Musical Palindromes & Negative Harmony (what?)

[@NahreSol]

You're really the best teacher in everything music...

[@patbreacadh]

I agree. There's no one like Rick out there, with such a level of knowledge in so many aspects of music, throughout so many genres and styles.

[@pranayblue]

I agree @Nahre Sol!!

[@Jamsville]

Rick, this is hands down the best explanation of this concept I've seen. Thank you so much!

[@BillLarkinmusic]

Ditto!

[@carlosguerraarts6985]

I agree

[@wecology]

Yes. Because you place it in context, with clear diagrams.

[@guudiiguudii4625]

mirror image: if i write C-E-G on paper and put it in the mirror, it will never give me what Nick is describing nor what Collier described. it will ONLY give me G-E-C everytime. Therefore true Negative harmony, has a huuuge degree of inelegance because its asking you to give equal prominence to it(N.H.) as you give to Harmony. Its always a "Bookends" battle. "HARMONY wants to call C-E-G C major and Negative Harmony wants to call that same exact chord G minor. But since our minds are so engrained with the influence of left to right syntactical bias, we can only refer to C-E-G read right to left as, "G minor right to left harmony, or "G minor Negative Harmony, or if you're from Alabama G ass-backards minor.

[@Svit.S]

that's not how it works guudii 😂

[@SBJBeats]

If you watch this backwards its exactly the same

[@ajadrew]

This makes more sense re negative harmony than anything else I've seen....as always Rick, you're a great teacher, Cheers!

[@grantveebeejay535]

Your inclusion of the mirror image modes and the possibilities of their use with negative harmony options is excellent. All round very clear and concise explanation. My favourite out of the ten I've seen so far on KZbin. Notes taken! Thank you.

[@SURFtheEARTHguru]

Thank you for the live update. It's a little ironic that I study jazz and rythems and blues in the tremé in new Orleans yet I'm pretty positive 75% of my studies lately come from your channel (pleural now! Grateful for the live) thanks a million man for not dumbing down lessons and making us keep up!

[@johnpierson8398]

I have heard this in my ear in music before, but I didn't recognize the inverted harmony. This is a major musical concept I didn't know. Definitely one of the best videos you have posted yet! Good luck with your new YT channel.

[@Yeti6865]

I paused and got a guitar out and mixed Ionian and Phrygian in a call and response making sure to resolve the Phrygian phrase to the Ionian mode. It’s a exotic sound. Thank you!

[@justryanreally]

I think is the most interesting video you've done so far. Keep up the good work, Rick! Student composer and theory teacher here, been massively helped by your videos. Even with topics I already understand I'll always pick something up.

[@tjyoung8069]

Wow! This lesson illuminated chord progressions that I have heard in movie and television soundtracks. Also, in Bartok, who has always mystified me. Great stuff, Rick!

[@chrisv1463]

watched 4 youtube videos on negative harmony before this one. you are the first to explain that the concept is based on opposite or 'undertones" . this explaination is simple and the concept was immediatley understood. thx

[@mattriddle7138]

Rick I'm really surprised how much I've learned just watching your videos. I use to know practically nothing about music theory but now I've been watching your work here, I actually feel confident I have a decent foundation. Now I just need to train my ears... Oh your working on that too. Thanks sir!

[@samstamos427]

This is absolutely fascinating. "Mirror Modal equivalents" is covered in the Beato book (I've 4.0), pages 100-102, the last 3 pages of ch.1

[@StaulkHolm]

Great video! Wish I had this a few months ago lol. The thing I like about negative harmony is that its a relatively easy way to explore modes and song ideas without drastically altering the aesthetic and voice leading of the music.

[@nickburmanmusic]

Absolutely fascinating. I’ve been a musician for decades and never come across these concepts before. I just tried to share this with my wife and she just about ran away screaming. I guess all this theory isn’t for everyone, but I’m loving this! Thanks Rick!

