Sponsoring Committee: Dr.

Anton Vishio, Project Advisor

Dr. Timothy Newman
Professor James Weidman
Dr. David Demsey

SYMMETRY IN THE MUSIC OF THELONIOUS MONK AND

STEVE COLEMAN

Germán Sánchez Uriarte

Program in Jazz Performance

Department of Music

A THESIS
Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Music in Jazz Performance in the
College of Arts and Communication
William Paterson University
May 2016
 ii

WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

Symmetry in the music of Thelonious Monk and Steve Coleman

by

Germán Sánchez Uriarte

A Master’s Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of

William Paterson University of New Jersey

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

MASTER OF MUSIC

May 2016

College of Arts and Communication: Anton Vishio

Thesis supervisor

_______________________

Thesis supervisor signature

Department of Music: Diane Falk- Romaine

Chairperson

_______________________

Chairperson signature
 iii

Copyright © 2016 by Germán Sánchez Uriarte. All rights reserved.

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this thesis is to trace and analyze the use of symmetry in the music

of Thelonious Monk and Steve Coleman. A comparative analysis of concepts and

terminology from western art music theory is used and translated to a jazz context.

Transcriptions of compositions, solo improvisations, and musical analysis describe the

use of several instances of symmetry in the music of Monk and Coleman. Findings

include the interaction and intuitive role that symmetry plays with musical notions of

form, melody, harmony and rhythm. The importance of this work resides in expanding

the knowledge of music theory and music analysis into jazz theory that can be applied to

the music of other major jazz musicians.

 v

To my parents Eloisa and Rubén.

To my sisters Laura and Maru.
To Patricia Slezak and her angelic support.
To Fálkor.
To my jazz mentors Daniel Wong, Felipe Gordillo, José Torres and James Weidman.
To México and to the undiminished hope of a better and integral life.
 vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to acknowledge COMEXUS and the Fulbright Scholarship for granting me

the opportunity to develop my musicianship by studying a Master of Music in William

Paterson University (WPU). I also want to thank and acknowledge the Fonca-Conacyt

Scholarship, granted for artists by the Mexican government, for giving me further

financial support to successfully navigate through this master’s program. A special

mention goes to all the generous faculty and amazing students in WPU that have guided

me both musically and professionally. Specifically I want to thank Dr. Anton Vishio for

encouraging me to be open and creative throughout the writing process of this thesis, Dr.

Timothy Newman for guiding me throughout the whole master program, to Professor

James Weidman who suggested the idea of combining symmetry and jazz in the first

place, and to Dr. David Demsey for his invaluable support and knowledge about the

history of jazz.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi
LIST OF FIGURES viii
CHAPTER I 1
Introduction 1
Main Research Questions 2
Problem Statement 2
Statement of Purpose 3
Methodology 4
II RELATED LITERATURE 5
III WHAT IS SYMMETRY? 10
Visualizing Symmetry 10
Rhythmic Symmetry 12
Melodic Symmetry 17
Harmonic Symmetry 21
IV SYMMETRY IN THE MUSIC OF THELONIOUS MONK 23
Symmetry of the Blues Form 24
Symmetry in Monk’s Blues Tunes 28
Symmetrical Architecture in Longer Forms 37
Harmonic Symmetry 43
Chromatic Symmetry 47
V SYMMETRY IN THE MUSIC OF STEVE COLEMAN 52
Axis Symmetry and Melodic Derived Symmetry 53
Closure Property of the Spirals 56
Laws of Motion 61
Rhythmic Symmetry 69
CONCLUSIONS 75
GLOSSARY 77
REFERENCES 82
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LIST OF FIGURES

1 Translational symmetry in which repetition is displayed without creating 11

monotony

2 A hemiola over a 6/8 time signature 13

3 Examples of generalized hemiolas with time signatures 10/8 and 12/8 14

respectively

4 Polygonal notation and symmetric axis for a 10/8 and 12/8 time signature 14

5 Prokofiev seventh sonata, third movement, 7/8 time signature 15

6 Excerpt from the final section of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”, reduction 16

for two pianos

7 “A World Within” composed by James Weidman, portrays a more elaborate 17

way of grouping a 7/4 meter within the context of a jazz tune

8 Equal division of the octave provides 4 possible scale configurations. 18

9 Half – Whole and Whole – Half symmetric diminished scales 18

10 Featuring all possible modes of transposition without including any non- 19

trivial translation.

11 (a): The added chromaticism of the added-note scale give pulse regularity to 20
the placement of the tonic in every bar.
(b): Sequential displacement of the root in a regular scalar pattern.

12 Original chart of “Giant Steps” annotated to point out the partial resolutions 22

or arrival points throughout the form.

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13 Dynamic contour of the blues form, suggesting a double circular pattern 26

that revolves around the fundamental root chord, creating a helix-shape

harmonic movement.

14 Another interpretation of the harmonic contour of the blues, this time 27

without a plagal cadence in the last four bars, creating a threefold cycle and

preserving a helix cyclic symmetrical configuration.

15 (a): The harmonic structure of the blues form with an added subdominant 27

chord for sections A1 and B.

(b): With a mirror harmonic contour in the A1A2 subsections followed by a

plagal cadence in the B subsection gaining harmonic weight towards the

subdominant area.

16 Transcription of “Bluehawk”, live in San Francisco, CA, October 21, 1959. 29

The circles represent the generating music cell, the dotted circles signal the

absence of the music cell.

17 “Bluehawk” Transcription of the repetition of the head. The original music 30

cell shifts in every beat of the bar before it comes back.

18 First improvised chorus of “Bluehawk”, exemplifies the use of contrast to 31

create a cohesive and balanced musical statement.

19 (a): “Raise Four” transcription, NYC, 1968. 32

(b): An elongated circle illustrates how Monk creates minimal variation in

the dominant chord in bar 9.

20 “Raise Four” seventh improvised chorus, NYC, 1968. 33

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21 Transcription of “Misterioso”, bars 9 to 10 and a prolonged Ab in bar 12 34

break symmetry and signal a pause in the form.

22 Transcription of “Blues Five Spot”, July 9, NYC, 1958. 36

23 “Blue Monk” first recorded in 1954. Observe the translation symmetry of 37

bars 1-4 and 5-8, together with the cadence in bars 9-12 creating balance.

24 “Bemsha Swing” Harmonic Structure and parenthetical alternative chords 39

that clarify the similarity between this tune and Rhythm Changes.

25 Transcription of “Stuffy Turkey”, NYC, 1964. 40

26 Rhythm a Ning, France, 1961. 42

27 “Oska-T” transcription, NYC, 1963. 44

28 Transcription of “Epistrophy”, first recorded in NYC, 1948. 46

29 (a): Descending chromatic movement and alternating voice-leading 47

movement from the 7th of the chord to the 3rd of the next chord.

(b): Descending chromatic movement and alternating voice-leading

movement from the 3d of the chord to the 7th of the next chord

30 Transcription of “Humph” as recorded in 1947. Observe the circled 48

instances of symmetry within to also symmetric movement of the chords.

31 Transcription of “Skippy”, recorded for Blue Note. 50

32 Spiral 1 is constructed by stemming or emanating from a unison in both 55

upward and downward motion.

33 Spiral 2, emanating from a minor second. 55

34 Alternative ways of generating a symmetrical intervallic movement, 56

according to the laws of motion.

 xi

35 List of pairs of symmetric intervals from Spirals 1 and 2 57

36 (a): Consecutive pairs in Spiral 1 yield a chromatic scale as a closure set, 58

once rearranged with octave reduction and using C4 as a starting point.

(b): Consecutive pairs in Spiral 2 also yield a chromatic scale as a closure

set, once rearranged with octave reduction and using C4 as a starting point.

37 (a): Odd pairs yielding the whole tone scale as their closure set in Spiral 1. 58

(b): Odd pairs yielding again the chromatic scale as their closure set for

Spiral 2.

38 (a): Taking every other third pair from Spiral 1 yields a diminished chord as 59

the closure set.

(b): Octatonic scale as the closure set of taking every other 3 pairs from

Spiral 2.

39 (a): Augmented chord starting on C4 as the closure set of taking every other 60

4 pairs in Spiral 1.

(b): Augmented scale starting on C4 as the closure set of taking every other

4 pairs in Spiral 2.

40 Fundamental intervallic symmetric shapes, branching out of a unison axis. 62

41 Symmetric movement with the unison axis being at the beginning, creating 63

a melodic shape that visually suggests expansion.

42 Unison Axis as an arrival point 63

43 Four note symmetrical movement with the axis circled in the middle. 64

44 Dual reinterpretation of a symmetric movement as compressing or moving 65

inwards.
 xii

45 (a): An axis is determined. 65

(b): A random interval is selected as stemming from any note of the first

axis

(c): According to the selected interval in (b) a final arrival point is

elucidated, in this case expanding a major third from F to Db.

(d): The final round up is performed by noting that since C will eventually

have to land in Db, hence E will need to arrive to F.

46 “Beba” opening symmetric melodic pattern 67

47 Pitch class set [0167] derived from the composition “Respiratory Flow” and 68

its intrinsic symmetries according to the laws of motion.

48 Transcription of the opening cadenza of “Respiratory Flow” with annotated 68

axis of symmetry.

49 Transcription of the introducing bassline of “Respiratory Flow”. 69

50 (a): A steady pulse creates a regular time grid. 70

(b): The presence of a dominant pulse shifts the accentuation and the

position of the beat.

(c): The pulse shifts to the implied subdivision of the dominant pulse.

51 Annotated rhythmic motif of “Wheel of Nature”. The dominant pulses are 72

circled.

52 Transcription of the additive rhythmic sequence of “9 to 5” 73

53 Rhythmic interlocking of the 10-beat bass line with the 15-beat vocal motif. 73
 1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Symmetry can be discovered in unimaginable places – it is everywhere and music

is definitely no exception! In the various facets of art, science and nature, symmetry

manifests as similarity, balance, proportion, regularity, repetition and more. These

manifestations emerge from the geometrical and sequential aspects of symmetry, and are

studied by different fields of knowledge, ranging from physics and mathematics to visual

arts and architecture. The many tools used to understand different aspects of symmetry

are rooted in mathematical concepts that have been around for centuries.

Music and mathematics have always been close allies, and their relationship and

interaction have been studied in the field of music theory. There is a continuous interest

to understand music beyond its own artisanship, and to project its intrinsic musical ideas

into other disciplines and mirror them from different perspectives. From the Greeks to

Descartes and Leibniz, there have been many mathe-musicians who have contributed to

understanding the underlying relationship between both disciplines (Sweetman, 1999).

The interplay of mathematics and music has permeated the works of many

classical composers from Bach to Bartok, as well as many jazz artists. Joseph Schillinger

is a great example from the jazz world. He developed a musical composition approach

based solely on the idea of movement, and addressed it in a completely mathematical

way. He influenced many great jazz composers including George Gershwin, Benny

Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller (Schillinger, 2005).

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Main Research Questions

What are the driving symmetrical elements in the music of Thelonious Monk and

Steve Coleman?

How is the notion of symmetry embedded and utilized in the melodic, rhythmic and

harmonic layers of their compositions?

How does the notion of symmetry emerge and develop in their solo improvisations?

When does symmetry accompany the outcome of a musical idea?

When is symmetry interrupted or broken and how does this convey a musical idea?

Problem Statement

There are few available publications that explore and establish the geometric and

numeric or sequential relationship of symmetry in jazz harmony, jazz melodic

construction, improvisation and rhythm (Tymoczko, 2011; Bishop, 2012). These

publications delve, among other topics, into the realms of mathematical group theory and

its underlying geometrical symmetry. They explore the interaction with jazz, and analyze

the music of major jazz artists including John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Pat Martino, Gary

Campbell and George Garzone. These authors have made significant breakthroughs in

understanding the interdisciplinary dialogue of mathematics and jazz, documenting the

relationship between these two disciplines.

