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Old 07-25-2012, 10:44 AM   #1
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Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

Hey guys, this is my frist post here, so bear with me.
I love Tool and all of their music, so for an essay in which i could have chosen ANYTHING to write on, i naturally went to their music.
I decided my topic would be "The Influence of Jazz in Tool's album "Lateralus".
I know that jazz influences progressive metal bands, and I've already found some similarities such as instrumentation and poly-rhythms.
It would be safe to assume that many of you have gone much deeper into their music than I, so i would like to ask for your help with some ideas.
Any answer will help me, whether it's just a list, a word, or a whole explanation.
Thanks.
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Old 07-26-2012, 10:53 AM   #2
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

Elements of music. such as Chord Progression, Harmonies, Instrumental techniques. I know that there are many similarities with blues in regards to Adam's use of the Pentatonic Minor scale. I'm just looking for any similarities between elements of jazz, and elements of any of the songs in the album.
Thanks again
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Old 07-27-2012, 08:17 AM   #3
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

The Blues and 10,000 days idea sounds interesting. I've listened to more of that album than any of the others. I know that the Minor Pentatonic scale is a blues scale and that Adam uses that for most of the songs in the album. Unfortunately, i don't know too much about blues drumming, or actually anything blues in general. Could you elaborate on a few other elements?
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Old 07-29-2012, 12:12 AM   #4
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

it's all I-IV-V-I.
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Old 08-04-2012, 01:55 PM   #5
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

Alright, well i have 3 weeks to write 4,000 words on something. I really appreciate your help so far, but perhaps this isn't a good subject to expand on. i'll give it some thought. thanks again.
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Old 08-04-2012, 02:08 PM   #6
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

perhaps it is, you just need to do some of the work and stop asking for it to be done for you. not to enable shit, but just looking at your avatar image ...go EXPAND on the music of the spheres, monochords, the harmonic resonance (power chord) of sun:venus:earth, circle of fifths ...as it all relates to the golden mean / fibonacci sequence, human aural development, and evolution as a whole. the challenge isn't knowing where to start or stop, it's grabbling with concepts of infinitely-nested infinitum ...and ...and then making some sort of cohesive walk about for the non-initiates.
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Old 08-04-2012, 02:37 PM   #7
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

I've done PLENTY of work, believe me, i never asked anyone to do the work for me. Passing the essay is required for me to graduate the high school, so a topic relating to MY interpretation of a piece or what i THINK it means simply will not do. It has to be facts, that i can back up with solid evidence. i appreciate the help, but this was simply an idea - one among many being considered and torn apart. i was simply searching for suggestions.
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Old 08-04-2012, 05:12 PM   #8
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

alright, get pissed or defensive, w/e. i was merely refuting your "perhaps this isn't a good subject to expand on" statement, with flailing connotation. it's a good subject, there's A LOT there, i like where you were going, incorporating your passions, and i thoroughly enjoy your thesis/idea. i see a lot there, especially if it's for a high school paper. i did one very similar involving "eastern chordophones of antiqity" - you can bring as much or as little as you want to the paper, whatever you want. i'm just saying that there's PLENTY there, and it's a good subject. no reason to ask, take in a bunch of suggestions, and then not take it anywhere. not that you really wasted my time, as all i needed to post concerning jazz, music in general ...was: it's all I-IV-V-I. don't settle for generic. if it takes you there, then go.
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Old 08-05-2012, 05:56 AM   #9
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

what is jazz?
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Old 08-05-2012, 03:36 PM   #10
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

@iAMtheMA! Alright, my bad. I've seen the hostile attitudes on this forum so I assumed that's where it was headed. What you said about the golden mean spiked much more interest in the subject ( i had no idea) so there is still a bit of hope

@Mitt Romney Yeah, that was what i was going for. I was tired of doing analytical bullshit on some random book i was forced to read, so i went to something i enjoyed - Tool's music

