Discover the intricate world of fourths chords in jazz, spotlighting McCoy Tyner's genius in John Coltrane's 'Lonnie’s Lament.' Delve into the mysterious sound of these chords and their historical significance. Explore diverse musical influences, from Erik Satie to James Brown, illustrating the transformative power of harmony. Listeners will enjoy vibrant analyses accompanied by short clips that highlight the melodic beauty of these classic pieces, enriching their understanding of music's evolution.
12:15
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Understanding Fourths Chords
Fourths chords are built by stacking perfect fourth intervals, unlike conventional chords stacked on thirds.
This symmetrical structure creates an ambiguous yet stable sound with a jazzy, sophisticated feel from added extensions like the 11th.
insights INSIGHT
Ambiguity and Stability in Fourths
Fourths chords sound very ambiguous and can represent multiple chords depending on bass context.
Their symmetry allows for flexible use and stability even in unusual harmonic situations.
insights INSIGHT
Historical Roots of Fourths Chords
Stacking chords in fourths is an ancient technique, used since medieval Gregorian chants.
Impressionist composers like Satie and Debussy popularized the sound, influencing jazz's harmonic language.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
There’s a particular passage in one of McCoy Tyner’s piano solos with John Coltrane that I adore. In his right hand, McCoy is playing the blues. In his left hand, he is playing a mysterious chord. This episode is about that chord.
The music you hear at the beginning and end is an original track of mine called “Voice Leading.” Other pieces of music discussed, in order of appearance:
A note to copyright holders: I use short clips of the above recordings for educational purposes. In every instance, I believe this to be protected as fair use in the USA, fair dealing in the UK and EEA, and similar exceptions in other nations’ copyright laws. I do not use any recordings in their entirety, and the excerpts that I do use are edited into analytical commentary, making this usage transformative in nature. This podcast is an educational resource, one which has no negative effect on the market for the works excerpted. Any DMCA notices (or equivalent in other jurisdictions) will be contested.
Ethan Teaches You Music Podcast