The ''Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization'' is a 1953 jazz music theory book written by George Russell. The book is the founding text of the Lydian Chromatic Concept (LCC), or Lydian Chromatic Theory (LCT). Russell's work postulates that all music is based on the tonal gravity of the

Lydian mode The modern Lydian mode is a seven-tone musical scale formed from a rising pattern of pitches comprising three whole tones, a semitone, two more whole tones, and a final semitone. : Because of the importance of the major scale in modern music ...

Deriving Lydian

Russell believed that

dominant function In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree () of the diatonic scale. It is called the ''dominant'' because it is second in importance to the first scale degree, the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the dominant note is sung as "So( ...

was the driving force behind all harmonic motion. Russell focuses on the Lydian mode because it can be built with fifths. For instance, to construct a C Lydian scale one could list the first seven tones on the

circle of fifths In music theory, the circle of fifths is a way of organizing the 12 chromatic pitches as a sequence of perfect fifths. (This is strictly true in the standard 12-tone equal temperament system — using a different system requires one interval ...

starting with C, the desired Lydian Tonic. This process would yield C, G, D, A, E, B, F. If these tones are voiced in the space of an octave, they form the Lydian mode (C, D, E, F, G, A, B).
Olive Jones and George Russell, The Black Perspective in Music, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Spring, 1974), pp. 63-74 , p.65. Additionally, Russell observed, when these tones are voiced in thirds they form the preferred form of a major 13 (#11) chord.Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization
, ''LydianChromaticConcept.com''. Note: gray text on gray background (select text or copy and paste to make legible).

The Lydian Chromatic Scale

Russell builds a prototype chromatic scale starting on the Lydian Tonic by stacking fifths, skipping the interval between the seventh and eighth tones, and placing the skipped tone at the end for having the lowest level of tonal gravity. Using C as the Lydian Tonic yields the following 12-note scale with

enharmonic In modern musical notation and tuning, an enharmonic equivalent is a note, interval, or key signature that is equivalent to some other note, interval, or key signature but "spelled", or named differently. The enharmonic spelling of a written n ...

respellings: C, G, D, A, E, B, F, G, E (D), B (A), F (E), D (C). Thus the Lydian Chromatic Scale and all its derivatives contain only

Pythagorean interval In musical tuning theory, a Pythagorean interval is a musical interval with frequency ratio equal to a power of two divided by a power of three, or vice versa.Benson, Donald C. (2003). ''A Smoother Pebble: Mathematical Explorations'', p.56. . " ...

Tonal gravity

Russell posited that tonal gravity emanates from the first seven tones of the Lydian mode. As the player ventures further from the Lydian tonic however (and further up the circle of fifths), the tonal gravity shifts. For example, if notes further up the circle of fifths (e.g. 2/3) are used, the tonal gravity is probably shifting.Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization 2
, ''LydianChromaticConcept.com''.

Influence

Russell's theory has had far-reaching effect especially in the realm of modal jazz.

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, double ...

said that it "opens the door to countless means of melodic expression" and critic

Joachim-Ernst Berendt Joachim-Ernst Berendt (20 July 1922 in Berlin – 4 February 2000 in Hamburg) was a German music journalist, author and producer specialized on jazz. Life Berendt's father, Ernst Berendt, was a Protestant pastor belonging to the Confessing ...

described it as "the first work deriving a theory of jazz harmony from the immanent laws of jazz" and as "the pathbreaker for

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

' and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...

's 'modality'".

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

and Miles Davis used the theory
, video by WGBH about Russell's life and his impact on jazz.Excerpt from ''The Gravity Man'' by Alice Dragoon
, ''LydianChromaticConcept.com''. to record modal jazz such as the album ''

Kind of Blue ''Kind of Blue'' is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded on March 2 and April 22, 1959, at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, and released on August 17 of that year by Co ...

''. John Coltrane's modal jazz is usually analyzed using Russell's method.
Aural Archetypes and Cyclic Perspectives in the Work of John Coltrane and Ancient Chinese Music Theory ''Hafez Modirzadeh'' Vol. 21, No. 1 (Spring, 2001), pp. 75-106; Published by: Center for Black Music Research - Columbia College Chicago and University of Illinois Press, p.80 In arguably his most famous piece, " Giant Steps (composition), Giant Steps," Coltrane can be heard traveling through a succession of three parent Lydian Chromatic scales: C Lydian, A Lydian, and E Lydian. Additionally, many conservatories teach Russell's theory to varying degrees.
p.65.Frequently Asked Questions about George Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept Of Tonal Organization
, ''LydianChromaticConcept.com''.

Notes

External links

George Russell's ''Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization''
in-depth fan website {{George Russell (composer) Jazz music education Jazz books 1953 non-fiction books