MLI Exemplar Egyptian & Parker

MUSICAL LINKS INVESTIGATION

MUSIC HL SESSION: MAY 2018 Candidate Nr.: 049897 - 0011 Word Count: 1923

Link 1 - Pitch: Use of a set scale with guide tones for improvisation Link 2 - Structure: Motivic development Piece 1: Charlie Parker - Confirmation Piece 2: Members of the University of California - Egyptian Takht Instrumental Ensemble Performance 1

Musical Links Investigation - Charlie Parker’s Confirmation and Egyptian Takht Instrumental Ensemble

Introduction When listening to Charlie Parker’s Confirmation, there usually wouldn’t seem to be striking similarities with EgyptianTakht instrumental ensemble music. However, both musically and structurally, there are more similarities than one might think. The links connecting both pieces in this case are: the use of a set scale with guide tones for improvisation (pitch), and motivic development (structure).

Egyptian music shares a variety of similarities with the music of other Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Characteristics include the use of a maqam1, an Arab adaption of a mode that governs compositional decisions and pitch organization2 , the use of rhythmic modes called iqa-at3 , mostly played by percussion instruments such as a tablah4 and the tendency to utilize improvisatory solos on given scales for each instrument, which contributes to the structure of a piece. 5 When characterizing the bebop jazz style, there are fundamental similarities to the concept of Middle Eastern music. Like music in the Middle East bases improvisation and structure on maqams, the jazz style in general utilizes harmonic prerequisites that

1

Similar to a mode, it is a set of notes with special defined relationships

2

Johnny Faraj, Sami Abu Shumaya. “The Arabic Maqam”, Maqam World,

www.maqamworld.com/maqamat.html.

3Terry

E. Miller, Andrew Shahriari. World Music A Global Journey. (India: Routledge, 2012) pp.

264 4Ibid.

5Ibid.

2

musicians improvise over,6 whereas in the style of bebop there are also scales that can be employed called bebop scales in forms of major, minor, dominant 7th and half diminished.7 Furthermore, bebop employs swift tempos and complex improvisatory patterns inclusive of many ornaments such as trills.8 As is middle eastern music, bebop music is highly chromatic and allows for a lot of movement along scales to exploit instrumental virtuosity.9

Comparison

Pitch: Use of a set scale with guide tones for improvisation In Confirmation, the piano plays a prelude of 5 bars before the alto saxophone enters with the main melodic line.

(Fig. 1, Confirmation, b. 1-5)

This prelude is accompanied by the drum set, however the focus is still on the piano as the drums are only playing on an open high hat; they are acting as rhythmical support.

6

Owen Leech. Four decades of Jazz and Blues (1910-1950). London: Owen Leech, 2012

7

Alex Noppe. Jazz Improvisation 2 Handbook. USA: Alex Noppe, 2007

8

Owen Leech. Four decades of Jazz and Blues (1910-1950). London: Owen Leech, 2012

9

Ibid.

3

Therefore the prelude can be considered a solo by the piano. Within this introduction, the 6th degree (D) is flattened, which may also be interpreted as a #5 (C#), whereas a raised 5th indicates a major bebop scale.10 (Fig. 2, Confirmation, b. 1-3 b6/#5)

(Fig. 3, Confirmation, F-Major Bebop Scale)

Similarly, the Takht performance begins with a solo prelude from the ‘ud (plucked lute) from time markings 0.00 to 0.58 (See MLI Ex. 1). Furthermore the solo is played on the maqam Nahawand mode on G, being very similar to the G-Minor scale except that the minor third is significantly lower in pitch than the other notes.11 This change in pitch is what defines so-called ‘microtones’, a feature being characteristic to Arab music.

