Jim Gold 1

Word Count: 3851

Pattern in melodic improvisation and harmonic

progression in the music of John Coltrane:

with particular reference to Coltrane's improvised cadenza during his rendition of

Billy Eckstine's composition 'I Want to Talk about You', and his manipulation of

similar devices in his compositions and improvisation.

Jim Gold 2

Abstract

In �Pattern in melodic improvisation and harmonic progression in the music of John

Coltrane�, I aimed to demystify John Coltrane�s music and present a case for its clear

internal logic and structural beauty. I also hoped to create a document useful for those

studying jazz improvisation and harmony. For this essay I focussed primarily on

Coltrane�s improvised cadenza during his rendition of the Billy Eckstine composition

�I Want to Talk about You�. To carry out a meaningful harmonic analysis, I needed a

transcription, so I undertook this task myself. In addition to reading what I could find

on the subject, I consulted one of Europe�s leading experts on Coltrane�s music,

Mornington Lockett. He was able to provide valuable insights and suggest fresh

avenues of research. In my analysis I attempted to identify recognizable patterns and

shapes in Coltrane�s improvisation, such as triad pairs, hexatonics and II-V-I

language. I also related the devices used to similar examples in the rest of Coltrane�s

body of work. My results were conclusive in proving the wealth of pattern and

structure in Coltrane�s music, and I inadvertently managed to find evidence of

Coltrane�s influence on younger musicians.

Jim Gold 3

Contents

Contents 3 Introduction 4 Deriving Shapes and Patterns from Scales 6 Repeating Motifs 10 Use of Triad Pairs 13 Use of Synthetic Scales 16 Use of the Three-Tonic Cycle 19 Conclusion 23 Bibliography 24 Discography 25

Jim Gold 4

Introduction

John Coltrane (1926-1947) was a leading African-American jazz musician,

performing mainly on tenor and soprano saxophones. Coltrane�s music is renowned

for its fiery creativity and the saxophonist�s visceral approach. This uninhibited style

has led some listeners to be dismissive of his style, considering his note choice to be

random and meaningless. This is particularly true of his more unhinged performances,

such as the seminal free jazz album �Ascension� and the cadenza which follows his

performance of �I Want to Talk about You� on the album �Live at Birdland�. The

words of Associate Editor of prominent jazz publication Downbeat, John Tynan, who

stated, on listening to a 1961 performance of the saxophonist, that �[he] listened to a

horrifying demonstration of what appears to be a growing anti-jazz trend exemplified

by those foremost proponents [Coltrane and fellow saxophonist, Eric Dolphy] of what

is termed avant-garde music�1 exemplify this trend. It is this cadenza which this essay

will attempt to rationalise and interpret, in order to go some way in understanding

Coltrane�s thought process. In this way it might convince sceptics of the internal logic

of Coltrane�s music. I will relate my analysis of sections of the cadenza to other

examples of Coltrane using similar techniques, both in improvisation and

compositions. By doing this I hope to strengthen my interpretation of Coltrane�s

techniques by establishing continuity in his work.

Coltrane�s motivation for playing these kinds of free cadenzas is touched upon in The

New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, where it is stated that in pieces such as Giant Steps,

Coltrane, �by seeking to escape harmonic clichés�had inadvertently created a one-

dimensional improvisatory style. In the late 1950�s he pursued two alternative

directions. First his expanding technique enabled him to play what the critic Ira

Gitler called �sheets of sound2�. (Italics mine) It is these �sheets of sound� that can be

heard clearly in the cadenza to I Want to Talk About You. Furthermore, Barry

Kernfeld comments that �such flurries�disguised his excessive reiteration of

1 �John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy Answer The Jazz Critics�, Down Beat Magazine, http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=212 (Accessed June 18 2008) 2 Barry Kernfeld, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (New York: Macmillan Publishers Ltd), s.v. "John Coltrane."

Jim Gold 5

formulae.� It is this very concealing that I will attempt to make lucid in this essay by

revealing Coltrane�s techniques.

