The Dowggie Blog

Happy birthday to the queen. =)

Hope she likes my gift. Am gonna give it to her later.

Yon.

Happy birthday to the queen. Long may she wave.

c",)

Recorded with you-know-who yesterday. We recorded demos of a couple of tunes of mine which I’m passing on to her for her next album, if her record label approves them (hence the demos).

Ayun, kilig todo.

Todo, as in. Pramis.

=)

Ang kyut-kyut pa naman niya kahapon, kahit wala pang make-up. Sa tingin ko, kahit bagong gising yung babaeng yon at wala pang-hilamos o tootbras man lang, super ganda pa rin siya, eh.

It’s not so much that her face has features which are really all that arrestingly beautiful (although I am rather partial to her features myself). It’s more that her face and its quirks of expression and the way she carries herself have a very endearing charm.

She’s very, very, very charming. Very sweet. Very endearing.

Heart-meltingly so.

T_ngina, kinikilig ako.

c",)

Been delving deeply into the nuances of Coltrane changes recently.

(… piece of trivia… when Koko Bermejo and I were bandmates in Wdouji, we used to jam/shed/work-on Giant Steps all the time; although ostensibly a drummer by trade, Koko can play Giant Steps on the piano like a muthaf_cker.)

The basic principle behind this most ground-breaking of John Coltrane’s harmonic innovations (and the basic idea behind his classic tunes, Countdown and Giant Steps) is, simply, dividing the octave into three equal parts.

An octave is subdivided into three tonal centers which are major thirds apart (thus dividing the octave into three equal parts).

To wit…

Imagine an octave of 12 chromatic half-steps from C to C. Now take that octave and divide it into three equal parts.

From C, you go up a major third. That gives you an E. Now from E, you go up another major third, which gives you G#, a.k.a Ab. Now take a close look at the distance between Ab and C (the top of the octave). That’s right, another major third.

Your octave from C to C is now divided into: C - E - Ab - C — three equal parts, each an equidistant major third away from the other.

This gives you three tonal centers to work with, namely, the keys of C, E and Ab.

Coltrane took this major third octave subdivision and came up with a way to superimpose it on and apply it to the standard ii-V-I harmonic cadence of straightahead jazz.

To wit…

Take a ii-V-I in the key of C. That’s Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7.

/Dm7/G7/Cmaj7/Cmaj7/ <– The proportion of ii to V7 to I is always 1:1:2, meaning if ii lasts one bar, V7 will also last one bar and I will then last two bars. 1:1:2.

Now Trane took his major-thirds-octave-subdivision chorvahlooloo and applied it to the ii-V-I thus:

/Dm7  Eb7 / Abmaj B7 / Emaj G7 / Cmaj

Take a close look at each major chord in that last line. The first major chord is Abmaj, the second, Emaj and the third, Cmaj.

C, E, Ab (in reverse)!

So in essence, the whole Coltrane Changes chuvahnessence is going from one key center to another a major third away.

The progression descends in major thirds.

The key of C goes down a major third to Ab. Ab then goes down a major third to E. E then itself goes down a major third to bring us full-circle back to C.

C - Ab - E - C

Now stick each key center’s respective V7 chord in front of it and you’ll have:

Cmaj - Eb7 - Abmaj - B7 - Emaj - G7 - Cmaj

Seen another way…

/ Cmaj Eb7 / Abmaj B7 / Emaj G7 / Cmaj /

Compare it with the quintessential Coltrane Changes seen above, and you’ll notice that the only difference is the 1st chord in each sequence. In the former, Dm7 (the ii chord in the key of C) is the 1st chord in the sequence. In the latter, Cmaj is the 1st chord in the sequence.

Thus…

Coltrane Changes can be seen either of two ways:

/ Dm7 Eb7 / Abmaj B7 / Emaj G7 / Cmaj /

or

/ Cmaj Eb7 / Abmaj B7 / Emaj G7 / Cmaj /

Now here’s the rub, the catch, the crux of the matter, the thing that makes using this whole sequence over standard song forms so effin’ godawful hard …

In most any jazz standard you can mention, the ii-V-I sequence is, as mentioned earlier, always 1:1:2 in proportion. So in a 4 bar phrase, the ear expects resolution by the 3rd bar.

In the Coltrane Chuvachoochoo, resolution to the I chord is pushed back to the 4th bar. The 1:1:2 symmetry/proportion is thrown askew.

That’s what makes this harmonic device so difficult to use.

I’ve been working on this particular device for a number of years now and have recently come up with a a possible solution.

Squeeze the damn thing so as to land on the I when you’re supposed to.

Lemme show you where I’m at…

Let’s take a look at the Coltrane Chorvahnessence in its essence again.

Cmaj - Ab maj - E maj - Cmaj.

When working this device at speed, I find it easier to just think in terms of each key center by itself. OR… think of each key center’s V chord by itself.

That means rather than think, "Cmaj - Eb7 - Abmaj - B7 - Emaj - G7 - Cmaj," I just generalize the harmonic subject matter and think, "C - Ab - E". OR… "G7 - Eb7 - B7", leading finally back to C.

