Extended Essay - Music
Extended Essay - Music
Extended Essay - Music
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Table of Contents
Heading Page
Introduction 1
Jazz Fusion 2
Snarky Puppy 3
Binky 7
Solo Sections 14
Flood 19
Conclusion 27
Works Cited 30
Appendix 32
Score of Flood 33
Score of Binky 40
Introduction:
Ever since the beginnings of the Jazz era, it was as common to hear jazz, swing and funk on
the radio, as it is to hear pop and rap artists of today on the radio nowadays. Soon after the
second half of the century, genres like Funk, Rock and Soul began to replace Jazz as the
music America was known for. To date, the best-selling jazz album of all time is Kind of
Blue, by Miles Davis, recorded in 1959 which sold over 4 million copies1. However, Herbie
Hancocks album, Head Hunters and Weather Reports Heavy Weather both come in at a
close 2nd and both released soon after. All three of these albums had common attributes.
They defined what was taken to be standard functional harmony and brought aspects from
music around the world and also what was popular at the time into their playing. Music
around the world today is no longer solely subject to one overarching type of music, such
This essay looks at the compositional devices found in the pieces, Flood, and Binky, by
the Jazz Fusion Artists Snarky Puppy and the impact of the pieces on the listeners
Harmony, further exploration as to what makes Jazz Fusion today will be uncovered.
1
"Gold & Platinum - RIAA." https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.
Jazz Fusion:
Jazz Fusion is an evolving musical genre that developed during the late 1960s, after the
emergence of genres such as Bebop and Free Jazz. Bebop jazz was initially characterized by
significantly more complex chord progressions and melodies and with a strong
concentration on the rhythm section. Although the irregular and unpredictable lengths of
solos made the music less suitable for dancing, it was definitely entertaining. Jazz
enthusiasts just sat back and listened to the music! This type of jazz is depicted by its
improvisations, which were primarily composed of 8-note and 16th-note figures. There are
numerous abrupt melody changes and paused intervals between notes. Rather than simply
embellishing a melody, bebop jazz musicians used chord progressions for the basis of their
improvisation. Jazz Fusion builds its sound and style just like its name suggests, through
the fusion of jazz and other genres that are popular at that particular period of time.2 Based
around the concepts and foundations of jazz harmony and an emphasis on improvisation.
Notable artists that began the movement were Miles Davis, Chick Corea, John Mclaughlin
and Herbie Hancock. Later on, bands such as Return to Forever and Weather Report,
further solidified the genre and paved the way forward for future acts. This was done not
just through establishing new frontiers of playing, but changing the very way they perceive
2
"The Birth of Bebop Jazz - A History of Jazz." http://www.historyjazz.com/bebop.html. Accessed 3 Oct.
2017.
Snarky Puppy is a jazz fusion ensemble led by the bassist, producer and composer Michael
League. The band was formed in Denton, Texas by Michael League in 2004 and comprises
consists of guitar, bass, keyboards, woodwinds, strings, brass, percussion and drums.4 They
have released 3 albums in 2008, 2009 and one in 2010 accordingly, however only truly
honed their signature sound on their 4th album, Tell Your Friends. Michael League, the
primary composer for the band himself describes the band, as a "a pop band that
improvises a lot, without vocals". Many of the members grew up listening and playing in
the gospel, funk and hip-hop scenes in Texas. These sounds and characteristics can be
heard in Snarky Puppys music as many of the members draw from this influence when
performing. However, it was Miles Davis In a Silent Way that was a primary inspiration
3
"Snarky Puppy | Biography & History | AllMusic." http://www.allmusic.com/artist/snarky-puppy-
mn0002073891/biography. Accessed 15 Aug. 2017.
4
"SNARKY PUPPY | About Snarky Puppy." http://snarkypuppy.com/about. Accessed 15 Aug. 2017.
