Improvisational Language of Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen : A Performance Study

Improvisational Language of Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen : A Performance Study Relates to Double Bass, Contrbass , Up

281 108 7MB

English Pages 70 Year 2006

Report DMCA / Copyright

DOWNLOAD PDF FILE

Recommend Papers

Improvisational Language of Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen : A Performance Study

  • Commentary
  • Double Bass , Contrbass , Upright Bass , Bass Guitar
  • 0 0 0
  • Like this paper and download? You can publish your own PDF file online for free in a few minutes! Sign Up
File loading please wait...
Citation preview

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapters

I.

IN'f "ROD-u c·r 10N ................................................................................................... 1

2.

ORIGINAL TRANSCRil'TIONS ...........................................................................4 All the Things You Are Beautiful Love Blues.for Perla Falling in Love with Love Have You Met 1\1/iss Jones 1 Fall in Love too Easily 1 Love You

Lover Man Oleo So1neday 1\1/y Prince Will Caine Stella by Starlight There ls fllo Greater Love You Look Good to Afe 3.

TRANSCRIPTION ANALYSIS ........................................................................... 37 Hannonic Analysis Technical Devices Motivic Use

REFERENCE LlST .......................................................................................................................68

IU

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Niels-Henning 0 rsted Pedersen was one of the n10St infl uential jazz bassists in the history of the art forn1. In addition to possessing an unn1atched technical facility on the instruinent, 1 he absorbed and utilized the be-bop language, epitomized by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, perhaps more eloquently than any other double bassist. Pedersen collaborated with 1nany of the leading jazz a1tists, including Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Kenny Drev.r, Michel Petrucciani, and Tete Montoliu. Pedersen was born in I 946 in Osted, Denmark. After briefly studying piano, Pedersen switched to double bass and began his professional career at the age of 14. At the age of 17, Pedersen had become the house bassist at the Club Montn1artre in Copenhagen.2 He was the bassist of choice for jazz artists touring Europe and formed long-lasting musical relationsl1ips with Kenny Drew and Oscar Peterson, replacing Ray Brown as Peterson's bassist in the 1970s. Niels-Henning 0rsted Pedersen preferred to ren1ain in his native Denmark throughout his life, and co1nbined be-bop and post-bop genres with Norwegian folk 1nelodies in his own co1npositions and recordings as a leader. There have not been any co1nprehensive studies done regardi ng his uniq ue vocabulary and perfonnance technique to date. In-depth analyses of a particular artist are invaluable pedagogical tools regardless of the genre, including Sa1nuel Applebaum's Way They Play series and David Baker's Giants of Jazz series. Analysis of multiple perfonnances by Pedersen should be beneficial to all jazz n1usicians. 1

John Goldsby, The Jazz Bass Book (San F'rancisco: Backbeal Books, 2002), 142.

2

Ibid. 142.

Jazz is above all an aural tradition, and recordings are tbe priLnary source of research for jazz artists. Great irnprovisers throughout the history ofjazz have thoroughly digested the styles and traditions of previous generations before adding their own significant contributions. The rnethod that these n1usicians use to absorb the bi story of the language is known as " transcribing." Classic solos fro111 n1aster irnprovisers are learned by rote or written out and n1emorized. Charlie Parker was said to have niemorized all of Lester Young' s recorded solos. Many volumes have been published filled with nothing but the transcribed solos of artists such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Paul Chambers. Transcriptions teach us not only the elen1ents of the jazz language-the "vocabulary"-but also the syntax. A particular idion1atic phrase may recur in hundreds of solos, but it is the context in ""'hich that phrase is used and how it is connected to the surrounding ideas that is unique and individual to each improviser. Therefore it is not only the individuality of the rnelodic ideas-there are after all only 12 notes-but the way in which these individual phrases are used >Vhich can provide the careful student great insight into the artistic palette of an improviser. Most published transcription books offer little in the way of analys is of their content. While these books are useful to students of the jazz language, their greatest benefit perhaps is to those who transcribed them. The process of transcribing is an irnportant step, but the n1ost critical processes are analysis and integration of cornpleted transcriptions. Most n1usicians working >vith pure transcription books mernorize a solo or two and therefore have increased their vocabulary over that particular tune or one with very similar harmony in the san1e key. If a solo is broken down, analyzed, and thoroughly integrated, the n1usician can apply the new vocabu lary in a much wider range of situations because the motive is understood at a much deeper hannonic

2

level. An exa1nple of such an analytical transcription book is noted jazz educator David Baker's publication The Jazz S1yle a/Sonny Rollins. 3 In th is work Baker transcribes and notates the solos clearly and accurately, but n1ore i1nportantly he dissects each solo and cites n1otivic deve lopment, specific harmo1lic vocabulary, and chord/scale relationships that all work together to define the overall style of Sonny Rollins. Baker's approach will serve as a model and a guide for the exploration of the specific hannonic language of Niels-Henning 0rsted Pedersen. Thirteen original transcriptions of recorded solos performed by Pedersen are included in their entirety in chapter 2. These solos are analyzed in chapter 3, which is organized into three sections-harmonic vocabulary. technical devices, and 1notivic use. Excerpts from the original transcriptions, as well as works from other composers and improvisers, are included in the body of the analysis chapter for clarity.

3 David

Baker, The Jazz Style ofSonny Rollins (Miam i: Warner Bros. Publications, I 980).

