Introduction
- George russell lydian chromatic concept of tonal organization pdf Miles took his musicians into the studio for the first of two sessions for Kind of Blue in March, The more robust, comprehensive and detailed current volume adds never before published depth and dimension through exhaustive examples of analysis, scales, background information.
- Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Lydian Chromatic Concept. This page can be read either as one continuous article from. Jazz Modes – George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept with Melodic Minor Scales from the Mixolydian (Sol), Lydian (Fa) and Locrian (Ti) Positions played.
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The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. George Russell's book, The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, first published in, was. Instead, George Russell came up with his own theory which he called the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organisation. Now, there's something interesting. George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept. Print Email The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization (LCCOTO) resonates supreme at the epicenter of George Russell's prodigious life work. This innovative band leader, influential composer, legendary educator and philosophically profound master of music devoted 50 years of tireless, purposeful development in forging and generously.
A question (or two): What would be the most natural scale to play over a CMaj7? What scale would most perfectly capture the 'sound' of a CMaj7?
Most people, since the creation of tonal music a few centuries ago, would answer: the C Major scale – but not George Russell. Instead, George Russell came up with his own theory which he called the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organisation.
Now, there's something interesting about the C Major scale when played over a CMaj7 chord. The ‘F' is an ‘Avoid Note' – that is, the note F clashes with the chord CMaj7. But is it not a bit strange that there is a note in the C Major Scale that doesn't quite fit over the CMaj7 chord? Expansion - crusader kings ii: sons of abraham for mac os.
Let's start with a CMaj7 chord.
- The root note is C.
- Now the strongest, most consonant interval is a ‘Perfect Octave' (which, incidentally is why it is called ‘Perfect'). This is because an octave is the second harmonic in the harmonic series.
- The next most consonant interval is the ‘Perfect 5th' (which, again, is why it is called ‘Perfect'). And again this is because the Perfect 5th is the 3rd harmonic in the harmonic series. This is the basis of the Dominant-Tonic relationship – harmonically the strongest possible chord progression.
George Russell says the interval of a Perfect 5th establishes ‘tonal gravity' which pulls towards the tonic (like a Dominant Chord pulls down to the Tonic Chord). The interval of a Perfect Fifths is the basis of the entire Lydian Chromatic Concept.
Lydian Chromatic Concept
So if a Perfect 5th is the strongest non-root interval, we can build up a harmonically strong scale using intervals of Perfect 5ths. Starting on the C that gives us:
- C → G → D → A → E → B → F#
So we get a scale with all the notes of the C Major scale but with an F# rather than an F – which is a G Major Scale or the C Lydian Mode.
A scale created by stacking Perfect 5ths establishes ‘harmonic order' whereby each note of the scale is pulled down a 5th by ‘tonal gravity' back to the tonic (root note). The F# pulls to the B; the B pulls to the E and so on until we reach C.
So by playing C Lydian instead of C Major over a CMaj7 chord, the following things happen:
- We now have a scale with no avoid notes over a CMaj7 chord
- By getting rid of a F, we remove the diatonic tritone interval between the B & F which is the basis of the Dominant chord and thus the Dominant-tonic relationship and thus we have, in a sense, remove tonality itself
- All notes in this scale now work well over the chord without sounding like they need to resolve anywhere
- Each note is related to the next via ‘tonal gravity' and each tends back to the root note (C)
So we've had it wrong for the last 400 years. The scale that fits best fits over a CMaj7 is not C Major but C Lydian (AKA G Major). This theory was very influential. Bill Evans and Miles Davis were influenced by this theory when writing songs for the album Kind of Blue – arguable the most successful Jazz album of all time and one that epitomises Modal Jazz.
Further Study
Now, of course, there is much more to the Lydian Chromatic Concept than this. The full Concept is too complex, convoluted and large to cover here in detail. But the Lydian Chromatic Concept is just a different way of allocating ‘correct' scales to a particular chord.