Now when dealing with a V7 chord, I often just think of its accompanying ii chord. It’s easier for me that way.

(Dorian falls under this guitarist’s fingers more naturally than Mixolydian)

So thinking of each key center’s respective ii chord gives me…

Dm7 - Bbm7 - F#m7 … leading finally back to C.

So… to get back to the idea of squeezing these divergent key centers in such a way as to land on C on the 3rd bar, I’ve come up with 3 possible ways.

1) Squeeze two key centers into the 1st bar:

/ Dm7 Bbm7 / F#m7 (or B7, or Emaj) / Cmaj / Cmaj /

2) Squeeze two key centers into the 2nd bar:

/ Dm7 / Bbm7 B7 (or Emaj) / Cmaj / Cmaj

3) Disregard the 1st key center entirely in the 1st bar and go straight into the 2nd key center right away:

/Eb7 (or Abmaj) / B7 (or Emaj) / Cmaj / Cmaj /

I’ve been trying this approach on recent gigs, applying my methods to standard jazz tunes with ii - V - I’s, and judging by Dave, the bassist’s reaction(s), I may be onto something.

He makes loud exclamations each time I do this sh_t.

I take it as a good sign.

The most recent development in this quest for The Coltrane Grail is a further streamlined way of thinking.

Here it is:

Dm7 - B7 (B mixolydian) - Cmaj7

Dm7b5 - B7 (mixolydian) - Cm7

Dm7b5 - C#m (dorian/melodic minor) - Cm7

Even simpler:

/ Dm7 / B7 / Cmaj / Cmaj /

/ Dm7 / Emaj / Cmaj / Cmaj /

These last two "thinks" (ways of thinking while playing) dispense with the 2nd tonal center altogether. Still, the flavor of Coltrane subs remains.

And when used over a minor ii - V - i (a ii-V headed for a i minor chord)…

/ Dm7b5 / B7 / Cm7 / Cm7 /

That last one can be a tad awkward at times so I also came up with a another "think"…

/ Dm7b5 / Bbm / Cm7 / Cm7 /

Also…

/Dm7b5 / Dbm / Cm7 / Cm7 /

Note that Dbm is the same thing as C#m. Note also that being its relative minor, C#m is harmonically equivalent to Emaj.

Note further (if you’re a total geek like me) that Dm7b5 is harmonically a kissing cousin to Abmaj7#11.

So there….

On the subject of Coltrane Changes, thus barketh the dowggie.

c",)

(… but then, I’m sure I’ll come up with further refinements as I work on woodshedding this sh_t over the next few years)

Dear Aya,
Here is your single’s love horoscope
for Wednesday, November 8:

This new person in your life is intoxicating, but are they really all that? Examine the effect they have on your life and regularly scheduled programming. Remember the word ‘intoxicating’ does include the word ‘toxic.’

That’s my horoscope for today.

Ahhh, but this one inspires me to make beautiful music.

And yes, whatever happens, we shall make beautiful music together. Yes, that much is sure.

c",)

Was blessed with a new song last Wednesday.

My Dad asked for two tunes for a documentary-type project of his. Wrote a brand new song for the occasion. Wrote it pretty much last minute. Was slated to record it Wednesday night. Wrote it Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before going to Soundsrite Recording Studio to record it.

I like this new song. My guardian angel has again seen fit to bless me with the gift of a new song. Very pretty one, too.

… even if i do say so myself. =)

But then… songs like these are songs one really doesn’t feel like taking credit for. All one is is a medium for spirits of that otherwhere beneath a purple-lavender sky. So i guess maybe i can say so myself. That this new song is a very, very pretty one.

Very striking theme. Touching. Tugs at my heartstrings when i hear it.

As i was playing it, working it out as it came, the Queen came to mind. Ah, yes… there is something about these all-consuming infatuations of mine which brings out my inner tweetums. Ahhh… the tweetums is strong in this particular jedi dowggie. ;-p

Because the Queen came to mind as i first played the song, i named it "For The Queen".

Recorded two songs at Soundsrite thursday night. The new song,"For The Queen", and an old song entitled "Nubian Princess".

(That old song, "Nubian Princess", was written after that virgo gf dumped me. Written in memory of her.)

The two tunes turned out well. Recorded two versions of each. One version for my Dad and his project — with a paucity of improvisation. Played those versions relatively straight — just played the melody, basically, with very minor improvisations on the theme. Then recorded another version (of both tunes) where i kinda cut loose. Jammed on the two tunes, really going for it.

Submitted the two tunes to my Dad yesterday night.

Plan to submit the longer versions to… ummm… secret. Baka maudlot pa.

Basta, gagamitin ko tong ‘alternate version ng dalawang kanta bilang demo.

Nawa’y pagpalain po tayo ng Poong Maykapal.

Maybe sometime in the future, i might give the Queen a copy of "For The Queen". Don’t know about her but if i were given a tune like this while understanding the implication that it was written for me/named after me, i’d be hella touched.

But then, she ain’t me. She’s a touch prettier. Slight lang naman. ;-p

God’s will be done, not mine.

Woof.

c",)