3

CHAPTER 2 ORJGINAL TRANSCRJPTIONS Tbirteen original transcriptions of improvisations recorded by Pedersen are included in this chapter, presented in alphabetical order by song title. A co1nplete list of albun1 titles, dates, and record labels is included in the reference list at tbe end of this docu1nent. Double bass jazz solos are difficult to transcribe due to the low frequencies and frequently inadequate recording techniques used to capture the perfonnance. In addition, Pedersen's style is particularly painstaking to notate. Pedersen makes extensive use of "ghosted" notes, dampened open strings, percussive right hand articulations, and glissandos. Despite these difficulties, great care was taken to notate every sound as accurately as notation allows. The same devices that create challenges in transcription often reveal fascinating insights into Pedersen's unique technical approach to the double bass, as well as critical information regarding Pedersen's left and rigbt hand fingerings. This inforn1ation is essential in obtaining an accurate representation of not only Pedersen' s improvisational language but how this language was and can be spoken on the double bass. These topics will be explored further in chapter 3 in the section regarding technical devices. Every atten1pt was made to accurately represent the chord changes being used in each perfonnance. Every jazz musician has their own preferred chord changes over a given jazz standard. Harmonic analys is is facilitated by accurately representing the harn1ony that the musician is i1nprovising over. For exan1ple, in " Blues for Perla," Pedersen repeatedly i1nplies a standard "turn-around" chord progression in the last four 1neasures of the form wh ile acco1npanying Tete Montoliu, yet occasionally drifts outside the standard changes during his

4

own improvisation. It is a subtle yet important distinction to note that this implies Pedersen is playing "outside" the standard chord changes, rather than " inside" a nlodified set of chord changes agreed upon by the nlusicians beforehand. Two important considerations informed the spelling of individual notes within tbe transcriptions- the "key of tbe 1noment" as well as the standard that sharped notes resolve upward and flatted notes resolve downward. 4 It is a regrettable function of notation progran1s that important decisions regarding note spelling are frequently incorrectly made by the software, resulting in rnusic that is difficult to read. For exan1ple, if a

セ ᄋ ッイォ@

is in the key of D flat major,

the progression of a dominant chord resolving down by fifth to the neapolitan is spelled by default with a D flat rather than a C sharp, as A - D flat - E - G. This is no longer a tertian chord, and as a result is difficult to read, in addition to the fact that the D flat is expected to reso lve downwards, not up to Das it should resolve to the tonic of the neapolitan. It is hoped that careful attention to note spelling throughout this chapter will result in transcriptions that are easy and logical to read.

' Kem Wheeler Kennan, Counterpoint, 2nd ed. (Englewood Cl iffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972), 53.

5

All the Things You Are Solo begins at 3:35

セ miゥ@

@1ᄋGセ@

セ@



r 'r •pIE f ¥ f-f ᄉiセ@

F E F F 1lr !:

It



セ@

£Pi

SPMIMi

'. . . •

Kern/Ha1nmerstein

Fron1 Concert f nedits

-

It •

L

APMA()



セ@

It



--

. "'"

セm

i mゥ@

- 1tpIt



·---

A MA'li

-

-



セ@ .

AMIMi

"•

-

セ ゥ@

.-

セ maGャゥ@

It '

I-

!:

It

:--

.

セ@

- •

-

It

!:.

-.-,

-

Ii

セ@

Oi bA

-

,. "'--

ll. _

-

.

17

セ@

Si

J1

.I

-

,.._,,..-..._

*

I

i. _

... (!. i (セ D@ )

.I

-. -

i-

MIMi

-

.

t

Mセ@ セ@



£MA'li

'



It·-

- ::f:

I

I"'. "

It

-



ti





(!. MIMi

セ@ .

..

.. - -It

"!!:.. !: セ ᄋ@

-

If.

.

.

-

"JC.

.



• • •



-

-

-





.'o I

•i

-..

!:.

-

. . - .. "" It

I-

I-

6

-

...

-

.. QNセ@

.. -

.. 1.

,

セ@ MIM7 セ@

セ@

セ@

セ@ 7

Q MIM7

-

L

/""':'\

,..--._



-

(!,MIM7

'. . •

-..

• R

...

セ miW@

QN

AZセ

- .....

,-- セ@

t

I.

- セ@

;----

QN@



セ@

L_



I.

セ@

I. - ... -

I. .. , - セ@

..

セ@

-

. ..

セ L セ カ ᄋ@

AMIM7

r- r-;--, イM[セ@

-

.- セ@ •

'. . .

:;j



. ML@

..... - ..... -. qNR

-

,...- - ,



N [MNセ@

.---; セ

•.

;tt

Gセ



セ@

MN

-

NM[セ@

- .. • ..

:---.---.. h .. •

NMセ@l •

⦅イッエ[MNセ

セ@

• .. -

-

セ E@

...

-ir.--;--. セ@ -

..

.......



.. 1

l.i:: .. ,.-.... •

-

I

R

セ@ L

....

I.

...

t • •



7

-

.. .

(!,MIM7

セ@

..

I.



- ..

.



セ@

セ m imW@

,...._,,.-..,_



L ,..r--

L-

- L •

49



-

セ miW@ セ@

.. -

-





- ..

!

41



..

.. 1.

セ@

-

.. -

---

.. I. .. ,J

' •

-

I

• •

AMIM7



. ..



l



..



-

0MIM7 I



47 J



.. .v..



Si I

£MIM7

>J



I

-

1



A7 I

-



S4 4

, NBセ@

I







- y - ...



S7 I

セm

i mW@



ー]セ@

MIM7

fイヲTQNLキセオ。G[ッᄋ

AMIM7

C7

it1l

セ@

- ...

-

C7

セ@

..

MA17

fjlil

1



Iii

. ,-



.

07 .I

II.

-

t

C7

Q NL{オGj@

11w

11

I Fall in Love too Easily Solo begins at 6:44

セ@

-

4I

Cabn/Styne

Fro1n Face to face

'

. . ......__....

セ@

;I:!



;

AMIM7

AMIM7 ;

.---- ----. NMセ@

'll

t; I

--

:;j

NMセ@

:6

セ@

セ@

;

£7 j

a miWO



l

l

AMIM7

NMセ@

-

fj

I



16

-





' '

111 ...,.

ti .

-t

' ,.

·a

-...



.

'

_,



...L

.セ@



,

セ M

"

0MIM7

A7



;

1

セ@

....,

- ......



Ml

---

ll

セ@

-...

,_

;;i

- -...

1i

......,

;=!

-_,

-

.

.





. セ

AMIM7 N@

.--- r-->





••

セ@

' •••

セ@

.... .... セ@



セ@

- .NMセ

MN@

_,.......,_

- --





セ@

40

17

-

am •

imWO

セ@

••





£7 • セ@ セ@

....--

セ@

I¥ セL@

--,

;

---

II. セ@



T セ@

;


1 セm

'

- .. I.