In a Silent Way is a piece composed by Joe Zawinul, who is most famous for co-leading the
famous 70s jazz fusion band Weather Report. Coming from the same musical concept of
having multiple keyboard players, a not yet famous John McLaughlin included bass lines
and grooves that keep the song going steadily.5 Many players involved have since attained
legendary status in some of the greatest fusion bands of all time, such as Weather Report
and Return to Forever. Saxophonist Wayne Shorter, keyboardists Chick Corea, Herbie
Hancock, and Joe Zawinul, guitarist John McLaughlin, bassist Dave Holland and drummer
Miles Davis had gone on to expand instrumentation which could be included in a jazz
ensemble. His constant desire to find the a specific sound in his head lead him to add
electrified instruments, along with bass oboes, sitars and more. The traditional ensembles
were ejected in favour of bands that had three electric keyboards, two drummers,
percussion or anything else that Miles wanted. Miles pioneered what is now known as Jazz
Fusion. He dismantled the idea of what Jazz was. It now had a rock influence, it was
ambient, had funk rhythms, was electronic and it was something that was new to the
audience. This influenced the sound that we know is Snarky Puppy; the big ensemble with a
diverse range of instrumentation, combined with the complex harmonies give Snarky
The harmony in this piece is based upon open strings and repeating drones. This creates a
5
"<i>Bitches Brew</i> - Miles Beyond." http://www.miles-beyond.com/iaswbitchesbrew.htm. Accessed 11 Aug.
2017.
sense of stability but lacks in harmony. They keyboards slowly enter and provide depth and
the guitar plays an altered melody with open strings to highlight and accent each note of
The influence of this group of musicians and their future endeavours are clearly visible in
Snarky Puppys music and performance. Plenty of the rhythmic devices Michael League
implements, are based on South American and African polyrhythmic ideas, which build
rhythmic a foundation as well as diatonic harmonies placed over the top. Their music
combines modern music influences and various traditions, keeping some of these
6
"Q and A: Michael League and the rise of Snarky Puppy | Ottawa Citizen." 21 Jun. 2015,
http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/music/q-and-a-michael-league-and-the-rise-of-snarky-puppy. Accessed 16
Aug. 2017.
Binky:
To understand the significance of the rhythmic and harmonic devices used by League, we
must unpack the piece and look at how the instrumentation works together, using specific
examples. The piece begins with a rhythmic motif, in 3/4 consisting of 3 pairs of 8th notes
played by just Congas and Shakers. This motif continues throughout most of the piece,
brought back at different points and used as a point of reference by League. Lot of the
rhythms played are built by using an additive structure, adding beats on top of each other
Bar 3 introduces the bass and piano, playing an ascending motif in 3rds and then repeating
a 4th down, ending with a descending lick in bar 10. League introduces this bassline as a
outline for Section A, and the general rhythmic structure for future sections.
Section B introduces a strophic melody played by the B and C melody instruments. They
play a third apart accenting beats 2 and 3. The same isorhythmic melody heard in bar 12 is
repeated 2 bars later and a 4th lower. The melody behaves in a conjunct motion using small
intervals between the notes and is in sequence. This sequence is repeated again to create a
C Section. This altered version of the first stated melody ends differently, with an extended
In Section D, the Guitars are introduced and the percussion heightens the complexity of the
rhythms. The Rhythm section now plays with increased syncopation, creating a more
intense section. The percussion and the drums outline the melodic and bass rhythm. The
guitars play the same riff as the bass but an octave higher, the second note of each 8th note
is an octave higher than the previous 8th note. This widens the melodic and harmonic
Section E and F (Bars 35-50) are previously played as Section B and C (11-26), however
this time with the addition of guitars and more keyboards. The flavour of these sections
have changed as well, it is now more lively. At this point, you can hear keyboards playing
fills in between the melodies and a Jam-Band becoming more evident here.
