Society for Music Theory

Pitch-Class Transformation in Free Jazz

Author(s): Steven Block
Source: Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Autumn, 1990), pp. 181-202
Published by: {oupl} on behalf of the Society for Music Theory
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/746167
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 Pitch-Class
Pitch-ClassTransformation
Transformationin Free
in Free
JazzJazz

Steven Block

Free jazz originated

originated with
with performances
performances at
atthe
theFive
FiveSpot
Spot music
music as
as both
botha areaction
reactiontoto
and
and
an an
extension
extension
of be-bop.
of be-bop.
The The
Cafe by Cecil
Cecil Taylor
Taylor inin 1957
1957 and
and by
by Ornette
OrnetteColeman
Colemanin in1959,
1959, principal
principal differences
differencesbetween
between free
free
jazzjazz
andandbe-bop
be-bop
are: are:
(1) the
(1) th
both of whom
whom were
were then
then inin the
the early
early stages
stagesof
oftheir
theircareers.1
careers.1 elevation
elevation of ofthe
therhythm
rhythm section
sectionfrom
from its its
formerly
formerlysubsidiary
subsidiar
Taylor, Coleman,
Coleman, and
and John
John Coltrane
Coltrane helped
helpedto toforge
forgeaanew
newera
era role
role to
to aa status
statusequal
equaltotothat
thatof of
thethe
melodic
melodicinstruments;
instruments;(2) im-
(2) im
in jazz, characterized
characterized by by the
the introduction
introductionof ofharmonic,
harmonic,rhyth-
rhyth- provisations
provisationsthat thatare
arenonolonger
longer based
basedupon upon
chord
chord
changes;
changes;
and an
mic, and timbral
timbral freedoms
freedoms that that affected
affected the
thenature
natureofofjazz
jazzin
ina a (3)
(3) aa harmonic
harmoniclanguage
language that
thatdoes
does
notnotnecessarily
necessarily
incorporate
incorpora
manner analogous
analogous to
to the
the great
great changes
changes ininWestern
Westernconcert
concertmu-mu- "jazz
"jazz tonality."
tonality."The Theidea
ideaofof "playing
"playingoutside"-that
outside"-thatis, of
is,not
of not
sic at the turn
turn of
of the
the twentieth
twentieth century.
century.But
Butwhile
whileconcert
concertmusic
music basing
basing an animprovisation
improvisation upon
upon chord
chord changes-is
changes-isthe the
primary
primary
of the formative
formative first
first quarter
quarter of
of the
the twentieth
twentiethcentury
centuryhas
hasre-
re- distinction
distinctionbetween
betweenfree freejazz
jazz
andand
tonal
tonaljazz.3
jazz.3
ceived considerable
considerable analytical
analytical attention,
attention, particularly
particularlywith
withre-
re- Analysis
Analysis of offree
freejazz
jazzcompositions
compositions by byColeman,
Coleman,Coltrane,
Coltrane,
spect to pitch
pitch and
and compositional
compositional design,
design, hardly
hardlyany
anyanalyses
analysesofof Taylor,
Taylor, and
andthe
theyounger
younger composer
composerAnthony
AnthonyBraxton-
Braxton-
free jazz compositions
compositions have
have attempted
attempted to to go
gobeyond
beyondmerely
merelyde-de- compositions
compositionsthat
thatare
arewholly
whollydifferent
different
in style
in style
and and
tonalton
scriptive commentary.2
commentary.2 emphases-shows
emphases-showsthat
thatpitch
pitch
organization
organization
in free
in free
jazz jazz
can be
can
The term "free
"free jazz"
jazz" comes
comes from
from Coleman's
Coleman'slandmark
landmarkal-al- very
very sophisticated;
sophisticated;even
evenostensibly
ostensiblytonal
tonal
compositions
compositionsin this
in th
bum of the
the same
same title,
title, issued
issued in
in 1960.
1960. In
In this
thiswork,
work,which
whichfea-
fea- style
style cannot
cannotbe beadequately
adequately understood
understood simply
simply
by reference
by referenceto t
tures the realization of Coleman's ideas about freedom in music the
the harmonic
harmonicunderpinnings
underpinnings of of
thethe
moremore
tonal
tonal
sections
sections
or toor t
to their fullest extent, two quartets perform a 36-minute im- some
some surface-generative
surface-generative process
process
of of
motivic
motivicinvention.
invention.
As inAsthe
in t
provisation using nontonal material without the benefit of a analysis
analysis of
ofearly
earlytwentieth-century
twentieth-century music,
music,
set-theoretical
set-theoretical
toolsto
fixed meter or fixed entries of the ensemble. One can hear this prove
prove to
to be
bevery
veryuseful
usefulinin
the
the
analysis
analysis
of free
of free
jazz.jazz.
Taylor's
Taylor's music
musichashasbeen
been labeled
labeledatonal
atonal
by by
manymany
of his
of peers.
his peer
'Ronald M. Radano, "The Jazz Avant-Garde and the Jazz Community: This
This label
labelmay
maybe beappropriate
appropriate to to
Taylor's
Taylor's
compositional
compositional
de- de-
Action and Reaction," Annual Review of Jazz Studies 3 (1985), 72. signs,
signs, which
whichare
areoften
oftenatat
least
leastsuperficially
superficially
similar
similar
to those
to those
of
2Gunther Schuller, who sponsored Coleman's work for a time, is the author Bartok
Bartok and
andStravinsky,
Stravinsky, butbut it it
is misleading
is misleadingin its
in implication
its implicati
of A Collection of the Compositions of Ornette Coleman (New York: MJQ Mu-
sic, 1961), which contains transcriptions of and commentaries on Coleman's 3It
3It should
shouldbe
beunderstood
understoodthat
that
functional
functional
tonality
tonality
usedused
in jazz
in by
jazzthe
bybe-bop
the be-b
music. Ekkehard Jost's Free Jazz (Vienna: Universal, 1974) must be regarded era
era had
had evolved
evolvedtotoincorporate
incorporate
implications
implications
(both
(both
in voice-leading
in voice-leading
and in
and
root
in ro
as the primary work on the subject; it consists mostly of commentary on the progression)
progression)that
thatwere
weredifferent
different
from
from
those
those
of the
of the
common-practice
common-practice
periodperiod
in
music of several artists but also includes a few transcriptions. Western music.

