SÃO NOMES PARA VENDER E NÃO TE FAZ TOCAR MELHOR | Ozeias Rodrigues | Starling Cast

Summary

This transcript explores a jazz musician's evolving understanding of music theory, with a focus on moving beyond classical approaches. The speaker delves into the insights gained from Barry Harris, discussing dominant chords, time, and rhythm as fundamental aspects of jazz. They highlight the importance of exploring false dominants, modal jazz, and harmonic functions while contrasting modern jazz with its blues roots. References to influential musicians such as Charlie Parker and Pat Metheny are made, emphasizing how modern jazz is shaped by rock, classical music, and innovation in sound aesthetics.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker is moving away from classical music theory, finding that it often provides the same results as other methods, without offering deeper insights.
• 😀 Meeting Barry Harris was a turning point, as it helped the speaker realize many things classical theory doesn’t explain, particularly about jazz.
• 😀 Classical theory often misses the essence of dominant chords and how they function in jazz, especially when applied by legends like Charlie Parker and Oscar Peterson.
• 😀 Time and rhythm are considered more important than complex theory in jazz. A deeper understanding of rhythm helps musicians avoid getting 'lost' in their playing.
• 😀 The speaker developed a personal theory about dominant chords and false dominants, distinguishing between chords that serve a true dominant function and those that don’t.
• 😀 False dominants, such as a C#7 chord in the key of C, are used as substitutes in jazz but don’t resolve the same way as true dominants, revealing a different harmonic logic.
• 😀 The melodic minor scale is a key point of contention, with the speaker suggesting that its use is often exaggerated in jazz and is more of an academic 'clickbait'.
• 😀 Jazz musicians like Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker used augmented 11ths in dominant chords to create tension, with Monk's use of the note seen as especially provocative.
• 😀 The influence of blues in jazz is crucial for the speaker, noting that modern jazz sometimes loses its emotional depth when it drifts too far from this influence.
• 😀 Modern jazz guitarists, such as Jonathan Kreisberg and Gilad Hekselman, blend rock, progressive, and classical influences, but the speaker feels their sound lacks the core blues essence that jazz once had.
• 😀 The speaker believes that, despite the evolving sounds in jazz, Esmontary remains the greatest guitarist, due to his deep emotional connection with music and his mastery of the blues.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean by 'classical theory' in the context of jazz?

The speaker refers to traditional or conventional jazz theory, which involves analyzing chords and scales based on well-established norms. The speaker mentions that as they have progressed, they've found that classical theory doesn't explain certain jazz concepts effectively, especially the application of dominant chords and tension in jazz.

How does Barry Harris' approach to jazz differ from classical theory?

Barry Harris' approach introduced the speaker to new ways of understanding harmony and tension in jazz that classical theory fails to explain. Harris' influence helped the speaker understand the role of dominant chords and how they function differently than classical theory suggests.

What does the speaker mean when they say that classical theory doesn't explain certain things?

The speaker argues that classical theory falls short in explaining the actual harmonic practices of jazz, such as the use of dominant chords, substitutions, and the complex relationships between notes. They give the example of how a G# note functions in a dominant chord context, which classical theory struggles to address.

How does the speaker describe the role of 'time' in jazz?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of rhythm or 'time' in jazz, stating that it is more significant than theoretical concepts. They use an example to show how the same notes, when played at different tempos, create entirely different musical effects, highlighting the influence of timing on the harmonic interpretation of a phrase.

What does the speaker mean by 'false dominants'?

False dominants are chords that resemble dominant chords but don't serve the traditional dominant function. They may appear as substitutions or extensions but lack the resolution or tension typically associated with dominant chords.

What is the significance of the augmented 11th in jazz?

The augmented 11th is described as a 'dangerous' but beautiful note in jazz. It is often used in dominant chords, especially by players like Thelonious Monk, to create a sense of tension and provoke the listener. The note is considered aggressive because it lies outside of the traditional scale.

How does the speaker view modern jazz and its evolution?

The speaker suggests that modern jazz, influenced by rock, classical music, and other genres, has evolved significantly from traditional jazz. They highlight how contemporary jazz musicians incorporate these influences, moving away from the blues foundation that shaped early jazz.

What does the speaker mean by 'false dominants' in the context of substitutions?

The speaker refers to the concept of tritone substitutions and other chordal substitutions as 'false dominants,' where the chord may look like a dominant but does not function as one. For example, they explain how a C#7 chord can replace a G7 chord in the key of C, yet it does not resolve the same way.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between jazz and classical music?

The speaker acknowledges that jazz has drawn influences from classical music, particularly in the use of harmonic minor scales and melodic minor scales. However, they also argue that the application of these scales in jazz often differs from classical theory, especially in terms of tension and resolution.

Why does the speaker reference Indian ragas and the harmonic series?

The speaker mentions Indian ragas to highlight the ancient origins of certain melodic concepts that are also present in jazz, such as the Lydian b7 scale. They suggest that the harmonic series and Indian music's influence on jazz should not be overlooked when considering the development of jazz theory.