What is a pedal point? A pedal point (or pedal tone) refers to a single note repeated or sustained (usually in the bass) while harmony changes above it. In certain styles, the continuous use of pedal points can result in an unwanted drone-like quality. It is worth noting that the term “pedal” originated from organ … Read more
Cover Photo by Ivan Jermakov As some of you may already know, for the past few weeks, we’ve been diligently working on an interview series featuring fellow composers and musicians. During the preparation of this series, we tried to understand what our readers and enrollees on BehindtheScore.org would find most interesting in these interviews. To … Read more
Introduction Locrian is the seventh and final mode of all 7 major modes. It is the most harmonically unstable (and perhaps the darkest) of all the modes we’ve studied. Of the seven major scale modes, Locrian is the only one with a lowered fifth (♭5) scale degree. However, both the ♭2 and ♭5 are considered … Read more
Terence Blanchard’s Jazz in Film: A Masterpiece of Jazz and Cinema cover Photo by Dirk Neven We’re excited to introduce an album that has been on our list for such a long time – “Jazz in Film” by Terence Blanchard. This remarkable album serves as a captivating intersection of cinema music and jazz, making it … Read more