'

V'

!:!:1._

--

T

'

,-... I.

..



I. ..

I

c. i

i mゥ@

. -• . -

--



'

:. -

.

l"ll

'" .

Ill . .. -

·- ·-



__

--

,, ----J.. セ@

セ@

c. i •

p.. •

-

..

' -

..

p

I.

, .I

I.

セ@

.. P!: !:セ@

Oi c--.. p.. ..-..

-

セ@



-

セ@

c. i '



,-...



:t.. セ@



I. .----. I



i>i

20

セ@

• • • • 1.1.

セ@

セ@

II..

セ@

-

_ _ ...

セ@ セ

.!: ..

-M

.----.

It

• -

t

pr't. - •

.. ..L '

• Mセ



•• セ@

セm

-セ@ セ@

07

i mW@ It - It -

セ@

,

07

-



'-'

.11-

I"'. " セ@

p セ@

.!:

It •





-

,

,,





77

セm

セ@

- •

-

lit セ@

,

"

-



I

imW@

.!:

It



.!: di lit .. Ii "



• It



• セ@

.... .....

セ@

&i





••

••

It

.I '-'

. . . - It . .

セ@

t

..

• •

- Mセ@

セ@

07 It •

セN@

- -

-

g9

, ,

• •

1 ...!:!

* -,

.... セ@

--



:"'-

セ@

セ@

' L.I

L

"

'

セ@

21

,,

I

'

セ@

·---

.

Lover Man Solo begins at 5:00

セminW@ セW@

....

.. 1

...

9

Rairez/Sherman

Fro1n Face to face

It. ._ セ@

NAセiエ@

_I

_.--..._ 1. ....

-

!II

!.

u.

'

セW@

A7

セ@

It. セ@

w

11

セ@

19

22

-





セ@

-

セm

セm

i mW@

i mW@

-

I!.

!:

.. - セ@

...--..

セ@

I!.

..

'

-

! ーセ

セ@

I.

,a 1

iAN@

-L



I



t7

- -

.



L

I!.



IL セ@

セ@

• I!. •

- ....

L セ@

セ@



AMIM7 $

$

.'

' '

'

'

"

セ@

. ..

' '' ' •



.1



, •• セ

G@

'

$

23

r-ri

s ....

L



-

.r-

AMIM7

£7

AMIM7

セmiW@

セm

41

c. 7 セmiW@

47

0MIM7 • 49

セ@ ,

-

I!.•

;

I!.

;

24

i mゥMW@

Oleo Solo begins at 2:0 I

Fro1n Chops

セ@ Mll4i

-





I.

セ@

セm

i

-I. !:.!P!: .-

-

p

SPMA11

I. !:. !: - -

-

.. セ@ • - L •



セ@ i

!:

-

It.

L



Sonny Rollins

セ@

-

it. !:

,

- •L

It. ..

セ mャTゥ@ it. •

ャTゥ@

-

セ@

.. i-

It. ...... !:P!:.

It. ..

-

セ ゥ@

L •

- It. .. It.

セm

ャTゥ@

セ ゥ@

L

-

9

SPi

- セAp

QN@

!:

セ@

.. _L

£PMA11 ᆪ pmQTセ@

SPMA11

-



ーセ

QN@

セ@ i

!: !:.

セ@

i

pit.b ..

It. ..

It. .. It.

!: !:.

セ@

..

SPMA11

- -

,..r-,

I/

11 セ [@

.. -



,.. ""'

-

セ@ r---セ@

I. -

セ@

25

セ@

-

I t . - - 1 - .,.

..

I

-

. • 6• ,•

-

-L

C, m セ@

!:. II. I- I-

-



'. .

-L

I. •

-

I. •

-





ilセ@

>{

ャ セW@

...

II. -

セー@



I.

-

, .b. - ,





• •

セGM

I.

!:

-.



I.

. I.

..

-

lit. •

- ..

-._

-



セ@

--

セM



41

I.





!:

II.

OJ

セ@

- •

-セ@

セ@

I.

,-• •

.

-

I.



!:i..,.

II.

セ@

-

............

I.



--

I. L -



セ@

-

II.



,

-

II. •

• •

• •

• セ@

j. _,.1..!:

.I

.

- ' Mセ@

-





J

,...._ • •

"""'-

,

>{

- "' .----.

--- -- -

セM

-

_..--..



'"• •



L

セ@

セ@

-··



49



_,,-..._

OJ



- ---;tt •



iセ@

I. •



p セ@ II. -

-

>{

.. II.

-

- - - --

J

-.- iNMセ@

-

-

-

-

' ..

セ@

I-

-

-セ@

I.

!! !!

:. セQ@

26

-

J

-

_,,-....,

Someday My Prince Will Come Solo begins at 4:53

Churchill/Morey

Fron1 Concert fnedits

I

'

• •

1

セ@

CMll47 '

-

sI

"ll

セ セ@

-

セ@

I

.

-

• •

CMll47 4

4

セW@ _ _ 4_

0 Mll47

c,01

0M1147 '

セ@

..



i

It.

M1147 .. It.

!:

!:

:t

-

SPMA17



.I

セW@

! セ セ@

!:

-

t.

... -

セ@

0715

F t 1f ヲセ@

__,

- -

t

17

C Mll47

セ@

CM1147

セ@ セ@

'

It.

• .L セ@

セ@

'

- ....

-

t. -

-t. セ@

-

セ@

-

·-

It. ..

セ@

C Mll47 I

' • t9

セ@

l

-

...

"ll l"ll ifeAI Mf El MfMi - - • Mセ@

...



27

-



...

-

'



S MA1'7

'

-

£ MA1'7

0 '7 f5 1

1

- ...._/

-

$

• -

1

..

セ@

セ@ 1

• セ@

(?. Ml!4'7





41

4



4

,.

....



l

4

'

-



--

-

:;jj

.

I.•

it セ@

I. 49 I

1

1

r e.

Ci

It. •

-

.

4

4

セN iエN@

4

.

•,

..



"" I

.

