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Lennie Tristano Tristano – Teaching Teaching Methods and Improvisational I mprovisational Techniques Techniques
Presented to the Department of Music St. Francis avier !niversit" #ntigonish$ %ova Scotia
In partial ful&llment of the requirements of the degree 'achelor of Music
Su(mitted (" Dar"l %ichol #pril )*1+
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Table of Contents
Introduction
1
Biography
3
Teaching Methods
7
Improvisational Techniques
2
!elect "iscography
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$eferences
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&ppendi' &( !olo Transcriptions &ppendi' B( "o)nbeat Intervie) *ctober 3+, 1-#.
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Introduction
/ennie Tristano Tristano )as a remar0able pianist and is among the fe) true visionaries in a &s an artist often overloo0ed by critics, he brought to the 1-+4s a unique and personal conception of )hat he believed be lieved a should be Tristano4s Tristano4s ideas of hearing, feeling and playing a led to a highly organied and conceptual system of his o)n teachings This had tremendous influence on such artists as /ee 5onit, 6arne 6arne Marsh, Charles Mingus, hil 6oods, 6oods, $ichie Beirach, and "avid /iebman among many others Tristano Tristano )as the first a musician to perform p erform and record non8structured music based on the necessity of instrumental competency and intuitive spontaneity, )hich )ould much later be 0no)n as 9free a4 :e employed the 0no)ledge of an e'perienced classical musician, e'tensively using advanced concepts of counterpoint, polytonality and comple' polyrhythms 6hile he )as strongly connected to bebop harmonically, he )as more rhythmically and melodically innovative Tristano4s Tristano4s music incorporates e'tended and dense harmonies, chromaticism, fast single8line runs, bloc0 chords, aspects of linearity and spontaneous and dense contrapuntal activity )ithin the interactions of group playing Tristano4s Tristano4s biggest a piano influences )ere ;arl :ines and &rt Tatum, Tatum, though he had a deep appreciation for the music of /ester
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in its roots :is former bandmate and student, eter Ind, states that, =Tristano4s =Tristano4s legacy is )hat he added technically to the a vocabulary and his vision of a as a serious musical craft> ?!him, 2++7@ ¬her student of Tristano, Connie Crothers, says that =/ennie believed that all study of the aspects of music and the mastery of o f an instrument should be inclusive and comprehensive as possible to enable the musician to be free from constraint so that the feeling feeling could pour out in a continuous streaming> ?!him, 2++7@
=Aa is not a style To me, a is a feeling> 8/ennie Tristano Tristano
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Biography
/eonard Aoseph ?/ennie@ Tristano )as born March 1-, 1-1- in Chicago, Illinois and died ovember 1., 1-7. in e) ?!him, 2++7@ It )as around the age of 1+ that Tristano Tristano began listening to recordings of /ouis &rmstrong, Bi' Beiderbec0e and Ted /e)is "espite the hardships of his visual disability and having to attend a school for handicapped children, Tristano thrived in his studies Music came very naturally to him, and he learned to play fluently on clarinet, c larinet, alto and tenor sa'ophone, four8string guitar, trumpet, cello, drums, in addition to leading his o)n band By the end of his high school years, Tristano had studied the piano, cello and orchestra in great depth, and learned to tune pianos :e learned difficult piano )or0s by Beethoven, A! Bach, Ch opin, Mos0o)s0i and Meldelssohn ?!him, 2++7@ rom 1-3. to 1-3, 1- 3, Tristano Tristano attended the &merican Conservatory of Music in Chicago, earning a bachelor4s degree in 1-1 Courses included( piano, counterpoint, 0eyboard harmony, harmony, ear training, pedagogy, form and analysis, music history, history, composition, and orchestration :is graduation recital included music by Bach, Beethoven, 6eber, Mendelssohn, !chumann, Chopin,
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/ist and "ebussy In addition, he completed co mpleted courses in psychology, educational psychology, aesthetics and criticism, principles and methods for instructive education, social psychology, secondary education and logic ?!him, 2++7@ This fueled his interest in, and approach at teaching music, )hich )ould become the central focus of his life and career In the early 1-+4s, Tristano Tristano visited a clubs in south Chicago, to see0 out live a It )as here that he )as introduced to the music of Charlie ar0er In 1-2, Tristano Tristano )as approached by /ee 5onit, )ho )as see0ing instruction in playing a music In 1-3, Tristano too0 a position teaching at the &'el Christensen !chool of opular Music, and )as given permission to teach )ith his o)n methods In 1-, Tristano Tristano )as featured in an article in
Metronome , bringing attention to his ability as an arranger and performer =Though Tristano could replicate anything of &rt Tatum Tatum piano playing, )hich demonstrates his high level of technical facility and understanding of advanced harmonic concepts, by the mid 1-+4s he focused on having a more individual style rather that imitating Tatum> Tatum> ?!him, 2++7@ Dninspired by the commercialism of the music industry in Chicago and the unaccepting critics of his progressive style, he moved to e)