@Neurok, i'm really not sure how to respond to that because i didn't understand it...
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Old 08-05-2012, 03:49 PM   #11
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

check out woodenbooks.com for a book entitled "elements of music". it provides a run through of some often-over-looked properties of sound / music - much of which i had never come across from years of private instruction. there's also "harmonograph" and "a little book of coincidences" ...all of which you could look through on that site. it's set-up kinda like a library, and they'll let you know that they're "watching you" ...meaning you only have like 10 minutes on your ip to look through their resources free of charge ...before the "store hours" run up on you. it's a neat series, i recommend starting with those titles ...look around some more and you'll notice that there are other titles involving "sacred geometry", "alchemists kitchen", and a bunch of other themes touched upon within tool's music/career/interests. as simple/base as it may seem, incorporating many cartoonish designs and conceptual metaphors, et al ...these small books opened me up to MORE of the humanities, generally. a great starting point. might be of some help, inspiration. peace.
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Old 08-05-2012, 04:12 PM   #12
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

sounds good. thanks again for the ideas
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Old 08-06-2012, 07:36 AM   #13
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitt Romney View Post
jazz [jaz]
noun
1.
music originating in New Orleans around the beginning of the 20th century and subsequently developing through various increasingly complex styles, generally marked by intricate, propulsive rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, improvisatory, virtuosic solos, melodic freedom, and a harmonic idiom ranging from simple diatonicism through chromaticism to atonality.
2.
a style of dance music, popular especially in the 1920s, arranged for a large band and marked by some of the features of jazz.
3.
dancing or a dance performed to such music, as with violent bodily motions and gestures.
4.
Slang . liveliness; spirit; excitement.
5.
Slang . insincere, exaggerated, or pretentious talk: Don't give me any of that jazz about your great job!
huuh?! are you the real romney? please copy-paste another definition...i know what "jazz" is- i was pointing at its many facets, substyles etc....like: bebop influences in lateralus, bossa nova influences in lateralus, freejazz-influences in lateralus...vote republican! actually there i a blues- or jazz-"influence" in any modern music...but to define those with music theoretical background seems to be an interesting task (especially with the lateralus-album)- good luck!...unfortunately i can say nothing about it unless i know the influences (mostly dannys) and the concept of jamming and getting ideas and then making arrangements- its quite the opposite of composing on paper first and later deconstructing it (like jazz-players do)...but as someone else mentioned: jazz is improvisational and open, tool seem to prefer doing the "same" thing over and over again (like playing the songs in a certain arrangement and not really leaving thoses borders)- maybe because they`re no jazz-musicians :D:D:D

Last edited by dancingflame; 08-06-2012 at 07:43 AM..
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Old 08-07-2012, 01:12 PM   #14
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

"Here, in the Indian independent music scene, Tool is considered as one of the very few bands who have pushed through the ambit of genres and created a genre of their own that's undefinable in most aspects."

from a letter to aloke dutta posted on toolband.com by blair today. wonderful :)
sorry if it seems off-topic...overall a wonderful letter about music in general...

Last edited by dancingflame; 08-07-2012 at 01:15 PM..
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Old 08-07-2012, 01:27 PM   #15
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

what is really intersting to me is: does anyone here know what combination of percussion-instruments and rhythms (from where? india? africa? middle east?) danny integrates into the songs? i could sit down to at least try to figure out the instruments, there are tabla, bongo, conga, claves kinda everywhere :D all kinds of stuff all melted together (along with the mandala nowadays and his synthsounds)

i know that billy martin for example wrote a cool book:

http://www.billymartin.net/Riddim/Riddim_book.html
http://www.amazon.com/Riddim-Claves-...s=billy+martin
somewhere i read that "every beat you here is african music", jazz is african music, the world is really big...ritual music and the origin of all these rhythms- i like all that stuff but am no percussionist for that matter (reading, studying rhythms)...
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Old 08-07-2012, 01:36 PM   #16
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Re: Influence of Jazz in Lateralus

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