Nicolas slonimsky, speaking of music at the exploratorium. As an author, musicologist, conductor, composer, pianist, teacher, theoretician, cultural ambassador and lexicographer, nicolas slonimskys contributions to music scholarship are both inestimable and enduring. One thing i like about the library cart is that the books are right there. In 1927 he formed the boston chamber orchestra, for which he. The book is divided into several sections, just take a section at a time. With a little bit of calculation and knowledge of the frequency ratios of intervals that you can get on this blog, links below it is possible to design a chime to play any manner of weird chord, jazz chord, scriabins mystic chord, slonimskys grandmother chord, or just experiment with dissonance and unusual configurations. Finding slonimsky s thesaurus of scales and melodic.
These notes will usually be the ones that capture the flavour of the chord, such as the 3 and 7. The purpose of putting together the thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns is to provide a comprehensive vocabulary of melodic phraseology for modern composers and performers. Slonimsky and the expanding tonality of coltrane dennis belisle. Host charles amirkhanian hardly needs to ask a question of his 92year old russianborn guest, the father of the grandmother chord. Nicolas slonimsky author of lexicon of musical invective. Guitar book nicolas slonimsky thesaurus of scales and. Finding slonimsky s thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns. The library cart and a music stand are next to my desk where i do most of my practicing. A common approach is to find certain important notes in each chord and then play lines that target them by linking them together.
More than a decade ago, when he was in his early nineties, nicolas slonimsky used to delight. John adams, minimalism, nicolas slonimsky, thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns, violin concerto, century rolls e ver since its publication in 1947, the thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns by nicolas slonimsky has been a widely used source of musical composition and improvisation. In music, an allinterval twelvetone row, series, or chord, is a twelve tone tone row arranged so. Finally i created a chord which i called the grandmother chord, because it. Scales, chords, arpeggios, and exercises for jazz improvisation. In music, an allinterval twelvetone row, series, or chord, is a twelvetone tone row arranged so. In 1927 he formed the boston chamber orchestra, for which he solicited music from contemporary composers. So, example target notes for gm7 would be bb the 3 and f the 7. The master chords slonimsky talks about are chords that can be used to harmonize certain scalesportions of scales in the thesaurus. This twovolume introduction to the classical repertoires of 19 composers includes 250 works, and has been drawn from pieces by slonimsky, a musicologist and acclaimed music reference writer for the most part, the pieces have not been previously published in book form. Nicholas slonimsky is the author of the thesaurus of scales and melodic, patterns, the lexicon of musical invective, and the inventor of the grandmother chord. On the shoulders of grandmothers is a global ethnography of ukrainian transnational migration.
Wianno posted a link to the books aurthor the guy is deep himself i think the links are above in this rant about this book but youl love it believe me also every scale and harmonic melodic pattern you never heard of is in this book ever hear of a grandmother chord i am still in the first chapter working the turn arounds for these monster. The mother of all chords is a chord that contains all chords within it. Grandmother chord, first used by nicolas slonimsky in 1927, slonimsky formed the boston chamber orchestra, for which he solicited music from contemporary composers. Best known for his writing and musical reference work, he wrote the thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns and the lexicon of. This is used by slonimsky himself as well as notably in nono il canto sospeso, and elsewhere. In music, an allinterval twelvetone row, series, or chord, is a twelvetone tone row arranged so that it contains one instance of each interval within the octave, 1 through 11 an ordering of every interval, 0 through 11, that contains each ordered pitchinterval class, 0 through 11. And virtually every chord progression in western tonal music in those 371 chorales, too. Nicolas slonimsky, speaking of music at the exploratorium in. Nicolas slonimsky interviewed by charles amirkhanian at the exploratoriums speaking of music series in san francisco, march 12, 1987.