[@thormusique]

This is brilliant, Rick, thanks! I've never seen all this presented so succinctly in one place.

[@evandixon5990]

When you drew the circle of fifths made it so clear to me how to find the negative equivalent. Thank you Rick

[@emcg.9655]

I was in the middle of watching another video on this subject and I saw the thumbnail for this one. I instantly ditched it for Rick's video, you know your going to get the truth. That's how good this channel is its soo obvious Rick really knows what he is talking about.

[@AmandaKaymusic]

Thank you for the clearest explanation I have found on negative harmony. Concise, articulate and understandable. I appreciate your work and desire to share the knowledge.

[@NavarreAnthony]

This video and Adam Neelys "Why is Major 'Happy' " along with Adam's unlisted bonus video included in that video are amazing.

[@Sw33tTr3ats]

Certainly one of your best lessons Rick. I think people really need to play around with these chords on a piano to get the sound in their heads. All of this is wonderful, but unless people are hearing these particular sounds before they execute it out on their instruments, it's probably too abstract a concept for most people. However, that goes with everything dealing with language and ideas.

[@seanodonnell2508]

Rick Beato is the best teacher I have known.

[@jasonkline267]

great work! Needed this video! I share all these videos with my son, as he is learning the theory now in high school that I have forgotten since college a billion years ago. Your videos help us both, as he is an aspiring Jazz trombonist, and an all county concert Euphonium player. APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK on this! Thanks again!

[@NebulousWyatt]

Your ability to simplify concepts is amazing.

[@paulpesonen]

Agreeing with Jamsville, best explanation of this concept I've come across thus far. It's after all not that hard, but there is tendency to clutter it up. Thanks for a great video Rick !

[@pcas9]

Dude... Thank you for gifting us with life changing musical information on the regular.

[@TheConsciousEvolutionchannel]

Okay, your live video got me to watch this! I'm 47 and always learning and always will be! I learn from you bro, you are a great teacher, my friend!

[@McRingil]

i had ended music school yrs ago, im so happy to hear aliquotes again, great work, please dont stop.

[@leoxbass]

Awesome vídeo, Rick. Please, do anoter videos, maybe a serie, teaching and giving exemples of negative harmony being used in a pratical way. I love your channel

[@holierthan]

Watching your videos, along with Neely's and Levin's made me start studying music theory with much excitement. Thanks a lot!

[@divankasewmin9460]

Great lesson Mr. Rick. This is the best harmony lesson i've seen on youtube. Much love & respect from srilanka ❤🙏

[@trevorexter]

If I watch this video backwards will my head miraculously reassemble itself?

[@MarcosRobertoDosSantosJF]

ʇɥƃıɹ ǝɹɐ noʎ 'sǝʎ

[@ChuckHaney]

.lliw ti sey

[@emmanuelfeiner1781]

hahaha

[@Claudiopassilongo]

Bravo!

[@Charismafire]

Yes but it will only be a reflective mirror image and you'll have to change your name to palindrome

[@marcelo_luz]

Touchè! You finally adressed this issue. One of the best videos! You have lot of ability to teach! Thanks.

[@rcjward]

Rick, this is by far my favorite video lesson of yours so far! Really got me thinking.

[@comm2005]

Rick. You are an amazing teacher providing the logic behind every aspect of music

[@cdsteig]

I love this channel and I'm this much closer to order your theory book. The harmonic series as described is very useful for pretty much most situations... then clarinets come around and throw it all off with their harmonic series built around the 12th instead of the octave. This niche topic may actually be a topic worth exploring at some point -- compare and contrast a clarinet choir and a saxophone choir playing the same piece. I daresay that the saxophone choir will 'blend' better with itself than the clarinets will, to say nothing of how much 'presence' the low clarinets contribute (and, being a bass and contraalto/bass clarinetist, strong presence can make a huge difference in a clarinet ensemble or wind orchestra; most low clarinets players are too... timid). For the most part, composers and arrangers need only worry about the mainstream harmonic series, but special consideration does need to be taken once clarinets come in; for the most part, it's negligible, particularly orchestrally (Eb, 2 Bb, Bass at most), but it does need mentioning.