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182 Music Theory Spectrum
that Taylor's music is not really jazz and in its implication that
Taylor's music has no tonal references. In an article published
in 1965, Taylor describes his music as "constructionistic,"
meaning "based on the conscious working-out of a given mate-
rial."4 The working-out of material is an additive or subtractive
process in which motives or pitch material are not only reinter-
preted and reworked but also altered slightly from phrase to
phrase in a chain of progression that may span a long period of
time. The final material may not, therefore, necessarily be un-
derstood as related to the original except in the sense that it lies
at the opposite end of a musical process.
An excerpt from Taylor's Air above Mountains (1976) illus-
trates the additive surface transformation that is typical of Tay-
lor's improvisations (see Ex. la).5 The passage has been di-
vided into the three primary gestures which alternate in the
music, each of which represents a different musical lexicon.
The first gesture is chromatic, the second whole tone, and the
third diatonic in that it is the 3-9[0,2,7] trichord arranged as as-
cending fifths.
For the most part, each gesture is distinct and each one, as it
is sounded, is permuted or reiterated in different ways. The first
chromatic gesture remains consistent throughout the music and
almost always occurs as the tetrachord C#-D-D#-E. The C~
which is added briefly in the opening statement and more
prominently in the third statement (second system) expands
this tetrachord to a chromatic pentachord. The third, diatonic
gesture is always heard as ascending fifths from Ct. The second
gesture is the most flexible in that it is first heard as a 3-8[0,2,6]
trichord, D-E-Bb, and is always scored as a whole tone plus a
tritone, even when it appears as a subset of later gestures. In the
second statement of this motive (labeled 2a) this becomes a
4Tom Darter, "Piano Giants of Jazz: Cecil Taylor," Contemporary Key-
board (May 1981), 56.
5The transcription in Example la appeared originally in Darter, "Piano Gi-
ants of Jazz," 57. The transcribed passage begins about 4'30" into Side 1 of Air
above Mountains (Buildings Within) (Inner City IC-3021).
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four-note whole-tone collection, 4-25[0,2,6,8], arranged as two
tritones surrounding a major second. In m. 3, gesture 2a is re-
peated and further extended into the whole-tone pentachord
(2b). Thus, both whole-tone and chromatic gestures are addi-
tively developed as pc collections.
The relationship between these gestures, however, is more
complex than a threefold alternation and variation scheme.
There is a strong sense of a tonic D since it is the one pitch, in
the first gesture, to which the music constantly returns and since
in gesture 2, which is heard in several registers, D is always in
the lowest octave. The third gesture features the lowest note of
the passage, C,, scored in three octaves and always resolved to
D in each of these registers by the music that follows. The final
notes of the passage are clearly cadential; each gesture has a
cadential formula built into it as well (Ex. lb).
One hears an interpenetration of these collections most
clearly in m. 6, where the gesture of ascending perfect fifths is
briefly transformed (GO mapped into A) into a transposition of
gesture 2. This first appearance of the diatonic gesture con-
cludes with an enunciation of the interval C#-D# (leading tone
and enharmonically respelled ,2, respectively) in three regis-
ters. When this gesture is repeated in m. 6 and Cf and DO are
paired once more, an A joins them to form a 3-8 whole-tone
trichord one semitone lower than the 3-8 of gesture 2. The dia-
tonic gesture has therefore been transformed into a whole-tone
gesture. One can thus make a case for the most important map-
pings of this passage being the chromatic trichord CSt-D-D-,
the diatonic trichord C#-D(-G#, and the whole-tone trichord
C# -Dt-A (see Ex. Ic). The relationship between the chromatic
and diatonic trichord here is the T6MI relationship.6 The rela-
6This has already been shown to have importance in tonal jazz since it maps
a chromatic circle to the circle of fifths and underlies a particularly important
relationship for chord progression in tonal jazz, the tritone substitution. See
Robert Morris, review of John Rahn, Basic Atonal Theory, Music Theory
Spectrum 4 (1982), 152-154; Henry J. Martin, "Jazz Harmony" (Ph.D. disser-
tation, Princeton University, 1980).
 Transformation in Free Jazz 183

Example la. Gestural analysis of an excerpt from Cecil Taylor's

Air above Mountains (Buildings Within). Transcription by Jim
Aikin

Accidentals
Accidentals apply
apply
only to
only
the note
to the
theynote
precede.
they precede. (2) 3-8 (1)
A I?

) (1) 4-1 ( a) 5-1 (1) 3 ' B

(2a) 4-25

(2b) 5-33 (3) 3

; j'jjj^ja^ ^ ?H' j 3
(la)
.r? Tf
9f: Li,[--:' L 3
(2)
(2b) (2) i I (1)

::r^^S^ffl n
|.. (2a) (3) i , # m . P,;:J. J.

I j I 1 #:t :; #;
$_

16

V t Tt I I

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184 Music Theory Spectrum

Example
Example lb.
lb. Cadential
Cadentialpatterns
patternswithin
withinthe
the
gestures
gestures
of of
Example
Example provides
provides an
an opportunity
opportunity to
to study
studyaamore
moresophisticated
sophisticatedtransfor-
transfor-
la mation
mation over
over aa longer
longer span
span of
oftime.
time.Here
Herethe
thetransformation
transformationisis
similar
similar to
to aa type
type that
that often
oftenoccurs
occursin
inBartok,
Bartok,ininwhich
whicha apassage
passage
previously
previously octatonic
octatonic is
is reshaped
reshapedin
inthe
thediatonic
diatonicyet
yetremains
remainsrec-
rec-
4-1 ognizable.
ognizable. In
In "Tales,"
"Tales," an
an eight-movement
eight-movementwork workfor
forseven
sevenplay-
play-
ers, the
the outer
outer sections
sections are
are clearly
clearlyrelated
relatedon
onthe
thesurface
surfaceby
byin-
in-
4-T eit strumentation,
strumentation, texture,
texture, and
andgesture.
gesture.
4-25 The opening
opening measures
measures ofof "Tales"
"Tales"are
areshown
shownininExample
Example2a. 2a.
On one
one level,
level, this
this passage
passage isisaaflorid
floridelaboration
elaborationofofananElElblues
blues
AM ,t. scale with
with the
the important
important notes
notesclearly
clearlyemphasized.
emphasized.First,
First,the
the3 3
-..---B U
3-9 and 4 33 are
are emphasized
emphasized in
in mm.
mm.1-2,
1-2,followed
followedby
bythe
thedominant
dominant
which then
then twice
twice arpeggiates
arpeggiatesupupto
tothe
thetonic
tonicininm.m.3 3ofofthe
theex-
ex-
ample. The
The next
next pitches
pitches to
to occur
occurare
are44and
and0404ininmm.
mm.4-5; 4-5;this
this
Example lc. Mapping of the important trichords from Example phrase ends
ends with
with the
the leading
leadingtone.
tone.The
Themotion
motionfrom
fromleading
leading
la tone to
to tonic
tonic is
is picked
picked up
up again
againin
inmm.
mm.8-9.
8-9.As
Asininthe
theprevious
previous
Taylor
Taylor excerpt,
excerpt, the
the development
developmentof
ofmaterial
materialhere
herefollows
followsanan
additive course.
3-1
Despite these tonal emphases, the basis of "chord" changes
X #~ 1 to come are evident from a tetrachordal segmentation of the
primary gestures of the opening (Ex. 2b). In this mostly chro-
3-7
matic environment, the segmentation of these tetrachords fol-
(m. 6) i: lows a general pattern whereby semitone dyads and, more
rarely, whole-tone dyads are arranged around some inner in-
3-8
terval to form a larger pitch grouping.
At the end of the composition, the gestures are not distinctly
or overtly related to those of the opening because the connec-
tionship
tionship between
between
the other
the other
two trichords,
two trichords,
though, isthough,
undefined.is undefined. tions can only be understood as parts of a developmental proc-
From
Fromtrichord
trichord to trichord,
to trichord,
the leading
the leading
tone and tone
2 remain
andin-2 remain in- ess. Example 3a shows the conclusion of "Tales" with some
variant.
variant.It Itis D[
is ,D[
the, tonic,
the tonic,
which which
can be perceived
can be perceived
as mapping as mapping pitch-class and gestural analysis. The first gesture, in all its vari-
into
into4 4inin
moving
moving to the
to whole-tone
the whole-tone
trichordtrichord
and mappingandinto
mapping into ations, is a diatonic 5-20[0,1,5,6,8] pentachord; gesture 2 is a
#4
#4when
when thethecircle
circle
of fifths
of fifths
dyad isdyad
enunciated.
is enunciated.
The transforma-
The transforma- more general category used for extended "chromatic" ges-
tion
tionisisstill
still
tonally
tonallysuggestive,
suggestive,
especially
especially
in its relation
in itsto relation
the to the tures; gesture 3 is octatonic; gesture 4 is made up of the Z-
blues. related 6-Z6[0,1,2,5,6,7] and 6-Z38[0,1,2,3,7,8] hexachords;
The passage taken from Air above Mountains shows imme- and gesture 5 represents the cluster passages, both whole-tone
diate relationships between differing chord forms in different and chromatic, at the conclusion. Using this labeling, one can
languages. Taylor's composition "Tales (8 Whisps)" (1966), follow some of the simultaneously unfolding processes. The