I dont think the slonimsky is a book you have to take page 1 to the end to get benefits from. The analysis is categorized in two distinct sections. Since its publication in 1947, great musicians and composers of all genres from arnold schoenberg and virgil thomson to john coltrane and freddie hubbard have sworn by this legendary volume and its comprehensive vocabulary of melodic patterns, for composition and improvisation. Nicolas slonimsky is the author of lexicon of musical invective 4. In the 1930s he conducted premieres of works by charles ives, edgard varese, and others. Tourists from around the world make pilgrimages each year to visit versailles and the other sumptuous palaces of france, to experience, if only for a few hours, the lifestyle of monarch louis xiv, the sun king, and his associates and successors. Cyclic patterns in john coltranes melodic vocabulary as. This interview took place on april 12, 1986, so that would make him just a couple weeks shy of his 92nd birthday. Though not wellknown outside the music world, the eccentric slonimsky was a legend within it, renowned not only for his encyclopedic knowledge and prodigious body of work but. Slonimskys book of musical anecdotes by nicolas slonimsky. This study documents and analyzes cyclic patterns used as melodic vocabulary in john coltranes improvisations from compositions of 1965 to 1967. The contents furnish ample material for imaginative improvisation and actual composition. The mother chord with the additional constraint of alternately odd and even intervals with odd successively decreasing, and even increasing.
Download the entire book completely free nicolas slonimsky s thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns is a legendary book that has influenced musicians as diverse as john coltrane, jaco pastorius, frank zappa and buckethead. But thats only one reason why this book should be acquired, cherished, and continually browsed. A good example can found on page xvii the preface to the 6th edition, which for some reason is included in this 8th edition where slonimsky talks about a fake entry for one krsto zyzik that he had created for an earlier edition. Dec 22, 2000 since its publication in 1947, great musicians and composers of all genres from arnold schoenberg and virgil thomson to john coltrane and freddie hubbard have sworn by this legendary volume and its comprehensive vocabulary of melodic patterns, for composition and improvisation. Download scientific diagram an image of the mother chord and grandmother chord in slonimskys thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns p.
Speaking of music nicolas slonimsky, march 12, 1987. Finding slonimskys thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns in two concerti by john adams john adams has candidly acknowledged the signi. The first section analyzes melodic vocabulary that is derived from the cycle of descending major thirds progressions found in the compositions of 1959 to 1960. Download the entire book completely free nicolas slonimskys thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns is a legendary book that has influenced musicians as diverse as john coltrane, jaco pastorius, frank zappa and buckethead. Jul 26, 2016 i dont think the slonimsky is a book you have to take page 1 to the end to get benefits from. Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns nicolas slonimsky on. A visit to grandmothers house has never been so frightening. It is essentially a chromatic wedge and thus has precedents in.
Those familiar with slonimskys work understand and forgive him for his logorrhea, and sift through his jargon to find his nuggets of deep musical wisdom. April 15 1894 december 25, 1995, born nikolai leonidovich slonimskiy russian. Slonimsky was a great champion of contemporary music. I recently read about my grgrgr grandmother madame magdelaine laframboise described by those who knew her, madame magdelaine laframboise was a woman of a vast deal of energy and enterpriseof a tall and commanding figure, and most dignified. The next step, before i got into lexicography, was my book thesaurus of scales. An image of the mother chord and grandmother chord in slonimskys. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns by nicolas slonimsky, 9781258454166, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The first is that hes an exceptionally nervous twelveyearold boy, and he worries about everything. Nicolas slonimsky, thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns, table from the. Chord, invented by nico las slonimsky on february, 1938, containing all 12 different cones and different intervals sym. Books, thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns, slonimsky.
Petersburg, russia, in 1894, nicolas slonimsky was a writer, lexicographer, pianist, composer, conductor, and champion of contemporary music. Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns hardcover august 4, 2012 by nicolas slonimsky author. The sweetest sounds ive ever heard are still inside my head. Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns nicolas slonimsky. Prokofiev is reported to have scrawled in slonimskys visitors book, to the devil with grandmothers. Nicolas slonimsky, the russianborn composer and conductor who became one of the worlds foremost musical lexicographers, died monday at ucla medical center. Great composers and their works by nicolas slonimsky, electra. Among his books, some more scholarly, though no less defiant of academic conventions, one is his thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns 1947, an inventory of all conceivable and inconceivable tonal combinations, culminating in a mindboggling grandmother chord containing 12 different tones and 11 different intervals.
