hebel. today · 12 November 202663 / 74
Music · Music Theory Appreciation
Subtle irony as a tool for harmonic distance
Ethan Iverson identifies subtle irony as a vital mechanism for distancing a performance from traditional harmonic expectations. In ragtime, Scott Joplin creates this effect by positioning melody and bass in opposing rhythmic directions, a…
From 2 newsletters · 1 min read · one thing to try
Ethan Iverson identifies subtle irony as a vital mechanism for distancing a performance from traditional harmonic expectations (ETHAN IVERSON from Transitional Technology). In ragtime, Scott Joplin creates this effect by positioning melody and bass in opposing rhythmic directions, a technique Iverson compares to Beethoven and Haydn on steroids. B.B. King employs lyrical irony to subvert blues tropes, such as when he sings about shopping for his own tombstone.
John Coltrane furthered this distance by playing the "Giant Steps" cycle on top of droning modal harmony in the 1960s, creating a universal aesthetic of dissonance that feels stretched rather than removed. Mat Creedon teaches a related method of creating expectation by playing up a scale and stopping on the seventh note, forcing the listener to anticipate the resolution to the tonic (Mat Creedon, Mat Creedon). By stepping back to the sixth note before finally playing the tonic, a performer can amplify this tension and delay the listener's relief.
Try today · 15 min
Create a phrase that delays the listener's expectation of the tonic note.
Play a major scale up to the seventh note, then insert a detour before resolving to the octave.
Steps
- Play a C major scale slowly from C to B.
- Stop on B and wait for the sound of the high C to emerge in your mind.
- Play the high C to confirm the match.
- Repeat the scale, but when you reach B, step back to A.
- Return to B, pause for one extra beat, and then resolve to the high C.