too0 the timbre and rhythms of the cool concept into more atonal areas, combining polyphonic and polyharmonies but 0eeping the basic ba sic pulse subtle4 ?Taylor, ?Taylor, 1-.2@ By 1-#1, Tristano opened his o)n school of a, )hich )as a first of its 0ind :e employed his best students, including Marsh, 5onit and Bauer It )as also a location for am sessions and )ee0ly concerts )here aspiring students had an opportunity to perform )hat they )ere )or0ing on It )as also a quiet place to play and listen to music )ithout the distractions, alcohol and drugs common to the e)
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at his best Dnli0e his last album, there )as no manipulation of trac0s or speed This solo piano album, largely improvised, had left8hand bass lines, bloc0 chords, comple' harmonies, a bold and forceful tone, polyrhythm, and a chromatic linear approach to bebop inspired melodies In the mid 1-%+4s, /ennie Tristano Tristano reunited to play )ith 5onit and Marsh in e) , featured Tristano Tristano alongside pianists ;arl :ines, Teddy Teddy 6ilson, Aohn /e)is, Bill ;vans and Aa0i Byard "uring the 1-7+4s, Tristano Tristano chose not to travel, and instead continued to focus on teaching music and organiing concerts for students Though he virtually stopped performing in public, and preferred to spend his days at home, he did continue to play music )ith his students "rummer Bill Chatin recounts playing )ith Tristano Tristano in lessons, =totally = totally thrillingumping into another dimensionli0e a )a0e8up
Tristano> ?!him, 2++7@ callhe )as never less than The %e/ Tristano In the 1-7+4s, Tristano Tristano developed severe eye pain, and had problems )ith his lungs, including emphysema and a bout )ith pneumonia in 1-7 *ver the ne't fe) years, he recommend to his students that they stop studying )ith h im, as his attitude became more )ithdra)n :e suffered a fatal heart attac0 in ovember of 1-7. /ennie Tristano is remembered for his unique style of a piano, his devotion to teaching, and for his love for music and the people around him
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Teaching Methods
In the 1-+s, /ennie Tristano )as among the first to attempt to teach a improvisation as an area of study distinct distinct from instrumental instrumental technique ?Aago, 2+1#@ :is unconventional approach )ould prove to be very successful for his students, many of )hom )ent on to have a successful career in a Tristano developed a method that focused on a improvisation as an art8form, and sa) improvisation as a true means of e'pressing a feeling, on an intuitive and spontaneous level &s )ell as encouraging students to gain a complete understanding and fluency of their instrument ?or voice@ Tristano Tristano believed that his students needed to internalie a language at an aural level, by listening and singing the solos of Charlie ar0er, /ester
&n interesting aspect about Tristano4 Tristano4ss teaching )as his insistence on developing dev eloping an understanding of musical development and technique a)ay from the instrument, by means of mental visualiation This is not surprising, as Tristano )as e'tremely good at visualiing musical notation and 9seeing4 the 0eyboard in his mind :is idea )as that the imagination could play an important role in )or0ing out the 0in0s of the technical aspects of your instrument, as it )ould apply to the theoretical challenges in e'ercises and melodies This could also ma0e 9practicing4 possible anytime and any)here, provided you had a sufficient lac0 of distraction needed for focus Tristano suggested singing out loud )hat you )ould imagine playing on your instrument, )hile slo)ly and carefully imagining the physical details required to d o so This improved the ear by )ay of aural integration &t the same time, students )ere to vividly imagine )hich fingers they )ould use 6hen it came time to play, these details )ould be more )or0ed out than before, as if already practiced p racticed This helped students gain a mental image of pitches, and a clearer understanding of their relationship )hich each other The ability to clearly imagine melody in a harmonic frame)or0 )ould guarantee gu arantee that the information )as internalied, rather than ust intellectualied for the sa0e of the current situation This )as all part of Tristano4s Tristano4s long8term plan for his students to transcend to the higher level of a)areness needed for true, unrestricted, spontaneous improvisation Hery Hery different from today4s today4s a music education, Tristano considered the learning of solos, development of fluidity in all 0eys, e'ploration of harmony, and the act of improvising to be aural proects rather that problems to be solved intellectually intellectually ?Aago, 2+1#@ To learn a selected solo of a a improviser, Tristano Tristano had a very specific teaching method The first step )as to sing the solo along )ith the recording and visualie playing it on their instrument as they sing the pitches ;verything involved in the sound, including time feel,