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 185

Example 2a. Opening measures of Cecil Taylor's "Tales (8 Whisps)." Transcription by the author from
Unit Structures (Blue Note BST-84237)

JJ
=176=176
(tempo somewhat
(tempofree) somewhat free)

Piano

1 , .
v I v (D~drum
rr s r s ~ !
l.U!1
i7 I !rqirrrirrrq
3~1 ! |I _
. r!f11LI. f' ~
h-i--I--i

Piano A: bbbbb
3 14 15

Drum Set7 -

p , poco
Pocoaccel. > (may be a fist cluster) =34
accel. > > >' >,-=304

P,iano bbbbbb 3 3 1 7 3 8
)\' b bbbb ' f 17 ?rf 8
:bb;bbbb
Drum
u r 1' r
Set:

drummer only: IP

Piano 9 >

Drum Set -- -

Y. p?a f * ^1)0

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186 Music Theory Spectrum

Example 2b. Tetrachordal segmentation of opening measures of "Tales"

m.2 4-9
4-9
nm.1-2 4-7 m.2 m.4 I I
m.1I rn
m.l I_ b .- E I I I I I _

-4 :.-e
_ V F:I'O-ML
1 - 11 dph
NL
I 1-I I
I
? I 4 I -

I I I - _L
4-7 4-1 4-3 4-3

ideas of additive and subtractive

chords variation are pr
within
are not always on the level of
dyads. the musical
From surft
pitch-class metamorphoses which control
condensation the str
pairsof sets, for instance, are related or
chord, by T2. Thes
two
lined in gestures 2 and 2a (7-5[0,1,2,3,5,6,7]
reduced to ach4
both in m. 2; in gesture 2b (the
rounding abstract comple
a ma
m. 7 and in the included pentachord
tone, in 2a; in
and gest
fin
hexachord) in m. 4 and in gesture 4' in m.dya
semitone 16; an
(6-Z38) in m. 5 and in 4b in m. 8.
may Another
not seem T2 r
shown in the score, exists between
tions the 6-Z38
that occu he
and the
6-Z38 hexachord outlined
ture; in the upper
but, sinr
the first
measure of this transcription.
classes are inva
There are more subtle ways able that
in which the
these ges
connections.
lated as well. The diatonic 5-20 pentachord is a su
chord, 6-Z38, a hexachord which
The concluding clusterone cannot
passages in Example 3a mayabs be
diatonic. Thus, the addition of
heard as moving one
from an overall pitch class
whole-tone sonority to a morec
smaller octatonic or whole-tone collection into a chromatic chromatic gesture centering on chromatic trichords to a mix-
one. In general, a set associated with one superset can be chro- ture of the two. The registral separation in m. 17 segments ges-
matically inflected to connect it with a different superset. In this ture 5b' into a 4-10[0,2,3,5] tetrachord (two whole-tone dyads
light, one might conclude that the clusters which are so preva- surrounding a semitone), and a 4-3[0,1,3,4] tetrachord which is
lent in Taylor's music, yet are so often dismissed as mere tex- the same collection of pitches that concluded the summary pas-
tural devices, in fact play a real structural role, since these are sage just discussed (Ex. 3b). As this cluster gesture becomes
the elements from which any of the gestures in the final passage further condensed, the final sound can be heard as a V7 of G.
(or, as shown previously, the openings blues passage) can be This seems puzzling, since if one were to hear this final passage
derived. as tonal, Dl, would be the tonic since that pitch is segmented
Example 3b is a reduction of mm. 9-11, which can be out by register, often in the bass. Moreover, gesture 3 returns
thought of as a gestural summary of this movement. A subtler twice in the guise of a dominant ninth of Db . It does seem pref-
transformation emerges from an interpretation of the tetra- erable, on the whole, to hear Taylor's music as nontonal even

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 187

Example 3a. Final measures of "Tales" segmented into related gestures and pc sets. Transcription by the author

=240
a =336 accel. - - - tempo
A 3 I 0-t1 accel ------ tempo 3 ^ . L_ -2

( 7 / 1, 1 12 1 '
I I / L; 12b subset of gestures 2 4 b
n ..... ~ ! , ,ue ,,t^ k V
79:2

(1) 5-20, diatonic i i (la) literal subset i i

(2) 7-5,
chromatic of gesture 1 (2a) 75, related b
1 s u beT2 to gesture 2
(4) 6-Z6 (4a) 6-Z38 T

b?~~~~~~~~~~~
~j^I . ~: : .
~]-eL-r r- L, ' M T " 1 m
I I I (not clear) I_
(3a) Octatonic I (4b) 6-Z38, related by T2 (3) rearrangement, upper register preserved
to gesture 4a (2c') extension of 2c Summary Passage
k - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ^=200
~ ~ ~~~e 1= E .I ,)I-'.I
200 C'I a~-33
I= 336

1
(inclusion of
previous 5-20 is literal)

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 188
188 Music
Music
TheoryTheory
Spectrum Spectrum

3a
3a(cont.)
(cont.)

= 240
accel.------- nt.------------- accel.------ rit.-------

175 ,1,1 ~
(5) Clusters (whole tone)
--- !
6f --
',

'1' ' e Tr r r :=r===

(5a) Clusters (chromatic)

I I
(5b) (5b') (5b) condensation

Example
Example
3b. Reduction of mm. 9-11 from Example 3a
3b. Reduction o
4-9 4-8 4-8 4-3
A I I I 1 I 11 4.-8
4-RIf I I1 I
1 I
1 1
I 11
I4 1
- !