セ@

セ@

I

セ@ セ@

I

セ A@

s セ@

,._

-

1

.---- I.

!:

I.

-

-

-



1

... .-.. .. - - - .....

ii'

It.

-

;

28

4

Stella by Starlight Solo begins at 2:56

Victor Young

From Art ofthe Duo

-

I

'

.

1 セm

o= @ セ s

"!?.

'

i mゥ@

¥

セゥ@

cerr rrF41JJ Jarrr'r1 rbu¥ J_JJ1w ;J £JJ1 ¥

L

セ@



-

J



...

- ...

セ@

"'

71*7.

NMセ@

L

'

d

-

I

"-

_

.. セ@ . セ@

..

-

11

MIN

-. If.

I



セ@

17

'J

I

セゥ[@

-

t.sl





セ@

. •

'

)

セ@

'-



.

.

セ@

. 1

'

' '

セ@

.I

-

'

- - .. ! !

! セ@

' "

'

--

t9

:;;j

29

I

If.

.. If.

..

I( ..

=i

II! ....

• セ@

'

¥. ,..;,

I



I! 1 ._ fl

4111

-

'

セ@

J

.. I!.

I!.

I-

セ@

-..

1

I.

v•

-L

,

II•.-.,

....

I

-

,; セ@

'

セ@

セ@

I

*'

'

-



セ@

I - ,...

I!.





..

••

セ@

49

..

OM114'ili 5 ;



'.•

. セ@

'

,

_

'

-ᄋ セ@



- - -

'

I



•'

L

-

"'

.. .!: !:

...

I-

I!.

...

Ill .. :--.

セ@

;

"'

.. . セ@

セ@



u

I-



I!

30



G@

.."

-

II

セ@

セ@



;



S7

11

セ@

ャエ セ Nl@ M セ@



..

-

'•

.. -

--

,-..... •

-



"

Ii>

C, Ml!47 • • •



'

... セ@

!: •

-

I!.

-

セ@



I!. ..

77



It.

セ@



-

-



-

-.._)1 ·11 ·;

-

ᄋ @セ •



= -l

..

セ@ ,

/"'"L'•

セ@

... .!: p

,....._

.!:!:

11. •



-

.

-

-



...

.

It. It. •

..........

_,,.-...,.



I!.

.!:

- _p

>J

I!.

セ@

I-

IR. -

-- -

I!. ..

..

I!. セ@

.. _.-....



A-f g

-•

-

u

-

-•



••

-

,..,

--





• ;tl &9



'. . •

---



-

A7

!!.



..



セ@ _,...-.... ,.,.-.....11-

- - ...... •

- - !:

;:-...

I!.



--

• •

1 l

.

-

••

• セ@

セM



91

"

I(

セ@

セ@

-r -...--..-

It. ..... !: 6.

It.

a

T

セ@

I



Cl.



-

.....

-

.

I

.----;---.



'

109

-

I

-

-

-

f

• •

----

;.,.





セ@ It. It. ..... ..... ..... ..... !: !:

j

セiエN@

..

..

It. セ@

...__,セ@

11

----.. . - ----.. It.

セ@

It.

セ@ 11 •

.

セ@

-I

I

It. !: .....



..-- ----;

••

セ@

1111

.. ..

N@1 - 1 -

-

-

u;i

-





セ@





:53

セ@

Cl.

I

-

I( -"- ., 1(---..1( • '

;

-!:

セ@ i'-.



I< . •:..;

セ@

101

•, セ@

"セ@



..

-

-

,.--;..,........, ..--;----..

. -•

lf.l

SPMA17

9' iP ¥'er Irr r FF $1 JJJJJJ:J :J IJJJJJJJJIFF FF JJJ¥II if.I

32

There Is No Greater Love Fro1n Nonnan. Granz ' Jazz in Montreux presents Oscar Peterson Trio '77

Solo begins at I :57

. セ@

セ@

セ@

.... -v-- .

II..• セ@

l セ@

...

-

Symes/Jones •

.

L セ@

... II.

セ@

'

.

,!:

II.

!:

- 11.p.. ...

u

セ@ セ@



..

-.,

C,MIM7



c. 7 .

.!

.!

!:P!: :---Lpill.

-

I •

C,MIM7

..

セ@

セ@

II.

..

.L

!:

-

セ@

_P!:

.. II. '-

""""

セ@

II.

!:p11.

セ@

セm II.

...

-

/

セ@

セm

.. !:

'

.!:

.... セ@

im W@

c. 7

-

-

'

1 セ@

.. ;....

,

. p... セ@ ... p......

L

lilt

,!: ... セ@

"""!

c. 7 . セ@

t9

-

-

'

- ... b... - L

セ@

i mW@





セャ

MQN@

C,MIM7

.. L _ ..

v

' セ@

セ@

L • 11

33

..

.. セ@ ,!: M セ@

II. ""

.. -

!: ._

It -

- -----

'-' It

.. pIt

-pセ@

i!r-·

-

..

It

-

,_

L

;=t



Aセ@

..

-..

.. セMーN@

セ@

,

-

.. - -

.. セ@ t.p • - '



'

41

-

• pセ@



-p .. - ..

"'\

-

L

·-

' セm It ..

;jl

-

inW@

.

I

セ@

.. p'-'

=

P'-

It

;

-

'-'

j

セ@

-



07



'. . •

It



It

セm

.. -

07

inW@

セm

-

-

inW@

-

R

49

セminW@

-

- -pIt , ,. '-'

* -

'-'

il

1





1 1 1 •

_,

ᄋセM

• I

'-'

I '-'

'-'

セ@

. .

_,

.

s

. •

'

セ@ ,

I

_,

It Bセ@

,-..._

_,

34

•, 1

• •

You Look Good to Me Kennedy

Solo begins at 5:00

From Norrnan Granz' Jazz in Montreux presents Oscar Peterson Trio '77

セis@

セ@

-

. ...

I

セ@ セ@

セ@

A7

-

I R



,1



sI

1•

R

,



;

,. '

9 J



A7

-

_,

...

;

I.

I.

-



.

II.

-

セ@

I

セ@

_,.

Mセ@

!: !:

'

07

I

,--



-11111-

II.

