Slonimsky

**Metatron** · 09-05-2010, 11:45 PM

Has anyone worked through Slonimsky Theausurus of Scales and Melodic patterns?

**MackBolan** · 09-06-2010, 01:51 AM

- Michael Brecker,John Coltrane,Joe Diorio,Jaco Pastorius,Mike Stern,Steve
Vai,Buckethead,Shawn Lane,Frank Zappa.

**Metatron** · 09-06-2010, 01:10 PM

I guess what I should have said has anyone here worked with it. I have a copy and wondering what other people here have found working with the book.

**markf** · 09-06-2010, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Metatron

I guess what I should have said has anyone here worked with it. I have a copy and wondering what other people here have found working with the book.

it's a nightmare.

**FatJeff** · 09-07-2010, 11:28 AM

Search the forum. We recently talked about this. Personally I think the book is a waste of paper, but others think differently than me.

**derek** · 09-07-2010, 12:41 PM

I have seen it, read thru it some, but have not used it at all. I took lessons for a year from someone who has worked thru it. Strikes me as a scalular version of Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry, more of a reference work than anything else. But again, this is from someone who has not spent the time with it, so I may be way off the mark.

**P.J.** · 09-08-2010, 05:32 AM

Originally Posted by MackBolan

- Michael Brecker,John Coltrane,Joe Diorio,Jaco Pastorius,Mike Stern,Steve
Vai,Buckethead,Shawn Lane,Frank Zappa.

Don't forget Holdsworth.
PJ

**franco6719** · 09-08-2010, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by markf

it's a nightmare.

Yeah, that's been my experience with it when I pull it out once in a while. But that may just reflect OUR limitations. You can't dismiss something for that reason. If you start from that premise, we would all be crawling on the floor instead of learning how to walk, etc.. I still think there is something worthwhile there, though I am not ready for it.

**M-ster** · 10-11-2010, 04:35 AM

I have a copy (somewhere) that I obtained in the mid '70s. I saw Slonimsky on the Tonight Show once with Johnny Carson (I'm dead serious). Slonimsky said he assembled the Thesaurus as a joke. Of course, Slonimsky was a character, and he may have been joking when he said that.

Regarding the book: Very methodical math-head (or librarian) methodology for considering intervals and melodic motion/interpolation. Personally, I think there are much more relevant and musical things that one may study.

**mike walker** · 10-11-2010, 04:39 AM

Fantastic book for expanding horizons.

**franco6719** · 10-11-2010, 05:10 AM

Originally Posted by M-ster

I have a copy (somewhere) that I obtained in the mid '70s. I saw Slonimsky on the Tonight Show once with Johnny Carson (I'm dead serious). Slonimsky said he assembled the Thesaurus as a joke. Of course, Slonimsky was a character, and he may have been joking when he said that.

Regarding the book: Very methodical math-head (or librarian) methodology for considering intervals and melodic motion/interpolation. Personally, I think there are much more relevant and musical things that one may study.

I read somewhere that Slonimsky also published a "book of musical insults" that have been hurled at historically great composers by other composers, critics, etc. It's supposed to be very funny. All the anecdotes are historically documented and everything.

**M-ster** · 10-11-2010, 12:36 PM

There are YouTube vid's available of him. Not what I expected, either. He's worked with serious people and has taken the time to assemble some serious pedagogy, but he has quite a sense of humor and comes across as enjoying the screwball more than the mundane.

**franco6719** · 10-11-2010, 02:29 PM

He sounds more and more like a very interesting fellow!

**Reg** · 10-11-2010, 06:51 PM

One of many that sit on the shelves... he did introduce many great terms... one being pandiatonicism... best Reg

**RonD** · 10-11-2010, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by Reg

One of many that sit on the shelves... he did introduce many great terms... one being pandiatonicism... best Reg

LOL

**docbop** · 10-11-2010, 09:40 PM

It's one of those books lots of people have and they asked the same question what do I do with it. If you google you will find many threads and some tell their way of using the book. The was one recently on the newsgroup rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz. Like most I have the book and I just pull it out now and then find an interest page and work on playing the pattern then trying to use the pattern as a motif.

**shrd11** · 11-22-2010, 06:54 AM

I personally love that book. The problem for me is figuring out what to play the patterns over. There is no explanation of what changes he's hearing. I mean, what do I play all those really cool patterns over? Some I have figured out, but rest are a giant puzzle to me. For most people, the cognitive load of figuring out what to play them over is daunting.
shrd11

**Drumbler** · 11-22-2010, 02:50 PM

Slominsky on Zappa

**michaelsorg** · 11-22-2010, 04:17 PM

The problem with the book is that it really only methodically categorizes symmetrical scales. Some other scales receive a haphazard mention at the back of the book. A more complete collection of all the possibilities inherent in the chromatic scale is provided by Larry Solomon, who revised Alan Forte's method of organizing pitch class sets. Here's a link to his site:
Table of Pitch Class Sets

**M-ster** · 11-22-2010, 04:26 PM

Interesting, Drumbler. Says much more about Zappa than about Slonimsky. I was entertained that Slonimsky showed up to rehearse with Zappa's band!

**Drumbler** · 11-22-2010, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by M-ster

Interesting, Drumbler. Says much more about Zappa than about Slonimsky. I was entertained that Slonimsky showed up to rehearse with Zappa's band!

Slonimsky interviewed:

Part 2:

**javierfiji** · 10-25-2015, 05:17 PM

Hello I Have been working composing some modal changes tunes, based on some nicolas slonimsky concepts.

This is my approach to it. The chord changes are

Glydian
Db lydian augmented aka Lydian #5)
Bb lydian
E lydian augmented (I play thinking in C altered)

Changes were created based on slonismky concepts, diving the octave in four equal parts, that gave us minor Thirds. Then You organize those notes the way You choose.

E G Bb Db.

I organized it starting in G and then going up a tritone to Db, then going down a minor third to Bb, And finally up a tritone to E.[/

So finally the changes are: G lydian Db lydian #5 Bb lydian E Lydian #5[

G Lydian chord I Apply the triad pairs concept, playing G And A triad. Sometimes I play A triad\ B triad implying a Glydian #5

Dd Lydian #5 chord I play A altered, which has the same notes. Also I Apply the triad pairs concept playing Eb triad \ F Triad.

Sometimes I play also minor pentatonics, using the One who are inside the Lydian And Lydian #5 scales.

In G lydian I play : F# minor pentatonic. B minor pentatonic

Db lydian#5 I play: C minor pentatonic. G minor pentatonic (replaces the D for the Db)