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accent placement, timbre, articulation and mood )ere all as essential as the pitch elements of the solo and needed to be embodied in the process of this initial learning of the solo ?Aago, 2+1#@ The ne't step )as to sing the solo )ithout the recording playing, )hile maintaining the focus on pitch accuracy and the e'act placement of the note )ithin the time feel e't )as to play on the instrument, )hile aiming to re8enact ho) the notes sound and feel on the recording Tristano Tristano felt it necessary not only to sing, but to actively focus on accurately hearing the fine nuances of the solo, so as to develop a physical understanding of ho) to identify )ith the act of singing it Tristano Tristano firmly believed that all aspects of learning music )ere best embodied rather than intellectualied :e emphasied that things be learned slo)ly, by )ay of aural impression and imaginative visualiation, to best result in a deeper and engrained ability to e'press the music they feel )ith authentic e'pression and intuitive spontaneity This is much the same )ay a person )ould naturally learn to use the devices needed to absorb a ne) language ?synta', vocabulary, grammar@
3ar Training Tristano4s students )ere e'pected to recognie and be able to sing intervals named *n the piano, Tristano had students play intervals, triads, and finally, chord e'tensions, )hich )ere added, from the 7th all the )ay up to 13th scale degree These )ere done in all chord qualities and inversions, and formed the foundations of further harmonic e'ercises ;ar training e'ercises involved learning scales in all 0eys, focusing o n maor, harmonic, melodic and a minor These )ere incorporated into e'ercises based on harmony, melodic fragments, and polyrhythm !cales )ere played hands together in thirds, si'ths, and tenths $hythmically, $hythmically, they
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)ere to be played in groupings of t)o, three, four, and so on This served to help the technical aspects of articulation and speed Tristano instructed that scales )ere to be played )ith feeling, and that notes played should really sin0 into the 0eyboard, and to hear each note fully and cleanly
;'amples(
C harmonic harmonic minor minor scale ascending in tenths, in groups of fours fours
B maor scale descending in thirds, in groups of threes
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Singing The most fundamental and essential part of Tristano4s Tristano4s lessons )as learning to listen and sing along )ith records of the great solos of h is favorite soloists &ll solos and other e'ercises had to be sung and internalied by students before being allo)ed to play them on their instrument Tristano Tristano firmly believed that it did absolutely nothing to simply learn the notes and memorie a solo :is preferred process of engraining a musical language )as to sing the material perfectly, perfectly, )ithout needing to resort to loo0ing at notation This served to assimilate assimilate all the aspects of re8creating the nuances of a a soloist, engraining the music at a physical phy sical and emotional level The focus )as al)ays on finding and an d recreating the feeling or essence of the music, through the body by singing, )hich Tristano Tristano insisted could not be discovered d iscovered by reading it on paper Tristano Tristano emphasied that every note )as to be sang perfectly, in regards to to pitch, rhythm, and articulation :e also suggested setting the record at half8speed if needed, to really hear everything clearly clearly It is )orth noting that only certain soloists )ere allo)ed to be modeled in student4s lesson Tristano insisted that the evolution of a )as only developed by certain players over the years, those )ho played )ith authentic feeling and have complete control over their sound !oloists he )ould model from included( Charlie ar0er, /ester
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solos from these artists, a)ay from their instruments, along )ith the recording, then gradually )ithout the recording, Tristano4s Tristano4s students )ere able to internalie the authentic language of the music, )hile fully realiing the details of the tone and phrasing involved
4armon" Tristano4s method of learning harmony at the 0eyboard )as based on developing a thorough understanding of diatonic and intervallic relationship ;very triad )as to be arpeggiated in all inversions, open and closed position, starting on each scale degree, for all three scale types ?maor, ?maor, harmonic and melodic 9a4 minor@, in all 12 0eys By doing this, students became familiar )ith all chord types diatonically possible )ithin a 0ey In addition, this e'ercise sharpened the ability to transpose and further aided in the process of improvising on the chord changes of a song
;'ample@ 2 possible triads from from C maor harmony harmony
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Tristano Tristano emphasied grasping the concept of tritone substitution, and learning )hat notes )ould become )hat, )hen using this technique In the follo)ing e'amples, three different dominant chords are changed by using the bass note a tritone a)ay, 0eeping all other notes in place The 3rd and flat 7th become reversed upon subbing the root to its tritone The follo)ing conversions should be noted )hen using tritone substitution 1 8888888888888888888888 8888888888888888888888, , b# b- 8888888888888888888888 8888888888888888888888 # 2, - 8888888888888888888 8888888888888888888 #, b13 -, 83 888888888888888888 888888888888888888 %, 13
, 888888888888888888888888 (0
1-
, 11 88888888888888888888 7
;'am ;'ampl plee 1@ 1@
&b13 &b13?b ?b-@ -@ beco become mess "7? "7?-@@
;'ample 2@
C13?11@ becomes Eb7?-,b13@
;'ample 3@
7?b-,b13@ becomes B-