Jazz music theory is still a young field and there has been little scholarly research

and analysis done specifically on the use of symmetry and geometrical ideas in the music

of other major jazz figures. Prior to the present work, there are no available publications
 3

on the implication and use of symmetry in the work of Thelonious Monk and Steve

Coleman.

In the case of Thelonious Monk, the symmetric aspects of his music have been

indirectly analyzed (DeVeaux, 1999; Williams, 1992), however his music ideas have

never been analyzed explicitly in the light of symmetry. In the case of Steve Coleman,

despite him being a major influence in the jazz scene beginning in the 1980s and having

many available online publications, his work is only starting to create scholarship.

Statement of Purpose

This work traces the idea of musical symmetry in jazz. First it provides a clear

and concise explanation of its different manifestations and its mathematical foundation

and evolution. Once the terminology is established and some paramount examples are

provided, this work analyzes specific compositions and solos by Thelonious Monk and

Steve Coleman. Although the notion of symmetry is intuitively embedded in jazz, Monk

and Coleman were selected due to their particular and extensive use of symmetry in their

music.

Thelonious Monk is considered one of the cornerstone architects in jazz; his

music breathes intervallic and rhythmic angularity, yet it always carries an underlying

unity. This work explores rhythmic, motivic, harmonic, and structural symmetry in

Monk’s blues compositions, and extends these concepts into longer forms and

compositions.

Finally this work analyzes the intervallic, melodic and rhythmic symmetry that

saxophonist Steve Coleman has explored in his music. He devised an algorithmic method
 4

called “laws of motion” which allows his improvisations to attain a very specific balance

and produce what he calls “spiral symmetry”; these concepts are analyzed, together with

his rhythmic explorations and its relationship with symmetry.

Methodology
This work uses a mixed method approach to explore symmetrical musical devices

present in the work of Thelonious Monk and Steve Coleman. It utilizes historic material

to trace the origins of the idea of symmetry in general, as well as borrowing concepts

from the music theory literature aimed to analyze western art music, also known as

western classical music. Furthermore through musical analysis of selected works, this

thesis illuminates the generation of patterns with a direct reference to different types of

symmetries present in the music of the aforementioned jazz musicians.

The ideas and terminology used to analyze classical composers are translated into

the context of jazz and accordingly adjusted in nomenclature when required. Concepts

like translational, axial, and spiral symmetry, and many more, will be explained and

applied to analyze selected jazz pieces and improvisations.

The collection of works published on Monk and Coleman has been consulted and

any relevant historical and biographical material is included. A review of Monk’s and

Coleman's discography has been done and a selection of their work has been chosen to

exemplify the use of different symmetric compositional and improvisational devices.

Transcription and musical analysis provides an understanding of the compositional,

improvisational and creative impact of symmetry in the music of the aforementioned jazz

musicians.
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CHAPTER II

RELATED LITERATURE

This literature review draws sources from the fields of music theory, mathematics,

classical music, and jazz. While it strives to be accurate and up to date from the

standpoint of symmetry in jazz, it is not comprehensive from the perspective of symmetry

in western art music (classical music). Selected sources from western art music are used

as reference points in this research; terminology and musical analysis concepts are

borrowed and adapted to the discussion of symmetry in jazz.

There has always been a natural interaction between the field of mathematics and

the field of music theory and musical analysis in general. Symmetry lies at the

intersection of these fields. After the development of twelve-tone music, there have been

a number of published textbooks that include the fundamental concepts that arise when

working with ordered rows of pitch classes, treated as mathematical structures. Therefore

these modern textbooks include diverse notions of symmetry as part of an analytical

toolbox to understand contemporary music.

Many western composers whose use of symmetry has been thoroughly analyzed

include major figures such as Arnold Schoenberg, Béla Bartók, Claude Debussy and

Olivier Messiaen. Selected references of these composers have been deliberately chosen

here to give an understanding of the concepts that will be addressed in a jazz context in

this thesis.

Straus (1990) provides a standard introduction to several analytical tools in the

post-tonal era; in particular he develops a definition of symmetry applied to pitch class

 6

sets. This definition is translated into a jazz context in the chapter devoted to analyze the

music of Steve Coleman. Other textbooks include (Tymoczko, 2011; Lewin 1987,

Benson, 2007) in which a thorough mathematical foundation is given, involving Neo-

Riemannian analysis and many other notions that help to describe major compositions in

contemporary music. Of special mention is Benson’s final chapter devoted to define

symmetry in music and to exemplify different occurrences of symmetry.

Twentieth century western composers have used symmetry in their music for

several reasons: Kempf (1996) provides an overview of many instances of the usage of

symmetry in western art music and remarks that the mathematical side of symmetry

doesn’t always coincide with the artistic laws of music. From a geometrical point of

view, Hart (2009) describes many different occurrences in which it is possible to generate

symmetry in the “musical plane”. This is defined as a plane whose axis are time and

pitch, following the tradition of the written representation of music in a pentagram.

Schoenberg’s dodecaphonic techniques have a direct relationship to symmetry.

Peles (2004) explores the construction of his twelve-tone series and the way in which he

uses transposition, retrograde motion, and translational techniques in the context of

symmetry. Hunther and von Hippel (2003) prove and document that Schoenberg and

Webern had a significant bias when choosing dodecaphonic series that had intrinsic

symmetrical qualities.

Aside from the dodecaphonic composers who examined musical symmetry,

Bartók is one of the most representative figures and architects of post-tonal music. His

use of symmetry has been explored in terms of creating a sense of balance in his

compositions and also in his melodic constructions (Mark, 1992; Kingan, 1993; Pearsall,
 7

2004). Mark and Pearsall present an analysis about the structural use of axial symmetry

in Bartok’s “Mikrokosmos”, revealing an architectural symmetric force that provides

form to these small pieces. On the other hand, Bernard (1986) analyzes excerpts from the

“Music for Percussion, Strings and Celesta” and derives several accounts of sequential,

pitch class, intervallic, and geometrical symmetry. Bartok’s rhythmic conception is also

utilized and compared to understand the key element of a short and long pulse, needed to

understand a shift in pulse in the music of Steve Coleman (Kárpáti, 2006). Many of these

techniques and terminology will be further revisited in the music of Steve Coleman and

his symmetrical improvisation approach.

Claude Debussy was also a pioneer in introducing the western world to post-tonal

practice. His exploration of scalar symmetry has been studied, specifically in the use of

the octatonic scale, and his creative use of symmetrical constructions has been researched

both as architectural tools and melodic tools (Howat, 1994; Forte 1991).

In jazz literature, there are few publications that explore and establish the

relationship and interaction of symmetry (Tymoczko, 2011; Bishop, 2012). These two

cited sources represent a foundation of this research and provide definitions and a

mathematical framework to perform musical analysis. Bishop (2012) is especially cited

as a model source; his doctoral dissertation builds a bridge between the chord-scale

relationship that is used in jazz and the use of mathematical group theory and

permutations. In the case of this thesis, the purpose is to bridge a gap between symmetry

in its different manifestations (geometrical, sequential, rhythmic, etc.) in the music of

Monk and Coleman.

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A concise example of a symmetrical musical notion is anchored in the use of the

symmetric scales available in our well-tempered musical world. One treatise that has

proved influential in jazz and progressive rock is the Thesaurus of Scales and Musical

Patterns published by Nicolas Slonimsky in 1947. The whole-tone and symmetrical-

diminished scales are prominently included in the Thesaurus and are ever-present in the

improvising vocabulary of every jazz musician. Slonimsky also provides a

straightforward algorithm to produce thousands of scales on the premises of equal

divisions of one or more octaves. This work predates later discoveries in Neo-

Riemannian theory about scale and chordal affinity in the sense that the latter also

proposes an algorithmic methodology to study and generate harmonic proximity of

chords and scales (Cohn, 1998; Mason 2013).

Demsey (1989) analyzes in depth the peculiar relationships between Slonimsky’s

Thesaurus and the compositional explorations of saxophonist John Coltrane. The so-

called “third chromatic relationships” used by Coltrane in his compositions

“Countdown”, “Giant Steps”, and “Central Park West” all use the same principle of equal

division of the octave producing a harmonic movement that derives in the creation of

three tonal centers. This compositional principle can be addressed from a symmetrical

point of view and thought of as creating both a sequential and translational symmetry

(Kempf, 1996; Hart 2009). In addition, other authors such as Bair (2002) and Waters

(2010) have provided analysis of Coltrane’s use of polytonal center symmetry.

Rhythm and polyrhythm are central concepts in the evolution of the jazz tradition.

The rhythmic dimension is perhaps the one that yields and produces symmetry in an

intuitive and natural way. The intuitive use of “added-note” scales, which are major and
 9

minor scales with one added chromatic passing note, constitute an important part of the

building blocks of rhythmic symmetry in jazz. The idea of deriving an eight-note scale

that would allow the improviser to reach the same point every bar in a regular 4/4 time

signature is a paramount example of symmetry that combines both melody and rhythm

(Baker, 1987).

Toussaint’s book (2013) is a thorough exploration of the “geometry of rhythm”

from a mathematical and computational perspective. It has an underlying practical aim,

and it also addresses the use of rhythm in African and Afro-Cuban musical traditions.

These concepts will be used, given the direct relationship of jazz to African music

traditions.

Thelonious Monk’s music has been studied from a historical and harmonic

perspective inquiring about Monk’s legacy as an iconic jazz pianist and composer

(Williams, 1992; DeVeaux, 1999). There are no sources that address symmetry in

Monk’s music. A list of 70 tunes have been published by Hal Leonard in (2002) which

along with other online discographies will be used as primary sources of this research.

Steve Coleman has documented his research and shared part of his central ideas

through his M-base website and related online blogs. One essay on symmetrical

movement, available in his website, has inspired this thesis to analyze Coleman’s music.

Additionally there are a number of online resources documenting Steve Coleman’s work

in the form of talks or workshops delivered around the world and are included in the

references. The most significant of these resources is a workshop given in Brooklyn in

May and June 2015, in which he addresses his conception and implementation of

symmetrical movement and symmetric rhythmic constructions.

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CHAPTER III

WHAT IS SYMMETRY?

Before diving into the music analysis of Thelonious Monk and Steve Coleman, let

us first examine the manifold manifestations of symmetry, and define them with musical

and non-musical examples. Symmetry can be considered as an umbrella term that

encompasses manifold phenomena of repetition, similarity, and proportion. It can also

refer to a more sequence-oriented phenomenon like the ones we see in permutations, or

the ones we encounter when we’re dealing with symbols or letters.

Similarity lies at the foundation of what symmetry signifies in this work.

Symmetry is defined, for the purpose of this work, as the interplay of similarity in

musical form, rhythm, harmony and melody. This work is dedicated to elucidating the

use and interplay of similarity patterns in the music of Monk and Coleman.

Visualizing Symmetry

Translational symmetry is perhaps the most natural and immediate way of

visualizing a resemblance pattern in which there is a repetition. This translation in space

can occur in an infinite amount of ways, and the repetition pattern can be altered in such a

way to avoid monotony.

In its most straightforward sense, similarity could be interpreted as repetition.

Perhaps the most beautiful and illustrative way of depicting a repetition or iteration

comes from design and mathematics. Tiles (or more formally tessellations) are used to

create spatial patterns that repeat themselves, and fill up space in a harmonious and

oftentimes creative manner. Figure 1 shows that translational symmetry can manifest in
 11

an infinite number of arrays. The left shows multiple iterations of a simple lantern motif;

it derives its interest from juxtaposing and rotating the lanterns in a variety of ways. On

the right is a Penrose tessellation, a beautiful and apparently periodic application of a

small number of basic figures, which, if observed carefully reveals a surprising

aperiodicity with multiple points of symmetry.

Fig. 1: Translational symmetry in which repetition is displayed without creating monotony.