The transcription and analysis of these extracts is valuable to the jazz community as a

whole, and in particular the improvising jazz musician. From Coltrane�s use of

patterns and shapes the improviser will be able to derive his own melodic and

harmonic material that will add to his jazz �vocabulary�. Furthermore it may inspire

him or her to investigate Coltrane�s cyclic systems and potentially create fresh

systems influenced by them.

In order to identify the patterns used, I undertook the task of transcribing notable

sections from the cadenza. By listening carefully I was able to configure these sounds

to standard Western musical notation. It should be noted that the lack of fixed meter

makes precise notation of rhythms particularly challenging, but the transcriptions that

have been produced are nonetheless an invaluable tool in analysing Coltrane�s music.

All transcriptions are mine unless otherwise noted.

Jim Gold 6

Deriving Shapes and Patterns from Scales

Fig.1. John Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (06:30 � 06:40)

If we analyse this section in depth it is possible to see it as implying a II-V-I cadence

typical of the jazz idiom, one that Coltrane would have been very familiar with. An

example of such a cadence would be the Dm7 � G7 � Cmaj7 that comes in the last 4

bars of a conventional jazz 12 bar blues in C major. This extract is to some degree a

pastiche of the clichéd jazz �lick� shown below, which is often played over a II-V-I

cadence.

Fig 2. Conventional jazz II-V �lick�

Fig 3. John Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (06:35 � 06:40)

Particularly from bar 5 in Coltrane�s phrase we see the guide tone of F# (implying the

chord of G minor with a major 7th) descend to an F (implying G minor with a lowered

7th) and then to an E (forming the 3rd of C7). Fig. 3 above indicates these common

guide-tones with arrows.

Jim Gold 7

A scale that jazz musicians commonly use over dominant seventh chords is the

�altered scale�. This scale is a mode of the melodic minor scale, and is formed by

starting on the leading note of that scale.

Fig 4. G altered scale

Over a tonality of G7, this scale emphasises all the notes that are �outside� the

conventional sound of the chord, and so is typical of harmonically complex jazz. In

How to Comp, Hal Crook describes this effect as �altered tensions�3. Notably, the 3rd

(B) and 7th (F) are not altered, as this would too drastically change the function of the

chord.

In addition to playing the scale in a linear fashion one can also derive a number of

shapes and patterns from it. Just as we can derive F and G major triads from C major

scale, we can derive C# and D# major triads from the G altered scale. Below we see

how both Ab and Bb(A#) minor triads are also built into the altered scale.

Fig.5. Minor Triads in G altered scale

It is the minor triad that is built on the b2 of the scale that Coltrane uses in this

extract.

3 Hal Crook, How to Comp, (Advance Music, 1995) p.17

Jim Gold 8

Fig.6. John Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (06:37 � 06:40)

Here we see, in the context of a C dominant seventh chord, a C# minor triad. This is a

clear indication of Coltrane deriving the minor triad shape from the C altered scale.

We can see many examples of Coltrane superimposing harmony over existing chord

changes outside of this cadenza. Often he will use triadic or arpeggaic constructions

as these are often the clearest ways to describe harmony. An example might be bars 9-

12 of the saxophonist�s solo on Blue Train from the album of the same name. Blue

Train, as its name suggests, is a 12 bar-blues in the key of Eb. Therefore, the last 4

bars of each 12 bar chorus contain a II-V-I cadence in the key of Eb. In his solo,

Coltrane does not stick rigidly to the chords of Fm7 - Bb 7 - Eb 7, but instead implies

contrasting harmony over the top.

Fig.7. John Coltrane�s solo on Blue Train, bars 8-12.

The key section is shown with the square brackets. In this section Coltrane is not

using the altered scale over the C7 chord, as the F natural used in the line does not fit

into that scale.

