorists than this
one. Just naming the intervals is problematic within the old system. Below is
a technically correct naming of a C dim7 Chord.
Bbb/A is clearly a Major 6th (in disguise) above the root C. It acts like a 6th,
it sounds like a 6th, so why not call it a 6th !!! I seriously suggest that we
rename this wonderfully ambiguous Lydian-Dominant note set the
diminished 6th Chord - C dim6. As justification in addition to the above
analysis, I would point out that this Chord is remarkably close in sound and
function to the minor 6th Chord, a Chord more commonly used in older
American music, and still important in some indigenous styles like Tango.
This Chord has an ambivalent tonality and differs from the dim6 in that the
5th is perfect rather than diminished.
Cm6 = { C Eb G A }
Cdim6 = { C Eb Gb A }
Furthermore, if we invert the 6th in the C m6 thereby changing the root note
to A instead of C, we derive the modern Jazz Chord, the A m7 b5 - the so-
called half-diminished Chord. This Chord will be discussed in depth later on
in this treatise.
Postulate 5
There are 3 Sets of Dominant7 b9 Chords, one for each Diminished
Quad Sub-System.
F7 b9 = { F A C Eb Gb }
F7 b9 = { F + DQ1 = ( A C Eb Gb ) }
B7 b9 = { B + DQ1 = ( D# F# A C ) }
D7 b9 = { D + DQ1 = ( F# A C Eb ) }
Notice also, that the exchangeable roots themselves form a dim6 quad !!!
Grab the diminished quad on a Piano with the right hand. Now play each
root in turn and listen. Do you hear what I hear? The "action" notes are the
same no matter how you choose to voice them. Changing the root notes
alters the note set (thus the sonority changes), but the tension/resolution
mechanism is invariant. Lydian-Dominant is very cool. The same thing
goes for the other two quads and figuring them out I leave to you as an
exercise.
Don't forget - this note-group is in the Dominant7 Chord-Space and, as
such, can be substituted for its TriTone equivalent! Lydian-Dominant is
wicked cool. A frequent companion of the X7 b9 is the subject of the next
postulate.
Postulate 6
As mentioned briefly above, this note group has a dual nature. It also called
the "half-diminished" Chord. This makes some sense in that it is formed
by adding a b7 to a diminished triad. However, this pseudonym hides the
fact of the dual nature of this Chord - it can be looked at as a 6th Chord or a
7th Chord, dependent on other factors such as melodic leading, resolution,
and rooted-ness.
Cm7 b5 = { C Eb Gb Bb }
Ebm6 = { Eb Gb Bb C }
When used as a m7 b5
, it is most commonly the first part of what I call a
minor II-V-I:
Though this is the most common usage of this Chord, especially in Jazz
compositions, the subtle ambiguity of this note group lends itself to other
uses. It doesn't have to resolve to a I mx Chord through the V7 b9- it can
just as easily go other places though not anyplace. Check out Stella By
Starlight.
Postulate 7
Notice that 3 super-imposed Major 3rds exactly equals an octave in the 12-
Tone Tempered System. Like the dim6 sub-systems, the 4 Augmented sub-
system triads are totally symmetric and form 4 mutually exclusive sets of 3
notes. They are:
Here's where the fun begins again. These 4 augmented sub-systems imply 4
corresponding Augmented7 sub-systems as well. I'll show you the T1 sub-
system and leave the other three for you to do as an exercise.
E aug7 = { AT1 = ( E G# C ) + D }
Ab aug7 = { AT1 = ( Ab C E ) + Gb }
Before we get to the next postulate I want to briefly discuss the Western
Classical bias (from the Greeks) toward the 7-note (so called) Dia-Tonic
Scale and an important bit of nomenclature
Despite the fact that we in the Western Cultures have come to enshrine
"Rational Thinking" as the epitome of human evolution, and view any
continued reliance on pre-rational systems as atavistic and downright
ignorant, we have nevertheless perpetrate on each unsuspecting generation
since the "Enlightenment" a plethora of number mystic systems which
are unquestionably accepted as "cosmic" Law.
Case in point - ask anyone why there are 7 days in a week and you will
usually get stunned silence and strange looks for a reply. Some will
desperately be mentally searching for a "logical" reason (there must be one)
for these commonly encountered systems. You may get a straightforward
"... and God rested on the 7th day." from a Religionist, and though I
respect their right to their strongly held convictions, I don't feel that I am
bound by them in any way. The point is, that there is No cosmic reason at
all why the number 7, or any other number for that matter, should be
specially favored.
In Music Theory, we use the two terms Scale and Chord without much
discretion. In fact, there is no real difference between them. It only depends
on how far we space out the intervals and even this is poorly defined. If we
space out the intervals in whole and half steps the note-group is usually
called a Scale. If we super-impose Major and minor thirds, it is usually
called a Chord. Problem is, some scales have intervals of a min 3rd, and
some chords have intervals of whole step. I and many modern music
theorists use the term ChordScale. I also use the term note-group. This
makes more sense to me than trying to define a difference that does not
exist.