On a musical level repetition appears everywhere across all of its layers (rhythm,

melody, form, and harmony). Rhythmically it is pervasive, from the notion of a beat that

repeats itself throughout time, to the creation of rhythmic language in different genres of

jazz music. Melodically, repetition can appear throughout the exposition and

development of a piece or as a replication of a motivic cell or a whole musical phrase. On

a larger scale, Sonata and Rondo form employ repetition as an integral part of their

musical rhetoric. On the jazz side, the pre-composed melody of a piece (called the head)

is almost invariably played twice, and the ever present form AABA is also an instance of

this repetitive symmetry that gives stability and structure to jazz compositions.
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Harmonic repetition is also used extensively. We are always hearing the same

harmonic progressions. It is the repetition of these harmonic sequences that has created

much of the familiar aspects of our musical language. From II - V chains and sequences,

to cadenzas, this notion of repetition is embedded deeply into the essence of the music

that we listen to. All these concepts will be exemplified and illustrated in the following

sections.

Rhythmic Symmetry

Classical music theory has explored and expanded the knowledge about melody

and harmony in depth. From Josquin des Prés, to the invention of Equal Temperament

and the eventual publication of the Well-Tempered Klavier, to Wagner’s “Tristan und

Isolde” and the advent of contemporary classical music, there has been an exploration

and evolution of polyphony, counterpoint, and every other concept that derives from this

idea.

On the other hand, rhythm has remained a less analyzed element in music. Its

abstract nature makes it perhaps less amenable to study, yet it is readily perceived in a

natural and almost unconscious manner, provoking a physical response in us. The way

we interpret rhythm is shaped by how we interact with the world, how we group events

and signals, and how we are consciously aware of this almost automatic reaction.

As much as Europe has explored in the use of polyphony in classical music,

Africa has always had an intrinsic and cultural relationship with polyrhythm. Jazz has

indeed absorbed all these musical elements into its roots, and has borrowed from both

continents.
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Hemiola Rhythmic Symmetry

A very simple yet powerful example to introduce the topic of rhythmic symmetry

is found in the rhythmic phenomenon known as a hemiola. The prototype of a hemiola is

encountered when a 6/8 time signature is grouped as 2 groups of dotted quarter notes or 3

groups of quarter notes. Figure 2 illustrates this specific instance of a hemiola.

Fig. 2: A hemiola over a 6/8 time signature

Generalizing a Hemiola Configuration

As seen in the last example, an exact grouping of beats can be derived from time

signatures that are compound in the arithmetical sense. A natural number n is said to be

compound if it can be expressed as a multiplication of more than two different prime

numbers. The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic (Lipschutz and Lipson, 1976)

guarantees that every number can be represented and decomposed by its prime

factorization. In figure 3 we observe a generalization of a hemiola with compound time

signatures 10/8 and 12/8. These time signatures have been chosen due to the underlying

arithmetic properties of 10 and 12. 10 has prime factorization 5*2 which creates two

different beat groupings: 2 groups of 5 beats, or 5 groups of 2 beats. On the other hand 12

has prime factorization 2*2*3 which indicates that we can create equal groupings of 2, 3,

4 and 6, corresponding to the combinations of prime factors in the number 12.

 14

Fig. 3: Examples of generalized hemiolas with time signatures 10/8 and 12/8 respectively.

If we analyze these grouping and rhythmic phenomena through polygonal

notation (Toussaint, 2013) it becomes clear that the hemiolas are actually dividing a

circle in equal parts, creating a symmetric geometrical pattern. This in return creates its

own drive and rhythmic gravity in a compelling way that has been utilized by different

musical cultures. Figure 4 illustrates this and shows the projecting figures which in return

point out the different axis of symmetry produced by these groupings.

Fig. 4: Polygonal notation and symmetric axis for a 10/8 and 12/8 time signature.

Rhythmic Symmetry with Prime Number Meters

Historically the common usage of rhythmic meter has been binary and tertiary,

although this is not necessarily the case for all the span of the history of music. Both 2
 15

and 3 are the first prime numbers and are indivisible by nature. For the sake of

convenience, let us focus exclusively on quarter notes or eighth notes in the denominator

of the time signature, and in the numerator on any prime number between 2 and 16,

namely, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13.

An attempt to create hemiola configurations under these meters will prove

impossible. The answer is straightforward with a bit of help from arithmetic and

divisibility (Lipschutz and Lipson, 1976). Therefore, since these meters do not allow for

equal subdivision, many different internal subdivisions are used to create rhythmic

patterns, cells, and motifs.

Prime Meters and Additive Symmetry in Classical Music

In twentieth century classical music, we encounter some beautiful examples of the

usage of prime number meters and the rhythmic complexity and richness derived from

them. A powerful example of this is the third movement of Sergei Prokofiev’s 7th piano

sonata, in which the use of an ostinato pattern, much like it would be used in jazz, is

portrayed all across the movement in a rhythmic and energetic stream. Figure 5 shows an

excerpt of the opening bars of this movement. Prokofiev points out the additive

subdivision that he wants to convey in this movement and utilizes this 7/8 time signature

to convey a live and percussive tempo.

Fig. 5: Prokofiev seventh sonata, third movement, 7/8 time signature.

 16

Another paramount example of additive symmetry with prime meters is

Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”. Throughout the whole piece Stravinsky plays with

energetic rhythmic motifs; in the closing section he utilizes a sequence of different meters

(most of them prime, with the exception of 4/4) to create a maximum climactic finale.

Figure 6 shows an excerpt in which both a 5/16 and a 3/16 meter are concatenated in

search of motivic unity and rhythmic liveliness.

Fig 6: Excerpt from the final section of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”, reduction for
two pianos

Prime Meters and Additive Symmetry in Jazz

The use of irregular prime meters was introduced in jazz after the bebop era. Max

Roach is known to be the first jazz musician that introduced this practice and it very

quickly became a common resource in jazz. George Shearing and Dave Brubeck

popularized the use of unusual time signatures for jazz piano.

An example of prime 7/4 prime utilized in modern jazz is portrayed in figure 7.

This example is taken from jazz pianist James Weidman, considered a member of the M-

base group founded by Steve Coleman and who has continued to take his musical
 17

inspiration from Coleman’s music. We see in figure 7 an excerpt of the composition “A

World Within”. We focus our attention on the last 8 measures of this piece: a repetitive

pattern loop in 7/4 meter creates an overall sensation of long and short pulses that yields a

sense of resolution in the last two quarter notes of every bar.

Fig. 7: “A World Within” composed by James Weidman, portrays a more elaborate way of
grouping a 7/4 meter within the context of a jazz tune.

These type of rhythmic devices can be analyzed in the light of symmetry and

represent a major guiding line of this thesis. The rhythmic layer oftentimes overlaps into

other realms of music composition and improvisation. These concepts become central to

analyze the music of Monk and Coleman.

Melodic Symmetry

Symmetry in the melodic layer can be analyzed from several points of view. A

scalar approach to melody reveals some of its symmetric content in the form of scales

that are exact divisions of the chromatic scale. These scales have been widely used in

western art music by composers such as Bartok, Debussy and Messiaen.

Within the context of jazz composition and improvisation, symmetric scales

provide jazz musicians with an aural resource capable of creating interest and tension in

their melodic lines. Their relationships to and interactions with diatonic scales are also
 18

widely prized. Figure 8 shows all possible symmetric scales within one octave, all of

which are used in jazz improvisation.

Fig 8: Equal division of the octave provides 4 possible scale configurations.

It is important to mention that both Joseph Schillinger and Nicolas Slonimsky

further developed the concept of symmetric scales within two and more octaves. These

sounds, explored by musicians such as Frank Zappa and John Coltrane, increased the

importance of symmetric scalar elements within jazz compositions. It is striking how

similar these constructions are to the discussion of compound meters such as 12/8 that we

undertook in the previous section.

Continuing with the analog of additive rhythms, it is also possible to create

additive scales that carry a high level of symmetry even though they are not strictly

composed of equal divisions of the octave. The most common scales constructed in this

manner, frequently used for improvisation, are the so-called symmetric diminished scales

that are illustrated in figure 9. Instead of just one interval generating the scale, their

internal intervallic structure is generated by an oscillation of a minor and major second.

Fig. 9: Half – Whole and Whole – Half symmetric diminished scales

With the music theory that we have developed until now, it is possible to

construct other symmetrical additive scales that include sequences of semitones that add
 19

up to 12 (that is, to an octave). Some specific scales of these characteristics were devised

and utilized by Olivier Messiaen calling them modes of limited transposition based on

their symmetrical properties with respect to transposition. These scales can be explained

succinctly as all possible combinations of numbers that add up to 12 and that have a

particular repetition in their sequence as illustrated in figure 10.

Fig. 10: Featuring all possible modes of transposition

without including any non-trivial translation.
 20

Added-note scales and rhythmic-melodic symmetrical interaction

Added-note scales are a jazz musical device and a common practice usage that

lies right in the middle of rhythm and melody. These scales emerged intuitively in the

compositions and improvisation of the bebop era. As a natural consequence of jazz

becoming more chromatic after the swing era, the bebop players added a note to the basic

diatonic scales as shown in figure 11. After several decades of their use, jazz educator

David Baker coined the term bebop scales in his series of published methods about

improvisation (Baker, 1987).

Fig. 11 (a): The added chromaticism of the added-note scale give pulse regularity to the
placement of the tonic in every bar.
(b): Sequential displacement of the root in a regular scalar pattern.

This simple yet powerful symmetric idea was used by all major jazz artists

including Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, and the whole bebop and hard-

bop generation to produce a rhythmic drive in their music. Symmetry is thus present in

this concept in the form of translational symmetry.

 21

During the bebop era it became common practice to increase the tempo of the

tunes. It is always exciting to listen to music with so much drive, many times exceeding

300 bpm. The faster the pulse, the slower the count; this was common knowledge for the

improvising artists to the point that everything becomes a count of 1. The rhythmic layers

of the improvisations acquire a conversational dimension when viewed in this way.

Avoiding the constant displacement of the tonic, and consequently the whole scale,

allowed these great improvisers to create phrases, upwards and downwards runs, and

patterns that had a better shape and rhythmic feeling to them especially while playing up-

tempo tunes. Added-note or bebop scales can be thus seen as an intermingled musical

concept that binds together both melody and rhythm with an underlying symmetrical

pursuit.

Harmonic Symmetry

Utilizing symmetry within a harmonic layer can have manifold approaches. Many

western art composers have extensively explored the construction of musical forms via

the use of equally weighted, symmetrical tonal centers, and this practice has also been

extended to jazz.

A paramount example of harmonic symmetry in jazz comes from John Coltrane’s

chromatic third relationships which he explored and he crystalized in the famous jazz

compositions such as “Giant Steps” and “Central Park West”.

From the standpoint of symmetry, “Giant Steps” utilizes an equal division of a

scale in 3 parts giving way to 3 equally distributed tonal centers respectively. The form of
 22

“Giant Steps” is motivated by the II-V harmonic drive that always generates a binary

configuration and gives shape to the famous 16-bar composition.

As mentioned in previous sections, the laws of symmetry are not necessarily the

laws of musical balance. Figure 12 circles the tonal centers in “Giant Steps”, pointing out

the resolutions within the form that are not strictly motivated by a symmetric harmonic

motion but also by balance and melodic motion. This results in a doubling of the

harmonic rhythm of these arrival points, signaling a climax and ending of the form. It is

also important to mention how compositions like “Giant Steps” and “Central Park West”

have a confluence and interaction of symmetry in all musical layers since both melody

and rhythm are in synchrony with the symmetric dynamic of the harmonic shape.

Fig. 12: Original chart of “Giant Steps” annotated to point out the partial resolutions or arrival
points throughout the form.
 23

CHAPTER IV

SYMMETRY IN THE MUSIC OF THELONIOUS MONK

This chapter contains analysis of selected compositions and improvisations by

Thelonious Monk that can be examined in the light of symmetry. The first section is

devoted to Monk's blues compositions. Several blues tunes and improvisations are

transcribed and used to illuminate paramount examples of symmetrical interaction

between different musical layers.

The discussion starts with a thorough analysis of the blues form and its harmonic

contour. The use of repetition (translational symmetry) and the interaction between the

harmonic layer of the blues and the intervallic and melodic symmetric interplay that can

arise is then further examined. The final sections utilize these symmetric ideas and

analyze Monk's contrafacts and original compositions. The interplay between rhythmic,

tonic-dominant, and structural symmetry is stressed throughout these sections.