"^y '~.w-4 - 1I #0- fT

f "- -
I I

I i I / i
5-20 6-Z38 5-20
I l I I l I l l l I

Q__b- b^ __ b,^ bw bb, _ b. b _,,

r * - r

though it often contains tonal jazz references. Nevertheless,
taking the cue from the final five notes of the piece being M-
related to the important 5-20 pentachord in this passage, one
can hear the closing notes as a T6MI chord substitution for the
dominant of D,. Therefore, these final cluster passages can be
understood as summaries of the measures in the entire excerpt,
both in terms of derivational structure and tonal orientation.
Though Coltrane emerged as an important jazz artist before
Taylor and Coleman, he turned to his own free jazz style only
during his last period (1964-67), after Taylor's and Coleman's
music had become widely known. Coltrane's first solo in Ascen-
sion is a good example of his use of two primary generative de-
vices within a quasi-modal framework: interval cycles and tri-
chordal source sets. Coltrane's improvisations have

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 189

traditionally
traditionally been
been described
described ininterms
termsofofmodal
modalshifts
shiftsasasthe pri- alternation of 3-2 and 3-3 trichords (4-3) and its T8M-related set
thepri-
mary indicators
indicators of
of harmonic
harmonic movement
movementand andthe
themodes
modesthem-them- (4-26[0,3,5,8] formed by the overlapping of two 3-7 trichords in
selves as
as the
the primary
primary generators
generatorsof ofpitch
pitchmaterial.
material.However,
However, mm. 16-20. This is a result of the transformation that maps the
this kind
kind ofof description
description fails
fails to
toclarify
clarifywhether
whetherColtrane
Coltraneheardheard chromatic semitone of leading tone-to-tonic in the first tetra-
the modes
modes simply
simply asas source
source collections
collectionsororwhether
whetherhe exploited chord into the perfect fifth dominant-to-tonic in the second
heexploited
the structural
structural properties
properties of of the
themode
modeto toemphasize,
emphasize,for forin-in- tetrachord.
stance, the
the modal
modal final
final and
and the
thedominant.7
dominant.7 In the final run of the first section, the first whole-tone struc-
At the opening
opening ofof Ascension,
Ascension, Coltrane's
Coltrane'stenor
tenorsax
saxline si- ture is enunciated in mm. 23-24 when the 3-6[0,2,4] trichord,
lineisissi-
multaneously
multaneously imitated
imitated in
in the
the same
sameregister
registerby
bythe
theother
otherplayers
players F-E ,-Dl, is sounded, a harbinger of the subsequent structural
(see Ex.
Ex. 4a
4a for
for aa transcription
transcription of
ofColtrane's
Coltrane'sopening line). importance of the whole-tone cycle. The accumulation of
openingline).
Overall,
Overall, the
the rhythmic
rhythmic emphasis
emphasismarks
marksthe
theopening "Bb whole-tone structures in the second section proceeds in a way
openingasasa a"Bb
blues" statement
statement with
with thethe scale
scaleenunciated
enunciatedfrom
fromi itoto5 5and
andin-
in- that is analogous to the use of the 3-7 trichord (as major second
cluding
cluding both
both l,3
l,3 and
and || 3.
3. The
The ensemble,
ensemble,asasa awhole, ignorest t3;3; followed by minor third) at the end of the first section. At the
whole,ignores
thus one
one primarily
primarily hears
hears Bl,
Bl, D,,
D,,and
andEb,
Eb,which
whichconstitute
constitutea a opening of the second section, Coltrane sounds a 3-8[0,2,6]
3-7[0,2,5]
3-7[0,2,5] trichord.
trichord. The
The added
added Dt,
Dt,which
whichoccurs
occursonly
onlyininCol-
Col- whole-tone trichord and follows in upward scalar motion with a
trane's part,
part, forms
forms aa 3-2[0,1,3]
3-2[0,1,3]trichord
trichordwith
withthetheupper
upperportion
portion 5-30[0,1,4,6,8] chord (which embeds two 3-8 trichords). This
of the scale
scale and
and aa 3-3[0,1,4]
3-3[0,1,4] moving
movingdown downtotothe
theBb
Bbtonic.
tonic. 5-30 is then altered to the whole-tone pentachord 5-33
When Coltrane
Coltrane later
later begins
begins hishisfirst
firstsolo
solo(see
(seeEx.
Ex.4b),
4b),these
these [0,2,4,6,8], which appears in ascending scalar form in m. 27.
same trichords
trichords are
are fundamental
fundamentalto tothe
thepitch
pitchprogression
progressionwithin
within Measures 27-30 mark the beginning of a section which paral-
the mode.8 The solo is launched from the 3-7 trichord now lels the opening of the solo. Here, instead of alternating be-
formed by the seventh, tonic, and third of the mode and an al- tween trichords, Coltrane primarily reiterates the pitch classes
ternation between 3-2 and 3-3 trichords is the subject of the of one whole-tone tetrachord while varying them rhythmically.
next 15 bars. The pitches explored here are not those from the The tetrachord is scored as a descending whole-tone trichord
opening but, instead, the lowest third of the B b scale with the followed by a downward tritone leap. The repetition and re-
leading tone. working of the chord clearly connect to the opening passage of
The second part of the B, Aeolian solo features a longer the solo in section 1. The aural association of the two passages is
play on the first trichord of the solo, 3-7; the entire passage, in made obvious through the use of the leap, which preserves con-
fact, can be segmented into 3-7 trichords. One interesting rela- tour. Coltrane's scoring ensures that one hears the last three
tionship is that of the tetrachord formed in the first part by the notes in the second motive, which form the interval succession
of whole tone and tritone, as a 2:1 expansion of the 3-3 trichord
7Such a problem arises, for example, when Jost (Free Jazz, 92-93) catego- at the opening (semitone and minor third). Proceeding from
rizes the first part of the solo as being in B Aeolian with an added A as a section 1 to section 2, then, the listener notices: (1) the increase
leading tone. Considering the generality of this description, Bb minor seems
in cardinality of the chordal generator-or, at least, of the em-
equally suitable as a classification; but in either case, no real insight is gained
phasized chord; (2) the contour expansion; (3) the intervallic
into Coltrane's choice of specific pitch structures.
8The transcription in Example 4b is taken from Jost, Free Jazz, 92-93; the expansion, with the chromatic generators 3-2 and 3-3 being re-
analytic summary alongside is my own. placed by whole-tone generators.

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190 Music Theory Spectrum

Example 4a. Opening of John Coltrane, Ascension (Impulse version). Transcription by the author from Impulse A-95

(Coltrane
(Coltraneplaying) playing)
A I, (s)

e_- I -

LI -.- I_ .
_- 3W- 3 v_
I l I I 1
3-7 3-2 3-3 3-3

In section 2, the nature of the whole-tone

more, both trichord and tetra-
the literally includ
chord as generators of pitch structure becomes
the 6-22 quite
hexachord evident.
which compA
brief allusion to chromaticism isof section
heard 2 are
in mm. invariant
31-32 unde
(see analy-
sis in Ex. 4b), after which the same whole-tone
operation tetrachord
is a clue to the geneas
scored previously is repeated twice. Following
provisation. Theis a five-note
idea as-
of a struc
cending pattern from F4 to Bb5 class
in thesets already
highest goes consider
register. This is
5-13[0,1,2,4,8], which is T8M-related to the second
upon modes. From the 5-30 rising
foregoin
cific
pentachord of this second section (seeseries of in
Ex. 5c), operations
this case,can de
D #4
in the first chord mapped onto B 4 in the second.
pitch-class sets in an improvisat
From the point where two whole-tone trichords
concert music in the a twentieth
semitone c
apart are enunciated in m. 31, thetrane
primary
had begun
sonority
to discover
for someth
ten measures is a 6-22[0,1,2,4,6,8] hexachord;
different kindsmost of the em-
of pitch-class m
phasis is on the whole-tone pentachord
As a composer,
embedded Anthony
within it.
Brax
B
appears twice in this passage monly
(once as a chromatic
opposed passing
categories of c
music; many
tone), but it is the overlapping whole-tone of his that
structures works fit i
form
association
the primary sonic component, further with other
emphasizing new mus
the rework-
ing of the A-B-C#-DO whole-tone Rzewski and the ensemble Mus
tetrachord.
When the improvisation starts moving away from this tetra-
chord at the end of this transcribed portion,
90ne further several
relationship allied
in the Coltra
sonorities are formed, the last provisation:
of whichinis 6-34[0,1,3,5,7,9].
the endings of both, at th

