Today, a quick look at exploiting the thinking of serialist composer Alban Berg and his unique tone row formations.
What makes this unusual and tonal and ironically diatonic in this context is that one half contains the white notes and the other the black notes.
What you notice is that there are two “Hexatonic” scales here:
This creates an interesting harmonic shift that can be exploited easily from a compositional perspective.
Okay, let’s take a tone row from this hexatonic setup:
Now, let’s create some chords form this. I am going to employ tri-chords [three note] chords because they work well with chordal guitar picking:
Using these chords as a basis for my composition I will add open guitar strings and and a few fretted notes and re arrange the chord voicing’s, eventually, moving away from 12 tone.
Here are the chords I chose:
Lastly, a little turn around/cadence:
Now, let’s exploit another 12 tone row in this context:
This time I will employ strumming as the main guitar technique for this part of the composition.
So, as usual let’s make some tri-chords:
Finally, here we see a snippet from Berg’s “Lyric Suite”.
Before starting it is important to note that these principles are to be applied to major, minor, diminished and augmented: In this overview we will use “Major”only.
PART 1: Triadic
First we will take a simple C major root position triad. We can move DOWN a 1/2 step or UP a half step from the last note to connect the next triad:
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Predictable Example:
Here we can see that just adding another root position triad creates a non random and predictable sound.
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Correct Approach Example:
Here we create freshness by employing “Inversion” and “Displaced Permutations”.
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
What are Displaced Permutations?
This means that we change the order of the notes. In this case although they are both in root position the order of the notes has been changed in the second triad. Hence this moves away from a more traditional sound/approach.
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Also, because the last note is the 3rd of C Major it is considered a 1st Inversion:
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Now lets add another triad to this:
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Predictable “Improper” application:
Below is an example of predictable repeated connections/patterns:
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Correct Application Example:
Here we have an imaginative less predictable and more random sounding line.
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
PART 2: A Chromatic Approach:
Within the interval of a Major 3rd there are five 1/2 steps. [We will use C to E as an example]
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
These five 1/2 steps cannot be used in a consecutive manner and must stay within the interval of a major 3rd.
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
RANDOM Chromatic Method: EXAMPLES
Here are some example of how this works
Example:1
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Example 2:
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Example: 3
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
ii V7 I’s with applied Chromatic Approach:
Here are two examples where the George Garzone approach is applied
Example 1
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Example 2
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
PART 3:
Finally, here are a few ideas with the principles applied to harmony:
Idea 1
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Idea 2
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
Idea 3
GEORGE GARZONE -“Triadic Chromatic Approach”
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