14/10/2017 Concept elucidation what is negative harmony?

negative harmony

negative harmony

Concept elucidation what is negative harmony?

MAY 9, 2015MAY 14, 2015

BLUEJEAN1
1 COMMENT
The rst step for us in order to make sense of what we just heard in Steve Colemans video, is to carry
out an investigation of the concept of negative harmony. A complete and accurate analysis of Steve
Colemans playing will only be possible providing we have a clear understanding of this concept. We
hope to present the information that follows in a logical and exhaustive way. It is partly based on
Steve Colemans own explanations on polar harmony, which he gives in the 2 videos on Tonal
Movements available to buy as a product on the M-Base community website, partly on Ernst Levys
essay: A Theory of Harmony, SUNY Series in Cultural Perspectives, 1985, and partly on Steve
Colemans own commentary of that essay, which can be found here: h p://m-
base.com/essays/symmetrical-movement-concept/ (h p://m-base.com/essays/symmetrical-
movement-concept/) The last part of this article deals specically with Ernst Levys polarity theory
and how Steve Coleman uses it.

Let us consider rst the C major scale and its negative counterpart.

(Click on the following picture:)

(h ps://personalprojectnegativeharmony.les.word
press.com/2015/05/scalenegative.jpeg)

The C major scale and its negative counterpart: G

minor phrygian.

Why is G minor phrygian the negative counterpart of C major Ionian?

Note that the intervalic structure of the ascending C major scale is the same one as the descending G
phrygian scale. They have the same pa ern of tones (t) and semi-tones (st). Moreover, in C major
ionian, C is the tonic and G is the 5th. In the descending G minor phrygian, G is the tonic and C is the
5th. We can see that the functions of the tones of each scale are symmetrically inverted. The triad C-E-
G has for negative triad counterpart C-Eb-G, but it is important to conceive this triad with G being
the generator (but not the tonic of the system, in this case) and the notes being played

https://personalprojectnegativeharmony.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/concept-elucidation-what-is-negative-harmony/ 1/7
14/10/2017 Concept elucidation what is negative harmony? negative harmony

downwards from G. The tonic in this case actually remains C. In other words Gm Phrygian can be
conceived as the negative tonic scale of the C major scale. We have an inversion of C major in G.
In his essay on Enrst Levys book A Theory of Harmony Steve Coleman comments on all of this in the
following paragraph:

Keep in mind that what is normally called a minor triad is treated, in Levys theory, as a major triad
generated from the top down. In other words there are only unisons, perfect fths and major thirds in this
theory. What would normally be called an F minor triad is a [major] triad in absolute mode (designated by
the symbol o ) generated by C. This would be spelled C-Ab-F (thinking downward from the generator C)
and has the same interval structure as a C triad in telluric adaptation (i.e. C-E-G thinking up from C), so
symmetrical reasoning is necessary for thinking in absolute conception. So in absolute conception C-Ab-F
(thinking downward) is a triad in absolute conception generated by C but thinking in telluric adaptation
this same harmonic cell is a minor triad with F as the tonic. As I mentioned before all major telluric
adaptation cells produce the same result as upward absolute conception so the generator C would be
identical with the tonic C in this case (i.e. C-E-G thinking upward).

Here Steve Coleman speaks of telluric harmony what i would describe as harmony operating in
a world of unilateral gravitation towards a key. But he speaks also of absolute harmony where a
central pitch becomes a generator. Of course our ears are not able to hear an F minor triad as a C
major triad from top down. So we cant really train ourselves to hearing in negative terms, but we
can think in those terms, and the results will sound interesting nonetheless. And as far as Steve
Colemans use of the concept in improvisation is concerned, which anchors itself completely in the
Jazz approach and tradition, it actually does not really ma er that we cant hear in negative
terms. We hear interesting paths nonetheless.

So, this is why G minor phrygian is the negative version of C major Ionian.

Following on from this, let us consider the harmonic movement of cadences and their polar or
negative counterparts.