[@Wikitoube]

Rick, I hope you get to see this, even though this video is quite old. Your videos are helping me A LOT with learning music. Your channel is like a FAQ section. Any doubt that I might have is already solved in a video, broken down, analyzed and put in a didactic way. I just wanted to thank you for giving out all this priceless content for free. To put it simple, it's fantastic.

[@joeljarmulak2607]

You blow my mind every time I watch one of your videos. Superb content Mr. Beato

[@mikeryan8855]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video Rick. So many similarities... I too ran the gambit of Music scenes, and bands, 25 years of playing 5-6 nights a week and getting good traction, to just have it go poof... Numerous times. Back in Austin, myself for the second time...same as it ever was. I need to find my "Atlanta". Hell I'm 60 years old already. Damn... not giving up.

[@AmarAlhoch]

This is a great video. My only question that doesn't seem to be addressed anywhere is why we are using G Phrygian rather than C Phrygian?

[@evgenyshakhnovich]

i have the same question, rewatched the video several times so far :)

[@BASSGMAN66]

Rick, I've been playing bass and guitar professionally now for 48 years, and music in general, all my life. My dad who was a big band jazz pianist and great guitarist became a music teacher after his playing days were over . He started me on music theory and piano at 6 years old and later guitar when I reached my early teens. I entered the Navy at 18 and played in the ship's small rock combo for a while. Being able to have a secure place to play music aboard ship while we were in the coastal waters off Vietnam at war, was a Godsend! I completely understand everything you describe and 100% agree on your choices of tunes in your "What Makes This Song Great" series. Getting back to my dad, one of the first things he taught me was the circle of fifths and chords after noticing that I had an ear for improvising. He also taught me to read and write music, although I didn't use those skills much when my musical career got up and running after the Navy. We did session work doing jingles and radio promos, and when they handed me a piece of sheet music, I excused myself and went to a corner and wrote my own bass chart off of the sheet music, using the number system and my own little notes. That worked well for me and not once did anyone ever notice that I was reading my own chart. In closing, all of your videos and live sessions have re-kindled my passion for music and have brought back that mo-jo and feeling to this 72 year old body. When I hit the stage, I'm 32 all over again. I'm playing runs and fills that were once hard to play, but now made easier by your teachings. Keep up the good work and keep em' coming! Don Sherwood

[@denniskollen5757]

As soon as you mentioned modes I better understood what you were on about. I had looked into modes and intervals many years but had all but forgotten about it. Thanks. I have some ideas I can work on now.

[@vasmirza3487]

Im making notes, really enjoy watching you explain with the white board. i believe i should re -watch the vid and re-write notes in reverse. Thank you, your lessons are brill!

[@philippgrunert8776]

Now I am really interested in hearing you apply it in your brilliant own style actually.

[@Racosz]

7:22 - The reflection of D minor chord of the Ionian mode should be the Eb major chord of the Phrygian mode, not Ab major chord. Excellent video btw.

[@igveri]

And 7:39 the correct combination is Gm/ Bb, not G major.

[@thosewhowish2b693]

And at 11:00 the Dº should be a Dbº (then it matches the Circle of 5ths logic as well).

[@ceeo1948]

Brilliant 👏. Most videos on negative harmony make it difficult to understand. Thank you for making things simple.

[@tartarugadjent]

Thanks a lot God of music theory, I watched 3 videos before seeing yours to fully comprehend how negative harmony is applied, when you referenced using the circle of fifths to find the negative harmony of each note, my mind fully understood in that second. You're a brilliant teacher and your ways of teaching are so pleasing to hear and watch, thanks for being my auto corrector when it comes to music ❤️

[@Robert-gm8ig]

My friend has never heard of this and says it sounds like a weird, cool concept. Says they like your videos a lot and wish you did more in depth videos like this. Keep up the good work!