Section G, which can also be referred to a chorus section, now modulates to a new key thus
creating a new groove. Harmonically it modulates from its previous key of E Major (C#
Minor) to E Minor (G Major), which is its parallel minor. This modulation is quite drastic as
the G#, C# and D# all become G , C , and D . The chord progression here does not follow
diatonic chordal harmony. This is because what should be a F#min7 is a Fmaj9 and what
should be a D7 or a Dmaj7 is a Dm9, where both chords are not in the chord scale of E
Minor. Another thing to notice is the Esus9. When a Sus chord is played the 3rd becomes a
4th. However when a Sus9 is played, its 3rd becomes a 2nd. So it will consist of E, F#, B and
E. League uses this to further emphasise the tonality change in this section.
10
E Major Scale
E Minor Scale
The melody that is played over the chord changes outlines the general nature of the chord.
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The metre is another aspect of the music that changes. The chorus section alternates
between 4/4 time and 3/4 time. This creates a whole new rhythmic effect, one where the
groove feels like it is being pushed and pulled. Here the rhythm is more syncopated, as the
drums and percussion are playing 32nd notes with accents on the chords. The chords are
played through short jabs and then held. This continues to build the tension throughout
this section.
Section H is the second part of the chorus section. In this section, the piece modulates once
again harmonically and rhythmically. Harmonically its now gone to the V7 chord of E
Minor which is a B7, (in this case a Bsus7) and the melody is modulated. The licks played
by the C and Bb instruments and played a 4th apart. The melodic interval between the Bb
and C instruments are a 2nd apart. Rhythmically the time signature changes once again,
this time to 6/4 while still holding on the characteristics of the previous section.
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Snarky Puppys key to having such a diverse and rich palette of textures and dynamics lies
in its instrumentation. A lot of what you hear rhythmically is thanks to the tight,
years of experience in playing together, Snarky Puppy have formed a cohesive unit that
locks in naturally.
Section I releases the climax and the build up of the previous 2 sections. As well as
modulating back to E major the feel is now of a more open straight 16th note dynamic. The
bass and piano are playing straight sixteenth notes, exploring a wider harmonic range.
With the addition of the 7th note of each chord adds more tension to the harmony. By
having the 7th in the bass, the piece has the tendency to resolve. When we hear a 7th chord
we want the note to fall and resolve, by doing this League is intentionally giving the idea of
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After section I, the head melodies are repeated once more with the full orchestration and
Sections J through K are previously stated material and are repeated, with the exception of
the keyboard. They clearly are playing longer fills in between the phrases and thus adding
tension and excitement. Synths add to the head melody, harmonizing with the horn section.
This again adds to the timbre and texture, a technique influenced from Miles Davis and
Solo Sections:
Section K also introduces us to the first solos. The rhythm section loops the head and
provides the basis for the tenor saxophone solo. Harmonically the soloists of Snarky Puppy
tend to remain quite diatonic and within the chordal tones. Traditionally, jazz
improvisation relies heavily on the use of modes, in the major and minor to give it a
particular dissonant sound. Snarky Puppys horn players tend to stay away from this
particular sound, keeping the listener more engaged and fitting a more contemporary
approach. The horn players use digital and analog effects such as delay and reverb, to
create this distinctive sound. Section M through P are also previously stated material,
which this time is used for solos. In this section, the flugelhorn is used as the solo
instrument, the length of the solo is longer, serving as a final big section before the
breakdown. Section Q repeats a part of the chorus melody and it ends with a slight fade
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Section R is heard previously as an interlinking section after the first chorus (Section G).
Here it serves as the basis for the bridge section (Sections R through T). It is important to
note the open atmosphere here. The guitar is arpeggiating the chords and having the E-
string ring out. Arpeggiating the chord allows for the music to sound fuller and increase
harmonic range while the ringing E-string gives added harmonic support to the section.
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Section S introduces a new melody played first by a soft synth, serving as a big build up as
as the piece progresses. The same melody is looped around and more instruments are
added. It begins with just a soft synth and chords on a piano, then a trumpet is added then
more synths and horns. By the end of this section the full band is lively playing, with plenty
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of improvisation. The melody moves in both conjunct and disjunct motions with phrasing
At this point, the section breaks down again and releases all this tension. A version of
section R is heard again. The guitar continues to arpeggiate the chord and have an open E-
string ringing.