Microtones are notes that are in-between a minor second, whereas there are up to 9 notes between a major second.12 (Fig. 4, Maqam Nahawand mode on G)

10

Alex Noppe. Jazz Improvisation 2 Handbook. USA: Alex Noppe, 2007

11

Scott Marcus, Takht Instrumental Ensemble. UK: Routledge Taylor&Francis Group, 2012

Kristine Forney, Joseph Machlis. The Enjoyment Of Music. (USA: W. W. Norton&Company, 2011), pp. 395 12

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The preludial solo on the maqam Nahawand mode serves as an indication of the mode that will be used for the piece.13 The indication of the maqam on G is further highlighted through the repetition of the note G and a plucked drone on a G that is two octaves lower, which is heard in time marking 00.03 (See MLI Ex. 2). Confirmation utilizes the same concept as the introduction is primarily in F-Major, however utilizing a Jazz turnaround: a technique used to prepare and set up for the next key, which in most cases is the tonic14, by using a ii-V-I transition.

(Fig. 5, Confirmation, b. 3-4 turnaround)

In that sense, both pieces utilize a solo entry that serves the purpose of introducing listeners to the keys and modes that will be improvised upon.

After the introduction, which communicates the designated maqam, the Takht ensemble introduces the first theme, or, Dulab, in tutti, which is an instrumental genre consistent of smaller pieces that mean to set the maqam of the next sections, 15 heard from 0.58 to 1.40 (See MLI Ex. 3).

13

Scott Marcus, Takht Instrumental Ensemble. UK: Routledge Taylor&Francis Group, 2012

14

Owen Leech. Four decades of Jazz and Blues (1910-1950). London: Owen Leech, 2012

15

Scott Marcus, Takht Instrumental Ensemble. UK: Routledge Taylor&Francis Group, 2012

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(Fig. 6, Takht, time marking 0.58-1.06 Dulab theme, transcribed by myself)

When analyzing the thematic melody of the Dulab, it becomes evident that it moves exactly along the outline maqam Nahawand mode on G (See fig. 4). This is a similarity to Parker’s Confirmation, since the melody takes it’s structure from the scale that is provided in the beginning. Though the beginning theme in Confirmation doesn’t move along the F-Major key specifically, the melody is structured by highlighting the 3rd and 7th degrees (and occasionally 9th 11th and 10th degrees) of provided harmonies, therefore outlining the chords F, Em7b5, A7, Dm and Cm7 through a single melodic line, similar to the outlining of a provided maqam mode.

(Fig. 7, Confirmation, b. 5-8 chord tone annotation) F

Focus on A, 3rd degree of F-Major

Em7b5

Focus on G&D, 3rd&7th degree of Em7b5

Focus on C#&G, 3rd&7th degree of A-Major

A7

Dm

Focus on F, 3rd degree of D-Minor

Cm7

Repetition of Bb, 7th degree of C-Minor and Cm7 chord

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Instrumental Solo Improvisations The first instrumental solo that is introduced in Confirmation is the piano solo.

(Fig. 8, Confirmation, b. 25-31 piano solo, transcribed by myself)

Neighboring tone

Passing Tones

The improvisation is structured over exactly the same harmonic progression that was stated in the first theme of the piece (b. 5-20, See Fig. 7), whereas the use of non harmonic chord tones consisting of mostly unaccented passing tones create the chromaticism characteristic to the bebop style, and the ‘swinging’ of bebop interpretation16 in addition to the tendency not to start melodic phrases on a strong beat, but rather on an offbeat, creates rhythmical complexity. In the style of bebop, ‘swing’ means the slight displacement of quaver note values, so that they sound more syncopated, rather than consistent. The score may show quavers, however they are played in a syncopated triplet style.

(Fig. 9, Confirmation, Swing Notation)

Kristine Forney, Joseph Machlis. The Enjoyment Of Music. (USA: W. W. Norton&Company, 2011), pp. 353-355 16

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Furthermore, the aspects of disjunct movement through perfect third, perfect fourth, diminished fifth, perfect fifth and even augmented fifth leaps within the improvisation provide the erratic movement along the harmonic prerequisites.

(Fig. 10, Confirmation, b. 25-31 Piano Solo Interval Notation) Perfect 4th Perfect 5th Perfect 3rd

Augmented 5th

Diminished 5th

The first instrumental solo of the Takht performance is introduced by the violin from time markings 1.40-2.42 (See MLI Ex. 4).