[@AttitudeCastle]

Rick, you simply are one of the best Music Educators out there!

[@josejrtuti]

This is the best explanation on negative harmony I’ve found so far. Congrats!

[@DarioRamosMaldonado]

GRACIAS DESDE ARGENTINA!!! Muy buena explicación. Saludos!!!

[@ronwilliams357]

You have a great way of breaking down complex topics succinctly. I hope Berklee and Juilliard get in a bidding war for you.

[@ChuckHaney]

Mirror modal equivalents. I discovered this on my own. This is the first time I have ever heard of this anywhere outside of my own discovery. I use this idea, coupled with some others, to teach modes.

[@Al59redux]

Nice explanation. It could be added that, just as every chord and note have their mirror negative images, you can play the negative version of a song by substituting both the chords and the melody by their negative equivalents. Steve Cruickshank has done many songs in this way (they're on YT), and the results are often quite nice.

[@jeremyhickersonsalem]

Seeing it explained via circle of 5th's vs. backward circle of 4ths blew my mind!

[@deboracahoon8239]

Excellent explanation! This is so far the best video I have seen on explaining negative harmony, thanks so much for sharing ! One thing: minute 7:22, the video says D- /Ab, but it is actually D- over Eb.

[@mr.z9609]

The interesting thing is, the "negative harmony" version of any diatonic chord in a major key is a chord borrowed from the parallel minor key. In other words, the concepts of negative harmony and modal interchange are very closely related!

[@khbgkh]

I know what you mean. The unique quality of negatove harmony is in the voicings you will discover, and therefore hopefully new melodic ideas

[@wp5875]

Hit the thumbs-down by accident. Sorry about that ..

[@teddydunn3513]

Mr. Z No it's because Rick assumed that Cm is the "negative" (😷😖😷) of C, which is an arbitrary assumption with no acoustical/mathematical basis whatsoever.

[@BradRau]

Also, if you write out a major scale, one octave on the guitar, and then flip it upside you get the Phrygian scale. This is a very easy way to keep track of which scales invert to each other.

[@Barukh]

Wow, this lesson is awesome! I'm researching on orchestral composition and I didn't even know this video would be so informative on the matter. I usually put some of your videos on my watch list and this one just happened to be exactly what I needed at the moment! Thanks! And greetings from Brazil!

[@ToddBeal]

Hands down, the best explanation of this concept. I get it! Thank you. Would you please do a series on this subject, and give real-world chord-progression advice based on these principles?

[@MrHwilRRR]

The circle of fifths explanation is truly brilliant! 10/10!

[@arescue]

As a fiddle player, I have always favored the double minor scale. I love playing music that really evokes the character of my fiddle. You have probably noticed that a string group of players that isn’t working with a tempered instrument (such as a piano or keyboard) plays their sharps a little sharper than the same flat (D# is a little sharper than Eb). Tempered instruments are always a little out of tune somewhere. They make a few small compromises to make the keyboard a reasonable size and easier to play. Nothing wrong with that, I love my piano too. But, that’s part of why some keys sound better on the piano than others. Btw, I don’t have perfect pitch, I am only hearing relatively. Thanks Rick for bringing this up. I don’t think that I even learned about this in school.

[@OliverDuarte88]

Finally understood negative harmony. Thank you Rick, you are the best

[@tdubveedub]

This is very helpful and concise. It's like drinking from a firehose, but now the information is accessible and repeatable. Thank you for bringing the power of the internet to bear on these subjects.

[@hudsonhovil1621]

I never knew there was so much complexity to this concept. Thanks for the great vid

[@JimMcGuirk1]

Great stuff. Makes you look at (and hear) music in a different way. Thanks for posting.

