A tune to Celebrate Pi Day (3/14)...and it swings!

Roger Aldridge

Roger Aldridge

Composer in Residence
Distinguished Member
"Pi, Why?" is an unconventional blues that uses Pi (3.1415926....) as a sequence of melodic intervals. But do not let that scare you away -- the music swings. The structure of this 18-bar tune is based on 3-bar phrases and there is shifting time in places. Recorded by Amy Leonard, violin; Jason Shapiro, tenor saxophone; E. Shawn Qaissaunee, guitar; Peter McCarthy, bass; and Skip Rohrich, drums.

The first 32 numbers of Pi are used in this tune: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795.

Here is how I converted the Pi numbers to melodic intervals: Simply, each number becomes an interval in relation to the root of the chord being used at the time. That is, the relationships change when the chords change. The intervals are natural or altered (b9, #9, #11, etc.) chord tones or higher tensions. For 3 on V7 chords, I use either natural 3 or minor 3 (enharmonically #9).

The tune starts with the sequence of 3 (#9), 1, 4 (#11), 1, 5, 9 (b9) played twice with C7 (#9) and then transposed down a half-step for B7 (#9). The next sequence -- 2 (b9), 6, 5, 3 (natural), 5 -- is played with the Bb7 (#9) chord...and so on through the rest of the 32-note sequence.

Here's a link to the tune: http://www.rogeraldridge.com/pi-why.html
 
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I just noticed that my message didn't have a link. I added it just now. (sound of hand slapping forehead)
 
That's why I posted the above, Roger :).

I use -- and encourage the use of -- a plug-in for Google Chrome and Firefox called "Flashblock." If you're using that or something similar, you'll see a grey/black bar under the pictures on Roger's website. The "bar" is actually the media player. So, in other words, disable your blocker before visiting.
 
Pete, Could you please send me a PM to tell me more about this. It's not clear to me exactly how and where I'd use Flashblock. Thanks!
 
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