The compositions of Thelonious Monk encompass around 70 to 80 pieces created

in a time span of 30 years, between the 1940s to the early 1970s; some of these pieces

were spontaneous compositions that were put together for specific recording sessions. His

music enjoys widespread international recognition in the jazz world and it represents

some of the most played and arranged repertoire (Monk, 2002; Giddins & DeVeaux,

2009).

Most of his compositions and improvisations are bound together in an underlying

innovative symmetrical structure or process that contrasts with the more traditional and

diatonic compositions of the swing era. These symmetrical elements create the

appearance of simplicity in the construction of his tunes. The minimalistic and often
 24

abstract character of Monk’s music allows any style or tradition of improvisation to be

combined with these tunes, generating a vast array of arrangements and recordings of

Monk’s compositions.

Listening and transcribing Monk’s compositions and solos reveals that rhythm,

harmony, melodic line and form blend together in a highly organized, almost

mathematical way. Monk’s so-called angular approach to jazz has an intrinsic sense of

cohesiveness and clarity; his music creates a sense of unity through the use of patterns

that are treated in a clear, almost simplistic manner, but that at unexpected times create

variation and contrast. For the above reasons, his music is an ideal repertory to illustrate

the use of symmetry in jazz composition and improvisation.

Symmetry of the Blues Form

Monk played the blues throughout his entire career, giving it a central role in his

music. As a starting point to analyze the use of symmetry in Monk’s music, the blues

form allows us to simplify the harmonic background of his music; as a result, many of his

symmetrical devices are revealed with clarity and coherence. The blues form is deeply

rooted in African-American vocal tradition. The way we play it today is an evolution and

abstraction from the minstrels and working songs of the enslaved African people that

arrived in America during the 1800s (Giddins and DeVeaux, 2009). Before the 1920s, the

blues was never written and published, so it did not have to adhere to a steady pulse or

form.

The stanzas or choruses of the blues were intrinsically tied to its lyrical content,

breath and dynamics. The verses of each stanza would involve one or two phrases and a

repeated AAB pattern.

 25

This is a blues lyrics from 1927 called “High Water Blues” composed by “Blind”

Lemon Jefferson:

Backwater rising, Southern peoples can't make no time

I said, backwater rising, Southern peoples can't make no time
And I can't get no hearing from that Memphis girl of mine.

The first and the second sentences are repeated with a closing statement that

rounds up the verse. Notice that the repetition of the first sentence in the lyrics is not

exact; words are added to the underlying verse creating a slight variation. This could be

symbolized as having an A1A2B form.

There is also a direct relationship between rhythmic symmetry and dance, since

the blues was used by the African-American peoples to express through bodily movement

their struggle and life in America. The similarity of the verse and the prose in the blues

also account for a ceremonial and ritual use of the musical elements and the call and

response structure of the blues.

Harmonic Dynamic Symmetry in the Blues Form

W.C. Handy was greatly responsible for crystallizing the blues form as a 12-bar

configuration (Taylor, 1983). The tonic, subdominant and dominant areas in the blues

produce a natural subdivision of 4 / 4 / 4 bars. This organization of the blues form

resembles its lyrical tradition and creates a sense of repetition, roundedness and

continuity. Although the blues form includes the three main harmonic areas of traditional

harmony (tonic, subdominant and dominant), it should be noted that the underlying

harmonic symmetry of the blues form is substantially different from a sequence or

concatenation of a subdominant or plagal cadence (IV - I) and a dominant cadence (V -

I).
 26

Harmonic Contours

The way the blues form is constructed suggests a folding harmonic action, more

so than just a linear addition of two different cadences. Figure 13 is an illustration of this

harmonic dynamic. The shape of the diagram suggests an inherent cyclic symmetry. Two

cycles are created between the sequences I - IV - I and I - V - I resembling the shape of a

helix. Both the subdominant and the dominant chords have exactly the same weight and

balance across the form. It is plausible to say that this symmetry is inherited from its

lyrical origins, i.e. the way the blues was sung.

Fig. 13: Dynamic contour of the blues form, suggesting a double circular pattern that revolves
around the fundamental root chord, creating a helix-shape harmonic movement.

Another interpretation of the blues harmonic dynamic considers the sequence that

cycles two times through the subdominant without including the subdominant at the

ending B subsection. The geometry of this sequence is illustrated in figure 14 and

exemplifies a different type of mirror symmetry also in the shape of a helix.

 27

Fig. 14: Another interpretation of the harmonic contour of the blues, this time without a plagal
cadence in the last four bars, creating a threefold cycle and preserving a helix cyclic
symmetrical configuration.

One last harmonic contour of the blues form is obtained by considering a

subdivision of the harmonic rhythm by adding a subdominant chord in the B section. The

geometry of this cadence is exemplified in figure 15 in which the helix form is changed

to a ring configuration that cycles twice from the root to the subdominant and finishes

with a plagal cadence

Fig. 15 (a): The harmonic structure of the (b): With a mirror harmonic contour in
blues form with an added subdominant chord the A1A2 subsections followed by a plagal
for sections A1 and B. cadence in the B subsection gaining harmonic
weight towards the subdominant area.

What these graphs show is the relationship between harmony and form in a

dynamic context. The more intricate a harmonic sequence evolves the richer the
 28

geometry it will acquire. The simpler the form, the more cyclical will be its dynamic

shape. This phenomenon of a harmonic layer influencing the musical form will be

addressed many times in the music of Thelonious Monk. It will also be generalized to

permit the analysis and interaction between the rhythmic, harmonic, melodic and formal

layers. This is a central concept for understanding the presence of symmetry in Monk’s

music.

Symmetry in Monk’s Blues Tunes

Monk’s angular style can be explained from a symmetrical standpoint by

analyzing the superposition and interaction of different symmetric structures within his

compositions. As mentioned in the last section, the blues form carries an internal

symmetry both in its time span and underlying harmonic dynamic. Thelonious Monk is

able to grasp this internal structure and pair it in an astonishingly varied amount of

layouts. These layouts will be studied with increasing degree of complexity in the

following sections.

Harmonic - Melodic symmetry

One of Monk’s most direct symmetrical approaches in composition is to use the

exact repetition of a musical idea or music cell over the harmonic contour of the blues.

The superposition of a recurring motif creates both unity and tension between the melody

and the harmony of the blues form. In order to visualize the iteration or repetition of this

motif, an abstract geometric shape is appended to a transcription of a blues tune as an aid

to analyze the interaction between melody, rhythm and form.

 29

“Bluehawk” – Melodic repetition

This piano solo blues was recorded by Monk only once in 1959 in San Francisco.

The use of exact repetitions is illustrated in figure 16 with the aid of a circle modeling the

repeated motif. The absence of this musical cell in the last 4 bars of every section of the

blues avoids an exact repetition. This creates the minimum amount of variation required

to keep the musical discourse interesting. The dotted line circles indicate this absence.

The suspended chord used at the end of every 4-bar phrase of this blues rounds up the

form and deviates from a simple expectation of repetition of the triplet motif.

Fig. 16: Transcription of “Bluehawk”, live in San Francisco, CA, October 21, 1959. The circles
represent the generating music cell, the dotted circles signal the absence of the music cell.

This particular technique is reminiscent of the ostinato character of the blues and

is not exclusive to Monk’s compositional style. It should be mentioned though that the

consistent and constant use of this technique becomes a signature of Monk’s music. It is

also important to highlight the change of function of the motivic music cell across the
 30

form especially when playing over the subdominant chord Eb7, in which the last note of

the triplet (Ab) creates a suspended harmonic effect that resolves to another suspended

chord in the last bar.

This unity will be varied in an unexpected way in the repetition of the head, in

which Monk decides to shift the generating cell all across the different beats and sub-

beats of every bar. This phenomenon is illustrated below in the transcription in figure 17

in which the original motif shifts across every bar (bars 1-4) and then comes back to its

original position (bars 9-12).

Figure 17: “Bluehawk” Transcription of the repetition of the head. The original music cell
shifts in every beat of the bar before it comes back.

The idea of steering away from this repetitive pattern is reflected in Monk’s

improvised choruses over this blues tune. Figure 18 shows the first improvised solo;

Monk creates contrast by playing a truly complex line delineating the harmonic changes,

compensating for the “simplicity” of the head.

 31

Fig. 18: First improvised chorus of “Bluehawk”, exemplifies the use of contrast to create a
cohesive and balanced musical statement.

As a constant improvising technique, Monk develops his solo with a close

relationship to the melody. In doing so, he centers his musical discourse in the idea of

simplicity and contrast. This fact in itself represents another type of symmetry from the

point of view of the form. A dual interaction between simplicity and complexity creates

continuity and ultimately comprehensibility; Monk stated himself, he wanted his ideas to

be understood by everyone that approached his music (Eastwood & Zwerin, 1988).

“Raise Four” – Intervallic and harmonic contrast

As suggested above, there is an ever-growing search for repetition and variation

in Thelonious Monk’s compositions. “Raise Four” was recorded also only once in 1968.

This blues tune increases even more in self-similarity and repetition of the melody

meanwhile adding harmonic tension through the use of the tritone interval. This again

follows the principle of creating symmetry and evenness on the melodic layer and at the

same time accentuating and creating contrast on the harmonic layer. Figure 19 illustrates

a transcription of the melody and compares it to a geometric scheme of the melody.

 32

Fig. 19 (a): “Raise Four” transcription, NYC, 1968. (b): An elongated circle
illustrates how Monk creates
minimal variation in the
dominant chord in bar 9.

Observe that the pick-up from bar 9 to 10 includes the only variation of the music

cell, interchanging an Eb instead of the expected E♮ in the melody. Monk only plays this

Eb in the first chorus of the head, meanwhile playing an identical pattern through chorus

2 and 3 before improvising. This internal variation provides a minimum sense of

variation and development of the melodic and intervallic content.

It is revealing that Monk writes a triple repetition of the head as opposed to the

two repetitions customary in the majority of jazz tunes. This interplay touches on the

concepts of inner and outer form that will be addressed in the section on “Oska-T” and

the use of repetition of entire melodies.

In the development of his solo one can hear how his approach is to create parallel

ideas based on the melody and the tritone interval. It is also significant to highlight
 33

Monk’s use of silence in some of his improvised choruses. Figure 20 shows the seventh

improvised chorus that portrays the similarity in intervallic content and the use of space.

Fig. 20: “Raise Four” seventh improvised chorus, NYC, 1968.

Harmonic and Melodic Parallelism

As seen in the last subsections Monk plays with different combinations and

creates contrast between the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic layers of his music. There

are many different compositional avenues to approach the underlying symmetric

harmonic structure of the blues with a melodic development that is completely

monothematic. This section addresses the use of synchrony and parallelism between all

these layers. We define parallelism here as the creation of an alignment between the

harmonic contour of the blues form and the melody.

“Misterioso” – Harmonic and Melodic Synchrony

This composition is one of Monk’s most recorded blues tunes, with more than

half a dozen recordings done throughout his life. “Misterioso” is the archetypal example
 34

of a mono-rhythmic and mono-intervallic melody in which the harmonic contour of the

blues is contained within a diatonic symmetric sequence.

In figure 21 we observe how the intervallic motion of “Misterioso” is carried

throughout the blues harmonic contour creating a sense of evenness and continuity. As

stated in the introductory chapter, symmetry does not mandate the final musical outcome

of a piece. Monk chooses to end this blues tune with an unexpected prolonged note

instead of completing the intervallic pattern of parallel sixths. This element of surprise

creates both tension and a musical pause that signals the end of the head. Figure 21 also

illustrates the chromatic passing tones in bars 8-9 which add lyricism to the melodic

contour and also create tension during the dominant cadence of the blues.