This hexachord is T8M-related trichords can be interpreted as generat

to the 6-2[0,1,2,3,4,6] formed
both sections embed 4-22, a set which
by the upbeat C~ to m. 32 and the whole-tone pentachord in the
and 3-7 trichords, C# (Db)-D? (E!)-F-
next three measures (see Ex. 4c). Thus,
T6MI in eachto
is so endemic section
jazz, the of the
discover
solo, some of the larger pc sets are related by
improvisational T8M.
method Further-
should perhaps

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 191

Example 4b. First solo by Coltrane in Ascension (HMV version). Transcription by Ekkehard Jost. Starred sets are T8-M relat

Section 1
transcription J=215
I> : > >

ibbbb Cr inc.
)>s ! ctL:rLm't r
J>! ^
analysis 3.7 3-3 3-2 inc. *4-3

vb, b ' . .. ' :"" , , 1

6vt 7-r rr^. ^ 16' -

L"b;9,b etc. - r of r

'b '~~~ rf~~19 P f T-i-r?r r ?24 3

3-7
3-7
3-7
iA
3: 3-7
3-7
3-7 3-7
3-7 3-7

*I I.I
- Lu
? a~ I
4-22 4-22
I I

5-23
5-23

3-6
1 1

I I I
3-2

4-11

6-32

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192
192 Music
MusicTheory
TheorySpectrum
Spectrum

4b (cont.)

Section 2

q 25 3,7 rr6 7

3-8 (3,5,9) *530(1,3,5,9,10) 5-33 (1,3,5,9,11) 4-21

3-8 3-8

30 3 3 3 r3 -

3 ~3 3 ~ (mm. 31-34) ***6-21

4-22 3-6 3-6 I 4-21
I I I I Il

6 6'

(mm. 26-30, 3242) 6-22

** 5-13 4-22 1 \

1 1 ,.---'---- ---^' ^ I~ _ ___ ^ r _ J

5-33

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 193

4b (cont.)

tfl .' - -A

*** 6-34

I I I I
I 1 4-22 6-33

6-33

\1 I
4-22

had some influence on Braxton's Braxton's

hisnontonal nontonal
work. works.
works.
The last
The note,
last E,
Example note,
is saved
E, is
forsaved
the
5a for
of a 1975 composition,very very end
end ofof
"489M..."10 thethecomposition,
composition,essentially
essentially
It signaling
is signaling
the
notreturntheto ret
a
usual sense, however, B Bsince
by
bywayway ofof
thethe it
lower
lower is
fifth. repeated tw
fifth.
the first half of the composition, A
A number
number ofofsignificant
significantrelations
relations
can be can
the found
bewithin
foundthis
second withi
provisation freely based short
shorthead headtune;
upon tune;especially
especially
interesting
this interesting
is material.
the pattern
is the ofpattern
relatedof
character, including an sets
setsemphasis
revealed
revealed byby an examination
an examination of theof
on hexachords
the hexachords
the formed
toni atform
however, is aggregate the the opening
opening
completion, andandclosing
closing
of phrases.
of phrases.
Nine
a hexachords
Nine hexachords
feature identifiediden
in
in Example
Example 5a 5a
areare
strongly
stronglyrelated.
related.
6-Z44[0,1,2,5,6,9]
6-Z44[0,1,2,5,6,9]
is the is
lOThe
lOThefull title is:full title is: opening
openinghexachord
hexachord of the
of piece
the piece
and is and
included
is included
in the phrase
in the p
489 M (upper
(upperregister
register pitches)
pitches)
in theinfifth
the fifth
system.system.
One couldOnethink
could
of th
70-2--(TH-B) this
thispiece
pieceas as
divided
dividedon the
on basis
the basis
of texture
of texture
into sections
into insectio
M.
which
whichmotion
motion is varied
is varied
as opposed
as opposed
to thosetointhose
whichinthewhich
motion the
The transcription in Example 5a is modeled upon Braxton's own manuscript,
occurs
occurs
which is reproduced in Ronald Radano, "Anthony Braxton and His Two Musi-
inin
ascending
ascending or descending
or descending
scalar runs.
scalarThe
runs.
fact The
that fact
the th
second 6-Z44 occurs after three successive scalar runs thus links
cal Traditions" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 1985), 244. The
rhythmic notation is not always exact but is generally proportional. it by way of textural considerations to the opening. Note, in

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194 Music Theory Spectrum

Example 4c. Example 5a. Head tune for Anthony Braxton's "489M...,"
from Five Pieces 1975 (Arista AL-4064)
**5-30 **5-13
A i I 1 1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6-Z44
7__, - _ -- _ =96 1 I
n *.PNg I I

M T8
(1,3,5,9, 10)-- (5,3, 1,9,2) - (1, 11,9,5, 10)
! I
6-18

^ I I I i
6-30

(9, 11,0, 1,3,5) -

6-Z25
6- Z25 1 6-Z38

fact, that the tw

stituting for Al
6-Z24 I 1 I I
6-Z19[0,1,3,4,7,8
6-Z24 t 6-Z19 t
(including the d
9:
Example 5b sho
chords included in each hexachord. These sets are most often
transformed by T3 (in the case of 4-Z29[0,1,3,7] or T5. This pat- 6-Z25

tern suggests that here the all-interval tetrachords may be the

core of an improvisation built around the use of these chords
6.2 b3^bc^.^ 6
under relatively few operations.
Ornette Coleman's classic composition, "Lonely Woman," t 6-Z23
from his album The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959), can be sec-
tioned into the head tune (Ex. 6) and two different types of cho-
ruses. The first chorus is eight measures long and is accompa-
nied by a chromatic ascent from D to F in the bass each time it is 6-Z24

heard; the second chorus is approximately 22 measures long, 19 . - b, , Ii b? b

the same as the length of the head tune with introductory mea- <y 1 ' i l l i 96-, v
sures. Since the head tune and first chorus remain in the minor 6-Z44 b I
mode, and since there is a constant return of the D-minor
pedal, one might simply call this piece tonal. However, such a
view, though it does express the relationship of "Lonely
Woman" to the harmonic past of jazz and its roots in the blues, V
^JJ| I r ? 0o o? o
does not contribute much to an understanding of what

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 195

Example 5b. Progressions of all-interval tetrachords included as opens the penultimate phrase forms 4-11[0,1,3,5] with the
subsets in the hexachords of Braxton, "489M..." horns; the same pitch classes occur at the opening of the second