!:

I.

セ@

-

セ@

• A7

LJ F

l セ@

-

1 セ@

' • R

t9

cャセ@



.........

AMIM7

... 35

_,

07 • •

.

,

' '

• • I

..

-

セis@

..

-.,

i

..

セ@ セ l@



ᆪ|セmヲG@

セ@

.. II.

セ@

-

ilセ@

--

.. !: セ@

セ@

.:--..

-

..

-

-

..

"

.;"'.!'\

. "'

II.

..

II.

;

iゥZ

セ s@ i

セ@

07 II.

!:

セ ⦅@

.. L ..

-

II.

-

1.

...... ---.

セ@

s;

セW G@ -

.

-

- - -:jj" -l

ti セ@

セ@

(?, 7/£ "

1

i-:r"·-



NM

セMN@

-

-

, •

N⦅セML@

'

.

セ@ , . "'-..!/ ,

,.,, - - 1 •

I• ·•

'

l

L⦅Nセ@

.

.......

.,, ,.,

.. l

07

...

I

..

セ@



ヲ A@

セ@

セ@

セN@

セ セA

- セー[@

II. .. -

-

49

セQ@

セ@

.. ..

II. ,_

セ@

- ,, II. . . . .

_p11.



'

セ@



-

-

セ@

,.... ;

- ..

'

-

:jj ti ,._.,

41



-

-





.

..- --.

II.

I

G ヲセaャm@

;1'

,...._ .. J!-.

'

r--$---,

L

.

...

'

Mセ@

36

セW@

セ@

CHAPTER 3 TRANSCRIPTION ANALYSIS Careful analysis of the transcribed solos can give great insight into the particular vocabulary of Niels Pedersen. Upon analysis of bis solos, certain then1es, or motives, occur repeatedly tlu·ougbout the decades that Pedersen was active as a recording artist Son1e of these motives are specific pitch selections over a given harmony while others are rnore general- scale preferences or a basic harmonic outline. Once these motives are discovered and analyzed, the performer can practice these motives over a variety of harn1onies and begin to absorb Pedersen's vocabulary. Pedersen's i1nprovisational language is broken down for analysis into three niain sections: harmonic vocabulary, technical devices, and niotivic use. The section on harmonic vocabulary den1onstrates bow Pedersen used a wide variety of bar1nonic devices to connect chord progressions in a linear and melodic >Vay, and how his vocabulary is similar to and influenced by non-jazz composers such as Bach and Braluns. Pedersen bad a unique and agile approach lo double bass technique and the various devices he used to reproduce rapid melodies in his in1provisations with ease >viii be exan1ined in the section on technical devices. Motivic repetition and develop1nent were co1nn1on in Pedersen's improvisations, and one solo in particular, on "Have You Met Miss Jones" will be analyzed in the section on motivic use. Harmonic Vocabulary A 1notive conunon to Pedersen's i1nprovisatory language is a descending scalar passage with embellishments occurring in between scale steps. The scale pitches provide a fran1ework that provides continuity though the entire phrase, regardless of the twisting lines and

37

chro1naticism in between. Pau.l Hinde.mith wrote extensively about this "step progression," stating: But within a 1nelody there are other 1uain tones whose significance is primarily 1nelodic. Among these may be the roots of the chordal groups which are the pearls on the string of the melody, but more important are those tones which are placed at important positions in the two-dimensional structure of the nlelody: the highest tones, the lowest tones, and tones that stand out particularly because of their iuetric position or for other reasons. The primary Jaw of lllelodic construction is that a s111ooth and convincing 1nelodic outline is achieved only when these in1portant points forn1 a progression in seconds. The line that connects one high point to the next, one low point to the next, and one rhyth1uically prominent tone to the next, without taking into consideration the less important parts of the 1nelody lying bet"veen these points, is called the step-progression. 5 Charlie Parker used this descending line in 1nn1. 15 through 18 of his improvisation on "Ornithology":

-

: ...

... :;jj



... p:;jj

..__...

:

• 1 -

11

.._... •

• 1

'--'

6

In the above exan1ple, the line that provides the fra1nework of the phrase is a descending G major scale from C to E. The pitch C on beat one resolves down by step after an arpeggiated en1bellishment figure to the B on beat three. The next tv.io scale tones, A on beat four and G on beat one of the next 1neasure, are connected to the previous pitches through clu·omatic passing tones. The pitch G is embellished for nlost of 1neasure two before resolving downwards to F sharp on the last eighth note. The final resting pitch Eis connected to the F sharp by a descending arpeggio as in the first measure.

s Pau l Hindemith, Craft a/Musical Composition: the01y (New York: Schott & Co., Ltd., 1942), 193 . 6 Charlie

Parker, "Ornithology," Charlie Parker Omnibook (Lynbrook, NY: Atlantic Music Corp., 1978), 7.

38

Here is one exan1ple of Pedersen utilizing "step progression" fron1 "All the Thi11gs You Are," n1n1. 9 through 11:

C, MIM7

7

In the exan1ple above, the descending A flat 1najor sc.ale is clearly visible starting on pitch Fon the downbeat of 1neasure 9 and continuing down diatonically one full octave to the Fon the downbeat of measure 11. The scale pitches occur nJost often on the beat and are connected primarily by approach tones, enclosure patterns, or pedal points. Here is an interesting example of this motive from min. 3 and 4 of "Lover Man" : QMIM7

-

8

This is a notable example because the diatonic "steps"- a descending C niajor scaleinitially occur not on the beat but on the last partial of a group of triplet eighth notes. As in the previous example, a pedal point figure is used in the second measure to connect the first three scale notes in that nieasure. This phrase is also of interest for the variety of rhythn1s found in such a relati vely short passage. Here is a more straightforward example fro1n 1n. 45 of the same solo:

7

Michel Petrucciani, Niels Pedersen, "All the Things You Are," Concert lnedits (New York: Dreyfus Records, 2000).

8 Tete

Montoliu, "Lover Man," Tootie Zセ@ Tempo (Klampenborg, Denmark: SteepleChase Productions, 1987).