As Steve Coleman shows above, the negative version of the C-E-G triad is the minor triad F-Ab-C
with C being the generator and the tonic. Remembering that the negative version of the C major
scale is Gm phrygian, going downwards from G, we can nd the F minor triad in that scale. Now
remembering also that we must look at this Fm triad as actually being generated from C and going
downwards, the next degree of the Gm Phrygian scale, a third down from F, ie the 7th, would be D.
In positive terms it may appear as the major 6th, but in negative terms, it is actually the 7th. We will
call it the 6th from now on, but must remember that in negative terms it is the 7th. This is why the
negative dominant of chord I of a key is a minor sixth chord. For Steve Coleman, the sixth in
relation to F (ie D) is very important for many reasons, functional obviously, as well as being
culturally relevant (ie, in relation to the evolution of the jazz tradition), as we shall explain later. For
the time being, let us accept that the best (most useful and fundamental) way to express the negative
dominant of C major is Fm6. In the same way as G7 is the best way to describe the positive dominant
of C.

The following diagram shows how we obtain Fm6 as a negative dominant for C from the Gm
phrygian scale. Here we go down so that Fm6 can actually be seen in negative terms, from C, going
downwards. We can clearly see a major triad with at 7th the dominant chord structure. Hence we
have the negative dominant of C.

https://personalprojectnegativeharmony.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/concept-elucidation-what-is-negative-harmony/ 2/7
14/10/2017 Concept elucidation what is negative harmony? negative harmony

(h ps://personalprojectnegativeharmony.l
es.wordpress.com/2015/05/fm6-neg-
dom.jpeg)

Fm6 with 6th in the bass (being actually the

7th in negative terms) is the negative
dominant of C, with C being both the Tonic
and the Generator

Let us also consider the symmetrical relationship, in the key of C major, between the (postive)
dominant of the key, G7, and the negative dominant, Fm6. G is a fth above C, and F is a fth below
C. We can equally conceive as G being a fourth below C (but still having its positive dominant
function in the movement from G to C) and F being a fourth above C (and still having its negative
dominant function in the movement F to C).

By studying Steve Colemans improvisation on the Rhythm Changes track in particular, I found that
he substitutes a lot of the conventional changes with their negative counterparts, and even other
negative cycles and thus following alternate paths, as he calls them, towards points of resolution.
He does this to a very sophisticated degree, and the way I ended up making sense of all his choices
was to use a diagram that composer, saxophonist and educator Barak Schmool showed me,
representing all the possible cycles of dominant chords leading to a key and their respective negative
counterparts. I was then able to match Steve Colemans paths with the various options presented in
the diagram. Here is a version of this diagram in the key of Bb, since this is the key of the Rhythm
Changes track which we will analyse next.

(h ps://personalprojectnegativeharmony.l
es.wordpress.com/2015/05/web-of-
harmonic-paths-bb-correct.jpeg)

Diagram of harmonic paths in Bb. All the

positive cycles of dominant chords
leading to Bb and their negative
equivalents.

https://personalprojectnegativeharmony.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/concept-elucidation-what-is-negative-harmony/ 3/7
14/10/2017 Concept elucidation what is negative harmony? negative harmony

This diagram presents all the possible cycles of dominants leading to Bb. The classic cycle of 5ths is
presented on the left: G7, C7, F7, Bb. The top cycle resolves to Bb via B7, the tritone substitution of F7,
has its own cycles of dominants leading to it: Db7, Gb7. To the left of this tritone substitution cycle we
have a cycle which leads to Bb via Ab7, a minor third below B7, which we can conceive as belonging
to the diminished axis of dominants leading to Bb. The Ab7 to Bb movement is also sometimes
called the backdoor movement. Ab7 has its own subdominants: Bb7, Eb7. To the right of the tritone
axis we have another dominant belonging to the dimished axis: D7, which can resolve to Bb. It has its
own subdominants: E7, A7.

Each of these positive cycles has a negative equivalent, diametrically opposed in the diagram.
Notice the symmetry in root movements in relation to the key. The negative chords go up in 5ths
towards the key (or down in 4ths) whereas the positive dominants go down in 5ths (or up in
4ths) towards the key.

How is this diagram used in practice? The Rhythm Changes track provided on Steve Colemans
video explains it all. The soloist can decide to play lines that follow any of the negative paths instead
of the positive one. Since most functional music follows cadence cycles, the negative cycles can be
super-imposed upon the conventional changes intended by the composer (and played by the rhythm
section most of the time). Moreover, similarly as in positive harmony, dierent substitutions and
combinations are possible. For example, where a soloist might play a bVI7 | V7 | I cadence, he may
decide instead to play the negative version of that. In Bb, following the diagram, that would mean
that he would substitute Gb7 | F7 | Bb by Dm6 | Ebm6 | Bb. (The bar symbol [ | ] is arbitrary). The
possibilities are numerous.

