Steve Coleman

[FiveHundo500]

He's talking about the undertone series. Notice that he has notated the scale descending--this is to indicate that they're talking about a generator in its negative context. What he says at the end, with D being the root, is just the truth of the physical reality of the way we perceive sound. Whether or not this is an undertonal scale, we hear it in an overtonal context, where the root is D. This is information that can help musicians express the undertone series in tonal space.

[FiveHundo500]

With regard to the part about "natural minor," he's referring to the fact that from a generator, such as is A in this case, the overtone series insinuates a primarily major structure, while the undertone series insinuates a vertically minor structure (prominent overtones being A, F, D, etc.). In this way it is the naturally occurring minor that has nothing to do with tonal modality or western modality. If I am correct, for Steve, the relative minor is inverted major.

[aaronamccoy]

there are 3 minors in western harmony, all he is saying is there is one root, say c major then all the other scales that correspond with c, cdefgabc, all those notes can be mixed up to make 7 distinct scales within c major but the bottom line is there are just 7 notes, they create a whole harmonic series which most western music relies on..it is worth learning this concept, much like the blueprint for a foreman in any field

[rodmanian]

Don't be afraid Scanlon Jazz...

[Raagnarokk]

THE COSMIC ALIENATION...

[wmanser]

Actually, just to specify, the only thing he mentions that is not directly an explanation is the swallowing. Though often musicians refer to absorbing an idea as something you taste or swallow. Sound "compartments" help to identify classification and clarity... atleast sometimes :)

[wmanser]

He is speaking of modal derivatives. He tends to be allegorical when explaining musical concepts. Many good teachers tend to do that in their explainations of music because a simplistic explaination doesn't always provide the student a way of digesting the sound classification. Why is it Aeolian? How clearly can you distinguish it from other minor modes... what are the alterations and purposes? This gets you to stop thinking of it as a scale and more of a harmonic idea.

[BobJazzerBob]

one question for my curiosity...

Have you ever read "Harmonic Experience" by W.A.Mathieu?

If yes, what do u think of it?

Thanks By

[takauya]

What does he talking about?

[ScanlonJazz]

Steve Coleman scares me a little...