¬her common harmonic device taught by Tristano )as preceding a chord by a dominant chord )ith the root a semitone above In this e'ample, Emin11?b#@ is preceded by a dominant ch ord a semitone higher, &b13 ma- is then preceded by Eb-?b#@
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Tristano Tristano also taught concepts of polytonality, through the process of superimposing chords on top of other chords This allo)s for the perception of t)o tonalities )ithin one sound or e'ample, ma7?11@ could be perceived as both an ma7 chord and Cma7 chord Improvisation could be approached from either in mind
/ennie Tristano Tristano preferred that his students learned to use u se comple' harmony and especially dense dominant chords )hen approaching the chord of resolution ¬her harmonic technique taught by Tristano )as changing the chord qualities for the purpose of delaying or bypassing resolutions In contrast to the tri8tone tri8tone substitution, this type of alteration alteration changed other notes in the chord, affecting the quality, but leaving the root the same ;'ample@ Instead of resolving to Bb maor or minor, an e'tended harmonic progression is created
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Pol"rh"thm $hythmic comple'ity is characteristic of Tristano4 Tristano4ss music, as he frequently used concepts of 9cross8rhythms4 in his playing :is teaching validated his ability and interest The goal g oal )as to be able to feel more than one time signature at the same time The method )as to tap )ith different limbs, different rhythms, simultaneously simultaneously iano students played scalar e'ercises, )ith each hand using a separate meter meter urthermore, the fingers used )ould also represent the time signature or e'ample, an e'ercise could cou ld be designed to play J J and #J simultaneously, by using these methods This type of e'ercise improved hand independence, finger control, as )ell as synchronicity of the t)o contrasting meters
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By using groups of fingers equal to the amount of notes in each independent rhythm, this once again sho)s Tristano4 Tristano4ss ideal method of internaliing a concept naturally and physically, physically, )hich he believed bypassed the intellectual )ay of learning This approach by Tristano taught pianists to have a more refined command over the tone they produced, no matter )hat finger )as being used !tudents )ere encouraged to be able to produce an equal and meaningful feeling in every note, )hich required having full facility of independent fingering technique technique &n e'ample of this could be(
Much of Tristano4s Tristano4s compositions, )hich )ere based over pre8e'isting a standard chord changes, involved the use of o f polyrhythmic figures, superimposed over a J meter This involves
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having a motif, or sequence of motifs, run over the bar line and start again, each time beginning at a different place in the bar In lessons, his students )ere taught ho) to figure out ho) these )or0ed by )riting them out, but ultimately )ere encouraged to feel the phrases naturally, )ithout focusing on the bar line !tudents also designed short phrases that )ere odd8numbered beats long, then played then sequentially up the scale, over a J meter This This caused an overlap of the bar line, )hile the phrases themselves remained the samein length Tristano4s Tristano4s structure of practicing this very slo)ly and intently, intently, helped to enable and engrain the feeling of playing polyrhythms :ere is an e'ample of a 3J note length phrase played sequentially up the C maor scale, over a J meter
Tristano Tristano also taught students the idea of ta0ing a short melodic shape and actively moving it around to other parts of the scale, all all 0eys, manipulating it to harmonically fit over different chord types as )ell This helped students improve fluidity of diatonic scales, as )ell as to develop an ear for motivic development
5oicings &s Tristano4 Tristano4ss teaching developed through the years, he began referring to all pitches and root movements by number iano voicings )ere learned in all 0eys, and )ere called out by
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Tristano for the student to play ocus )as put on the idea of forming the hand to the shape needed, imagining the sound of the chord ahead of time and ust 9dropping4 it onto the chord Tristano Tristano believed this to be a method of learning the geographical nuances of each 0ey signature on the piano These )ere played hands separately, separately, then hands together, )hen needed Belo) is a complete list of the piano voicings Tristano required students to 0no), in the 0ey of C(
Maor 7?%,-@ chords
Maor 7?11@ chords
Minor 7 chords
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Minor % ?ma7@ chords
"iminished 7 chords
"ominant 7 chords
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The chord voicings above )ere memoried and moved around the 0eyboard by different intervals, starting )ith a half8step and advancing to larger leaps This served to improve the students4 ear by hearing ne) chord cho rd sequences )hile improving hand facility by introducing ne) and unfamiliar hand shapes &fter these voicings )ere learned, Tristano4s Tristano4s students created 9chord lines4 )ith these voicings, paying close attention to the top melody note The bottom note )as to also create a simple melody )hen possible This demonstrates Tristano4 Tristano4ss linear approach to melody, melody, even )ithin a chordal conte't !tudent )ere taught the s0ills to improvise )hole choruses of personalied chord melodies, as a means of contrast to playing single note lines
