Mark Turner as a Model for Internalizing Upper-Structure Triads: How to Create Practical Etudes from Transcribed Phrases

by

MATTHEW JOHN MICHAUD

B.A., SUNY College-Buffalo, 2009

M.M.,Eastman School of Music, 2013

A paper submitted to the

Faculty of the Graduate School of the

University of Coloradp in partial fulfillment

of the requirement for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

Thompson Jazz Studies Department

2017

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This paper entitled: Mark Turner as a Model for Internalizing Upper-Structure Triads: How to

Create Practical Etudes from Transcribed Phrases written by Matt Michaud

has been approved for the Thompson Jazz Studies Department

Professor Paul McKee

The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards

of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline.

Introduction

In jazz literature, there are a multitude of educational books that deal with

the musical application of upper-structure triads. These books have emerged and

remained in circulation because the triadic language of upper extensions is an

essential element in the harmonic and melodic language of modern jazz. Many of the

instructional books on the market provide exercises and patterns which enable the

student to become familiar with these structures in a methodical and technical way.

I believe that these books can be highly valuable to the serious jazz student. I also

maintain that such studies will have an even greater effect on the student if they are

supplemented with etudes that place this triadic language in the context of a chord

progression, in which the triads can be applied in a musical way. Perhaps, one might

simply compose an etude on a standard song using the triads which they have

studied. This could be a highly productive exercise.

I posit that it may be a more organic learning process to make etudes out of

actual musical phrases which have been transcribed from a modern jazz great. In

this way, one is taking an actual musical application of an upper-structure triad and

working with it as a motive in a methodical way to learn how to internalize it and

make it available in their improvising. The fact that the student has heard this triad

in a real musical situation strengthens its relevance to him or her, even when it is

then used as a motive in an etude. In this paper, I demonstrate a way in which one

could do this through using Mark Turner as a model. I have taken recorded phrases

in which Turner has used an upper structure triad, and then made etudes out of

these short phrases. I will explain in detail the process and musical decisions I have

made in the composition of etudes that were designed to help the student become

familiar with the langauge of upper-structure triads as used by Mark Turner.

I in no way claim that I am the first to create etudes in this manner. In "A

Practical Approach to Jazz Improvisation: The David Hazeltine Method (Creating

Jazz Etudes Based on Transcription)", jazz pianist and educator Dr. Ben Markley

displays a similar method (Markley). The main difference between Markley's book

and what I present here is largely found in the narrowness of my scope. I am dealing

very precisely with upper-structure triads, as well as singularly on the music of

Mark Turner. As a result, I present here the treatment of a relatively specific

element of the jazz language. Also, as I am dealing solely with Mark Turner, this may

serve as a brief introfuction to his style and melodic conception.

Methodology

My original plan for this paper was to determine the melodic devices Turner

used in order to play "outside" of the chord changes. This is sometimes called

"chomatic playing". I began first my obtaining and surveying as many recordings

and videos of Mark Turner playing conventional jazz standards as are available.

Since my plan was to create etudes based on standard chord progressions, it made

sense to listen to and transcribe Turner in that context. I began by listening to his

solos without a specific agenda. I wanted to become as familiar as possible with all

the elements of his playing before I extracted from phrases in which he used triadic

language. This is crucial to the transcription process as I believe the "what" (triad)

should not be divorced from the "how" (phrasing, sound, dynamics, etc.). In fact, it is

precisely these elements that makes this approach so effective. The student is aided

by hearing the triad used in a musical way. In other words, the student is hearing all

the elements of music at play in the execution of the triad.

When I determined that I had become sufficiently sensitive to Turner's

unique brand of musical storytelling, I began to listen for moments in each solo that

intrigued me. In layman's terms, whenever I heard a phrase that made me think

"What's that?", I would then transcribe the phrase and analyze the notes in the

context of the underlying harmony in order to answer the question. In almost all

cases, what I heard that intrigued me was an upper-structure triad. As it became

increasingly clear to me that upper structure triads were a favorite musical device of

Mark Turner, I made the decision to deal specifically with triads alone in this paper.

One may assume that a modern jazz pioneer such as Mark Turner would utilize an

exhaustive array of upper-structure triads in his solos. However, I have noticed only

four that he uses frequently as a result of my transcription work. For the purposes

of this paper, I take one example of each of these triads used in a phrase and

delineate the process of making an etude from each by using the first four bars of

the Great American Songbook classic, "All The Things You Are".

In order to create an etude, I would first analyze and determine the rhythm,

contour, and inversion of the triad, as well as the relation of each note over the

underlying harmony. Once all of this was determined, my plan was to replicate this

triadic phrase over every chord which shares the same chord quality in the chord

progression of "All the Things You Are". Of course, the relationship of the triad to the

underlying harmony must be consistent. For example, an E triad phrase over a G7

must be transposed to a B triad in the situation of a D7. All the elements of the

phrase, however, I replicated over each Dom.7.

So what about all the other chords in the progression which are not of the

Dominant 7 chord quality? The treatment of these chords is an essential part of this

process and requires certain critical musical considerations. Though explaining my

reasoning behind these decisions makes up the bulk of this paper, I will briefly

summarize the considerations which I made in the composition process.