[@liamannesley]

Thank you Rick for this amazing explanation of a seemingly distant and far out concept! Loved the video

[@NasserSharaf]

Greetings Rick from Amman, Jordan. Excellent video. Very clear and concise explanation. Can't wait to go and experiment with this a little. Thank you !

[@neji7789]

What i am currently still figuring it out is why do we use the dominant of the tonic as an axis to form (or perhaps to "negatiate") the negative harmony? As you have stated in your video, you use the G phyrigian as the "negative" version of C ionian. My question is that why we have to start with that G instead of keep using C (which will resolve to C phyrigian). It seems more logical to me to construct the negative harmony from C ionian to C phyrigian, as their corresponding notes have the same intervals (WWHWWWH). By using that concept, we will end up to something like this C --> Fm Dm --> G Em --> A F --> Bbm G --> Cm Am --> D Bdim --> Fdim Edit: I have looked through some references on the internet and every articles i read doesnt quiet explain why a tonic-dominant axis is used to transform negative harmony. Why cant we use C-F or perhaps C-B axis?? I figured out what I had written above was the "mirror chords" with respect to C, which means the C act as an axis (a single note axis which reflects the adjacent intervals).

[@evgenyshakhnovich]

so why do we use G phrygian instead of C phrygian? Rick lost me at this moment 😢

[@LuizPiresGuitar]

Hey Rick! Have you ever seen anyone go nuts with the overtone series (and undertone series too, why not) and turn it into a "scale" and use it in a practical and musical way? Maybe using the overtone series of the key of the song and use it in a solo or of a particular chord and play the "scale" over the chord. Love your stuff! Cheers from Brazil!

[@gonzoengineering4894]

Luiz Pires Johnny Reinhard uses the 7th octave of the overtone series as a 128 note (!!) super chromatic scale. Most impressively, he uses this for improvisation!

[@guitarnut1800]

The interlude to Alban Berg's opera Lulu, is a palindrome. Also, the 2nd or 3rd movement of Four Intermezzi for guitar and flute by Otto Joachim is a bunch of 12-tone row palindromes within the overall movement's palindromic ABA Ternary form. Also, one of my favorite composers for guitar, Dusan Bogdanovic, recently wrote a quasi-palindromic piece for two guitars. Ngombi Variations, based on an actual two-measure pentatonic melody by a group of Central African pygmies whenever twins are born in their tribe, is in 7 variations. The mirroring of the "twins" concept is most apparent in the middle-most variation which is a ricercar in palindrome, with the guitar parts even switching halfway through. Also, first variation is titled "Prelude" and last is titled "Postlude". One of the variations in 4/4 time has one guitar playing [3+3+3+3+4] while the other guitar is [4+3+3+3+3] sixteenth-note rhythmic phrasing. Would love to see a video of examples of polystylism. For example, "Mother" by The Police, which is a twelve-bar blues in Middle-Eastern sounding 7/8 time with harmonic-minor sounds.

[@BrunoWiebelt]

it gets complicated then it gets simple again...Thank You very much!!!

[@SirBelmerD]

omg, I was not aware of musical palindromes! Good heavens, it's like physics mixed with music mixed with divine intervention, everything just FITS!!!

[@MassimoVaccaro]

Really interesting and inspiring! You gave me some new composing idea!

[@MightyOneManBand]

Very informative, Rick!

[@chrisjensen9709]

Absolutely Excellent explanation. You are a great Teacher, Rick!

[@SeanWilsonPiano]

Amazing, clear explanation and examples!

[@Guitars-Gear-Music]

That's a great video on negative harmony. Never thought about it that way. How about a video on reharmonizing an actual song with negative harmony. Maybe one that it not just diatonic and a little more complex. That would be a treat! Thanks for all the work and effort you put in your videos giving so much precious knowledge away for free. Love it.

[@jeffteza8644]

Thankyou Rick, this clarified my hazy understanding of negative harmony.

[@kevon217]

I bet that’s why Dorian feels so modal. Great vid!