The outro while technically in 3/4, is actually being played with a 4/4 feel. This is done by
taking the dotted quarter note of the original feel (in 3/4) and isolating it. This becomes the
new quarter note of a 4/4 feel. In fact, everyone can play the written parts identically. Only
the drums/percussion switch between the 3/4 and 4/4 grooves and everything still locks
in. The outro uses previously stated harmonic material in a metrically related, but a
permutated manner. League uses this as a way to allow the listener to perceive something
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The ending section is notably different from the rest of the piece. The music has
transcended to a new genre and a new style. This particular section takes its influence
from Hip-Hop and Gospel music. With the groove introduced as a hard hitting 1 and 3,
there is also a thick fat bass line. The rhythm of the percussion goes back to 90s hip-hop
where the snare hits replicate the claps of an 808 drum set. The interaction between the
bass and the drums derives strongly from Afro-beat music in New York, at the time League
When the melody enters it resembles as though someone was singing or rapping and
creates a hip hop feel. The melody is short, staccato and accented. The melody continues to
move in conjunct motion and is played by the horn section. The guitars are playing every
other bar and accenting on the snare drum hits. They do this by playing a muted harmonic
Throughout the piece the influence of Michael Leagues choice on the rhythm and harmony
prescribed is quite evident. It provides a whole new dimension to the playing and also for
the listener. Even with a prescriptive score, the scoring allows the band to interpret and
build on the harmonies and motives throughout. Improvisation and of jamming are two big
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Flood:
The piece begins with a repeated rhythmic figure, in 7/4 and the division of beats is
irregular grouped in a 2+2+3 group. This motif is carried on throughout and brought back
at different points as a point of rhythmic reference. Similar to Binky this piece progresses in
The piece is in the key of E Major. The piano and guitar both are playing the same chords,
Emaj9 and Amaj9. The 2nd chord, the Amaj9, is the 4th of the key. The intro 4 bars are
looped until the melody enters. This section is looped a second time, with the drums and
bass entering. The guitar copies the keyboard melody the second time. The drums and
percussion progressively become more complex and louder. This rhythmic motif is used as
a basis for a more funky improvised rhythm by the keyboards and guitar, with accents and
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Bar 5 introduces the a strophic verse motif played by the B and C melody instruments.
They play a 2nd apart accenting the off beats. The same isorhythmic melody heard from
bar 5-14 is repeated again with increased intensity. The melody behaves in a conjunct
motion, using small intervals and is sequential. The sequence is repeated once again to
create a third section. This altered version of the first stated melody ends differently, with a
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Bar 33 introduces the chorus section. This section has a time signature change to 5/4 and a
significant textural and mood change. It modulates a third down. The guitars and pianos
play a arpeggiated chord on the offbeat, allowing for a relaxed feeling. With the percussion
moving dynamically to a more ghost noted and cymbal focused feel, this pseudo chorus
Bar 45 introduces us to the first solo section. It is comprised of specifically bars 1-12. This
solo section however continues to be in the key of the chorus section, and is based on the
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After this we are introduced to the drum solo. In this section the drum strips down its
rhythm and is playing very loosely. This groove accompanies the rest of the band. The
whole band is playing a chordal accompaniment along with the drum solo, increasing in
intensity as this section progresses. Throughout the strings and horns are playing in
unison.
The horn section along with the strings are harmonising the chords played by the guitar
and keyboards. They are playing the 7th notes of each chord, creating more tension and
depth.
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Next you see the horns and strings playing a descending wholenote phrase in a legato feel.
Covering the 5th (C#), a chromatic passing note (the C), leads to the 5th of the EMaj9 (B)
The horns and strings stop during the CMaj9 but however reappear in the AbMaj9. Here
they are using a chromatic approach to reach 7th of the chord (G).