• C-Major Scale = { C D E F G A B }
• C Maj13 Chord = { C E G B D F A }
• F-Major Scale = { F G A Bb C D E }
• C13 Chord = { C E G Bb D F A }
C13 is in the Dominant7 Group in the Key of F. In both cases, the note-
group is identical and the same ChordScale is defined. There happens to
be 7 notes in it and, indeed, there are a lot of 7-note scales. But, there are
many other ChordScales with a different number of elements that are just as
useful and legitimate as the dia-tonic.
Postulate 8
The Whole-Tone Scale and its altered variants underlay many Lydian-
Dominant Chords. Basically, they fit any Chord with a diminished 5th or an
augmented 5th or both They can also be used when a #11 or a b13 is
present. I will show how they can be used to fit the common Lydian-
Dominant Chord - the Dominant7 b5.
C7 b5 = { C E Gb Bb }
CWT = WT1 = { C D E Gb Ab Bb }
Notice that we have 4 notes of WT1 already in the Chord itself! The two
notes that are missing are D and Ab. The D is easily justified as a 9th. As 9ths
are, in reality, only the 2nd note of a Major Scale, and this is a Major Chord,
it can always be used in a situation like this. The Ab is more of a problem to
justify. Technically, C7 is a Major Mode Chord and as such, a Major 6th should
be played giving us an A rather than an Ab. Indeed an A can be played
turning our Scale into one of the many Whole-Tone variants. However, using
the Ab gives us a slightly "outside" sound. In particular, it provides sonic
variance using a non-critical note - the 6th. This is very important to the
Improviser.
Next, I'll show how the Whole-Tone Scale can be used to fit an
augmented 7th Chord.
C aug7 = { C E G# Bb }
CWT = WT1 = { C D E F# G# A# }
Notice that we have 4 notes of WT1 already in the Chord itself! The two
notes that are missing are D and F#. As above the D is easily justified as a
9th. This time, the F# is the problem to justify. Strictly speaking, as this is a
Major Chord, we should have an F rather than a F#. Indeed an F can be
played turning our Scale into a Whole-Tone variant. However, using the F#
gives us a slightly "outside" sound. In particular, it provides sonic variance
using a non-critical scalar note - the 11th. This is very important to the
Improviser.
Jazz players are famous for "playing outside" (i.e. playing non-chordscale
implied notes) in the course of their improvisations. Indeed, it is an
important part of the Jazz Style. I believe, however, that not all "outside"
notes are justified at the theoretical level. Some "outside" notes are just
plain wrong - i.e. not at all justifiable within the structure of the Chord
progression. Too often, "playing outside" is used as an excuse for playing
wrong notes due to an inadequate analysis of the Chord Progression implied
Harmonic Structure of a piece.
Postulate 9
The diminished Scale comes in two flavors DSwh and DShw depending on how
the diminished Scale is constructed - whole step first or half-step first. The
following table shows the difference.
1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½
DSwh1 = DShw2
DSwh2 = DShw3
DSwH4 = DShw1
There are many ways to use these scales. In either flavor, they remain
wonderfully ambiguous and their use now and again over the proper Chord
changes, though tricky, creates much sonic richness. I will show some ways
to use these scales and leave others for you to investigate as an exercise.
* Set1 Set2 *
Notice that there is an Up and a Down version of the Scale, both being
constructed of alternating whole & half-steps. The Scale D DIM(wh) is
composed of 2 sets (called tetrads from Greek Music Theory) of 4 notes. In
the Up version, Set1 is the first 4 notes of a Dm Scale and Set2 is the first
4 notes of a Abm Scale. In the Down version, Set1 is the last 4 notes of a
Dm (Dorian as implied by the Key of C) Scale and Set2 is the last 4 notes of
the corresponding Abm Scale.
I hope by now that you have noticed that D & Ab are TriTones !!! This
shouldn't be a surprise to you anymore. Play the chords and the
accompanying scales on the Piano - listen. They are super-diminished every
way you look at them. Try playing them in "thirds" - in "fourths". See if you
can find other ways to use these wonderfully ambiguous Scale patterns.
For now, I will conclude this treatise with an excerpt from my book on
Natural Music Theory. It deals with the actual OverTone Series implied
note-groups that underlie Lydian-Dominant Theory. To appreciate its
simplicity one only has to look carefully at the OverTone Series and list the
note-groups by Doublings.
Note Note
OverTone Analysis
# Name
1 F C0 Fundamental
2 1 C1
Fifth
3 5 G1
4 1 C2
5 3 E2
Dominant7
6 5 G2
7 b
7 Bb2
8 1 C3
9 2 D3
10 3 E3
Lydian-Dominant
11 #
4 F# 3 Scale
12 5 G3
13 6 A3
14 b
7 Bb3
15 7 B3 Leading Tone
16 1 C4 Doubling
Postulate 0
C7 » { C D E F# G A Bb }
Concluding Remarks:
Norm Vincent
NorthStar Studios - April 2000
Norm@LydianDominant.Com