4-Z29:
melodic phrase (m. 10) as well. Above the pedal, Haden chro-
4-Z15:
matically fills in the minor third, D-F, which both anticipates
(2, 1, 10,8)
(2,3,5,9) the chorus and parallels the upper voices. In the final phrase, if
TS G# is interpreted as a passing tone (Haden actually slides up to
TiI T7I
A), the notes formed above the pedal form 4-22[0,2,4,7]; the
(11, 10,8,4) (5,4,2, 10) (9,8,5,3) same pitch classes, D-F-G-A, are the opening melodic notes of
\ / I
T1I "Lonely Woman."
T3 T3
There is some significance even in the abstract relationships
(8,7,5, 1) (4, 58, 10) that exist between several pairs of sets in the head tune-
i T5 specifically, 4-Z15[0,1,4,6] and 4-Z29, 4-4[0,1,2,5] and
T3
I3
4-14[0,2,3,7], and 4-22 and 4-2[0,1,2,4], which are all M-
(5,4,2, 10) (9, 10, 1,3) related. Even more interesting here, however, is the fact that
T5 T2I the links between these sets are all by way of the same specific
pitch-class operation, T3M (see Ex. 7).12 (1) The opening four
(10,9,7,3) (5,4, 1, 11) notes of the melody are transformed through T3M into C-Ct-
D-E, a 4-2 tetrachord, in the third phrase. (2) In the fourth
T3
phrase, which has the quality of a quick but pointed interjection
(1,2,4,8) that interrupts the melodic flow in a beautiful way, one impor-
tant set formed is D-E-F-A, 4-14. This is a T3M transform of B-
C-CS-E, 4-4, which is part of the harmonic support in the last
Coleman achieves here. Much more informative with respect notes of the previous phrase. This set is formed (by Coleman's
to compositional design are certain remarkable pitch-class rela- own part) in a rather curious way: its penultimate note, C", du-
tionships in the piece. Example 6 includes a tetrachordal seg- plicates an octave lower one of the pitches in the melody; but its
mentation of the opening head tune. The evidence of a tightly last note, B t, is not a melodic doubling. (3) The ending of the
thought-out melodic line is compelling: only a few tetrachord third phrase has B-C#-D-E, 4-10[0,2,3,5], as a harmonic com-
types account for the construction.l That the bassist, Charlie ponent. Set 4-10 maps into itself under multiplication and can
Haden, has worked closely with the ensemble both in the head thus be interpreted as a T3M transform of the 4-10 formed me-
and throughout the entire work is evident from the fact that his lodically at the end of the second phrase. (4) The first four notes
pitches are almost all shared with the melody. In the last two of the fourth phrase, 4-Z29, are related by T3MI to the 4-Z15
phrases of the head, however, the contrapuntal relationships tetrachord formed in the opening phrase. (5) The most extraor-
are less dependent on imitation. The repeated fifth A-E which dinary relationship of all is the one that emerges between the
general diatonic nature of the entire passage and the melodic
"The D-minor scale (including the raised sixth and seventh along with their
natural correspondents), considered as a set of nine notes, includes abstractly
all 29 of the possible tetrachords. '2This would include the TgM operation, since it is the inverse of T3M.

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196 Music Theory Spectrum

Example 6. Segmentation of head, Orette Coleman, "Lonely Woman." Transcription by the author from The Shape of Jazz
to Come (Atlantic SD-1317). (Parentheses indicate M-related pairs; asterisks indicate T3-M-related sets)

A trumpet and alto sax

I
^.
v ~ 1
-
4-3
I - I
4-14 _ (44) I I
double bass (at pitch)

4-Z15 (4-Z29)
*4-22 (4-2) I
I+ I Phrase 1] P --I---

*4-2 (4-22) *4-10

4-11 4-22 (4-2) I /
1*4-10 * 4 1Phrase (4-4)
Phrase 2] I I Phrase 3 4]

i > r rr |f r I? 1i^ 61 ,) 1 1 Xi
10 *44 (4-14) 4-Z29 (4-Z15)

4-1

Phrase I 4-3 Phrase 61 419

[r ,1 Phrase 6] 4-19 \

16 4-9 f 4f 15) 4 4-19

16 4-Z29 (4-Z15) I I 4-19

2 > ^^ \- 1' |] H 1 iVr wm

w w -w
iH 7
4-11

4-22 (4-2)

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 197

T3M

Example 7. 4-22 Y 4-2

4-22 (2,5,7,9)
T3M and T3MI I
M
relations in
1 a . ._
the head of
(10, 11, 1,9)
"LonelyWoman"
T3

4-2 (0,1,2, 4)
T3M

4-14 (2,4,5,9)
4-4 4-14

r-I I -

=-r I 1u1 1 Fr I rF 1 1
T3

(1, 11,4,0)
4-4 (11,0,1,4)
MI
T3MI
4-Z15 (1,2, 5, 7)
4-Z15 A 4-Z29
MI

r-3,--j I I
,~~~~~~~ I
(7, 2,11, 1)
I F I FV .
T3

(10, 5,2,4)
4-Z29 (5,4,2,11)
T3M

4-10 (2,4,5,7)
4-10 4-10

,? ~II
(10, 8, 1, 11)

T3

(1, 11,4,2)
4-10 (11,1,2,4)
T3M

8-1

I
, 17jb p A

I _ r I 1b
I
b II +iI r-1
I M

M T3
8-1 (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)-- (8
(D minor with a