Jim Gold 9

Fig.8. C Altered Scale

Instead it appears that Coltrane is implying a minor plagal cadence over the chord

changes. Since a plagal cadence is the resolution from chord IV to chord I, a minor

plagal cadence is the resolution from chord IV minor to chord I. In this case that

resolution is from the clear Bb minor shape indicated by the square brackets to the F

natural that is the first note of the next bar. This example demonstrates that Coltrane

was not limited to altered scale vocabulary in his harmonic language.

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Repeating Motifs

In the cadenza Coltrane does repeat certain ideas that demonstrate that his

improvisation is to some degree based on things that he has assimilated and practiced

rather than being completely wild and free. One such motif is heard twice, once at

(06:16) and again at (06:24)

Fig.9. Coltrane�s repeating motif.

If we assume that this pattern is derived from a diatonic scale or mode, there are

several possible harmonic interpretations of it. The one I thought of at first was that it

could imply the tonality of G Lydian.

Fig.10. Harmonic implications of Coltrane�s motif

Similarly it could be descriptive of any of the church modes of D. Also the notes of

the motif fit into the scale of E melodic minor.

Fig.11. Further Harmonic implications of Coltrane�s motif

These and other interpretations are possible, and nobody can definitely state what

Coltrane was thinking. However, Mornington Lockett has suggested me that the motif

Jim Gold 11

could imply several of the �altered tensions� over the chord of Eb 7. All the notes of

the motif fit into the Eb altered scale. Remember that the altered scale is the same as

the melodic minor scale a semitone up, and so just as the motif fits into E melodic

minor scale, it fits into the Eb altered scale.4

Fig.12. Further Harmonic implications of Coltrane�s motif

This is possibly the most practical use of this shape for jazz improvisers, as dominant

seventh chords are extremely common in jazz harmony.

If we look at this motif in its historical context there are several interesting things

about it. The first is that we can see the late Michael Brecker, a celebrated

saxophonist and devotee of John Coltrane�s music, using an identical shape in bar 92

of his solo on the piece Pools by the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead.

Fig.13. Michael Brecker Pools solo. 5

The brackets indicate the relevant segment; we can see that it is simply a transposed

version of the original Brecker construction. This pattern is well known and attributed

to Brecker. On his website Mornington Lockett refers to a version of this pattern as a

�classic Michael Brecker construction�.

4 Mornington Lockett, interview by author, Winter 2008. 5 Transcription by Charles McNeal, http://www.charlesmcneal.com/, (19th June 2009)

Jim Gold 12

Fig.14. �Classic Michael Brecker Construction� from Mornington Lockett

The relationship between Brecker�s pattern and the motif by Coltrane is clear. It

seems very likely that Brecker, who is known to have transcribed a great deal of

Coltrane�s music, heard this motif (perhaps subconsciously) and created his version of

it. This is a very exciting discovery and it surely demonstrates how artists as great as

Brecker are very much influenced by their own heroes just like the novice jazz

musician.

Jim Gold 13

Use of Triad Pairs

The use of triad pairs is well documented in jazz. Several books exclusively cover this

topic such as Walt Weiskopf�s Intervallic Improvisation: The Modern Sound and

Gary Campbell�s� Triad Pairs for Jazz. The most common technique is to alternate

the use of two triads, creating a hexatonic (six note) scale. However, as Jason Lynn

states in his article on the technique, �in order for this approach to yield a hexatonic

(six note) scale, the two triads must be mutually exclusive � they must contain no

common tones.�6

This technique can create some very interesting colours of tonality. Below we see

how two major triads (the most common pairing of triads) can produce, on a major

chord, a Lydian or #11 sound.

Fig.15. Example 1 of triad pairs.

Similarly, over a dominant 7th chord, two major triads can produce the sound of a

suspended 4th, or, as it would be known to jazz musicians, a �sus chord�.

Fig.16. Example 2 of triad pairs.

In Coltrane�s cadenza on I Want to Talk About You we can clearly see his use of this

technique.