First, I maintained as many musical elements as possible that are present in

the Turner phrase when applying a triad to the other chords of the song. That is to

say that I would maintain primarily the inversion and rhythm of the triadic phrase.

However, I would not necessarily keep the quality of the triad itself consistent. If the

Dom. 7 Turner phrase was a major triad, I may very well use a minor triad over

another chord. This is because I contend that close voiceleading is a highly integral

part of what makes these etudes sound musical, and therefore a more effective way

to allow one's ear to internalize these sounds. If an upper structure triad is in the

context of registrally close "inside" triads, the ear will more accurately percieve

their relationship to the harmony.

Therefore, the triads which I selected to be played on the chords other than

the chords which utilize the Turner phrase are all to be inside the diatonic function

of the underlying chord. For the "outside" upper structure triads to stand out, the

triads surrounding the upper-extensions must diatonically outline the underlying

chord as clearly as possible. Indeed, it is the strength and clarity of the "inside"

harmony that lends weight to the "outside" sounds.

Mark Turner - Back&:round Information

Before moving on to the etudes, I will briefly provide some background

information on our "musical model". Mark Turner is a tenor saxophonist who was

born in 1965 in Ohio and was raised in California. He attended the Berklee School of

Music in Boston, and soon went on to perform with the likes of Joshua Redman,

Jimmy Smith, James Moody, and Ryan Kisor (Huey).

He has been an extremely active performer and recording artist since the

mid-90's. He has been a sideman for contemporary jazz greats such as Kurt

Rosenwinkel, Billy Hart, Gilad Hekselmen, David Binney, Jorge Rossy, and many

others. His albums and tours in collaboration with Kurt Rosenwinkel have been

highly influential on the conceptual and stylistic trajectory of the proceeding

generation of jazz musicians. The influence of these records, such as Kurt

Rosenwinkel's "Next Step", played a large role in defining many of the stylistic

charachteristics of what was happening in jazz during the first decade of the twenty­

first century.

Turner is known for his exceptional technical facility and incredible ability to

play in tune in both extremes of register. He is also generally considered to have a

calm and measured approach to improvising, with an almost paradoxical intensity.

He is no doubt a modern master of jazz improvisation, and therefore a worthy

model for a study such as this.

Phrase 1 - Major Triad built on the 6th of a Dominant 7th Chord

Dmin7 G7 Cmaj7

' ffl CJ F /fit tflJ ' (fF & J * II F triad (b3 - 5 - b7) E triad (13 - b9 - 3) E minor triad (3 - 5 - 7)

This phrase was taken from drummer Johnathan Blake's 2014 album

entitled, "Gone, But Not Forgotten" (Blake). It was transcribed from Turner's solo on

the Cedar Walton classic, "Firm Roots". I discuss this phrase first as it happens to

follow a very similar "method" which I will be using in the composed etudes. As one

can see, Turner plays a motive of a descending triad with identical rhythm and

contour for each. Also, each of the triads on either side of the upper-extension is an

"inside" triad in relation to the underlying harmony. Over the Dmin7, Turner plays

an F triad, which is comprised entirely of chord tones. The same is true of the E

minor triad on the Cmaj7 chord. The upper-structure triad present here is an E triad

played over the G7. This triad, which is comprised of the 13, b9, and 3, is derived

from the G half-whole diminished scale. As opposed to the tensions of the b9 and 13,

the B in the E triad provides it with a strong connection to the underlying harmony,

as B is the 3rd of G7. Turner uses this upper-structure on Dom. 7 chords relatively

frequently.

Phrase 1 - Etude

2 Fmin7 B~min 7 A~maj 7

E ~ t riad (b7, 9, 11) D ~ t riad (b3, 5, b7) C t riad (13, b9, 3) Cmin triad (5, 3 , 7)

In creating the first four bars of an etude over "All The Things You Are", my

main approach here was to reflect the same descending motion that Turner used in

Phrase 1. I therefore composed this by considering that the top tone of each

arpeggio should create a descending stepwise line. In this example, I maintained the

same arpeggio inversion for each arpeggio throughout.

Phrase 2 - Major Triad Built on the b5 of a Dominant 7th Chord

A7alt Dmin 7

Ir * E ~. triad (bs, b7, b9)

This phrase was taken from a live performance of Benny Golson's "Along

Came Betty" from 2016, which is available on Youtube (Mark Turner Quartet). In

this phrase, Turner plays an ascending, first inversion Eb arpeggio over an A7. One

may view this upper-structure as being the triadic "tritone substitution". This

arpeggio could be derived from either the A altered scale or the A half-whole

dimished scale.

Phrase 2 - Etude

A~ triad (b3, 5, b7) Bbrnin triad A triad {# 11, b7, b9) A ~ triad)

In this etude, I matched Turner's phrase by using all first inversion triads. I

was careful to create smooth voiceleading between each of these triads, and

maintained common tones between each chord wherever possible. This can be seen

on beat 1 of the second bar and beat 1 of the third bar. This recurring Db is

especially important in this context because the third bar is where Turner's upper­

structure phrase is directly applied. By these two triads sharing the same starting

note, the student may perhaps hear the connection of the upper-structure triad to

the underlying "guide-tone line" more clearly.