&n e'ample of a chord ch ord melody based on Tristano4s Tristano4s piano voicings
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Technique Technique Tristano Tristano taught his students to brea0 the habit of playing patterns that fall naturally o n the 0eyboard By creating e'ercises that forced the hand into ne) positions, students learned to play )ith an equal intensity and tone, no matter )hat finger )as used to play the note Tristano Tristano emphasied the importance of playing )ith evenness and consistency, in order to have full control over articulation &ccording to Tristano, it )as only )hen this )as accomplished could cou ld one play )ith true feeling By playing scalar e'ercises that isolate t)o or three fingers at a time, students developed the technique required to create equal and meaningful tones
Time and 6ela7ation 6ela7ation *ne of the most important aspects of Tristano4s Tristano4s theory of teaching a improvisation )as the idea that by practicing at e'tremely slo) tempos and gradually speeding up, one could ma0e material so engrained, to the point of it being second8nature By focusing on playing p laying at e'tremely slo) tempos, the cognitive part of playing is by passed, creating a stronger connection bet)een the feeling of the music and the instrument Tristano Tristano considered the metronome an invaluable tool to create a perfect reference of time, especially )hen learning to play polyrhythms )ith precision !etting the metronome to its slo)est setting setting allo)ed students to become fully a)are of their thought processes )hile emphasiing the need for perfect note e'pression and placement *ne of Tristano4s Tristano4s students, !tan ortuna, describes slo) practicing, =
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)orld I never practiced playing fast The ne't thing I 0no) all of a sudden)as sudden )as I could ust play as fast as I )anted to play> ?!him, 2++7@ !tudying a improvisation )ith /ennie Tristano )as an intense and personal e'perience Tristano incorporated many aspects of musical development into the lesson, altering his approach to suit the student4s progress, strengths and )ea0nesses or those )ho studied )ith Tristano Tristano for many years, they achieved an increase in the overall control of their instrument, understanding of melodic linearity, linearity, polyrhythm, polytonality, polytonality, along )ith ) ith a general mentality of a)areness, spontaneity, spontaneity, and rela'ed e'pression Tristano stressed the fact that rela'ation )as 0ey to having full control over getting the music from your head, out of the instrument :e )ould physically lift pianists4 hands off the 0eyboard if he thought there )as tension $ela'ation of the )hole body, including breathing, )as addressed
Melod" and Solo Structure Tristano Tristano had a clear understanding of ho) the shape of a solo )as important to the essence of a improvisation The same as telling a story, it should have a beginning, middle and end, and an appropriately timed clima', characteried by high notes, bigger intensity, and more rhythmic variation Tristano also taught the idea of creating contrast )ithin solos by adding a 9bridge section4 to the solo This could be in the form of polyrhythmic comple'ities, or perhaps s)itching to playing bloc0 chords or ta0ing larger melodic leaps Dltimately, Dltimately, Tristano had students )rite out their o)n solos, helping to solidify their ideas and practices This )as also Tristano4s Tristano4s method of composition, as )ritten lines could serve as ne) melodies based on the chord changes of a standards
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6hen it came to learning a melody, melody, Tristano Tristano stressed the need to learn to memorie it and play it very slo)ly, slo)ly, )ith the metronome, )ithout any accompaniment *nce a melody )as learned, it could then be the driving force behind ho) you approach the improvisation Melodies had to be internalied before improvising )as permitted, and )ere played in all 0eys ;ven )hen improvising, Tristano Tristano suggested singing the melody, melody, )hich further engrained the harmonic conte't of the song, and prevented getting lost
Improvisational Techniques
The analysis of Tristano4s Tristano4s playing )ill include transcriptions of improvisations that span the years during )hich he produced p roduced the bul0 of his )or0 There are many similarities in the presented solos, and many e'amples )ill demonstrate multiple aspects of his playing playing The follo)ing improvisational techniques used by /ennie Tristano include( bebop language, chromaticism, side8stepping, polyrhythm, accents, and loc0ed8hand bloc0 chords
'e(op Language
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/ennie Tristano4s Tristano4s style comes directly from a deep appreciation of bebop players, li0e Bud o)ell and Charlie ar0er, among others & fe) characteristics characteristics of bebop language commonly found in Tristano4s Tristano4s improvisations are( The use of scales, arpeggios, and chromatic enclosures !cales In bar 1- of Tristano4s Tristano4s solo on 9!ubconscious8/ee4, he plays an enclosure that outlines the 3rd of Bb maor, proceeded by a leap to an accented maor -th, follo)ed by a long ascending Bb maor scale