A good example can found on page xvii the preface to the 6th edition, which for some reason is included in this 8th edition where slonimsky talks about a fake entry for one krsto zyzik that he. Modinha russobrasileira, performed by laurindo almeida, guitars. Grandmother chord play help info, first used by nicolas slonimsky throughout his life, slonimsky wrote extensively for periodicals and newspapers, produced program and liner notes, and contributed to numerous reference works. A twelvenote spatial set made up of the eleven intervals between consecutive pitches. Visitors proceed to the louvre in paris to see the art that has hung on the walls of french aristocratic. Charlie and georgie oughtt have been sent to visit their grandmother pearl, and this troubles charlie for three reasons. Guitar book nicolas slonimsky thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns free ebook download as pdf file. Every time i used to see coltrane hed have nicolas slonimskys book. My favorite and most used books are toward the front of the cart facing me while my less used books are toward the back or in the part of the library cart that is not facing me.
This is the essential reference for classical musicians. Music of latin america nicolas slonimsky snippet view 1945. The grandmother chord is an eleveninterval, twelvenote, invertible chord with all of the properties of the mother chord. John coltrane, chord progression of giant steps, transcribed by andrew white. Slonimskys thesaurus what is the for guitar version. Bakers biographical dictionary of musicians by nicolas. I think its one of those books you dont have to willfully, consciously absorb like youre cramming for a chemistry midterm. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features.
Oct 01, 1997 slonimskys book of musical anecdotes book. Tune into an evening of nicolas slonimskys highly comic logorrhea. He would live almost another decade, passing away on christmas of 1995 at the age of 101. Many guitarists and others own a copy, but few have got much advantage from it. If you look at certain scales in the thesaurus, there are numbers in circles. The in search of the lost chords contest the new york. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Grandmother chord play helpinfo, first used by nicolas slonimsky.
His first book, music since 1900, appeared in 1937. Tune into an evening of nicolas slonimskys highly comic logorrhea as he is interviewed on march 12, 1987 as part of the san francisco exploratoriums speaking of music series. Nicolas slonimskys first edition of music since 1900 came out in 1937his entry into the world of lexicographyand this fifth edition, published in 1994, was the last book he wrote. Music of latin america by slonimsky nicolas abebooks. Slonimsky was born in tsarist russia in 1894 and pursued. Great composers and their works by nicolas slonimsky. Additionally, the intervals are so arranged that they alternate odd and even intervals counted by semitones and that the odd intervals successively decrease by one wholetone while the even intervals successively increase. Books go search todays deals vouchers amazonbasics best. Equivalent to nicolas slonimskys grandmother chord. Born in 1780, magdelaine was the daughter of a frenchcanadian fur trader, jean baptiste.
A synopsis of chords concludes with the grandmother chord containing all twelve chromatic tones and eleven symmetrically. Bair, jeff, cyclic patterns in john coltranes melodic vocabulary as influenced by nicolas slonimskys thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns. Buy thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns text by slonimsky, nicolas isbn. Targeting notes with slonimsky patterns cochrane music. Thesaurus of scales and melodic patterns slonimsky, nicolas. I believe theres more info on it in later chapters, too. Richard rodgers we discussed the widespread contempt in which ukulele players are held traceable, we concluded, to the ukes allbutexclusive employment as a producer of chords single, timeless events apprehended all at once instead of serially. Grandmother chord about this sound play helpinfo, first used by nicolas slonimsky slonimsky began writing songs and other incidental pieces, and performed as a piano soloist and vocal accompanist. Perhaps the best of these is a recording of a lecture and musical demonstration given by slonimsky at the berkeley piano club in 1971. Nicolas slonimsky american musicologist, conductor, and. Racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies in new york journal of books. Im a little pissed that i cant play the grandmother chord on guitar. Gendered migrant subjectivities are a key site for understanding the production of neoliberal capitalism and ukrainian nationstate building, a fraught process that places ukraine precariously between europe and russia with dramatic implications for the political economy of the region. A collection of jewish folk tales adele geras, author, anita lobel, illustrator alfred a.