6 Part II, Hexatonics, Jason Lynn, http://www.opus28.co.uk/jazz3hex.pdf, (18th June 2007)

Jim Gold 14

Fig.17. John Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (06:04 � 06:10)

Here we see the alternating of E minor triad and F major triad along with C

augmented triad and Bb diminished triad.

Fig.18. Coltrane�s use of triad pairs, Example 1

Since Coltrane is not playing over a fixed chord sequence at this point, it is harder to

decipher what tonality this triad pair implies. The most obvious would be that of C

major with a #11, i.e. the church mode of C Lydian. Because a diatonic scale cannot

contain 3 semitones next to one another, the �missing seventh note� from the

hexatonic �must� be D, as either Db or D# would result in a non-diatonic scale. This

would indicate that the tonality implied must be that of one of the church modes of C.

However, as we will see by Coltrane�s use of synthetic scales, there is no need for us

to be bound to the conventions of diatonic scales in our analysis of his music.

Fig.19. Coltrane�s use of triad pairs, Example 2

In this example the triad pairs are not mutually exclusive, and so together create a

pentatonic scale rather than a hexatonic. This pentatonic is very interesting and could

be used to describe several advanced jazz harmonic sounds.

Jim Gold 15

Fig. 20. Pentatonic derived from Coltrane�s Triad Pairs

This is perhaps one the most attractive of its possible manifestations. In the context of

a C7 chord the pentatonic contains two �altered tensions� that are found in the altered

scale that were covered in the first section of this essay. These are the b2 and #5 (Db

and G#). In addition, the natural 3rd (E) and flattened 7th (Bb) mean that the chord�s

function is not obscured � the scale only colours it. This is a prime example of how

the analysis of Coltrane�s cadenza can produce material that is suitable for

improvisers to absorb into their melodic and harmonic vocabulary.

Jim Gold 16

Use of Synthetic Scales

Synthetic scales can be defined as non-diatonic scales, i.e. scales that are not modes of

the major, harmonic major, harmonic minor or melodic minor scales. Examples of

these are the whole-tone scale and the diminished scale. Classical musicians may

know these same scales as Messiaen�s 1st and 2nd modes of limited transposition.

Another example of a synthetic scale is the augmented scale. This is constructed of

alternating minor thirds and semitones to form a six note scale (hexatonic). It can also

be thought of as two augmented triads a semitone apart and so another example of the

technique of triad pairs that has already been noted.

Fig. 21. Augmented Scale

If the order of intervals is reversed so that the scale is now formed by repeating

semitone-minor third, this new scale is called the inverted augmented scale.

Fig. 22. Inverted Augmented Scale

The following extract can be analysed and shown to be an example of Coltrane using

the inverted augmented scale.

Jim Gold 17

Fig.23. John Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (07:08-07:10)

Further analysis can give an indication of the tonalities that Coltrane is implying in

this phrase.

Fig.24. John Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (07:08-07:10)

This shows how the shape of the augmented scale can be used to outline an

augmented tonality, i.e. a chord containing a #5.

One might say that we cannot be sure that Coltrane was thinking of this exact scale

when improvising this extract. However, there is good evidence that the saxophonist

was very familiar with this synthetic scale. In the book, �The Augmented Scale in

Jazz�, Walt Weiskopf and Ramon Ricker admit that �in examining improvised solos it

appears to the authors that most soloists have used augmented scales and triads in an

intuitive manner. It is doubtful that many of the players cited in this book have

systematically tried to codify their use of this material.� However, they go on to say

that �two players that might be an exception to this speculation are John Coltrane and

Michael Brecker�.7

The clearest indicator of Coltrane�s familiarity with the augmented scale is his use of

it in his composition One Down, One Up. This piece has a form of AABA and is

7 Walt Weiskopf and Ramon Ricker, The Augmented Scale (New Albany: Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Inc, 1993), page 6.

Jim Gold 18

comparable with Miles Davis� composition So What in its use of only two chords �

each A section is Bb 7#5 throughout and likewise each B section is composed only of

Ab 7#5.