Fig. 21: Transcription of “Misterioso”, bars 9 to 10 and a prolonged Ab in bar 12 break

symmetry and signal a pause in the form.
 35

It is also possible to analyze this tune as a compound melody in which two

different voices are creating a parallel counterpoint. Some of the large group recordings

of “Misterioso” portray this idea by splitting the melody between two instruments. The

rhythmic effect of this technique creates a non-swinging melody over a swinging

rhythmic section. Once the melody is separated into two different layers, the internal

tempo of the melody and the rhythm section create a double-time effect similar to what

happens in Boogie-woogie patterns in which the accompaniment has a strong rhythmic

subdivision and the melodies can sometimes float on a slower pace. This can be readily

heard in the first recording of this tune with Milt Jackson on Vibes and Shadow Wilson

on drums, NYC, 1948.

“Blues Five Spot” – Parallel harmonic and melodic motion

Another approach to creating synchrony and parallelism between the harmonic

and melodic layers in a diatonic context is to delineate the chords in the form by playing

the guiding-tones of the chords. Monk uses this technique in “Blues Five Spot” and goes

even further by playing an Ab chord in bar 6, following that natural chord sequence and

at the same time creating tension and contrast within the blues form.

The motivic cell in this blues is carried out diatonically in every chord and the

greatest descending interval at the end of this motif is played exactly in the dominant

chord in bar 9. Figure 22 shows a transcription of “Blues Five Spot” recorded in 1958

with Roy Hanes on drums.

 36

Fig. 22: Transcription of “Blues Five Spot”, July 9, NYC, 1958.

Call and Response Symmetric Blues Tunes

Following the historic development of the blues, a natural way of aligning its

lyrical tradition with its harmonic contour is to create a melody that imitates call and

response. This lyrical approach is most definitely addressed in some of Monk’s blues

compositions. This can be achieved through the use of an A1A2 configuration or

sometimes using slight transformations of one motif in an A1A’1 configuration. Monk

uses this device in many of his most famous blues tunes and also yields some compelling

symmetric musical structures.

“Blue Monk” – Call and response motifs

Blue Monk is without a doubt the most played and recorded blues tune in Monk’s

repertory (Thelonious Monk Catalog, n.d.). Part of the reason for this is the logical

construction of this iconic theme: namely, the use of the intervallic and melodic content

of the A (call) section that closes with a B (response) cadence section of the blues from
 37

bars 9-12 with only a minor inclusion of a triplet motif in the last beat of bar 8 precisely

to compensate the form. Figure 23 shows a transcription of the melody of “Blue Monk”

recorded for the first time in 1954 with Percy Heath and Art Blakey.

Fig. 23: “Blue Monk” first recorded in 1954. Observe the translation symmetry of bars 1-
4 and 5-8, together with the cadence in bars 9-12 creating balance.

As shown in figure 23 the use of the ascending cell in bars 1-2 and 5-6 is

answered by a descending arc in bars 3-4 and 7-8. This same response will be used to

close the form in bars 10-11 together with the use of rhythmic displacement. This

conveys a perfect example of unity and contrast within a melodic approach to the blues.

This parallelism is used to delineate the blues form yielding symmetry and synchrony

with the harmonic form.

Symmetrical Architecture in Longer Forms

Having explored the foundation of many of Monk’s symmetric techniques within

the blues form, each and every one of these techniques are present in jazz standards,
 38

contrafacts and original compositions. An aural revision of the repertory of Thelonious

Monk’s creative work reveals, among many other things, that almost every composition

is driven by a musical idea that can be analyzed in terms of symmetrical notions. Within

Monk’s non-blues compositions, there is also a symmetrical quality and abstract

simplicity that has inspired jazz musicians for generations.

As stated by Giddins and Scott DeVeaux (2009), Monk’s tunes can be considered

as crystallized improvisations. There is an intimate and close relationship between his

composed melodies and his improvised solos. All these symmetrical techniques that have

been analyzed in Monk’s tunes are extrapolated into longer musical forms. It is striking

that most contrafacts and jazz standards were treated by Monk as a means to embed his

own particular style.

“Bemsha Swing” – Mono-thematic Symmetry

In the realm of the mainstream bebop tradition, the form known as Rhythm

Changes enjoyed a widespread number of contrafacts (Kernfeld, 2002). Monk expanded

the list of contrafacts in a unique direction. There is an implied motivic music cell

development strongly suggested in the way Monk has treated the melodic and rhythmic

layer of his compositional style.

“Bemsha Swing” can be considered as an AABA tune, based on a single motivic

cell. The underlying harmonic changes are precisely those used as a turnaround in the A

section of a Rhythm Changes form. The parenthetical chords in figure 24 indicate the

harmony that is played while soloing and clarifies the similarity of this tune with a

turnaround sequence.
 39

The use of repetition and translation symmetry is used across “Bemsha Swing” in

a similar fashion as we have already analyzed in previous sections especially with

reference to “Blue Monk”. This piece takes a more blunt approach motivated by the

harmonic sequence that will be transposed in bars 9-12 as shown in figure 24. In order to

create a contrasting and cohesive musical discourse, and given that the musical cell will

remain unchanged throughout the form, Monks creates variation within the harmonic

layer of the piece by creating different cadence motions in the endings bars 4, 8, 12 and

16. The closing chord of the whole piece resolves in the substitute dominant chord Db

major also breaking the repetitive pattern.

Fig. 24: “Bemsha Swing” Harmonic Structure and parenthetical alternative chords that clarify
the similarity between this tune and Rhythm Changes.
.
 40

“Stuffy Turkey” – Intervallic Elongation

Now we briefly examine two contrafacts to analyze the use of symmetry in

Monk’s Rhythm Changes compositions. Both compositions have very different motivic

approaches that will resemble symmetrical techniques previously analyzed in the blues

subsections.

Fig. 25: Transcription of “Stuffy Turkey”, NYC, 1964.

 41

“Stuffy Turkey” can be considered to be a mono-thematic composition,

preserving the shape of the motif across the entire form and simply elongating its

intervallic content similar to what we see in “Raise Four”. Figure 25 provides a

transcription of this melody. It is interesting to note the elongation of the motif in bars 17

to 24, followed by a change in direction in the intervallic content in bars 1 and 17,

creating balance in the form.

“Rhythm-A-Ning”
This Rhythm Changes composition was widely played by Monk throughout his

career and there are around twenty recordings available, especially during the 1960s

when Monk was touring extensively in Europe. The importance of this piece with respect

to symmetry is the introduction of two motivic cells that combine together in the bridge

in bars 17 to 24.

Bars 1 to 4 englobe the first motif which is characterized by an ascending thirds

motion and then a diatonic sequence of seconds following the harmonic shape of the

form. The second motif is introduced in the pickup to bar 5 through bar 8. This second

motif is carried to the bridge in which it is played verbatim four times without being

transposed while the harmony changes. This technique creates a sense of repetition in the

melodic and rhythmic layers and at the same time creates tension in the harmonic layers

especially in bars 21 and 22 in which the F# of the motif becomes the sharp 11 of

Cmajor7.
 42

Fig. 26: Rhythm a Ning, France, 1961.

The end of the bridge, bars 23 and 24, return to motif number one rhythmic idea

but switching direction as pointed out in Figure 26. There are many variations over this

composition, but the aforementioned structural and symmetrical elements remain

consistent throughout every rendition.

 43

Harmonic Symmetry

The underlying diatonic context of many of Monk’s tunes stem from his

connection to the swing era, the Harlem stride piano school and the blues. But this is

definitely not the only harmonic realm that Monk delved into with his music. His

exploration of melodic and harmonic chromaticism is evident in many of his

compositions.

Departing from the established course of regular chord progressions and tonic-

dominant relationships, modal jazz implies to a great extent a slower harmonic rhythm

spread throughout an increased number of measures. Although Monk’s compositions are

not explicitly modal since there are always cadence points in his music, there are

compositions in which the harmonic rhythm spreads slowly and creates the desired effect

of opening the melodic layer. In this mono-harmonic context, Monk’s style remains

cohesive and his symmetric devices and motifs become even more explicit.

A compelling observation of Monk’s music is the use of symmetric techniques

that mold the form of his compositions. A distinction between inner and outer form is

used in the following subsections and borrowed from Rothstein (1989), where this

conception is part of a wider ongoing discussion in Schenkerian analysis and other areas

of tonal theory. For inner form or inner structure it is to be understood a musical idea, in

the same way we understand a complete melody or the particularities of any composition.

External form or external structure will signify the traditional shape of a complete

musical work which is usually comprised of several sections such as the traditional

AABA song form which creates what is called a chorus. These concepts will be

illustrated and further explained with respect to the tunes “Oska-T” and “Epistrophy”.
 44

“Oska-T” – Mono-harmonic Symmetry

Harmony and form are tied together intrinsically. The inner form of a piece is

modified in an organic and inseparable way with its underlying harmonic structure. In the

case of a mono-harmonic inner structure there is a natural tendency to expand the

melodic content to accommodate in a natural way to a less demanding harmonic

dynamic.

The internal form of “Oska-T” is highly symmetrical. It is comprised of an 8-bar

tune that could be considered as being modal in the tonal center of Ab Ionian. The only

harmonic movement happens in the ending bars 7 and 8 when a V-I cadence rounds up

the piece.

The generating melodic cell of this piece is repeated or iterated 3 times and then

for the closing cadence there is a straightforward closing bebop line, as shown in figure

27. The tension in these repetitions is then released only to be repeated all over again.

Fig. 27: “Oska-T” transcription, NYC, 1963.

In terms of external form symmetry, it is compelling to observe that there is a five

chorus repetition before the solo section. This number of repetitions is confirmed in the

closing repetition of the head which is again played 5 times.

 45

The transcription shown in figure 27 corresponds to the live recording performed

at the Lincoln Center in 1963. Repetition can have multiple effects and interpretations

ranging from a diminishing dynamic to building tension. In the case of this piece,

repetition of the external form provides tension, which is accentuated by the arrangement

in which the horns collide in the cadence of the piece every time.

“Epistrophy” – Monk the Symmetric Architect

On the other side of the spectrum, we analyze from the perspective of harmonic

symmetry the iconic tune Epistrophy, composed in Monk’s earlier career together with

drummer Kenny Clarke. This tune represents the true stamp of what Monk’s style of

composition and improvisation signify to jazz. This composition has been recognized as

the first classic, modern jazz composition (Brown, 1990). Part of this modern character is

the symmetrical use of chromatic ascending chord changes throughout the A section of

this AABA composition.

The internal form of this piece is intrinsically dictated by the underlying chord

sequence. The melodic layer also contributes to the chromatic character of this piece by

generating an ascending pattern that quickly switches its function. Although the melodic

layers intends to bring tension into the musical discourse, it is worth observing that it

synchronizes with the harmonic layer on the chromatic level.

The harmonic contour creates a natural grouping of an A1A2A2A1BA2A1 section

form as seen in figure 28. This in itself creates a structural symmetry that can be read in

multiple ways, but that essential creates a reflection symmetry in the first four sections

(A1A2A2A1). During the bridge contrast is brought, and a return to more diatonic context
 46

releases harmonic tension. The last two sections (A2A1) create a compacted repetition

signaling the ending of the form.

Fig. 28: Transcription of “Epistrophy”, first recorded in NYC, 1948.

 47

“Epistrophy” reveals the true symmetric architecture that Monk imprinted on

many of his compositions as has been observed so far. The interplay and synchrony

between harmony and melody give way for a transparent and minimalistic sound that

nevertheless sounds appealing. Part of the attractive factor in Monk’s music is the use of

chromaticism that repetition yields when harmony changes underneath a repeating

pattern. This phenomenon is explored in the next section with a musical analysis of the

tune “Humph” and “Skippy”.

Chromatic Symmetry
As a final analysis, we explore chromaticism in Monk’s music from the
standpoint of symmetry. Two different types of chromaticism are illustrated and analyzed
in this subsection: namely the chromaticism generated by dominant-tonic relationships
and also a melodic type of chromaticism that is not necessarily bound to a dominant-tonic
context.
There are a number of ways in which a dominant-tonic relationship generates

chromaticism along a voice-leading succession of resolutions. Figure 29 shows a

common succession that is present all across traditional harmony. Observe the first two

bars in which the seventh of an F#7 chord is resolved by descending chromatically to the

third of a B7 chord. This in return resolves one more time chromatically to the seventh of

an E7 dominant chord, and so on. The underlying principle is based on the fact that a

dominant chord creates the natural descending resolution, and the movement of the bass

by thirds shifts every chord by an interval of a perfect fifth.