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This is followed by a descending legato phrase and following the chord changes, moving
both conjunctly and disjunctly. A 2nd (F#) is played over the Emaj9 and then leaps down to
These two instrumental sections play yet another descending legato phrase which follow
the slightly altered changes. It plays a 3rd (Db), followed by a chromatic passing note (C)
In this section, the horns and strings are placed up an octave and continue to play
descending phrases, with additional passing notes. Here they play a 2nd (F#) over the
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Here they play chromatic notes leading into a accented crescendo in the next section. By
outlining the chromatic scale, League achieves an out sound, (dissonant) which creates a
contrast in the harmony, transcending to the drum solo that is also occurring.
The final progression of this section has the band playing at full dynamics. This excerpt
shows another descending chromatic sequence outlining the tensions of the chords.
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This is the summary of the last bars identified, where the full band is playing the ascending
This is then repeated a second time and the horn section plays a descending melody which
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The final section acts as an outro involving the whole band and uses accents on all the
upbeats. The time signature also changes to common time, 4/4 and again changes the feel
of the piece. It gives it a more uplifting and pulsating listening experience, as the accent
falls on the 2 and the 4. Many people have suggested this creates a more comfortable
experience, as it is more in the traditional jazz idiom, with beats 2 and 4 being swung.
Alongside, the percussion and drums continue to play on beats 1 and 4, thus syncopating
heavily with the rest of the band. This effect creates a driving finality to the piece.
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Conclusion:
The influence of compositional devices such as Rhythm and Harmony are indeed two key
aspects in Michael Leagues particular style of writing. You do not need to look far to see its
impact on Snarky Puppys music. In both recordings of "Binky and Flood, the Rhythm
and the Harmony are fundamental and are intently the driving force behind their individual
Flood and Binky are indeed largely influenced by Rhythm and Harmony. It is noticeable
that Binky orientates itself around the use of Rhythmic devices, whereas Flood can be
seen to revolve around the dense harmony and the treatment of the Harmonic devices.
Binky revolves around a tightly packed rhythm section which lays the foundation for the
chordal and melodic instrumentation to build on. There is a complex rhythmic centre
provided, thus giving the melody and harmony the freedom to create an equally complex
progression and development, or even layer more simplistic progressions and motives
Flood provides a different landscape of sound when compared to Binky. Flood orientates
itself by using rich chords and dense textural development, using more traditional
harmonic progressions. You can hear chordal development more clearly in Flood. Rhythm
though extremely important, takes on a more soloistic role in some of the sections,
however it also plays a supportive element throughout, with the melodic and harmonic
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Both pieces really exemplify the unique sound heard in Snarky Puppys music. The creative
exploration of musical devices used alongside modern studio sounds and production
techniques have moved Jazz Fusion into a new era, pioneered not only by Michael League
and Snarky Puppy, but nowadays their contemporaries also lead the evolution of modern
jazz fusion.
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Works Cited:
freejazzinstitute.com/showposts.php%3Fdept%3Dtranscriptions%26topic%3D201
00803052943_HalfNelson.
2. Bangs, Lester. In A Silent Way. Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 1969,
www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/in-a-silent-way-19691115.
music.com/2010/11/23/miles-davis-in-a-silent-way/.
4. KeyboardMag.com Online Community for Keys, Boards, Gear, Lessons, News, Video,
Tabs & Chords. 5 Ways to Play Like the Keyboardists in Snarky Puppy.
KeyboardMag, www.keyboardmag.com/lessons/1251/5-ways-to-play-like-the-
keyboardists-in-snarky-puppy/55053.
books.google.com.sg/books/about/The_History_of_Jazz.html?id=J9G50L3c14QC&re
dir_esc=y.
www.researchgate.net/publication/277579655_Fusion.
8. Farley, Jeff. Making Americas Music: Jazz History and the Jazz Preservation Act.
theses.gla.ac.uk/519/1/2008farleyphd.pdf.
9. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.475.490&rep=rep1&typ
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e=pdf
10. Tingen, Paul. MILES BEYOND | The Making of In A Silent Way & Bitches Brew | An Ear
platinum/?tab_active=top_tallies&ttt=T1A#search_section.
12. Scores bought from the Snarky Puppy website and Hal Leonard, Real Book Edition V
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Appendix:
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