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198 Music Theory Spectrum

chromaticism
chromaticismwhichwhichenters
entersininthe
thepenultimate
penultimate phrase.
phrase.
TheThe stances of 4-12[0,2,3,6] formed successively in two phrases of
circle-of-fifths
circle-of-fifthsmapping,
mapping,applied
appliedto to
a diatonic
a diatonicpassage,
passage,
gener-
gener- the second chorus have the musical sense of a fragment which is
ally
ally transforms
transformsititinto
intoa achromatic
chromatic one.
one.
TheThe
penultimate
penultimate
me-me- announced and then completed in the following phrase as the
lodic
lodic phrase
phrase(winds
(windsonly)
only)forms
forms a chromatic
a chromatic octochord
octochord
which
which melodic line moves to the highest point of the chorus. More
spans
spans the
the fifth
fifthE-B.
E-B.This
Thisset,
set,
subjected
subjected to to
thethe
T3MT3M
transform,
transform, specifically, however, the second set is related to the first by T3,
yields
yields the
the natural
naturalminor
minorscale
scale
ofof
DDwith
with
a raised
a raised
sixth
sixth
(set(set
8-23).
8-23). which same operation links at least two other phrases in the
In examining
examiningthe
thetetrachordal
tetrachordalsets
sets
that
that
fallfall
outout
of of
thethe
D- D- chorus (see Ex. 8b). Another example is the relation involving
minor
minor tonality,
tonality,one
oneshould
shouldconsider
consider whether
whetherthethe
frequency
frequency of of 4-24 and 4-2. The two sets occur successively in the music (sepa-
certain
certain included
includedsets
setsmight
mightexplain
explainpitch
pitch
choices
choices
in ainspecific
a specific rated by phrasing); later in the same passage, the T0lMI trans-
context.
context. The
Thesubset
subsetofof8-23
8-23with
with thethe
greatest
greatest
suchsuch
frequency
frequency (8) (8) forms of both sets appear-in reverse order (see Ex. 8b). The
is 4-22.
4-22. Sets
Sets4-Z29
4-Z29and
and4-11
4-11are
arealso
also
frequently
frequently represented
represented as as aural relationship is particularly striking in this passage, since
subsets
subsets ofof 8-23
8-23(they
(theyoccur
occur4 4andand6 times
6 timesrespectively)
respectively) andand
are are the clearly whole-tone character of 4-24 is preserved (4-24 maps
also
also prominent
prominentininthis thispassage.
passage. Set
Set
4-2(2),
4-2(2),
however,
however, is not
is not
as as into itself under M).
frequently
frequently represented
representedasasa asubset
subsetyetyet
occurs
occursat an
at an
important
important It is also useful to examine some of the larger pc collections
melodic
melodic point
point(see
(seeabove,
above,point
point(1)).
(1)).
Furthermore,
Furthermore,
4-13(4),
4-13(4), in this piece. The third chorus can be segmented into eight me-
4-16(4),
4-16(4), and
and4-27(4)
4-27(4)are
areofofcomparable
comparablefrequency
frequency yetyet
are are
not not lodic phrases on the basis of the soloist's pauses. Five of the
profiled
profiled inin the
thehead.
head.Set
Set4-13
4-13can
can
bebe
formed
formed
as aassubset
a subset
of sev-
of sev- phrases contain one of the two Z-related sets, 6-Z3[0,1,2,3,5,6]
enth
enth and
and ninth
ninthchords
chordsoften
oftenencountered
encountered
in in
jazz,
jazz,
andand
4-274-27
is the
is the and 6-Z36[0,1,2,3,4,7]. None of the five instances of these is a
dominant
dominant seventh
seventhororhalf-diminished
half-diminishedseventh;
seventh;these
these
chords
chords
are are pitch-class duplicate of any other, a clear indication that Cole-
thus
thus more
more likely
likelytotobebeoutlined
outlinedinin
a tonally
a tonally
oriented
oriented
work.
work.
ThatThat man must be thinking intervallically as he improvises the line.
the head tune does not include such sets indicates that the sets Some of the specific transformations of this passage are out-
which are formed are part of a chosen pitch structure. This anal- lined in Example 9. The two five-note sets formed here are in-
ysis is certainly more informative than the all-too-often re- cluded in larger sets that have some prominence in this chorus.
peated account of Coleman's improvisations as non-functional The first 5-29[0,1,3,6,8], for instance, is abstractly included in
chord changes within a tonally centered framework. 6-Z47[0,1,2,4,7,9], a set which is related by the M transform to
Example 8a shows the melodic line of both first and second 6-Z36. If F, is added to the 5-29 (it occurs in the next phrase) at
choruses of "Lonely Woman" with a segmentation by tetra- the opening of the section, the 6-Z47 formed would be related
chord.13 Once more, the small number of sets helps project the by ToMI to 6-Z36 in the following phrase and by T10MI to the
taut structure of the passage. In addition, the restricted field of 6-Z36 included in the last phrase (see Ex. 9). The second penta-
pitch-class operations (To, T3, T5, ToM, T0lMI) accounts for chord, 5-24[0,1,3,5,7], is included in 6-Z26[0,1,3,5,7,8], a set
many of the phrase-to-phrase transformations which lend such formed by the six notes which precede the final cadence on A.
great aural cohesion to the work. For example, the two in- Specifically, if the G that enters as the first note of the next
phrase is added to the 5-24 shown, the resulting set contains the

13In most circumstances, the segmentation follows Coleman's phrasing.

same pitch classes as are sounded at the end of the chorus (see
The only exceptions occur where a fourth pitch is appropriated from the begin- Ex. 9). Among the 6-Z3/Z36 pairs themselves, all 6-Z36 sets
ning of a phrase to complete a tetrachord at the end of the previous phrase. are related by T2 and the 6-Z3 pair is also related by T2. The first

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 199

Example 8a. Segmentation of the melodic line of the first two choruses in "Lonely Woman." Transcription by the author.
(Parentheses indicate M-related sets)

1st Chorus (A)

A .A ,' A%
4-Z29 (4-Z15)

Pt J *w;-~- 1 _ I
[-3----1 5 r-3 -

4-22 (4-2) 4-13 4-8 2nd Chorus (B) 4-14(44)

4-14 (44) I I 4-22 (4-2) 4-11

I n ] J
|
, 3j "l
--
, ]. JI
|*-'to (
4-11 4-Z29 (4-Z15) Head-- 4.Z29
4-24 4-2 (4-22)

-- i -3-I I r---- I

4-11 4-12 (4-27)

, J - I 1- ' - r I - ' J I!
4-12 (4-27)

4-22 (4-2) 4-24 4-3 (4-26) 424

4-10 I
4-27 (4-12)
4-27 (4-12)
4-13 1

V _
. . a - I, I Gi I J i -- Ii I K I
I I
4-14 (4-4)

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200 Music Theory Spectrum

Example 8b. Two pitch-class phrase connections in the opening

chorus of "Lonely Woman"
4-2
4-24

^ I^j r^m ^ ' r-'-J3 '

IJ I x.. IA J IIJ I I
Lrt' M -N 1 J
1 14-221 1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~42
4-24

4-24 (9, 7, 5, 1) - (3, 1, 11, 7) T 4-24 (1, 11, 9, 5)

4-2 (5, 6, 7, 9) MI (11,6,1,3) T (9,4, 11, 1) 4-22 (9,11,1,4)

T3 4-12

I II

XbI I IJp iLtr - I .r. r i-- 1r a :6;

4-12 4-12
4-12
(7, 9, (7,9,10,1)T3412
(7,9,10,1)T3412
10, 1) . . 4-12 (10,0,(10,1,
1,4) (10,1,

6-Z3 formed in the chorus is related by ToM to the too, the majority
majority of
of the
the sets
sets have
have clear
clearinterrelations,
interrelations,especially
especially
6-Z25[0,1,3,5,6,8] shown in the segmentation in the last the instances
instances of
of 6-Z26
6-Z26 and
and 6-Z48[0,1,2,5,7,9].
6-Z48[0,1,2,5,7,9].The
Thethree
three
phrase-and, in fact, 6-Z25 can also be considered a superset of 6-Z48's are
are actually
actually two
two Ts-related
Ts-related sets
setsscored
scoredso
sothat
thatthere
thereisisa a
the initial five notes. In this section, then, a pattern of relation- departure
departure from
from and
and return
return to
to the
the first
firstform
formpresented
presentedininthe
themu-
mu-
ships based upon whole-tone transpositions begins to emerge. sic. The 6-Z26 is formed at the end of the chorus in the mea-
The harmonic consistency of "Lonely Woman" is just as sures preceding the final measure and, as so often happens in
noteworthy as the linear consistency detailed above. Example this piece, the same set occurs horizontally as well as vertically.
10 displays a harmonic segmentation of the latter half of the While the 6-Z26/Z48 pairs cannot map into each other under
second chorus-that is, the portion following the eight- the M operation, 6-Z26 maps under M into 6-Z4[0,1,2,4,5,6],
measure sequence which is included in all the choruses.14 Here the very first set formed in this part of the chorus. The specific
relation between the two sets here is T2M; this lends further
14Here again the segmentation generally follows the phrasing, although in
this revolutionary section, where bassist and soloist are playing in two different
emphasis to the sense that whole-tone transposition controls
tempi, the phrasing is determined by the pauses of the more prominent voice. the pitch structure. In addition, another five-note set formed