Fig. 29 (a): Descending chromatic movement and alternating voice-leading movement from
the 7th of the chord to the 3rd of the next chord.
 48

Fig. 29 (b): Descending chromatic movement and alternating voice-leading movement from
the 3d of the chord to the 7th of the next chord

“Humph” – Tonic-Dominant Derived Symmetry

This tune was recorded during Monk’s debut session as a leader in 1947 and

belongs to the list of Monk tunes that were only recorded once. It has been selected due

to the parallel interaction between the melodic and harmonic layers as explained below.

Fig. 30: Transcription of “Humph” as recorded in 1947. Observe the circled instances of
symmetry within to also symmetric movement of the chords.
 49

Transcribing “Humph” reveals several instances in voice-leading symmetry

within the context of a symmetric succession of 5ths over the harmony. The movement of

the bass in fifths creates a complete shift every two bars and hence also creates a

secondary descending whole-tone scale which is shown in Figure 30.

The bridge of this tune also conveys the same voice-leading principles with an

expanded harmonic rhythm every two bars. Again this dual principle of similarity and

contrast plays a central role in the architectural building blocks of Monk’s music.

“Skippy” – Twelve-tone Derived Symmetry

This tune was recorded only once as part of the Blue Note sessions that premiered

Monk as a bandleader. Interesting to point out is that this is a rare up-tempo tune together

with “Humph” which was previously analyzed. The form of this composition is ABAC

and it contains one of Monk’s most demanding melodic lines.

The interaction between the melodic layer of this tune and its complete harmonic

chromatic movement again reveals the interest that Monk had in the interaction between

contrasting musical elements. Figure 31 shows a complete transcription of “Skippy”. The

first seven bars denote a complete cycle around the circle of fifths by applying a tritone

substitution starting on the third beat of bar 3 and creating a small harmonic rhythm

elongation in bars 7 and 8 with a recognizable whole-tone ascending pattern. Bars 9 to 16

create an even greater contrast by introducing an almost dodecaphonic melody and

continuing the underlying harmonic tension of the piece. Before the final cadence of this

piece in bars 29-32 Monk decides to collapse both harmony and melody creating a

parallel chromatic motion and acceleration the harmonic rhythm.

 50

Fig. 31: Transcription of “Skippy”, recorded for Blue Note.

Monk’s preserves his style of composition and improvisation in a consistent

manner throughout his entire career. The present analysis of his music, reveals that

symmetry was central to the construction of his compositions and improvisations.

 51

Retaining a striking simplicity in his musical ideas, Monk expresses a profound

knowledge of the underlying melodic, rhythmic and harmonic layers of music.

 52

CHAPTER 5

SYMMETRY IN THE MUSIC OF STEVE COLEMAN

This chapter delves into the intervallic and rhythmic symmetry that arises in Steve

Coleman's music. A thorough examination of Coleman's symmetrical concept is revised

and explained. His concept of intervallic spirals is also explained and a compelling

closure property of these spirals is then examined. Several three and four note symmetric

configurations and examples are then provided to illustrate the so-called laws of motion

and its spawning possibilities.

Music analysis of compositions follow the more theoretical discussion of the

opening sections, to provide examples from Coleman's discography. The closing sections

delve into rhythmic symmetry and the concepts of time grids that are introduced in

chapter 3. Examples of Coleman's compositions illustrate the use of covering time grids

over prime integer pulses and additive rhythms.

Steve Coleman’s work has significantly influenced several generations of jazz

musicians. His musical explorations have been documented and recorded throughout his

career. He is the cofounder and main proponent of the M-base collective.

M-base is an acronym for Macro Basic Array of Structured Extemporization, a

collective of African-American musicians that emerged in Brooklyn with the creative

mandate to explore the interplay between structure and improvisation. It has been

stressed by Steve Coleman that M-base does not embody a style or an unmovable

aesthetic proposal. In many ways the music emerging from M-base represents a natural

evolution of bebop that doesn’t necessarily delve into free jazz and free improvisation.
 53

Playing with the many dimensions and layers of music, including melody,

rhythm, harmony, and form, Coleman touches on every musical inquiry in these

dimensions from the standpoint of music theory and improvisation. Ranging from

developing mathematical and algorithmic ideas in research projects in collaboration with

IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) to intuitive and

profound notions of ethnomusicology, his scope as a musician is extraordinarily wide.

In particular, his expertise in the field of computer science and programming has

also allowed him to create a unique dynamic and a line of communication with his

audience suitable for the internet age. His fanbase, students and the musically curious

have the opportunity to listen to his music on his website, some of which he gives away,

and to read material there that is not published through traditional academic avenues.

Through several websites, blogs, online article publications, audio and video material,

Coleman has extensively shared his work and the philosophical and musical research

behind it.

Many of the actual sources used in this chapter are thus obtained exclusively from

the internet, this includes his official blogs and websites, as well as a few other invaluable

resources collected from blogs or articles written about Steve Coleman located on the

web. All this material is inserted and referenced in the bibliography, taking special care to

preserve it for future reference.

Axis Symmetry and Melodic Derived Symmetry

A great deal of the inspiration to write this present work relies on the symmetric

melodic concept that Steve Coleman calls laws of motion. This musical concept has been
 54

explained by him on many occasions (Coleman, May 21, 2013). These laws of motion

are constructed from the concept of a spiral that stems from a generating tone, following

the principle of the overtone series, and an extended construction of an undertone series

(Coleman, n.d.).

The design and construction of these intervallic and melodic laws has enabled

Steve Coleman to explore, create compositions, and to improvise upon these musical

laws that resemble a cellular automaton. A cellular automaton is a computational

simulation of a set of relatively simple rules, iterated in time to explore the potentially

complexity patterns it spawns. The emerging patterns in Coleman’s laws of motion were

originally conceived in non-tonal space although they can also be inserted into a tonal

context.

Although this section can be inferred from Steve Coleman’s online sources, it is

important to clarify and expand this concept by creating a series of examples that will

help understand the variety and possibilities of this type of melodic framework.

Spiral 1

In conceiving his own symmetrical melodic movement, Coleman devises the

construction of two series of intervals that he calls spirals. These spirals are generated by

intervallic movement that stems from an axis. Figure 32 depicts such an axis, in which,

starting from a unison (or reduced octave), an expansive movement is created by playing

any interval that stems from this axis note and compensating that movement in the

opposite direction (Coleman, n.d.).

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Fig. 32: Spiral 1 is constructed by stemming or emanating from a unison in both upward and
downward motion.

The upward and downward motion is the reason why Steve Coleman invokes this

geometric shape of a spiral. The series of intervals generated from Spiral 1 are

respectively: unison, major second, major third, tritone, augmented fifth or minor sixth,

minor seventh and back again to an octave on F#. For a particular realization of this

spiral, see figure 32. These intervals can also be generated by an axis a tritone above or

below, although the location of the pitches will not in general be the same; so for

instance, where C5 is the axis that mirrors B4 and C#5, F#4 is the axis that mirrors C#4

and B4.

Spiral 2

The complimentary intervallic sequence that doesn’t appear in Spiral 1 can be

conceived as stemming from a generating minor second. Figure 33 illustrates this motion

and shows the intervallic content that is generated once more by stemming away from a

minor second interval axis, creating the following intervallic sequence: minor second,

minor third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, major sixth and major seventh.

Fig. 33: Spiral 2, emanating from a minor second.

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At the middle of the sequence we arrive at a minor ninth interval, which if we

perform octave reduction, again creates a minor second interval. Therefore, Spiral 2

could be considered as having two generating axes on C-C# or F#-G.

Coleman points out that any interval could be considered as an axis as long as the

corresponding melodic movement is balanced in every direction in a consistently

reflective manner. Figure 34 illustrates this by constructing a completed symmetric

movement that is not so obvious. Performing octave reduction, F leaps up a minor third

(minor tenth) into Ab and C leaps down into A. From the standpoint of an improviser,

this demands that the musician is able to think sometimes four or more notes ahead of

time.

Fig. 34: Alternative ways of generating a symmetrical intervallic movement, according to the
laws of motion.

Closure Property of the Spirals

There is a general closure property that emerges from creating fundamental

iterative patterns within Spiral 1 and Spiral 2, pointed out by Anton Vishio (personal

communication). For closure property of a pattern it is to be understood that there is an

underlying scale that contains every possible combination of these patterns.

When starting to create basic patterns and sequences of intervals from Spiral 1 and 2, the

closure property allows us to visualize the overall outcome of these basic patterns by
 57

using octave reduction and centering our pattern on a selected note which in this case will

be C4. Figure 35 shows a Spiral 1 and Spiral 2 in written notation. Since we are dealing

with axial intervals that follow an upward-downward balancing movement (it could also

be downward-upward motion), we can consider that the fundamental patterns that emerge

from these spirals are sequences of pairs of notes, rather the usual scalar pattern that we

are used to visualize in standard chord-scale relationships.

Pairs Spiral 1 Spiral 2

1 C-C C-C#

2 B-C# B-D

3 Bb-D Bb-Eb

4 A-Eb A-E

5 G#-E Ab-F

6 G-F G-F#

7 F#-F# F#-G

8 F-G F-Ab

9 E-G# E-A

10 Eb-A Eb-Bb

11 D-Bb D-B

12 C#-B C#-C

Fig. 35: List of pairs of symmetric intervals from Spirals 1 and 2.

Listing these intervals in pairs, allows natural groupings to emerge, for example,

figure 36 shows how a chromatic scale is generated when consecutive pairs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

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6, and 7 are taken. Once generated, if octave reduction is performed and C4 is taken as

the origin, the chromatic scale starting from C4 would be considered as the closure set.

This particular case is considered trivial since every possible musical pattern that is

generated in twelve-tone well-tempered music falls within the chromatic scale.

Fig. 36 (a): Consecutive pairs in Spiral 1 yield a chromatic scale as a closure set, once rearranged
with octave reduction and using C4 as a starting point.

Fig. 36 (b): Consecutive pairs in Spiral 2 also yield a chromatic scale as a closure set, once
rearranged with octave reduction and using C4 as a starting point.

The example above yields the chromatic scale as a trivial example of this closure

property. Let us now take every other interval from figure 35, that is we take all odd

numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 with the initial C-C unison for Spiral 1, and the initial C-C#

minor second for Spiral 2. It is then showed in figure 37 that the closure set of this

sequence for Spiral 1 is the whole tone scale, and the closure set for Spiral 2 is again the

chromatic scale after performing octave reduction.

Fig. 37 (a): Odd pairs yielding the whole tone scale as their closure set in Spiral 1.

Fig. 37 (b): Odd pairs yielding again the chromatic scale as their closure set for Spiral 2.
 59

It is important to note that if even numbers were taken instead of odd numbers,

the same phenomenon would occur, only this time we would have a whole tone scale

starting from B for Spiral 1 and a chromatic scale starting from B for Spiral 2 as the

resulting closure set. The complimentary nature of these closure sets together with

closure sets generated in figure 37 create a natural partition of the chromatic scale. This

phenomenon becomes even more evident in the next paragraphs.

When taking every third pair from figure 35, that is if we take pairs 1, 4, 7, 10 as

the generating pairs, the closure set for Spiral 1 becomes a diminished chord starting on

C4. In the case of Spiral 2, we finally see a non-trivial closure set appear, in this case the

octatonic half-whole scale starting on C4. Figure 38 illustrates these closure sets. It is to

be noted that if pairs 2, 5, 8, and 11 were taken respectively, the same phenomenon

occurs only this time everything is shifted a half step below.

Fig. 38 (a): Taking every other third pair from Spiral 1 yields a diminished chord as the closure
set.