Essentially, George Russell came up with seven ‘Vertical Principle Scale‘ based on a ‘Lydian Chromatic Order of Tonal Gravity': Data rescue pc3 serial.
- Lydian
- Lydian Augmented
- Lydian Diminished
- Lydian♭7 (Lydian Dominant)
- Auxiliary Augmented (Wholetone)
- Auxiliary Diminished (W/H Diminished)
- Auxiliary Diminshed Blues (H/W Diminished)
And four further ‘Horizontal Scales':
- Major
- Major ♭7
- Major Augmented 5th
- African-American Blues Scale
He then derives chords from each of the degrees of each of the 7 Principle Scales and says you can use any of the 7 Principle Scales or 4 Horizontal Scales over any chord derived from one of the 7 Principle Scales. So, according to Russell, every chord has at least 11 scales that can be used over it – creating different levels of dissonance.
An Example
Say, we have a Cm7♭5 chord and we want to find a scale to use to improvise over this chord. This chord is the #4 chord of the G♭ Lydian Scale. This means we can use the 7 Principle Scales (and 4 Horizontal Scales) from G♭ over this chord (G♭ Lyd, G♭ Lyd Aug, G♭ Lyd Dim, G♭ Lyd♭7, G♭ Aux Aug, G♭ Aux Dim, G♭ Aux Dim Blues + 4 Horizontal Scales). G♭ Lydian will sound the most ‘pleasant' or ‘consonant' over this chord, and the most related to the Lydian Tonic of (G♭). The further out you go (Aux Dim, Aux Dim Blues) it will sound more harsh and ‘dissonant' and less related to the Lydian Tonic of G♭.
But Cm7♭5 is also the VI chord of E♭ Lydian Diminished Scale (E♭ F G♭ A B♭ C D E♭). This means we can use the7 Principle Scales and 4 Horizontal Scales from E♭ over this chord (E♭ Lyd, E♭ Lyd Aug, E♭ Lyd Dim, E♭ Lyd♭7, etc.). But Cm7♭5 is MORE related to G♭ Lydian and LESS related to E♭ Lydian – so will sound more consonant over G♭ and more dissonant over E♭. So you have a choice of 22 different scales you can use to improvise over this one chord.
Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organisation
That, in a nutshell, is the Lydian Chromatic Concept. If you want more detail – read the book (and Good Luck – it is not an easy read…).
George Russell's book, The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, first published in 1953, was the first theoretical contribution to come from jazz, and was responsible for introducing modal improvisation which resulted in the seminal recording of Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue.'
Since it's publication, there have been scores of books on the market which have 'borrowed' bits of the Concept's information, but there is only one original.
'[The Concept] was the great path-breaker for Miles Davis and John Coltrane's modality.'
- Joachim Berendt, The Jazz Book.
GEORGE RUSSELL'S LYDIAN CHROMATIC CONCEPT OF TONAL ORGANIZATION,
first described in a self-published pamphlet in 1953, marks a radical expansion of the harmonic language for both composition and analysis and also marks an abandonment of the major-minor system which dominated Western music for over 350 years. Radical as it may be, the theory is more than one person's eccentricity, having considerable precedent in the work of Ravel, Scriabin, Debussy and in some of the learned works of Bach. The word 'Lydian' is here derived from one of the classical Greek scale modes. Russell's root scale follows the natural overtone series and runs from C to C with F sharp, rather than the customary F natural of the major scale.
For searchers like Miles and Coltrane and Bill Evans, and many in the generations that followed them, Russell's theory provided a harmonic background and a path for further exploration. It also gave rise to the 'modal' jazz movement that enjoyed great popularity in the 70's and 80's for better and for worse. We should not underestimate the extent of Russell's enterprise. His work stands head-to-head with Arnold Schoenberg's 'liberation' of the twelve-tone scale, the polytonal work of Stravinsky, and the ethnic scale explorations of Bartok and Kodaly. If you've listened to jazz during the last fifty years, you've heard a good deal of George Russell's ideas; he is one of the 20th century's great originals and one of its bravest innovators.