(Fig. 11, Takht, violin improvisatory solo, transposed&shortened by myself)

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As the piano improvisation in Confirmation is based on the same harmony as in the beginning theme, the violin improvisatory solo is still based on the maqam Nahawand mode on G, as the accidentals Bb, Eb and F# remain strictly. In Middle Eastern music, however, such an improvisation is called a taksim or taqasim, meaning an instrumental improvisation over a particular maqam.17 Due to the requirement to stay within the maqam, in contrast to the tendency of changing harmonies as seen in Confirmation and the jazz style, the chromaticism of the Takht performance stems from its heavily conjunct melodic movement, as there is an abundance of major and minor seconds in succession. Though this doesn’t allow for abrupt movement along the maqam Nahawand scale on G, the improvisatory melody still moves along the range of a seventh more slowly, however maintaining both rhythmical and technical complexity through heavy use of repeated fast ornamentation resembling trills and the tendency of movement outside of strong beats, in similar fashion to Confirmation.

Terry E. Miller, Andrew Shahriari. World Music A Global Journey. (India: Routledge, 2012) pp.

253-255 17

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(Fig. 12, Takht, violin improvisatory solo annotated)

Movement through major seconds

Movement through minor seconds

Triplet movement starting between beats creating rhythmical complexity Example of repeated, fast ornamentation

Structure: Motivic development

Melodic Structuring Ornamentations in improvisatory melodies in the Arab world take on a different role than they do in the western music world. Whereas an ornament, by definition, has the purpose to “garnish� a note in the western world, in the sense that a trill might occur sporadically as means of creating variation, the Arab world creates motifs that are then developed into ornamentations to form intricacies in the structure of a piece; almost a

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form of motivic development.18 This is heavily evident in the Takht performance.

However Confirmation takes a very similar approach in its use of ornamentation in its melodic structuring.

(Fig. 13, Takht, violin improvisatory solo motivic ornamentation) First statement of motif+repetition

Imitation

Augmentation

Augmentation, inversion

Extension through fragmentation

The initial taqasim on the violin expresses the concepts of Arabic ornamentation by stating a demisemiquaver motif first, whereas it recurs abundantly and is developed through techniques such as repetition, augmentation, imitation, inversion and fragmentation. Such an abundant recurrence of motivic ornaments is not often found in western music, as the motivic ornaments are used in order to create melodic material for the improvisation, instead of simply embellishing a single note. Through using the

Lois Ibsen al Faruqi. Ornamentation in Arabic Improvisational Music: a Study of interrelatedness in the Arts. (Verlag for Wissenschaft und Bildung)pp. 18 18

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rapid movement in the ornamentations as motivic development, the structure of the melodic contouring moves contrastingly ascending and descendingly, and covers the maqam Nahawand G scale in this way respectively.

(Fig. 14, Confirmation, b. 5-12) First statement of motif

Diminution

Repetition

Repetition

Repetition

Right in the beginning theme of Confirmation, Parker adopts a very similar approach to his melodic structuring through ornamentation as the Takht performance does. He states an initial quaver triplet motif, whereas it then recurs in a diminuted state as the main motivic material for his theme. Through the abundance of the ornamentational use, the triplet/trill motif doesn’t act simply as embellishment anymore, but it acts as a recurring motivic idea that underlines the theme and holds together the structure of the melody. Furthermore, the rapid movement of the ornamentation inclusive with the disjunct movement of the leaps allows Parker to cover the whole key while underlining the chords F, Em7b5, A7, Dm and Cm7 (See Fig. 7) in a way that utilizes alot of contrasting movement between ascending and descending melodic contouring, which is what provides the basis for the harmonic structure and improvisation.

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Macro-Structuring As such, the abundant repetition and development of ornamentative motifs within a limited amount of measures is used as a structural theme, which, similarly to the ritornello form, recurs in alteration to sections with less ornamentative use. Through the recurrence of the heavily ornamented sections, listeners gain a structural orientation.

