Slonimsky Curiosities

[Mick-7]

Going though Nicholas Slonimsky's Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns, thought I'd post some of the more interesting ideas from it, not sure yet how to apply them.

First off we have tetra-chords, which in this case are the first 4 notes of Lydian major and minor scales.








P.S. - You can download the Slonimsky book (pdf) here:
Nicolas Slonimsky Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns - Free Download @Internet Archive

[Bob_Ross]

Captain Pedantic wants to point out that a "tetrachord" can be any specifically-defined 4-note grouping...it's just that in these particular examples the tetrachords Slonimsky is discussing happen to be the first four notes of the Lydian major and minor scales.

[wolflen]

Going though Nicholas Slonimsky's Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns, thought I'd post some of the more interesting ideas from it, not sure yet how to apply them.

First off we have tetra-chords, which in this case are the first 4 notes of Lydian major and minor scales.


Attachment 121676


Attachment 121675

Check the Coltrane patterns which are based on some of Slonimsky's work,

There are many online vids on using patterns in "jazz" and how top players use them.

Ted Greene has a melodic pattern study on his site..it covers several hundred patterns just in the key of D major.

There is also a book (free pdf) called Beyond Slonimsky.

From just going over a few pages in my search I found some very cool ideas on how to use some of this stuff.

It included the pentatonic scales (of course) and the diminished scales.

Just the few examples each site gave could well be months of work. Amazing what four notes could do.

[Mick-7]

Check the Coltrane patterns which are based on some of Slonimsky's work,

There are many online vids on using patterns in "jazz" and how top players use them.

Ted Greene has a melodic pattern study on his site..it covers several hundred patterns just in the key of D major.

There is also a book (free pdf) called Beyond Slonimsky.

From just going over a few pages in my search I found some very cool ideas on how to use some of this stuff.

It included the pentatonic scales (of course) and the diminished scales.

Just the few examples each site gave could well be months of work. Amazing what four notes could do.

Thanks for your suggestions.... Many of the patterns in Slonimsky's book have a clear tonality - diminished, whole tone, and various other scales, so one can figure out how to use them. But the harmonic character of other patterns is more chromatic and indefinite, as is the case with his 12 tone patterns and with these double tetrachord combinations, where one has 8 notes to contend with. You could consider them scales and go from there, but I think that limits their potential. I suspect the most creative application of such melodic "oddities" will be as mediums for inside/outside playing - creating lines that weave in and out of tonal centers.

[wolflen]

But the harmonic character of other patterns is more chromatic and indefinite, as is the case with his 12 tone patterns and with these double tetrachord combinations, where one has 8 notes to contend with. You could consider them scales and go from there, but I think that limits their potential. I suspect the most creative application of such melodic "oddities" will be as mediums for inside/outside playing - creating lines that weave in and out of tonal centers.

[/I]yes..enter John Scofield.

OK so you find a real crunchy pattern..trying to make it enter or exit or as you say weave in and out of something tonal or at least less offensive
and somehow be thankful you know how and when to use it.

[Mick-7]

and somehow be thankful you know how and when to use it.

Yes, there's the rub, comprehending it and actually doing it are two very different things.

Bandmate: "Couldn't make those changes, huh?"

Me: "I'll have you know that's called inside/outside playing!"

[Christian Miller]

The maqam system is interesting if you like yer tetrachords. But then we are getting into the quarter tones.

I haven't checked out Slonimsky much, but perhaps those familiar with the book can help me out with this Allan Holdsworth figure. I can see elements of the half-whole scale, but also not really.

For me it's a bit - huh???? But it strikes me as a bit Slonimsky-ish. Allan did check out Slonimsky. It does sound great!

[wolflen]

This is what happens when you get into stuff like this...I got to see this version of Miles' band with JS in LA..back when..a friend called.." I have tix for MD but I dont want them..you want them?" ahh..pity the fool

DuckDuckGo

[Mick-7]

These spiral patterns have two lines moving in contrary motion. Apart from any improvisational value, they are good technical and ear training exercises (most of these patterns are on page 175 of the book).