Phrase 3 - Minor Triad Built on the b9 of a Dominant 7th Chord I,. i l

•

Emin triad (b9, 3, #5}

This phrase was taken from a studio recording of "Autumn Leaves" which

was recorded as a part of a "Jam Session" series for Steeplechase Records in 2003

(Various Artists). Here Turner plays an ascending root position E minor triad over

an Eb7 chord. This triad is derived from the Eb altered scale. Just as with the upper­

structure shown in Phrase 1, this Triad includes the 3rd of the Eb7 chord. This is

surely no coincidence and points at one of the reasons why these triads can be used

with such a strong musical effect. It is in the presence of strong chord tone that roots

the triad securely to the underlying harmony, while the tension tones provide the

"outside" sounds. The side-by-side nature of the chord tone with the tension tones,

in addition to the fact that a triad itself has such strong structural integrity to the

western ear, creates a highly effective musical device in the context of jazz

improvisation.

Phrase 3 - Etude

Fmin 7 B~min 7 x E~7 * Ftrln 7 7 FjCtrln , 1jitt-r Fmin triad Fmin triad (s, 7, 9) Emin triad {b9,3,#5) Gmin triad (7, 9, #11)

In this etude I took the liberty to create a descending version of this phrase.

However, I maintained the usage of root position minor triad throughout, except for

the last chord of the example. I did this deliberately to show how one might choose

to break the pattern created, thus reflecting how one would likely use a motivic idea

such as this in their soloing. If one plays this etude on their instrument, they are

likely to expect the last chord to be a root position triad, ending on the 5th of

Abmaj7, Eb. This is one of the purposes for maintaining the same inversion

throughout, as I mentioned earlier. When the ear comes to expect the pattern to be

maintained, it provides the improviser with an opportunity to break the pattern,

thus creating an element of surprise on behalf of the listener. In this etude, I

attempted to lead the listener to believe I was going to end on an Eb, but instead

broke the pattern by landing on a D, which is a tension tone (#11) on the Abmaj7.

Phrase 4 - Major Triad Built on the 3rd of a Major 7 Chord

Drnaj7

*ti f #F F# triad {3, #5, 7)

This phrase was taken from a 1999 Aaron Goldberg studio recording entitled

"Turning Point" (Goldberg). Mark Turner plays this phrase in his solo on Cedar

Walton's "Fantasy in D". Turner outlines an F# triad, which is derived from the

Lydian Augmented scale. In this case, the #5 tension tone is accompanied by both

the 3rd and 7th of the chord. The presence of both guide tones in this triad makes it a

very strong sounding upper-structure triad and as a result is used frequently by

Turner. On the "and" of beat 1, Turner uses a passing tone which I will maintain in

the creation of my etude based on this phrase.

Phrase 4 - Etude

Abmin (b3,5,7) Abmin (b7,9,11) E ~ triad C triad (C omitted) (3,#5,7)

In this etude, I maintained the exact intervallic structure of the original

phrase throughout. For the first two chords, I repeated the exact notes for both

chords, taking advantage of the common tones shared between the two chords.

From beat 4 of bar 2 to beat 1 of bar 3, I connected these two phrases by half step

motion. This would be an example of a voicleading consideration that enable the

smooth transition from one phrase to another. I did the same thing from bar 3 to bar

4, this time ascending by half-step.

Conclusion

Upper-structure triads are a vital part of contemporary jazz language. As

they are derived from harmonies that are not directly tied to scalar melodies or

blues, a method for learning and internalizing these triads may be helpful for

students who seek to incorporate these sounds into their musical vocabulary. By

transcribing phrases in which these triads are utilized, the student bears witness to

the actual musical function of these structures. If one uses real musical examples to

create thoughtfully composed etudes with the aim of internalizing these unfamiliar

sounds, one may very well find themselves demystifying what otherwise may seem

like a foreign musical language. In the vast majority of cases, Mark Turner uses these

upper-structure triads in a remarkably clear way with no apparent need for

obscuration. I show here how one may do the same in the creation of an etude based

on one of his phrases. It is my hope that the reader may gain insights from the

process I display here to the benefit of their work as a teacher and student of jazz.

Biblio1:raphy

Aaron Goldberg. Turning Point. J Curve Records, 1999. CD.

Huey, Steve. "Mark Turner I Biography, Albums, Streaming Links." AIIMusic. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.

Johnathan Blake. Gone, But Not Forgotten. Criss Cross Jazz, 2014. CD.

Markley, Ben. A Practical Approach to Jazz Improvisation: The David Hazeltine Method (creating Jazz Etudes Based on Transcription) . New Albany, IN: Jamey Aebersold Jazz, 2014. Print.

Swisspercussiongroup. "Mark Turner Quartet - "Along Came Betty" @ Musig-im­ochsen, Muri." YouTube. YouTube, 11 May 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.

Various Artists.jam Session Volume 7. SteepleChase Records, 1997. CD.

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