In bar 27 of the same solo, Tristano Tristano uses a descending 9a4 minor scale, placing chord tones on the do)nbeats
In the second chorus of 9/ine Dp4, over a t)o8bar C7 chord, Tristano plays an ascending chromatic scale and a descending C dominant bebop scale
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In chorus # of 9/ine Dp4, Tristano moves through the Bb dominant bebop scale over the Bb7 chord
:ere is another e'ample of Tristano using a Bb dominant bebop scale over Bb7 in chorus % of 9/ine Dp4
Bars %18%3 of 9C Minor Comple'4 demonstrates demonstrates a simple and diatonic use of the &b maor scale
)0
In the second chorus of 9There 6ill &l)ays Be
Then in the fourth chorus, the B and & notes are used as a chromatic enclosure approach to the Bb note, )hich is the start of a scalar line of &b maor
Then, in the si'th solo chorus, Tristano uses an ;b dominant bebop scale over Bbmin7
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&rpeggios In his solo on 9!ubconscious8/ee4, Tristano plays an ascending 8- arpeggio on bar 12, accenting the -th on beat 3
&t the end of his solo, t)o arpeggios are used, acting as a melodic sequence The second one, a C maor - arpeggio, resolves the tension of the " minor 7 ?flat #, flat -@ arpeggio This could also be thought of as a "bma- arpeggio )ith an added flat -, )hich resolves do)n a half step to a Cma- arpeggio
In 9&ll the Things
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In bar # of Tristano4s Tristano4s fifth chorus on 9/ine Dp4, he plays an ascending arpeggio that spans the entire e'tended harmony of the 7 chord *n beat 1, it begins )ith the 3rd of , , and continues up)ard, hitting the #th, flat 7th, -th, sharp 11th, 13th and finally the root, )hich is accented, outlining the highest point in the line This accent also mar0s the start of a descending Emin7 arpeggio, )hich is then follo)ed by an ascending Ebma7 arpeggio
Tristano Tristano begins the bridge of 9
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In the si'th chorus of 9There 6ill &l)ays Be
The third chorus of o f 9C Minor Comple'4 begins )ith a series of arpeggios 6ithin the frame)or0 of the )al0ing bass line, he clearly c learly outlines the chords C minor, Bb maor, &b &b maor and finally dim7 The directional changes further help to clearly mar0 the tonality, as )ell as 0eep the line restrained to a certain range
&pproach Tone ;nclosures
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In bar 2% of Tristano4s solo on 9!ubconscious8/ee4, he approaches the #th of C7 by a semitone above and belo) belo) This enclosure is part of a series of triplets
Tristano4s Tristano4s solo on 9&ll the Things
In the first bar of the second chorus, Tristano plays a 8note figure that functions both as a chromatic enclosure of the note on beat 3, and as a brief chromatic do)n)ard side8step This superimposes the tonality of ; minor over the minor chord This e'act line is repeated later in the same chorus
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¬her interesting enclosure happens a couple bars later )hen Tristano t)ice chromatically encloses the & note on beat 1 of bar # The targeted note ?&@ is actually the #th of " maor, )hich he implied as an up)ard chromatic side8step over "b maor maor They are played using 8note diatonic sequences that contrast in direction
The first four measures of the third chorus of 9/ine Dp4 have three enclosures *n bar 2, Tristano Tristano chromatically encloses a C on beat one, )hich is the 3rd of the implied & maor tonality over &b maor, maor, another up)ard chromatic side8step :e then encircles the root of C7 chord on bar 3, ?)hich could also be heard as an e'tension of &b maor@ maor@ The ne't enclosures on bar four outline both the #th ?E@ of C7 and the #th ?C@ of 7
In the fifth chorus, bars -811 Tristano Tristano plays a series of chromatic enclosures targeting the #th of C7 on beat 2, the root of C7 on beat , and the root of minor on beat 2 These enclosures ma0e up a unique pattern that acts as a sequence that moves do)n)ard by fifths
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The second chorus of Tristano4s solo on 9There 6ill &l)ays Be
In the eighth chorus of 9C Minor Comple'4, Tristano Tristano uses a chromatic enclosure to outline the root of C minor before playing it on beat 1 :e then goes on to use the maor 3rd and 2nd of C to enclose the 3 rd of C minor ?;b@
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8hromatic 6uns Much of Tristano4s Tristano4s improvisation, as )ell as his compositions, have strong elements of linearity and chromaticism in their melodic lines These e'amples sho) ho) the chromatic scale )as used by Tristano to accent chord tones or to move from one chord to the ne't, ne' t, in a continuous rhythmic motion Bars 1#81% of Tristano4s Tristano4s solo on 9!ubconscious8/ee4 sho)s a descending octave8long chromatic scale, landing the %th, #th, th ?)hich resolves to the 3 rd@ on do)nbeats, and continues descending, chromatically, to the root of C maor
In 9&ll the Things
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Bars 21822 of 9/ine Dp4 sho)s an ascending chromatic scale through 7 Though it is heard as a single chromatic line, the do)nbeats do outline the chord, landing on -th, 3rd, sharp 11th, sharp #th and flat 7th