[Mick-7]

If anyone has found any Slonimsky pattern(s) they like, please share them. You can just state the pattern number from the book.

I posted a link to the book in my first post in this thread.

[Mick-7]

I haven't checked out Slonimsky much, but perhaps those familiar with the book can help me out with this Allan Holdsworth figure. I can see elements of the half-whole scale, but also not really.

Your Holdsworth lick is not a precise motif but there are similar chromatic patterns in the book, for example, those below:

[James W]

Just out of curiosity are you using the original Thesaurus or the one for guitar?

[Mick-7]

Just out of curiosity are you using the original Thesaurus or the one for guitar?

Slonimsky's book, I shared a link to it in my first post, don't know what you mean by "the one for guitar" ?

The notated examples I posted were made with Guitar Pro 8, with my chosen fingerings.

[James W]

don't know what you mean by "the one for guitar" ?

I meant exactly what I said. Perhaps what you mean is 'I haven't heard of the one for guitar'?

Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns: For Guitar : Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, Celentano, Dave: Amazon.co.uk: Books

[Mick-7]

I meant exactly what I said. Perhaps what you mean is 'I haven't heard of the one for guitar'?

Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns: For Guitar : Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, Celentano, Dave: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Yes, I'm not familiar with that book, but it was not written by Nicholas Slonimsky, it's someones interpretation of his work.

[James W]

Yes, I'm not familiar with that book, but it was not written by Nicholas Slonimsky, it's someones interpretation of his work.

I'm not familiar with it either though I see Slonimsky's name is on the front cover. I'd hardly be inclined to describe an arrangement for a particular instrument as an 'interpretation'.

[Mick-7]

I'm not familiar with it either though I see Slonimsky's name is on the front cover. I'd hardly be inclined to describe an arrangement for a particular instrument as an 'interpretation'.

The books blurb says that it's not just arranged but "condensed," it has about half as many pages as Slonimsky's book - "This book is a condensed, made-for-guitar version of Nicolas Slonimsky's publication."

[wolflen]

The books blurb says that it's not just arranged but "condensed," it has about half as many pages as Slonimsky's book - "This book is a condensed, made-for-guitar version of Nicolas Slonimsky's publication."

Correct..it has both notation and tabs (of course )

[Mick-7]

Correct... it has both notation and tabs (of course )

I do hope he has not eliminated Slonimsky's extremely descriptive section titles, such as "Infra-Inter-Ultrapolation," readers would get completely lost without them.

[Christian Miller]

Do we buy that Slonimsky intended the book as a sort of satire on modern music?

I do enjoy that Schoenberg said that he found it a bit mathsy.


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[Mick-7]

Do we buy that Slonimsky intended the book as a sort of satire on modern music?

I do enjoy that Schoenberg said that he found it a bit mathsy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The chapter descriptions do seem farcical - like a parody of pedagogy - but not the content (for the most part anyway). Maybe he was just having fun with it.

[Christian Miller]

The chapter descriptions do seem farcical - like a parody of pedagogy - but not the content (for the most part anyway). Maybe he was just having fun with it.

He said he was at 4:30

But then he also plays Chopin with an orange.

Hard to know if having us on about having us on haha

[wolflen]

He said he was at 4:30

But then he also plays Chopin with an orange.

Hard to know if having us on about having us on haha

He was surprised that John Coltrane , Frank Zappa took the book seriously.

I thought the names of his breakdowns were ripe for ultra.transfiguration-migration-reincarnation-mutation-burntchicken. 13 tone
scale in Eb Majorminordiminishedaugmented--with a side of fries.

[Christian Miller]

He was surprised that John Coltrane , Frank Zappa took the book seriously.

I thought the names of his breakdowns were ripe for ultra.transfiguration-migration-reincarnation-mutation-burntchicken. 13 tone
scale in Eb Majorminordiminishedaugmented--with a side of fries.

When you put it like that....

[Mick-7]

Some diminished patterns... patterns 127-134 on page 22 are all diminished, except for pattern #132 which is whole tone, and just about all the patterns on pages 71 & 72 are diminished (patterns 558-561 below are from page 72).