The arrows in red indicate that it is possible to move from any step 4 of a negative dominant to any
of the next step 3 negative dominant, to any step 2 and nally resolve in the key. That means one
can decide to follow a specic negative cycle through, or literally jump from one negative dominant
to another, providing it belongs to the next step level. Voice leading will be respected and
numerous paths can therefore be created. This is indeed something we will witness in Steve
Colemans playing.

Let us then analyze the rst chorus of alternate paths played by Steve Coleman on the Rhythm
Changes track.

(h ps://personalprojectnegativehar (h ps://personalprojectnegativeharmony.les.wordpress.com/2
mony.les.wordpress.com/2015/05/ 015/05/solo-2nd-chorus2-e1431280670173.jpg)
steve-coleman-solo-rst-chorus-

https://personalprojectnegativeharmony.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/concept-elucidation-what-is-negative-harmony/ 4/7
14/10/2017 Concept elucidation what is negative harmony? negative harmony

rhythm-changes-alternate-paths- The entire transcription of this solo is available as a PDF

e1431280014305.jpg) download on the M-Base website. We include here the rst two
choruses but there is already so much to discuss in the rst one
Steve Coleman Solo, rst and 2nd that we will let you try to make sense of the second one in the
choruses of Rhythm Changes light of what we will nd in the rst one.
tracks, alternate paths section.
The chords wri en above the stave are not the conventional
chords of the Rhythm Changes, they are the chords that Steve Coleman spells through his lines.
The rhythm section plays the conventional changes, and Steve Coleman weaves in and out of them,
sometimes playing them (usually in the points of resolution) but most often he superimposes his own
progressions his own alternate paths.

The line in the rst four bars essentially corresponds to the following progression:

Bb C#m6 | Abm6 Ebm6 | F#m6 C#m6 | Abm Ebm6

If we look at our diagram of harmonic paths in Bb, we immediately see that Steve Coleman is spelling
the cycle of negative dominants related to the classic positive turnaround I VI II V, III VI II V
progression, which is actually the progression of the rst four bars of Rhythm Changes. Indeed, the
progression Bb G7 | Cm7 F7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 has its exact negative version wri en in the diagram
as Bb C#m6 | Abm6 Ebm6 | F#m6 C#m6 | Abm Ebm6. There could not be a clearer start to Steve
Colemans solo using negative harmony.

However we must say that Steve Coleman treats the positive turnaround progression as being a cycle
of dominant chords only. The Cm7 and the Dm7 are conceived as dominant chords. In a way this
simplies things a lot. There are negative harmony chords that are not dominant chords, in fact just
like in positive harmony there is only one dominant chord the m6 one. the IV chord in negative
harmony is also a minor chord but the II, the III, and the VI chords, are obviously not dominant and
they are major chords! But in his improvisations Steve Coleman uses negative harmony to substitute
only positive progressions that can be treated as dominant cycles and their substitutions.

The next two bars are interesting. We modulate to Eb. Steve Coleman choses to play Bm6, to lead to
Eb. Bm6 is the negative of F#7, which is one of the dominants alongside the diminished axis of Eb. An
example of using a negative dominant which is not the direct negative version of the normal
dominant of a key. But if we think in positive terms, Bm6 can be conceived as an E7 with the B in the
bass. And there we have a straight forward tritone substitution that leads to Eb. So this specic
negative dominant (the one of the positive dominant up a minor third along the diminished axis from
the tritone dominant) actually has an ambiguous nature! It can be perceived in two ways. Handy!

Now the next few bars are strange to me as they dont seem to t the theory, but I think Steve
Coleman is taking liberties on purpose with the theory, and that he follows his ears and intuition
more. Im talking about the section from bar 40 to bar 45. The last two bars make sense: F#m6 to
C#m6 to Abm6 to Ebm6. Again the same straight forward cycle of negative dominants leading to Bb.
But bars 40 and 41 are strange. Am6 to Dm6 to Bm6 to C#m6. Dm6 and Am6 are in the diagram but
here Steve Coleman plays them in reverse order. This makes sense as a progression in the positive
sense Then he goes to Bm6 which is Step 2 of another cycle of negatives So i think in this specic
case Steve Coleman is creating spontaneous superimpositions regardless of logical functional
substitutions. He is really playing out!