In the first chorus of 9There 6ill &l)ays Be
In bar 21 of the ninth n inth chorus of 9C Minor Comple'4, Tristano used a fast descending chromatic line of triplets, accenting the diminished 7th arpeggio )ithin the C7- chord ?"b, Bb, E, ;@
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Tristano4s )al0ing bass line also has plenty of chromatic movement, as seen in the end of the fourth chorus, bars 2#83+
Side9Stepping Tristano frequently used the common device 0no)n as side8slipping, or side8stepping This is )hen the line played clearly c learly implies a different 0ey than the chord and bass notes might suggest It is most often done to superimpose the harmony of the 0ey a semitone above or belo), belo), before returning to the actual 0ey of the current harmony harmony This 9outside4 sound, along )ith the 9inside4 sound of it returning, is a pleasant and catchy tension and release Tristano ma0es the outside 0ey very diatonic ?or pentatonic@, )hich solidifies its implied tonality 6hen shifting in or out of a given 0ey 0e y, he often changes the direction of the line, uses repeated phrase lengths, and accents notes, playing the phrases in a specific rhythmic pattern 9;specially impressive in his inventiveness in combining it )ith other musical parameters, mainly the melodic and rhythmic organiation, to enhance the intensity4 intensity4 ?!him, 2++7@ In bars 1181 of the second chorus of 9&ll the Things
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9/ine Dp4 has many instances of side8stepping Bars 2#82% of Tristano4s Tristano4s si'th chorus uses directional change, pentatonic notes, and accents )hich outline the highest notes in the phrase, creating a separate melody )ithin the line Bars 2782. further demonstrate Tristano4s Tristano4s use of approach tone enclosures, arpeggios, and chromatic runs
:ere, Tristano Tristano uses " maor pentatonic notes no tes for t)o beats over "b maor, then repeats the phrase up a semitone, releasing the tension by playing inside the root 0ey
In bars 1381% of the third chorus of o f 9/ine Dp4, Tristano Tristano plays the tonality of a semitone higher that the chord harmony, then changes the direction of the line as the tonality steps bac0 do)n inside the 0ey :ere, the descending ; maor and "87?b#@ arpeggios are diatonic to the 0ey of B7, giving the sound of an up)ard side8step against the harmony of Bb7 Tristano then plays bac0 inside the 0ey )ith an ascending min7 arpeggio, enclosures to both the 3rd of the Bb7 chord ?"@, and root of the ;b7 chord on beat b eat 3 of the previous bar
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Bars 2%827 of 9There 6ill 6ill &l)ays Be
In the middle of the ninth chorus cho rus of 9C Minor Comple'4, Tristano Tristano )al0s a bass line over minor, using the minor 3rd ?&bJE@ and maor 7 th ?;@, as common tones that act as the root and 3rd of ; maor maor This do)n)ard chromatic side8step implies ; maor over minor In the first bar sho)n belo), Tristano Tristano plays an & note on beat , implying maor This gives the sound of the do)n)ard shift in tonality to ; maor a very parallel and precise effect The accents on bar 3 and sho)n belo) sho) ho) Tristano groups short phrases together, often in odd8numbered beats :ere )e have different d ifferent 3J phrases over the span of 3 bars, each beginning on a different d ifferent beat )ithin the J frame)or0 This leads us to another important aspect of Tristano4 Tristano4ss
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improvisations( polyrhythmic superimpositions
Pol"rh"thm /ennie realied that by deliberately practicing such e'ercise patterns, eventually this aspect of music )ould be instinctively absorbed and )ould e'press itself in improvisation ?Ind, 2++#@ eter Ind is referring to Tristano4s Tristano4s intentional 9creating, practicing melodic e'ercises built on scale patterns and superimposing other rhythmic patterns, such as #J. ?3 plus 2@ or ?2 plus 3@, 7J. ? plus 3@ or ?3 plus @4 ?Ind, 2++#@ Though much of Tristano4s Tristano4s improvisations improvisations and composed 9lines4 are comple' in nature, due to much chromaticism, linearity and harmonic comple'ity, comple'ity, it4s his rhythmic accents and asymmetrical groupings of linear patterns and shapes that are )h at tie it all together, giving his improvisations their unique character character In bars 1781- of the third chorus of o f Tristano4 Tristano4ss solo 9/ine Dp4, t)o phrases can be seen )ithin a stream of eighths notes The first phrase directly imposes the tonality of & maor over
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&b maor The second bar begins )ith a note enclosure that targets the &b note on beat 3 This &b note is the beginning of another %J length phrase ot only does it shift in harmony, the shape is nearly identical to to the previous phrase of % quarter notes It is )orth noting the do)n)ard shift in tonality, through the use of enclosures and repetition of the phrase contour
In bars 11813 of the fourth chorus of Tristano4s Tristano4s solo on o n 9There 6ill &l)ays Be
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In bars 1.82+ of the ninth chorus ch orus of 9C Minor Comple'4, Tristano creates a repeating pattern of four descending notes that are part of a long line of eighth8note triplets :e e'ecutes this fast line )ith precision, starting )ith t)o beats of triplets in three, then five groups of notes of triplets This can easily fool the listener into thin0ing they are hearing a uniform set of 1%th notes