Fig. 38 (b): Octatonic scale as the closure set of taking every other 3 pairs from Spiral 2.

The next iteration is the one that binds together both spirals, since the closure sets

of pairs 1, 5, and 9 both yield scales that are strongly related by the augments triad.

Figure 39 illustrates that in the case of Spiral 1, this iteration yields an augmented C triad
 60

as its closure set. Spiral 2, in this iteration creates an augmented scale generated by the

superimposition of two augmented triads starting from C and C# respectively.

Fig. 39 (a): Augmented chord starting on C4 as the closure set of taking every other 4 pairs in
Spiral 1.

Fig. 39 (b): Augmented scale starting on C4 as the closure set of taking every other 4 pairs in
Spiral 2.

This last iteration reveals the whole phenomenon of superposition between Spiral

1 and Spiral 2. As can be observed now from all the previous figures, the closure sets

generated of Spiral 1 are always contained in Spiral 2. This phenomenon is a natural

consequence of the construction itself of the spirals and creates an intimate connection

between them.

The last closure set is generated when we take pairs 1 and 7 from both Spirals in

which case we arrive at the minimum closure set, yielding both unison axes C-C and F#-

F# for Spiral 1 , and yielding both minor seconds axes C-C# and F#-G for Spiral 2. These

are all the possible closure sets, since taking further steps in this iterative process yields a

repetition in the closure sets that have already been generated.

In the context of a spontaneous improvisation, the closure property can be

employed as a guiding tool. By visualizing the two essentially different whole tone
 61

scales, or the superposition of both diminished and augmented triads, the improviser has

a quick perspective on what is happening symmetrically. Switching from different

closure sets also indicates the use of intervals that are generated in both spirals.

Notice also that the partition of pitch classes generated by these two spirals is

separated chromatically by a half step. Steve Coleman’s terminology indicated that the

intervals used in Spiral 1 are to be called symmetrical, and those used in Spiral 2 are to be

called asymmetrical.

Laws of Motion

Once the symmetric and asymmetric intervals from Spiral 1 and 2 have been

constructed and identified, there are certain rules that should be stated to provide a

general picture of the melodic content that can be created. It is important to stress that

these rules should not be observed in a stringent manner but rather as a way of creating a

sonority or a texture within a musical context.

Essentially there are three rules or guiding principles known as the laws of

motion:

1. The intervallic content from Spiral 1 is not required to be balanced

or mirrored, although it could be.

2. The intervallic content from Spiral 2 should be balanced on both

sides of the spanning axis every time.

3. Octave reduction can always be applied without affecting the

symmetrical or melodic movement.

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Although at first sight these laws seem to be simple, it is nevertheless possible to

create some very intricate lines that require the musician to think spatially about the

melodic content. At a bare minimum the improvising musician should be able to think

two notes behind and two notes forward to have a clear view of the melodic avenues that

he or she can traverse. In the next section, these intricacies are explored and illustrated.

Three Note Symmetric Cells and Combinations

By confining the laws of motion to three notes at a time, we can see the

fundamental geometric shapes that are generated from the intervals in both spirals. We

can only explore the case in which we depart from a unison axis, since in Spiral 2 a

minimum of four notes is required to create a completed symmetrical movement: two

notes as an axis and two arrival notes balanced around that axis. Figure 40 shows the

fundamental intervallic shapes that arise. It can once again be noted that when

symmetrical intervals are used, these shapes do not need to be compensated; it is the

performer’s or the composer’s option to do so.

Fig 40: Fundamental intervallic symmetric shapes, branching out of a unison axis.

Expanding away from the axis

The other possibility of a three note configuration, following the laws of motion,

is to play the axis at the beginning of a gesture and then follow it with symmetric

movement. This configuration forces the musician to think two steps ahead, since the axis

note and the interval emerging from the axis would need to be known beforehand.
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Figure 41 shows different configurations of this possibility. Notice how octave

reduction allows these figures to change their upward and downwards direction without

infringing the guiding principles of the laws of motion.

Fig. 41: Symmetric movement with the unison axis being at the beginning, creating a melodic
shape that visually suggests expansion.

Arriving at the axis

The final possibility of a three note configuration, following the laws of motion,

emerges when a unison axis of symmetry is positioned as an arrival point. Figure 42

shows the similarity of shapes with the last subsection. Although the musician in this case

needs to think two notes ahead, this configuration is more linear and hence more

compatible with the ways we are accustomed to conceive arrival points in music. The

very nature of time itself is more compatible with this type of forward intervallic motion.

Fig. 42: Unison Axis as an arrival point.

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Four note cell combinations

Increasing the number of notes in a symmetric motivic cell also raises the level of

complexity of our shapes. With four notes it possible to introduce the notion of a nested

axial sequence. These essential configurations will be explored and illustrated below.

Steve Coleman cleverly uses a circle to highlight the position of an axis; we will use this

same technique to clarify the different intervallic combinations.

Stemming outwards

For this possibility we take a minor second axis positioned in the middle of our

motif. The symmetric movement is then comprised of an expanding outward movement

that creates an open shape as depicted in figure 43.

Fig. 43: Four note symmetrical movement with the axis circled in the middle.

There are multiple interpretations of these symmetrical movements. There is a natural

duality principle that involves four note symmetrical patterns. To explain this succinctly,

notice how the outer notes of the patterns in figure 43 can also be considered as an axis

and the symmetric movement can be interpreted as compressing or moving inwards.

Figure 44 illustrates this re-interpretation.

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Fig. 44: Dual reinterpretation of a symmetric movement as compressing or moving inwards.

Nested Axis

Coleman uses the word nested to indicate an overlap between two or more axes.

An algorithmic approach is illustrated in figure 45. In order to do this we need to

elucidate a final arrival point that depends on the first note stemming from the first axis.

After this is done the overlapping process can occur, always taking into consideration that

the final symmetrical movement must include the preselected arrival point as a landing

spot.

Fig. 45 (a): An (b): A random (c): According to the (d): The final round up is
axis is interval is selected interval in (b) a performed by noting that
determined selected as final arrival point is since C will eventually have
stemming from elucidated, in this case to land in Db, hence E will
any note of the expanding a major third need to arrive to F.
first axis from F to Db

Further exploration in the complexity tree of these laws of motion will reveal the

many expressive possibilities of this type of musical thinking. In order to understand

these laws with a more stringent approach while increasing the number of notes, Rule 1

can be omitted, by not allowing any uncompensated movement. This in return yields a

more stringent approach that reveals the foundational intervallic geometry of these laws.
 66

All the music theory and concepts presented so far conform an essential part of

Steve Coleman’s work as a composer and spontaneous improviser. These symmetric

notions are incorporated organically in many of his pieces and utilized in different

contexts. Steve Coleman himself has mentioned that many of his musical inquiries

eventually crystallize in his recordings and are applied both for their music expressive

potential and also as musical études (Coleman, May 21, 2013).

“Beba”

There is an evident overlap of musical ideas from Coleman’s 2010 CD release

Harvesting Semblances and Affinities, and his 2007 solo album Invisible Paths: First

Scattering. On the surface it is interesting to note that three of the compositions played in

his solo album, namely “Clouds”, “Cardinal-Fixed-Mutable”, and “Fecondation 070118

(another view)” are also part of his 2010 album. On a more conceptual level, although

there is a significant time lap between both recordings, many of the underlying musical

ideas, especially those that involve symmetrical movement concepts have continuity on

both albums.

“Beba” is the second track of Steve Coleman’s album Harvesting Semblances and

Affinities, and represents a transparent instance of the use of axial intervals and several

layers of symmetric melodies and rhythms. The opening section features Jonathan

Finlayson on trumpet and Tim Albright on trombone with a melodic pattern that is played

in parallel motion separated by a tritone interval as shown in Figure 46.

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Fig. 46: “Beba” opening symmetric melodic pattern.

In this particular case, it is not needed to circle the axis notes since every pair of
notes represents an axis that also creates an overall motivic pattern as shown in figure 46.
It is noteworthy to mention that the very last note played by the trumpet is the only place
where the trombone stems away from playing in parallel motion, immediately followed
by the bass movement.
“Respiratory Flow”
From his 2013 CD release, Functional Arrhythmias, there are numerous instances

in this track that feature symmetric melodic motion. The opening song “Respiratory

Flow”, features again Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Anthony Tidd on bass, and Sean

Rickman on drums. This composition combines the use of intervallic symmetry, with

other motivic elements that conform this spontaneous improvisation.

The idea of flow pervades this piece and much of Coleman’s music. As an

opening cadenza to this composition, which also serves as the opening theme for the CD

release, Steve Coleman improvises freely following a pattern of tonal centers [Ab, G, D,

Db] which can be expressed in prime form as the pitch class set [0167] (Straus, 1990).

Figure 47 shows this pitch class set and all the possible underlying symmetric

configurations according to Coleman’s laws of motion. It is revealing to note that these

same symmetric configurations converge and coincide with symmetric configurations in

post-tonal theory. This motif can be paired by an expanding perfect fourth axis; by two

pairs of semitones; and also by two tritone intervals, depending on the order in which the
 68

sequence is considered. Every other possibility obeys the duality principle mentioned in

past sections.

Fig. 47: Pitch class set [0167] derived from the composition “Respiratory Flow” and its
intrinsic symmetries according to the laws of motion.

In the first complete [0167] cycle of this introduction we can perceive how Steve

Coleman uses these pivotal points to maneuver across this improvised free form. Steve

Coleman himself talks about the importance of having avenues to arrive at tonal centers

whether or not the context is diatonic (Coleman, May 21, 2013). Figure 48 provides a

transcription of this introductory cycle and circles many intervallic and motivic instances

that can be interpreted as having symmetrical motion.

Fig. 48: Transcription of the opening cadenza of “Respiratory Flow” with annotated axis
of symmetry.

Notice how the presence of axial symmetry accompanies a switch in the tonal

centers within [0167]. A careful listening to this excerpt reveals the effect of a shift every

time these symmetrical motifs are played. From the perspective of modality, symmetrical

movement allows Coleman to navigate inside and outside of the tonal centers depending

on his need to arrive or deviate from them.

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Fig. 49: Transcription of the introducing bassline of “Respiratory Flow”.

After a second cycle of the initial cadenza, the bass continues to gravitate between

the pitch class tonal centers [0167] with the added novelty of a complex rhythmic pattern.

The same principles are applied in order to create the sensation of a shift as illustrated in

Figure 49. The bass player utilizes a simplified but effective technique of arriving at the

established tonal centers by means of upwards and downwards leading tones as well as

upwards and downwards rhythmic motifs.

Rhythmic symmetry
With respect to rhythmic symmetry, Steve Coleman has explored in many of his

compositions the idea of a recurring rhythm that drives a whole piece. This concept has

pervaded his music from the beginning of his career and can be listened to prominently in

his early recordings such as Rhythm People, Black Science and Resistance is Futile,

among others. This rhythmic drive in return organizes the melodic elements of his

improvisation.

Tonic and Dominant Pulses

The vast majority of tonal music contains an implied pulse that generates a grid

throughout time and that only expands and contracts in response to changes in the

dynamics of a piece. It is only in the post-romantic period that irregular beats were more

deeply explored in western art music, as a means of authentic musical expression.

Chapter 3 provides examples from the classical world and the jazz world of these
 70

rhythmic explorations and their relationship to symmetry. Steve Coleman explores an

enhanced conception of pulse and pulse grid, by conceiving a bridge between the

harmonic dimensions of music and the rhythmic dimension. By way of an analogy

between harmony and rhythm he utilizes tonic pulses and dominant pulses to constantly

shift across a beat.

The underlying idea is the notion that a beat can be shifted through a recurrent

rhythmic motif. With respect to a tonic pulse the underlying beat would remain

unchanged until the presence of a dominant beat that would create the need to adjust the

arsis and thesis of a pulse. In other words, an unexpected rhythmic motif would serve as

a motivation to change the underlying pulse at a specific moment in time.