Some very interesting things happen next, starting on the last bar before the bridge and all the way to
the opening bar of the last A section. First lets look at what happens harmonically. Steve Coleman
anticipates the bridge a bar early and plays a negative cycle (Abm6 to Ebm6) in the key of Bb, which
he resolves instead to G. But Abm6 to Ebm6 is actually also a negative cycle in the key of G, one that
corresponds to the positive backdoor cycle we already identied. He then proceeds to play Fm6 in
https://personalprojectnegativeharmony.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/concept-elucidation-what-is-negative-harmony/ 5/7
 p
14/10/2017 p y
Concept elucidation y harmony? negative harmony
what is negative p p y
bars 51 and 52, which is the negative dominant of C, which we get to in bar 53. However instead of
playing C, he plays Em6. Em6 is not very far from C7 as a sound. In fact it is Cmaj7b9. The B natural
(major 7th of C) will maybe sound a li le out for sure, but given the direction of his playing, it will
just add color. From Em6, he follows the negative cycle related to the positive backdoor one in Bb,
and leads us back to Bb in the rst bar of the last A section. Rhythmically, Steve Coleman anticipates
a lot on his points of destination in this section. The lead in to the bridge is quite dramatic, and so is
the way out of the bridge, which begins at bar 53, with large sweeping arpeggios that spell three
consecutive negative dominants (when normally there are only two positive dominants in these 4
bars) and that get rhythmically displaced, each arpeggio gure being 3 beats long. This is what I
would describe as a very masterful use of negative harmony where Steve Coleman recongures the
tune structurally by transforming its harmonic rhythm. Its going further than substituting one chord
for another, its writing new progressions that begin in unexpected places The other interesting
point to make here is that his choice of playing Em6 bar 53 is very clever: as we said Em6 can be seen
as C7b9, so before embarking on a journey of out sounding negative dominants, Steve anchors us
in a familiar sound, which also happens to belong to the cycle of negative dominants. This is a good
example of where I think Steve Colemans use of the negative harmony rmly anchors itself in the
jazz tradition. Lets look at why. In our 3rd blog post!

One thought on Concept elucidation what is

negative harmony?

anentropic says:
APRIL 17, 2017 AT 12:01 AM
I am trying to understand the most basic part of this

The triad C-E-G has for negative triad counterpart C-Eb-G, but it is important to conceive this
triad with G being the generator (but not the tonic of the system, in this case) and the notes
being played downwards from G.

I think I follow how we arrive at C-Eb-G by counting downwards the 1-3-5 intervals in the G
minor Phrygian

But I dont understand what is meant by G being the generator

As Steve Coleman shows above, the negative version of the C-E-G triad is the minor triad F-Ab-C
with C being the generator and the tonic. Remembering that the negative version of the C major
scale is Gm phrygian, going downwards from G, we can nd the F minor triad in that scale.

From this I conclude that the generator is the note were counting down from in the negative
scale, G Phrygian. So if we count down 1-3-5 from G we get C-Eb-G, and if we count down 1-3-5
from C we get F-Ab-C.

But then later on we say:

Fm6 with 6th in the bass (being actually the 7th in negative terms) is the negative dominant of C,
with C being both the Tonic and the Generator

The intervals of G7 in relation to C are 5-7-2-4 if we count down those intervals in G Phrygian
starting at C, what I understood as C generator, then we get F-D-Bb-G, i.e. Gm7.
https://personalprojectnegativeharmony.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/concept-elucidation-what-is-negative-harmony/ 6/7
14/10/2017 Concept elucidation what is negative harmony? negative harmony

Alternatively if we count them down starting at G, we get C-Ab-F-D the desired Fm6.

So I think theres something Im not ge ing about the idea of the generator.

Well, re-reading the article I see what youre actually doing is counting down the intervals *1-3-5-
7* in G Phrygian starting at C. So that would explain why C is the generator, and 1-3-5-7 spells out
a dominant 7th chord, so it sort of makes sense.

What I dont understand then is how to apply this to another chord in relation C.

Say I want to nd the negative of F7, with C as generator and tonic what intervals do I count
down in G Phrygian?

REPLY

BLOG AT WORDPRESS.COM.

Guardar

https://personalprojectnegativeharmony.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/concept-elucidation-what-is-negative-harmony/ 7/7