Rare enclosures

[Matt Helbing]

Hi Richie,

Are there specific rhythmic or melodic contexts where you feel that the seemingly more arcane or less “musical” enclosures from the Module 3 bebop calisthenics might be used with some success? I am talking about stuff like enclosing the 1 from a half-step above and below, or the b7 with a 6 and a maj7. I am still developing my ear, but I don’t think I hear a lot of these sorts of enclosures actually in use in the bebop idiom.

As always, thanks!
Matt

[Richie]

Hi Matt,

Those 2 examples you give are not used that much. Usually enclosures that have the upper approach of the enclosure situated a half step above a chord tone can be very dissonant, unless diatonic. The reason they don’t work well at medium to slow tempos is because of the “modal ambiguity” effect they create. That is the case with the 2 examples you give, at least in the context of the mixolydian and dorian scales…. half steps above the root and b7! That said, they can work at very fast tempos because they resolve quicker.

[Matt Helbing]

Thanks, Richie. Well, I’ve been working with them a bit and find that, like you’ve said, they work better at faster tempos, or in a triplet.

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