7 thoughts on “Sofanic Messages in Frank Zappa’s Music”

  3. Comments from an ” older” man.

    1. Happy 2006.

    2. Playing scores backwards is here ( FZ) a question of technology, which leads to Music and musical discoveries.
    It’s an old technique. The most advanced 18th century implementation can be found in J.S. Bach’s music. For instance: take the Art Of The Fugue, http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/introaof.html
    You actually write a short theme, why not successively the notes B A C H.
    Then you start “playing” with it: reversing it( H C A B ), playing the mirror image of the short score, etc., etc..
    Those who don’ t know this technique simply don’ t hear it, because the result simply … sounds very good.

  4. Yep, the good old Crab Canon uses a cancrine pattern that sounds the same frontwards, backwards, and shows the same quality when the music is turned upside-down.

  5. In the book caled Gödel, Escher, Bach (By Hoftadter), there you can read a lot about musical tricks – this and that kind of canons… et cetera. Good book! I had fun. Oh yes: with tons aof crazy dialogues between Achilles and the Turtle. Hehe.

  6. Pat Matino came up with a weird way to solo over the changes to Giant Steps by Coltrane, equalling augmented and diminished patterns to particular geometrical patters. It’s wild. You can see it all “explained” on his website..(too much acid, I’m afraid…LOL”)

  7. Zappa referred to a “hemiola” during the course of one of his interviews. Is that like a pedestrian somewhat ostinato bass line? I couldn’t find the definition

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