Having finished this work, Russell is completing another volume on related elements which he has been simultaneously developing over the last several decades.
The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization was expanded several times over the years, and has grown greatly since its first appearance in 1953. It is with pride and pleasure that we present this fourth and final edition.
'When you get a whole band to play like that, it's some of the most beautiful music you can have in the world. If you could sit down and write stuff like that out..well, some people do, like George Russell. He wrote stuff like that and it was incredible.'
Rashied Ali, Modern Drummer, January, 2003.
'The Lydian Chromatic Concept is one of the two most splendid books about music; the other is My Musical Language by Messiaen. Though I'm considered a contemporary music composer, if I dare categorize myself as an artist, I've been strongly influenced by the Lydian Concept, which is not simply a musical method--we might call it a philosophy of music, or we might call it poetry.'
Toru Takemitsu, Swing Journal interview, Tokyo.
'The simple melody was an experiment inspired by an evening Miles had spent with..George Russell who at the time was working on his..Lydian Chromatic Concept..Miles was fascinated by Russell's approach. Here was a means for breaking free from tonal cliches while maintaining some amount of restraint. Shortly after his evening with Russell, Miles recorded his new composition demonstrating Russell's basic principles.'
Round About Midnight: A Portrait of Miles Davis by Eric Nisenson, Dial Press, New York.
'Consider the circumstances. Miles took his musicians into the studio for the first of two sessions for Kind of Blue in March, 1959. At the time modal jazz..was not an entirely new idea..Originally, the idea for this kind of playing with the concept of composer George Russell.'
Liner notes for Kind of Blue by Robert Palmer, Columbia 1355.
'Russell is responsible for what remains the most significant single theoretical treatise written about the music.'
Morton and Cook, The Penguin Guide to Jazz, Penguin Books. London.
'Surpasses any musical knowledge I've been exposed to.'
Ornette Coleman
'Gives you so much more to work with.'
Eric Dolphy
'Consider the circumstances. Miles took his musicians into the studio for the first of two sessions for Kind of Blue in March, 1959. At the time modal jazz..was not an entirely new idea..Originally, the idea for this kind of playing with the concept of composer George Russell.'
Liner notes for Kind of Blue by Robert Palmer, Columbia 1355.
'Russell is responsible for what remains the most significant single theoretical treatise written about the music.'
Morton and Cook, The Penguin Guide to Jazz, Penguin Books. London.
'Surpasses any musical knowledge I've been exposed to.'
Ornette Coleman
'Gives you so much more to work with.'
Eric Dolphy
'George enlightened me about a different way of playing music, an analytical way which enabled me to go on learning about music on my own.'
Jan Garbarek
'The foremost theoretical contribution of our time---destined to become the most influential philosophy of the future.'
David Baker
'Far ahead of any book in the field.'
Gil Evans
'The past, the present, the future, all in one. A must for the serious musician.'
Art Farmer
'Miles Davis became the first major jazz musician to be influenced by Russell's ideas, and in 1958 he composed..Milestones, which was based on two modes..He recorded Milestones with Coltrane on April 3, 1958, and both men felt liberated by the new harmonic philosophy. Davis continued to work on Russell's concepts, and..he created five selections for the first all-modal album, Kind of Blue.'
Stan Getz: A Life in Jazz by Donald Maggin, William Morrow, New York.
Lydian Chromatic Concept Book
'It is indeed quite possible that much of the jazz rock of the seventies would not have existed if it weren't for Russell's pioneering work.'
Eric Nisenson, Music and Sound Output.
George Russell Lydian Concept Pdf History
'The first work deriving a theory of jazz from the immanent laws of jazz, not from the laws of European music. The Concept was the great path-breaker for Miles Davis' and John Coltrane's modality.'
The Jazz Book by Joachim Berendt, Lawrence Hill Books, Chicago.