39

9

An exan1ple from min. 25, 26 and 27 of"I Love You":

10

Another extended exa1nple of this techn ique using an A flat major scale as the outline of this passage fro1n min. 38 tlu·ough 41 of"All the Things You Are" :

spm

Q セW@

APMA17

£P7

OPMA17

ti' pPpi セイ@ Er f r,. f If r Fr E(f-f Iff r ff t Ft IrF( 11

Tn the above exan1ple, the underlining scale displaces up one octave after beat three of the second measure, yet maintains a continuously descend ing shape throughout. Hindemith points out, "In the step-progression, octave transposition may take place, so that sevenths and ninths may replace seconds." 12 Here is another example of this idea \\1ith an octave displacen1ent fron1 mm. 33 and 34 of the same solo:

9

Tete Montoliu, " Lover Man," Tootie s Tempo (Klampenborg, Denmark: S1eepleChase Productions, 1987).

10 Tele

Montoliu, "I love You," Face 10 Face (Klampenborg, Denmark: SteepleChase Productions, 1982).

11

Michel Petruccian i, Niels Pedersen, "All the Things You Are," Concert lnedits (New York: Dreyfus Records, 2000). 12

Paul Hindemith, Craft o/Musica/ Composition: theOIJ' (New York: Scholl & Co., Ltd., 1942), 195.

40

'



'

-

-



,.1. !: .1.

,!: I - !:

I.

-



-

13

Another example oftllis idea with octave displacement, fron11nn1. 69 and 70 of" AIJ The Things You Are":

Here is an example of two diatonic scales creating the frarnework for a n1uch longer bebop line. G harmonic minor is used as the outline for the first three beats, and then a C major scale outlines the rest of this excerpt fro1n trun. 28 through 31 of " l Love You" :

-

!:

I. •

-

>

-

-

I. •

-

v

-·IS

Jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins used " step progression" with octave displacen1ent in his irnprovisations, as in this exa1nple from 1nn1. 11 of his second in1provisation on " On a sャッセカ@

Boat

to C hina" :

13

Michel Petrucciani , N iels Pedersen, " A ll 1he Things You Are," Concerl lnedils (New York: Dreyfus Records,

2000). 14

Ibid.

is Tete Montoliu, " I Love You," Face to Face (K lampenborg, Denmark: SteepleChase Productions, 1982).

41

.-S--.

.._;

セ@

-

/

.

セ@

-

16

Finally, one more exan1ple of th is techniq ue used twice in succession, wi th two different scales, from n1m. 33 through 36 of " I Love You" :

セ M v

I!.

'

'f

. -

,,

,..-....



-·· -

07 17

The above exan1ple shows just how pervasive this techn ique was throughout Pedersen's improvisations. The outljning scale creates a melodic pattern which coru1ects the changing hannony in a linear fashion . By itself, tbis outline would create melodic improvisation, yet this teclu1ique is pervasively orna1nented using standard mus.i cal devices such as neighbor tones, enclosures, and pedal points to create a rnuch more interesting line. The scales to outline the hannony in the exrunples above are primarily tonic scales in the " key of the mornent"- for exa1nple in the excerpt above, Gmin7b5, C7b9, and tbe following FMaj7 chord indicate a deceptive cadence- F minor is implied from the half-din1inished ii chord and b9 extension on the V7 chord, yet the resolution is to F 1najor. Pedersen selected the F major scale to form his outline. ln the example preceding from "All the Things You Are", the chords Bbn1in7 and Eb7 clearly iudjc.ate a " key of the nloment" of Ab n1ajor. This is the scale that fonns the outline for Pedersen's in1provisation in this excerpt. In both of these examples, Pedersen selected the harmonic rhythm in such a way that he was playing the third of the chord on each chord change •6 Sonny 17 Tete

Roll ins, "On a Slow Boar to Ch ina," Sonny Rollins and the Stars (Prestige Records, 1963).

Montoliu, "I Love You," Face to Face (K lampenborg, Denmark: SteepleChase Productions, 1982).

42

(slightly anticipating the chord change in 111. 34 of "All the Things You Are"). While this is not true of the other exan1ples of this outline shape, it does suggest the existence of a sub-category of this "step progression" outline- the use of a descending scale to co1u1ect the third of one chord to the third of the next. This specific outline shape is conunon to the jazz language and is referred to as "outline I" by Bert Ligon in his book "Connecting Chords with Linear Harinony." 18 David Baker includes tnis motive in his compilation of improvisational patterns from the be-bop era. 19 As Ligon notes, this device is not exclusive to jazz; it is one of the basic rules in melodic '"riting in western counterpoint. It ensures a n1elodically pleasing and harmonically descriptive 1nelody above a given bass line.20 Bach utilized this exact outline pattern many times in his compositions, including "Invention l I" fron1 his Two-part Inventions. In this work, Bach sets up every new key area with "outline I," beginning with a modulation to B flat major and in1n1ediately D minor in mm. 5 and 6:

21

The next key area of F n1ajor followed by C 1ninor is established with the same outline shape in 111111. 11 through 13. In 111. 12, the outline is found in the left hand: 18 Bert Ligon, Connec1ing Chords wi1h linear Harmony (Lebanon, IN: Houston Publishi ng, INC., 1996), 6. 19 David Baker, lmprovisa1ionat Pauerns: The Bebop Era (New York: Charles Colin Music, 1979), 15. 20

Be1·1 Ligon, Connec1ing Chords wilh linear Harmony (Lebanon. IN: Houston Publishi ng, Inc., 1996), 6.

21 J.S. Bach, "Invention 11," 7\110- and Three-Part lnve111ions, ed. Howard Aldrich (Sherman Oaks, CA: Alfred Publish ing Co., Inc., 1977), 22.

43



I



セ@ •



-== -

-



L •

=

I

セ@

0--



セ@

22

Finally, the key areas of E flat rnajor and G rninor are established using "outline I," both times i11 the left hand:

Bach utilized this outline profusely in "Minuet II" fron1 his first Suilefor Cello Solo . In 1n1n. 17 through 22. Bach sequences outline I several tin1es, with the initial third of the dominant

chord displaced one octave, creating a 3-5-7-9 arpeggio to connect to the ren1ainder of the outline shape (chords added for clarity): C, MIN

L



t.