(See Fig. 15) (Fig. 15, Rough structure (omission of redundant solos or repetitions) of the pieces based on motif development and recurrence) Takht 1st Dulab (shortened), occasional ornamentation through comparatively little repetition and development. (00.58-01.06)

1st improvisatory solo on violin (shortened), heavy motivic ornamentation and development. (01.40-02.42)

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Recurrence of 1st Dulab, extra added ornamentations, however still comparatively little development. (02.43-02.51)

2nd improvisatory solo on nay (end-blown flute) (shortened), once again heavy motivic ornamentation and development. (03.23-03.34)

Recurrence of Fakkaruni theme (shortened), few significant ornamentations only developed through repetition, transposed by myself. (08.36-08.57)

END

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Confirmation Introduction, no ornamentation. (b. 1-5)

Section A (shortened), heavy use of motivic repetition (b. 5-12)

Bridge (shortened), less use of motivic ornamentation (b. 16-24)

15

Short recapitulation resembling end of section A, heavy use of motivic repetition and development (b. 84-96)

Piano improvisatory solo (shortened), no ornamentation. (b. 98-104)

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Restatement of beginning of section A, heavy use of motivic repetition, END. (b.137-144)

Suggestions for Further Study Finally, further potential means for comparison between these two musical styles lie in the even broader macro-structuring of the pieces, whereas both the Takht performance and Parkers Confirmation utilize consistent percussive groupings that maintain the pulse throughout the piece while accentuating important beats. In the Takht performance, it is the tablah, a drum consistent of metal with a plastic head. In Confirmation, it is the traditional drum set. Furthermore, the alteration between a recurring theme and instrumental solos to highlight each instrument 19 are another structural aspect that both of the works share; allowing for further potential arguments regarding the employment of a form of ritornello.

Scott Marcus, “World Music, 3.� Students, Taylor & Francis Group, 29 Feb. 2012, cw.routledge.com/textbooks/miller-9780415808231/ch08-listening-8-4.asp 19

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Conclusion Though both of these works stem from completely different musical cultures, they evidently share conceptual characteristics in the prerequisites for improvisation, the structuring and exploitation of melody along scales and harmonies using guide tones and the extended use of the development and recurrence of motivic development as extended ornamentation to form structural guidance, whereas the approach from different cultural perspectives allows for even more potential comparisons especially in the aspects of their larger structure.

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Bibliography

Christiansen, Corey. Essential Jazz Lines in the Style of Charlie Parker. USA: Mel Bay Publications, 2001

E. Miller Terry, Shahriari Andrew. World Music A Global Journey. India: Routledge, 2012

Faraj, Johnny Sami, Abu Shumaya. “The Arabic Maqam”, Maqam World, www.maqamworld.com/maqamat.html.

Forney Kristine, Machlis, Joseph. The Enjoyment Of Music. USA: W. W. Norton&Company, 2011

Ibsen al Faruqi, Lois. Ornamentation in Arabic Improvisational Music: a Study of interrelatedness in the Arts. Verlag for Wissenschaft und Bildung

Leech, Owen. Four decades of Jazz and Blues (1910-1950). London: Owen Leech, 2012

Mansfield, Designer: Marie. “World Music, 3.” Students, Taylor & Francis Group, 29 Feb. 2012, cw.routledge.com/textbooks/miller-9780415808231/ch08-listening-8-4.asp.

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Marcus, Scott, members of the University of California, Santa Barbara Middle East Ensemble. A short waslah performance in maqam Nahawand and maqam Nawa Athar.

UK: Routledge Taylor&Francis Group, 2011

Noppe, Alex. Jazz Improvisation 2 Handbook. USA: Alex Noppe, 2007

Parker, Charlie. Charlie Parker Omnibook. USA: Atlantic Music Corp., 1978

Parker, Charlie. Confirmation. USA: Hal Leonard, 1946

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