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 Transformation in Free Jazz 201

Example 9. Some relationships between sets and implied sets in the third chorus of "Lonely Woman."
Transcription by the author
To M TI1MI
6-Z47
6-Z47(phrase 1) 6-Z36
(phrase 1)(phrase 2) 6-Z47 (phrase 1) 6-Z36 (phrase 6)
I 5-29 I I I I

_^ 7- -^ -tt ^ ^-^# , 1,, (,5 2,.4. 11 ( -)

). I . 2. 4. 5) 6) .5. 2.4. 11, 6) (9,11, 2, 4, 5, 6)- (3, 5, 2, 4, 11,6) (1,3, 0, 2, 9, 4)

5-24 (phrase 3) included in 6-Z26 (phrase 8) 6-Z36 (phrase 2) T10 6-Z36 (phrase 6) T0 6-Z36 (phrase 4)
ToM

6-Z3 (phrase 5) 4 6-Z25 (phrase 8)

P----^+
* I i l I

T2 M
6-Z3 (phrase 5) T 6-Z3 (phrase 7) (6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 0) 6, 11, 9, 2, 7, 0)

Example 10. Harmonic segmentation of second chorus, second section of "L

(Slashes separate Z-related sets; sets in parentheses are M-related)
6-Z4/6-Z37(6-Z26) (0, 1, 2, 9, 8, 10) 6-Z48/6-Z26(6-Z37) (0, 2,4, 7, 8, 9)
I / nLt.r- . . -... 1

e? i?' 1- .^AH 1i^l Li

I _J

6-Z48 (0, 1, 2, 5, 7. 9)

6-Z48 (0, 2,4, 7, 8, 9) 6-33 (1, 2,4,7,9,11) 6-Z26/6-Z48(6-Z4) (110, 2, 4. 6, 7)

l (1I247911 I tempo
fit - - - - - - - - - - - c I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -3

^ i r J r r I r'H "- H- " V-ii

Ae | ~ 17 ' ' - '~
rr r r
t

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202 Music Theory Spectrum

melodically in the measures previous to this section is a subset mations

mations and
andprogressions
progressionsand
andthink
think more
more
in in
terms
terms
of relation-
of relation-
of 6-Z26. Thus, the chord 6-Z4 is immediately preceded by its ships
ships defined
definedby
byinterval
intervalclass;
class;
this
this
is is
true
true
in in
both
both
tonal
tonal
and and
non-non-
T2M transform melodically and is followed by the same trans- tonal
tonal contexts.
contexts.For
Forthis
thisreason,
reason,
free
freejazz
jazz
hashas
an an
affinity
affinity
to early
to early
form at the end of the chorus. It would seem that in this chorus, twentieth-century
twentieth-centuryconcert
concertliterature,
literature, in in
which
whichcomposers
composerswerewere
at least, networks of sets related to the 6-Z3/Z36 pair and the thinking
thinking along
alongsimilar
similarintervallic
intervallic
andandstructural
structural
lines.16
lines.16
While
While
6-Z26/Z48 pair can be interpreted as controlling elements of early
early twentieth-century
twentieth-centurycomposers
composers
constructed
constructed
their
their
pc- pc-
the improvisation. This is all the more impressive considering relations,
relations, jazz
jazzmusicians
musiciansheard
heardthem
them
in in
improvisation-which
improvisation-which
that the two networks result from a counterpoint in which the suggests
suggests that
thatpitch-class
pitch-classand
andnontonal
nontonal
relations
relations
cancan
develop
develop
bass is clearly an independent voice. naturally
naturally out
outof
ofmusical
musicalpractice
practiceinin
thethe
same
same
way
way
that
that
tonal
tonal
mu-mu-
It should be clear from the foregoing that the complexities of sic grew
grew out
outof
ofmodal
modalmusic
musicand
and
nineteenth-century
nineteenth-century
tonality
tonality
the musical fabric in free jazz deserve far more attention than grew
grew out
out of
ofthat
thatof
ofthe
theeighteenth
eighteenth
century.
century.
analysts have thus far devoted to them. The traditional inter-
15Robert
15Robert Morris,
Morris,"Set
"SetGroups,
Groups,Complementation,
Complementation, andand
Mappings
Mappings
Among
Among
pretation of the head tune as the composition itself, and the
Pitch-Class
Pitch-Class Sets,"
Sets,"Journal
JournalofofMusic
MusicTheory
Theory
26 26
(1982),
(1982),
101-144.
101-144.
music which follows as some kind of variation upon it, clearly is '6Simple
'6Simple segmentations,
segmentations,suggested
suggested largely
largely
bybythethe
performers'
performers'
pauses,
pauses,
seemseem
not appropriate to the hybrid language of many free composi- appropriate
appropriate to
toanalysis
analysisofoffree
freejazz
jazz
because
becausethese
these
compositions
compositions
are often
are often
cre- cre-
tions. Even in examples with clearly diatonic elements, such as ated
ated and/or
and/orelaborated
elaboratedspontaneously.
spontaneously. Since
Since
thethe
relationships
relationships
thatthat
fall fall
out ofout of
"Lonely Woman," traditional, tonal jazz analyses cannot eluci- such
such segmentations
segmentationsseem
seemclear,
clear,
rich,
rich,
and
and
structurally
structurally
important,
important,
perhaps
perhaps
it it
would
would be
be worth
worthconsidering
consideringthe
the
utility
utility
of of
simple
simple
segmentations
segmentations
in the
in analysis
the analysis
date the real relationships between pitch structures. To do the
of early
early twentieth-century
twentieth-centuryconcert
concert
music.
music.
job properly, the analyst needs recourse to certain constructs
familiar from analysis of early twentieth-century concert music,
such as pitch-class set saturation, tonal centers in a nontonal
context, and aggregate completion. Other constructs, not ABSTRACT

much employed in analysis of earlier music, are also useful
here, notably the multiplicative operation, the transformation
of embedded chords, and the rescoring of "end-sets" within
larger sonorities. The consistent use of certain operations such
as T3 and the multiplicative operation in some of these exam-
ples suggests that there may be empirical evidence for use in
jazz of some of the other pitch-class universes that have been
asserted, particularly by Robert Morris.15
The art of free jazz seems to require that the improvisers
themselves steer away from arpeggiation of common chord for-
Set-theoretic methodology is applied to the music of Or
man, John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, and Anthony Braxton i
reveal the wide variety of pitch-class transformation pre
jazz. Each composer's music has been classified somewhat d
by other analysts-Coltrane's as modal, Coleman's as diat
Taylor's as nontonal-yet all the improvisations examine
shown to be based on tightly constructed conceptions whic
of such twentieth-century constructs as the multiplicative
transformation of embedded chords, and the use of a sma
of transformational operations which control the cou
composition.

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