Fig.25. First 3 bars of Coltrane�s One Down, One Up

As shown below, this extract from One Down, One Up contains all but one notes of

the inverted augmented scale, and includes no tones extraneous to that scale.

Given that this melody was pre-composed and thought-out carefully, we can be

almost certain that Coltrane was thinking of an �augmented scale� as the basis for his

melodic material. Therefore we can be confident that the examples of augmented

scale material in the cadenza were intentional by the saxophonist.

Jim Gold 19

Use of the Three-Tonic Cycle

To jazz musicians, John Coltrane�s most infamous composition is surely Giant Steps.

This piece is well-known for being a minefield for improvisers who are often tested

on their ability to successfully navigate the treacherous chord changes. In Giant Steps,

instead of following most common jazz standards which modulate generally round the

cycle of fourths or in tone and semitone shifts, Coltrane takes the major third as the

basic for his harmonic movement. A number of common standards did contain

elements of this kind of modulation, such as Rodgers and Hart�s Have you Met Miss

Jones.

Fig.26. Chord Changes to the B section of Have you Met Miss Jones, Rodgers & Hart (Note:

Have You Met Miss Jones is generally played a semitone lower than it is notated here, but I

have shown it in this key for each of comparison to Giant Steps)

As we can see, the initial tonal centre of B moves down a minor third to G by way of

a traditional II-V-I cadence, typical of jazz harmony. Notably, in the 6th bar of this

bridge the direction of the major third cycle changes, and the Eb tonal centre rises to

G instead of going down to B.

In Giant Steps Coltrane took this technique to new extremes by using several patterns

of modulation to traverse the chord sequence. He made frequent use of the technique

of prefixing each new tonic centre with its respective II-V cadence or at least its

dominant.

Jim Gold 20

Fig.27 John Coltrane�s Giant Steps8

In the extract notated below, we can see evidence of Coltrane using this system of

modulation by major third in his improvisation.

Fig.28 John Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (07:36-07:43)

At normal speed this section sounds extremely chaotic, but on closer inspection there

is definite pattern in Coltrane�s use of repeating shapes.

8 Walt Weiskopf and Ramon Ricker, Giant Steps: A Player�s Guide to Coltrane�s Harmony (New Albany: Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Inc, 1994), page 10.

Jim Gold 21

Fig.29. Lockett�s analysis of Coltrane9

In the above analysis of the key passage from the middle of the extract Mornington

Lockett, an expert on Coltrane�s work, has identified the tonalities that Coltrane is

implying. We should keep in mind that Gb major is the relative major of Eb minor,

and so for the purposes of this analysis we can treat them as indicative of the same

general tonality. Therefore, we can state that the sequence of key centres inside the

square brackets is B minor � Eb minor � G minor � Eb minor � G minor.10 These

three centres (B, Eb and G) form an augmented triad, as they are each a major third

away from each other. Therefore, this sequence is an example of Coltrane

manipulating the three-tonic cycle that he also used in Giant Steps, by repeating a

certain pattern (in this case minor7 arpeggios) in major thirds. This sequence is

comparable to the bridge of Have You Met Miss Jones in that it changes direction

round the cycle i.e. it does not go from G minor to B minor as one might expect but

instead to Eb.

There are further examples in the cadenza of Coltrane using similar ideas involving

repeating a pattern while moving it around in major thirds.

Fig.30. Coltrane, I Want to Talk About You, (06:28)

9 The Online Sax Lesson, Mornington Lockett, http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/morningtonlockett/iso/isosaxlesson.html, (18th June 2009) 10 Ibid

Jim Gold 22

Again the shape being manipulate is that of a minor7 arpeggio and again the relative

major of one of the minor chords is implied, in this case D major. While we could

look at both these examples as a textbook use of the three-tonic system, Mornington

Lockett has produced a fascinating new interpretation of them. He realised that by

taking all the notes of Gm7, Am7 and Ebm7 and forming a linear scale out of them,

you come up with a nine note synthetic scale.