セ@



22

J.S. Bach, " lnvenrion 11," 1ivo- and Three-Par! Inventions, ed. Howard Aldrich (Sherman Oaks, CA: Alfred Publish ing Co., Inc., 1977), 23 .

23 Ibid.

23 .

44

- ..

07 セm

i m@

-

I.

"

24

On Pedersen's final live recording, The Un.forge/table NH@P Trio Live, Pedersen perfonns a solo double bass transcription of this nlovement. 25 It is clear that Pedersen studied the nlusic of Bach and that his harmonic vocabulary was directly influenced by Bacb. Charlie Parker used this line in nun. 43 and 44 in his improvisation on "Anthropology": C,MIM7

QMIM7

b..

I •



-

I •

w

1

26

Pedersen utilized this con1n1on device nlany tin1es in his in1provisations to create 1nelodic phrases that connected changing harmonies. Here is one exa111ple from n1n1. 45 and 46 of"l-Jave You Met Miss Jones": セm

i mW@

c. 7 27

Note the use of the F nlajor parent scale to connect the third of the Gn1in7 chord to the third of the C7 chord, using a straight descending line. If the pitch Fin nl. 45 resolved 24

J.S. Bach, "Minuet 11," Six Sui/es for Cello Solo, ed. Hugo Becker (New York: lntema1ional Music Company, 1946), 7.

25

Niels Pedersen, "The Bach Piece." The Unforge11able NH@P Trio live {MOnchen. Germany: ACT Music,

2007). 26

Charl ie Parker, "Anthropology," Charlie Parker Omnibook (Lynbrook, NY: Atlantic Music Corp., 1978), 12.

27 Joe

Pass, Niels Pedersen, " Have You Met Miss Jones," Chops (Original Jazz Classics, 1993).

45

i1n111ediately to the Eon beat four, the harn1onic change wou ld be anticipated. To avoid thi s, Pedersen inserted two double approach tones fro1n below to reso lve the F to the Eon the downbeat of n1easure 46. Jn the next exa1nple fron1 measures 12 and 13 fro1n " Falling in Love with Love," Pedersen 's rhythn1ic subdivision is at the eighth note level throughout, so 1uore added notes are needed to ensure arrival on the F sharp on the downbeat of n1. 13.

AM\147

07

9: f r F f f f F{jiQ K

21

In the next exa111ple, Pedersen uses this device to voice lead through three successive chord changes- in thjs instance min. 7 and 8 from " Oleo" :

セ@ 7

SPMA17 .,--......

YGゥセ@

セ@

M\147

イfセァ」QP@

7

29

In this example from mn1. 20 and 21 of "Stella by Starlight," Pedersen completes the phrase melodically by resolving the third of the Dn1in7 chord to tonic:



At9 ·-• ••

-

-

30

28

Oscar Peterson, " Falling in Love with Love," Oscar in Paris: Oscar Peterson Live a1 the Salle Pleyel (Cleveland, Ohio: Telarc, 1997). 29 Joe

Pass, Niels Pedersen, "O leo," Chops (Original Jazz Classics, 1993).

;o Philip Catherine, Niels Pedersen, ''Stella By Starlight,'' Art of the Duo (Munich, Gem1any: Enja Records, 1993).

46

ln tl1is exa111ple from oim. 67 through 69 of the san1e solo, Pedersen uses a 111uch wider range of pitches to compensate for the slower harn1onic rhythn1. The thi rd of the Cn1in7 chord in this instance is resolved to the fifth:

-



I

"""'

セL@



-



..

-

.._J .. セ@

;

'•

.....

-· l'

31

In th is exan1ple from nun. 33 and 34 of "Son1eday My Prince Will Come" Pedersen uses triadic rather than scaler shapes to connect the thirds of these chords:

I

=q/j j



l

.



• .__:

l

32

In this example, mm. 73 and 74 from "I Love You," Pedersen uses "ghosted" notes on the open D string to separate the notes of the scalar outline. Pedersen's use of this technique will be discussed later in this chapter.

セm Q QTs@ セ@

C19

9' i fr*F ff エセヲ@ t Ij? 0 セ@

D

Pedersen uses a sequential pattern with upper neighbor tones to connect the notes in this descending scale fron1 thi rd to th ird in 1n1n. 21 and 22 of "Falling in Love with Love": 31

Phi lip Catherine, Nie ls Pedersen, "Stella By Starlight," Art ofthe Duo (Munich, Gennany: Enja Records, 1993).

32

Miche l Peti·uccian i, Nie ls Pedersen, "Someday My Prince Will Come," Concert fnedits (New York : Dreyfus Records, 2000).

33

Tete Montoliu, "I Love You," Face to Face (K lampenborg, Denmark: SteepleChase Productions, 1982).

47

ll

-

,

!: -ll

ll

.. ll

-

34

Finally, Pedersen demonstrates how this pattern can be used to connect many chord changes, across a span of four measures in this exan1ple from 01m. 62 through 65 of"AIJ the Things You Are" :

ll



セ@ セM

!!

!!

ll

ll ..

-

-

セ@

.

,. 35

.

The descending scale pattern is clearly visible in the example above, with an octave displacen1ent in the first beat of 1n. 63. Pedersen is able to connect thirds to thirds easily throughout this exan1ple in part because of the sequence of the chord progression. Each chord descends by a fifth, 1neaning that the thirds are all a fifth apart as well. With four beats to a measure, Pedersen can connect th irds to thirds using descending quarter notes as the outline of his phrase, and en1bellish from there. Another pattern utilized by Pedersen throughout his irnprovisations is similar in concept to the previous exa1nples. This motive consists of a descending 5-3-1-7 arpeggio on the first chord, with the seventh resolving stepwise to the third of the second chord. Ligon refers to this

3'

Oscar Peterson, "'Falling in Ohio: Telarc, 1997). 35

Love with Love," Oscar in Paris: Oscar Peterson live at the Salle Pleyel (Cleveland,

Miche l Petruccian i, Nie ls Pedersen, "All the Things You Are," Concert lnedits (New York: Dreyfus Records,

2000).