&t another point in 9C Minor Comple'4, Tristano uses multiple concepts of his playing style !tarting at bar 27 of the fourth chorus, and going all the )ay )a y through the top of the form until bar 1 of the ne't chorus ?1- bars total@, he plays an ostinato figure made up of a superimposition of groups of three eighth notes, over J time The quarter note bass line he plays uses chromatic motion and repetition, adding to the mesmeriing effect effect of the ostinato The pattern is actually t)o different different figures alternating, )ith each having high accented notes, creating a chromatic bac08and8forth effect This rhythmically contrasts the bass line4s line4s three note bac08and8forth pendulum effect It ta0es three bars for the polyrhythmic polyrhythmic cycle to repeat ear the end of the ostinato, Tristano plays the three bar cycle once up a perfect fourth, then returns, resembling a blues form
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In Tristano4s Tristano4s composition 9317 ;ast 32nd !treet4, bars %8. of the melody clearly sho)s his use of asymmetrical groups of notes )ithin a single line The ph rase starts and ends a)ay from bar lines, as do many of Tristano4 Tristano4ss phrases )ithin his improvisations and compositions compositions The line starts on " and continues up the E maor scale to the -th of Bb7 ?C@ Tristano then uses the note as a repeating pedal point and gradually shortens the up)ard motions in length by one note, until only t)o eighth notes are played as the end of the phrase
?Bauer, 1--#@
The melody of Tristano4s Tristano4s 1-#. composition c omposition 9/eave Me4 begins )ith repeating groups of the same phrase, each 7 eighth notes in length, follo)ed by a descending chromatic scale to end the phrase on a do)n beat )ith a chord tone of &b maor maor
?Bauer, 1--#@
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#ccents Tristano4s Tristano4s use of accents often function as the beginnings or ends of phrases, as )ell as to create a separate melody that )or0s )ith and in contrast to the underlying line and harmony harmony :ere is an e'ample of Tristano playing accents that create an upper melody, in this case, a descending ;b maor scale Bars 11813 of the fourth chorus of 9There 6ill &l)ays Be
Bars 2282 of the same chorus sho)s Tristano using the lo)er notes in the phrase as accents, creating chromatic, harmonic tension through a counter melody of its o)n
'loc: 8hords Tristano Tristano used loc0ed8hand bloc0 chords to contrast the long lines in his improvisations They )ould often be harmonically dense and rhythmically intense *ther times he )ould play
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elaborate chord melodies for )hole choruses :ere is an e'ample from bar 21 of the fifth chorus of 9/ine Dp4
In 9C Minor Comple'4, Tristano plays a syncopated bloc0 chord passage for more than the entire si'th chorus :e plays all the chords on the up8beat of 2 and and uses a rolling effect, )hich is similar in sound to earlier stride piano
Much of Tristano4s Tristano4s solo piano performances have dense chord melodies :e demonstrates this as early as 1-% in the recording 9*ut on a /imb4 In this e'ample, Tristano plays a single8line melody in the left hand, )hich is doubled at the highest notes of the chords played by the right hand ?;'cerpt is Copyright by 6illiam 6illiam : Bauer@ Bauer@
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rom the album 9The e) Tristano4, T Tristano ristano impressively plays chord melody )ith 9loc0ed8hands4 style style In his version of 9
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!elect "iscography
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/ennie Tristano Trio Trio e)
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Barry Dlanov4s &ll &ll !tar Modern Aa Musicians $adio Broadcast, e)
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Su(conscious9Lee /ee 5onit 1-#+ ?restige@
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Live in Toronto /ennie Tristano Fuintet DA* :all, Toronto, Canada, Auly 17, 1-#2 ?Aa $ecords@
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Lennie Tristano /ennie Tristano Tristano e)
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Live at the 8onfucius 6estaurant. /ennie Tristano Fuartet e)
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%e/ =or: =or: Improvisations. /ennie Tristano Trio 317 ;ast 32nd !treet, e)
Tristano. /ennie Tristano Tristano e)
8onc 8oncer ertt
in 8ope 8openh nhage agen n /enn /ennie ie Trist ristan ano o Tivol ivolii Eard Earden enss Conc Concer ertt :all :all,,
Copenhagen, "enmar0 *ctober 31, 1-%# ?Aa $ecords@
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$eferences
Battista, M " ?2+12@ Lennie Tristano > 89Minor 8omple7. $aleigh( /ulu ;nterprises, Inc
Bauer, 6 : ?1--#@ ?a@@ Lines> Lennie Tristano . &lbertson, <( 6illiam : Bauer, Inc
Lennie Tristano Tristano and 4is Legac". Legac". /ondon( ;quino' Ind, ?2++#@ ?a@@ 5isions > Lennie ublishing /td
Aago, M ! ?2+1#@ Aedi mind tric0s ( /ennie Tristano Tristano and Mental &pproaches for the ractice of 6esearch ?ournal ?ournal, 1.382+2 Aa Improvisation ?a@@ 6esearch
!him, ; ?2++7@ Lennie Tristano > his life in music. Michigan( The Dniversity of Michigan ress
development. "ubuque( 6m C Bro)n Taylor, B ?1-.2@ ?a@@ Piano > histor" and development. Company ublishers