Fig.31. Construction of Messiaen�s 3rd Mode

This scale has the interesting characteristic of containing the first three notes of the

natural minor scale repeating every major third. As it turns out this scale was also

used by Messiaen as another in his series of �Modes of Limited Transposition�, in this

case Mode 3. As Mr. Lockett states, �I am not suggesting that �Trane was actually

thinking of it in that way, but it is a point of interest.� Nonetheless, we know that

Coltrane thought incredibly technically into the harmonic implications of various

patterns, studying Nicholas Slonimsky�s Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns,

in which the Russian-born composer aimed to document all possible combinations of

tones. The relationship between Coltrane and this text is well illustrated in Jeff Bair�s

dissertation, �Cyclic Patterns in John Coltrane�s Melodic Vocabulary as Influenced

by Nicholas Slonimsky�s Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns�. This all shows

that Coltrane analysed harmony in extreme detail and it is not inconceivable that he

conceived of the implications of Messiaen�s Mode 3 in relation to his 3-tonic cycle.

Jim Gold 23

Conclusion

Throughout this essay we have seen much evidence that Coltrane�s improvisation was

not random and thoughtless, but instead he considered harmony and scalic patterns in

considerable depth. It is telling that something so seemingly random does in fact have

a clear internal logic. This surely supports Mark Levine when he states in the

introduction to his seminal text The Jazz Theory Book that �A great jazz solo consists

of 1% magic and 99% stuff that is explainable, analysable, categorisable and

doable�.11 I hope that studying this essay will help the musician to incorporate

elements of John Coltrane�s harmony into their music. Furthermore, the saxophonist

would benefit from playing along with Coltrane and aiming to reproduce his phrasing

and tone with precision. In the middle of such a harmonically dense analysis it is easy

to forget that there is more to music than just the notes.

In his book Jazz John Fordham relates an anecdote which illustrates Coltrane�s

tendency to play a lot of notes for a long time (demonstrated in this cadenza!).

Apparently Coltrane told his bandleader Miles Davis that �once immersed in a solo,

he didn�t know how to stop. �Try taking the saxophone out of your mouth�, replied

Davis�.12

11 Levine, Mark. The Jazz Theory Book, (Petaluma: Sher Music Co) page vii 12 John Fordham, Jazz (London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1993), page 120.

Jim Gold 24

Bibliography

Crook, Hal, How to Comp,.17, Advance Music.

"John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy Answer the Jazz Critic." Down Beat Magazine.

http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=212

(accessed June 19, 2009).

Fordham, John. Jazz., 120. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1993.

Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. New York: Macmillan

Publishers Ltd.

Levine, Mark. The Jazz Theory Book. Petaluma: Sher Music Co.

Lockett, Mornington. Interview by author, Winter 2008.

Lockett, Mornington, �The Online Sax Lesson�

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/morningtonlockett/iso/isosaxlesson.html, (18th June 2009)

Mcneal, Charles. "Transcriptions." Charles Mcneal. www.charlesmcneal.com

(accessed June 19, 2009).

Weiskopf, Walt, and Ramon Ricker. The Augmented Scale, New Albany: Jamey

Aebersold Jazz, Inc, 1993.

Weiskopf, Walt, and Ramon Ricker. Giant Steps: A Player�s Guide to Coltrane�s

Harmony, New Albany: Jamey Aebersold Jazz, Inc, 1994.

Jim Gold 25

Discography

Coltrane, John. Blue Train. Blue Note Records B000005H40 . CD. 1990.

Coltrane, John. Giant Steps. Atlantic / Wea B000003489 . CD. 1989.

Coltrane, John. My Favourite Songs. Fabulous (USA) PID 763237 . CD. 2003.

Coltrane, John. One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note. Universal Classics

B000B0QOJA . CD. 2005.

Steps Ahead. Steps Ahead. Wea Int'l B000007443 . CD. 1996.