The most basic motif that can illustrate the effect of a shifting dominant pulse is

done in the context of a binary subdivision of time as illustrated in figure 50. In the

presence of a steady beat, figure 50 (a), a subdivision is implied by the rhythmic motif in

(b). Once this motif is used, the pulse shifts to its secondary subdivision as showed in (c).

Fig. 50 (a): A steady pulse (b): The presence of a (c): The pulse shifts to the implied
creates a regular time grid. dominant pulse shifts the subdivision of the dominant pulse.
accentuation and the
position of the beat.

In contrast to what happens in harmony, where there is a definite and unique

dominant chord that creates a leading voice movement back to the tonic, in the case of
 71

rhythm there is an infinite amount of dominant pulses, depending upon the implied

subdivision of the beat and the underlying rhythmic layer of the piece. The continuous

shift of the time grid allows the opportunity of creating equal groupings of beats and also

to create an additive grouping of different motifs as shown in the following sections.

Covering Rhythmic Grids over a Prime Integer Pulse

Playing with the notion of a time grid as mentioned in the last section, and taking

up again the concepts introduced in chapter 3, Steve Coleman utilizes the idea of an

indivisible prime number pulse to create spontaneous improvisations. By superimposing

over a prime number of pulses other different rhythmic layers, he manages to switch

through every beat in a symmetrical and evenly distributed manner. This technique is

utilized prominently in his 2001 live CD recording Resistance is Futile.

“Wheel of Nature”

This piece is the opening of a two-set live improvisation in Le Jam Club in France

in 2001. The setting of this recording was a unique series of experiments in which Steve

Coleman created spontaneous group improvisations that were not rehearsed or pre-

designed.

“Wheel of Nature” begins with a four minute interlude before entering into the

main theme which is transcribed in figure 51. The underlying beat is a quintuplet regular

pulse that is not played explicitly.

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Fig. 51: Annotated rhythmic motif of “Wheel of Nature”. The dominant pulses are circled.

This motif is comprised of two binary dominant pulses circled in figure 51 which

will create a sort of a shifting rhythmic magnet throughout the lengthy group

improvisation. In the light of symmetry this can be interpreted as having a binary

distribution of the pulse. The first dominant pulse creates a thesis or fall within the

quintuplet time grid and the second dominant pulse creates an arsis that falls in between

the quintuplet time grid. The ability of the improvisers to utilize this notion is explicitly

shown in the recording. An almost imperceptible, back-and-forth shift of these pulses can

be perceived, resembling the motion of a wheel as the name of the piece indicates.

Covering Grids over Additive Rhythms

To conclude this discussion of rhythmic symmetry we return to the notion of

additive rhythm introduced in chapter 3. One of the many approaches that Steve Coleman

undertakes with additive rhythms is to draw upon the internal rhythmic structure of

syllables and words. The connection between speech rhythm and music can prove to be

useful in tackling irregular rhythms that fall outside of a steady binary or ternary pulse.

9 to 5

Another spontaneous group improvisation recorded in the album Resistance is

Futile is the piece entitled “9 to 5”. It features prominently the use of additive symmetry
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in the form of a series of pulses that are uttered vocally by Steve Coleman. The interplay

between binary and ternary groups of pulses is accompanied by a strikingly Eastern

European melody that floats on top of an energetic rhythmic base.

The rhythmic series is transcribed in figure 52 with the underlying words that

accompany these groups of pulses. The series (3, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2) suggests an explicit

doubling rhythmic shape that can be interpreted as a symmetrical elongation in time.

Fig. 52: Transcription of the additive rhythmic sequence of “9 to 5”

As part of another fundamental musical layer of this piece, a bass line is played

throughout the whole improvisation with the characteristic of having a 10-beat grouping

quality. This layer is essential for catapulting the energetic character of this piece. It also

creates an implied 3-cycle before both motifs fall in the same pulse as illustrated in figure

53.

Fig. 53: Rhythmic interlocking of the 10-beat bass line with the 15-beat vocal motif.
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The three musical layers (Eastern European theme, vocal motif and bass line) play

an organic role in this spontaneous composition. It is interesting to note that in around

half of the improvisation Steve Coleman utters with his saxophone the exact groupings

that he uttered vocally at the beginning. This creates an anchor for the listener and at the

same time signals reprise and repetition which reinforces the symmetry of form.

The presence of binary “Te-Ri” and ternary “Te-Re-Ri” also denote the presence

of short beat and an elongated beat that has a duration of a dotted quarter note. This

connection between linguistic and musical rhythm can also be extrapolated to the heart

beat rhythmic patterns. Also importante to notice that the connection between additive

rhythms and speech is widely used in Coleman’s compositions, derived from his

explorations of non-western musical traditions.

All the elements analyzed in this chapter are ubiquitous in Coleman’s music.

Other connections need to be made with respect to more intricate conceptions that

involve cosmology, numerology and even divination techniques that have been

incorporated into his music. As stated by Coleman, the combination of intuition and

theoretical musical inquiry allows the musician to delve deeper into the structure of

music and its infinite possibilities (Coleman, May 21, 2013).

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CONCLUSIONS

The interplay between symmetry and music can be illustrated and analyzed from

multiple perspectives. There is an underlying interaction between mathematical concepts

and music theory that illuminate common practices in the use of symmetry in rhythm,

melody, harmony, and form.

By providing specific examples of symmetrical occurrences in western art music

and in jazz, some foundational concepts are explained and elaborated that allows the

reader to become familiar with the terminology and the notions needed to understand this

work. On every layer of music, there is the possibility of creating symmetrical patterns in

the form of repetitions, sequences, and other instances.

The chapter dedicated to Monk’s music, makes explicit interconnections between

every musical layer and how symmetry illuminates the interaction between them. We

have seen the harmonic-melodic dynamic in the blues form and longer forms. This

dynamic is sometimes used by Monk in a synchronous parallel fashion, and also

oftentimes used to create contrast among these layers.

Special attention was given to analyze melodic motifs and their transformations

within the musical form. The vast majority of Monk’s compositions are comprised by no

more than two motivic cells that are modified in a contained fashion creating contrast in

the musical discourse and giving balance to the form. His improvisations prominently

feature the melody, and also oscillate between a traditional chord change delineation and

a more abstract and succinct percussive and motivic approach.

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Steve Coleman has developed his own musical notions of symmetry and has

expanded them every musical dimension, including the melodic and rhythmic layers. His

musical explorations involve substantial music analysis and research; this becomes

apparent in the way he constructs improvised musical forms and is also shown in the

depth of his musical research and inquiry.

The use of melodic symmetry and the laws of motion is achieved organically

throughout his music. These symmetrical concepts pervade every single layer of his

music, and can be analyzed explicitly in many of his compositions.

Symmetry represents a ubiquitous concept that seems to bind together naturally

with musical constructions, compositions, and improvisations. Symmetrical notions

accompany and illuminate every musical dimension, and give way to understanding a

fundamental organizational level of music. Symmetry appears to be a universal and

intuitive notion to both listeners and performing artists.

There are still many jazz musicians whose music can be analyzed in the light of

symmetry, and consequently can explain many of the constituent parts of their style. In

particular the music of Miles Davis, George Russell, and Vijay Iyer have great potential

to yield interesting results about symmetry and music.

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GLOSSARY

This glossary collects the definitions and concepts that are necessary to

understand this work. Some definitions are borrowed from western art music; some

terminology is also borrowed from jazz jargon.

Axis or axial symmetry: Melodic symmetry that occurs by assigning one or more

notes to which all other pitches will accommodate; playing an interval and then playing

its retrograde motion is an example of creating a horizontal axis of symmetry.

Cellular automata: A simulation of a set of computational rules to understand the

complexity of an algorithm. Usually a geometric simulation is provided.

Closure property: A set S is said to be closed under an action A, if every time that

an action is performed over the set, the resulting outcome falls back into the set again. An

archetypal example of this notion is to take the set S to be the even numbers and action A

to multiply any two even numbers. The closure property is preserved since any two even

numbers that are multiplied yield another even number.

Compound number: A number c is said to be compound if it can be expressed as a

product of two or more prime numbers. An example would be number 6 which can be

expressed as the product of 2*3.

Contrafact: A new melody that is composed over a known harmonic sequence.

An incredible amount of contrafacts are based on Gershwin’s song I Got Rhythm whose

harmonic sequence is commonly referred to as Rhythm Changes.

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Duality Principle: In general a duality principle denotes the ability of a system to

create two valid interpretations of the same set of rules. A famous example comes from

Euclidean geometry in which the notion of a point and a line can be interchanged

yielding valid dual theorems. Specifically for this work, the duality principle is used to

yield different interpretations of the laws of motion stated by Steve Coleman.

Folding harmonic action: A symmetric harmonic form that moves back and forth

from a given center.

Fundamental theorem of arithmetic: This theorem states that any natural number

can be expressed univocally as a product prime numbers.

Guiding tones: In a diatonic context, the guiding tones of a chord or scale are the

third and the seventh. They constitute the harmonic skeleton of a chord upon which every

other note is added.

Head: A complete cycle of a melody of a jazz tune, usually played twice at the

beginning of a jazz improvisation.

Hemiola configurations: A generalization of the concept of a hemiola. The

underlying idea is to take the prime factorization of a compound meter and to create

different arrays of groups of pulses. For example, a 15/8 meter would have two possible

configurations, namely: 5 groups of three eighth notes or 3 groups of 5 eighth notes.

Inner Form: The individual quality of a piece of music. The internal pieces that

bind together a composition distinguishing it from every other musical composition.

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Inside (outside) the changes: The spatial analogy of being inside (outside) is used

in the context of chord-scale relationships to signify that a melody or an improvisation is

played using the notes of a given chord and the natural extensions of that chord.

Internal subdivision of a time signature: The division of a pulse, usually

subdivided in binary or ternary subparts.

Intervallic symmetry: Same idea as in pitch class symmetry but also applied to

intervallic relationships.

M-Base: Collective of African-American musicians, founded in Brooklyn, NY,

with the intention of creating musical expressions inspired by structure and

improvisation.

Modes of limited transposition: A set of 7 scales discovered and utilized by

Messiaen that have the property of landing on themselves when transposition is applied.

In other words, these modes have the closure property under specific transpositions.

Outer Form: The collection of sections that comprise a musical piece.

Overtone series: Acoustical phenomenon of a vibrating string in which

simultaneous sounds are produced that subdivide the frequency of a generating tone in

1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6 … 1/n for n any natural number.

Penrose tessellation: An iteration of a pattern that generates a non-periodic tiling,

discovered by mathematician Roger Penrose.

Periodic pattern: A pattern that repeats itself after a certain amount of iterations.
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Pitch class set: A collection of pitch classes that is considered significant in some

musical context. Pitch class sets are often presented as abstract collections of numbers,

such as [0167], which can be realized as C C# F# G, or E F Bb B, or in many other ways.

Pitch class symmetry: Refers to any relation of similarity established within a set

of pitch classes.

Polygonal notation: A geometric notation that distributes pulses around a circle to

generate visual patterns of sequences.

Polytonal center symmetry: The use of multiple tonal centers within a repeated

harmonic sequence; for example “Giant Steps” uses the same harmonic sequence and

creates three tonal centers in Eb, G, and B.

Sequential symmetry: Any symmetry related to the repetition or transformation of

a given sequence of notes, chords or intervals; for example, a subject in a fugue being

exposed in different keys.

Spatial symmetry: Symmetry related to the use of geometrical similarity and

applied to the creation of written or improvised music.

Tonal center: A harmonic center or pivot that gives order and hierarchy to other

sounds that surround it.

Translation symmetry: Any symmetry that involves the repetition of a musical

idea without changing the intervallic and rhythmic content; for example, a rhythmic

motive that is used consistently during an improvisation, a motif that appears throughout

a composition or a transposition of a musical phrase or motif.

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Tune: Jazz argot that refers to a composition or melody.

Turnaround: Jazz and popular music argot that refers to the harmonic sequence

I – vi – II – V7.

Undertone series: Acoustical and theoretical phenomenon in which the intervals

of an overtone series are inverted.

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