48

co1n1non harn1oni.c shape as "outline 3."36 Parker utilized this outline shape in

111m.

3 through S

of his in1provisation on "Anth ropology":

-

,- _,

'::tJ 1

C, Mlt47

.-S--. •



' .... J •

• セ@

37

Brahn1s used this same outline shape in n11n. 79 through 83 of the first move1nent of his

Fourth Symphony38: .iJ セ@

'

1

セ@

.

1

ャQG @

-

j

.

I

セompゥ

-

•I

-

セ C W@

c. •

SMll47

£7



. 39

David Baker lists thi s exa1np le as a standard pattern fro1n the be-bop era:

.. =A l

セ@

C, Mlt47

.. -

-



'10

36

Bert Ligon, Connecting Chords with l.inear Harmony (Lebanon, IN: Houston Publ ishing, INC., 1996), 65.

37

Charl ie Parker, "Anthropology," Charlie Parker Omnibook (Lynbrook, NY: Atlantic Music Corp., 1978), 10- 11.

38

Bert Ligon, Preparing Strings for Jazz Improvisation, unpublished manuscript, 53.

39 Johannes

•O

Brahms, Symphony No. 4 in E mi1101; Op. 98, score (New York: M. Baron, Inc., n.d.), 6.

David Baker, Improvisational Pallerns: The Bebop Era (New York: Charles Colin Music, 1979), 20.

49

Sonny Rollins used this pattern beginning in 1nn1. 9 of his fifth chorus of improvisation on "Tenor Madness" :

... _-,,r-

セ ML@





イM

セ MN@

"!:IS:

1

41

This is one exa1nple of Pedersen using this 1notive connecting seventh to third tben ninth to fifth from 1nm. I through 3 of "Beautifu l Love" :

£1o11Mt$

9: iP @1

0MIM7

At9

l

r

[ rEF11,J

IE

r

i セ@

42

The pitch A in nieasure 3 is resolved dovvnwards through the D 1ninor triad to reso lve con1pletely on tonic. In the next exa1nple, fron1 mn1. 8 and 9 of the san1e solo, Pedersen delays the resolution to the third of the domi nant chord by starting the motive one eighth note late, and preceding the resolution to the third vvith a chron1atic approach tone fron1 below:

41

Sonny Roll ins, "Tenor Madness," Tenor Madness (Pre stige Records, 1956).

42 Michel PetTucciani , Nie ls Pedersen, " Bea utiful Love," Concert •3

Ibid.

50

lnedirs (New York: Dreyfus Records, 2000).

Note the din1ini shed seventh interval between the third and flat ninth o n the do111inant chord. This interval is comn1only connected with a fully din1inished arpeggio as in this exan1ple from mm. 2 1 tluough 23 fro111 " Have You Met Miss Jones" :

A7 '-'

セ@

....

ti I

-

rtl

44

Th is outline shape is used twice in successive n1easures iJ1 this example fron1 JDJU. 3 l and 32 fron1 " Have You Met M iss Jones" :

NMセ

:ta

-

07

AMIM7 •

I

45

Pedersen perforn1s the sa1ne figure again in his second chorus of i1nprovisation, 1nm. 53 through 55. Notice the use of the B natural-indicating a D 1najor parent scale instead of the D hannonic niinor scale encountered in previous exan1ples. This creates a half din1inished rather than fully din1inished arpeggio fron1 third to ninth over the don1inant chord:

NM

:ta セ



i@



-

'

セ MN@



A7

-

'-'





. ... ,...

r

""' /



. 46

Another corninonly occurring harmooic pattern throughout Pedersen's improvisations is a sequence which involves a group of pitches fortning an enclosure around the third of a chord, 44

4

Joe Pass, Niels Pedersen, " Have You Mel Miss Jones," Chops (Orig inal Jazz Classics, 1993).

s Ibid.

46

Ibid.

51

followed by an enclosure arou nd the tonic note of the chord. An enclosure is the preceding of a specific pitch with both the upper and lower neighbor tones. A prime exrunple of this phrase is found in 111. 5 of"There ls No Greater Love":

47

A nd later in the san1e solo, n1n1. 28 and 29:

C7

48

Again in the saine solo, min. 37 and 38:

C7

-It ..

!:.

.._, •

11. p It

..

... 49

}Jere is a similar yet slightly different exan1ple fron1 n1n1. 9 and I 0 of"All the Things You Are":

47

Ray Brown, Niels Pedersen, Oscar Pelerson, "There Is No Grea1er Love," Norman Granz 'Jt1zz in Montreux prese/1/s Oscar Peterson Trio ?7. DVD, produced by Jean-Marc Bel (New York: Eagle Rock Entertainment, 2004). 48

Ibid.

49

Ibid.

52

セmiW@

(!.MIM7

In this example, lhe enclosure around the tonic is in actuality an enclosure of the fifth of the Fmin7 chord due to the harmonic change occurring on the do>vnbeat of the second measure, yet the idea is aln1ost exactly the san1e as the occurrences in "There Is No Greater Love" except for the use of the minor n1ode. The shift in harmony to Fmin7 changes tbe resolution of this idea fro1n tonic to fifth, yet the idea itself still works. Pedersen perfonns this motive with the same resolution, to the ·fifth of the chord, in this san1e solo, m1n. 38 and 39:

SP1o11M7

9= •ppj セ イ@

£P7

Erp r f1f ¥

51

As well as this example fron1 mm. 61 and 62 of"You Look Good to Me":

C.7/£

In the next example, taken fron1 "Someday My Prince Will Come" mm. 37 and 38, a different hannony sounds even earlier in this motive. The tl1ird of the C n1i nor chord doesn't occur until the G7 chord, creating a different v1u·iation still-instead of an enclosure around third so Michel Petrucciani. Niels Pedersen, "All the Th ings You Are," Concert lnedils (New York: Dreyfus Records, 2000). SI

Ibid.

Ray Brown, Niels Pedersen, Oscar Peterson, "You Look Good to Me," Norman Grtmz ' Jazz in Montre1