Bookmark and Share

Community (American Garage)

Subject View

SUBJECT: 6:01 of "Improvisation #2" Back to Subjects
naut
Jun 28 2014
at 4:04 AM
Anybody know what’s going on notationally with the keys at 6:00 of "Improv #2" on OP? I only know to call it a modulation, but it’s so beautiful that I’m curious to know what Pat does on a scale or note level, if some kind soul out there can provide the insight. TIA.
Login to Post
From: Message:
naut
Jul 02 2014
at 3:56 AM
Bookmark and Share Thanks for the feedback & info, kind souls. You seem to know a good bit about music theory, tokeyozi. Your info is kind of what I was looking for; that’s a good ear to catch the changes and the keys. And you’re right, foper, Pat does that all the time. Speaking of TTEOTW, Steve’s bass is outstanding throughout that tune. It’s solid and steady (and a little simple?), sort of in the same manner of "Proof," another tremendous tune composed by Pat to feature Steve’s steady bass lines.
foper
Jun 30 2014
at 1:24 PM
Bookmark and Share Pat does this a lot. He seems to like moving into a double-time feel to build intensity. Then he adds to that intensity by changing keys. The best song I can think of right now that he does this is with ‘To the End of the World’. He doesn’t really do a double-time change when Pat’s solo begins, but it goes into a different rhythmic feel. And he plays certain chord change intervals that he maintains throughout the key changes. The key changes build on the intensity. ‘The Heat of the Day’ is another one that has this feel. Keeping the underlying rhythm during the solos then bringing the beat more forward as the solos go on. And the key changes. I call these things he seems to like doing routinely as classic Pat.
tokeyozi
Jun 30 2014
at 12:48 PM
Bookmark and Share Hi naut, I’m not an expert on musical theory, but what I hear is this, listening to the main bass notes which roughly go from C through A# and G# down to F: at around 6:30 he modulates to A(maj), very briefly; at about 7:00 he does the same, both times going back to C(min) fairly quickly. I think the bass notes are quite misleading at times.
naut
Jun 29 2014
at 9:13 PM
Bookmark and Share Thanks again for the feedback, hman. Really, from about 6:00, Pat does several modulations, if that’s what they are: key changes, or something I don’t know words for. He does it several times, and it’s so beautiful, to me, because whatever keys he shifts into have that gorgeous Metheny openness and wonder to them. Great tune, maybe my favorite on the record, though Pat really takes all those tracks to another sphere, after a year and a half of touring and the film crew to bring out some of his best playing.
hman01
Jun 29 2014
at 2:30 PM
Bookmark and Share Hey naut. I like these musical puzzles you bring up! I don’t hear a modulation going on at the spot you mentioned.What I do hear is that some percussion is added that makes more of a forward motion in the music at that point.But wait a minute...I think I do hear a momentary modulation around 6:23.I think the tonality goes from c minor to B major right there.At least that’s the basic part of the chord change there.Someone who has more knowledge of jazz chords might want to weigh in here too.
Login to Post