[@kondorram9073]

Rick, at 10:57 when you are finishing how the circle of fifths can be used to find the negative harmony for the chords, why didn’t the Bo to Do follow the same logic? Curious. I see that note by note it is a Do but following the circle short cut it would give you a Db, no?

[@LongevityReportET]

It should be Bb, the rule still works.

[@BrandochGarage]

I've been saving a couple of these for a quiet evening... good one!

[@malcolmkendall1547]

Thank you for this Rick!! I've enjoyed other videos of yours but this one made me a fan for life-liked, subscribed, all in. Excellent explanation with just the right level of detail-clarified but not oversimplified, comprehensive but not over explained, and many open avenues to explore. Did the Beatles come up with those great color chords at random? Maybe, but now I know why they work and where they breed. Roll over Thelonius Monk!

[@vspatmx7458]

To the point. Hard hitting And brilliant data. Love your work. You rock.

[@nailmusic]

Wow.... a bit of a head spin. I played around with palindromic scales when I was younger and just learning modes (what happens if I use the same intervals in the opposite direction?) but never thought to “mine” the concept for ideas. Yum. Also - Eb-/D-? I LOVE that chord. Thanks!

[@QuikVidGuy]

I know it's stupid to say "Oh, so descending is the opposite of ascending" but that's what I realized upon being reminded of mirror modes like, emotionally, it's easier to make descending lines on brighter scales to sound sad or intense because you're moving on an inversion

[@DenA-c5v]

Thanks Rick, I think I actually understand it! You are hands down, the best!

[@thomaspidgeon7926]

Thanks Rick you just simplified negative Harmony for me

[@benlevin6275]

truly fascinating and unique sound.. definitely using this in my uni composition, thanks Rick!

[@althealligator1467]

6:10 Fm isn't the only image of a C chord. It's not the "correct" image, because depends on where you put the axis of symmetry. This is really just basic geometry, but a shape (in musical terms, a musical structure such as a chord, or a chord progression, or a scale, or a melody) will always have the exact same shape as a symmetrical image regardless of where the axis of symmetry is located relative to the original shape. The thing that does depend on the position of the axis of symmetry is the position (in musical terms, the key) of the image. So in this instance, the image of the shape that is a major chord is _always_ a minor chord regardless of where the axis of if symmetry is; that's an objective mathematical fact and there's nothing you can do about it. What you can change is the position of the axis of symmetry relative to the major chord whose image you're generating. Fm is only the image of C about the axis that passes through the note C (and coincidentally F# because, due to octave equivalency, scales are circular and not linear, which means that an axis of symmetry will pass through two notes a tritone apart). If the axis were to pass through D and G#, however, the image would suddenly be Am, not Fm. In fact, the diatonic scale (the cicular scale which comprises all seven Greek modes - modes being a linear view of scales with a clear start as opposed to looping on itself) is symmetrical about only one axis, which happens to pass through the 2nd degree of the ionian mode (and so coincidentally the #5/b6), so for example in C major, the axis passes through D and G#. This is why dorian appears to be the only symmetrical mode: modes are a linear view of scales that doesn't do justice to their circular nature, and dorian's 1st degree happens to be where the axis of symmetry passes in that circular view. So the diatonic image of C in C major is Am. Fm is the image of C about the axis of the key of Bb major (that axis passing through the notes C and F# as seen before).

[@thegrumpyorchestrator7867]

I used Rick's bit about Negative Harmony in a video to further muddy the brownest of waters. All due respect, and thanks to Rick, who is amazing.

[@hectorlozoya8602]

Great explanation...Rick, it would be interesting if you were to touch on how to make the jump from working on a non music related profession, to going fully music pro

[@Psued0Name]

IF I recall correctly, negative harmony has echoes of the music theory used by Beethoven, Mozart, etc from which we get the terms like SUB Dominant, SUB Mediant, etc. where they looked at harmonic functions going below the tonic vs going up from the tonic. I need to find references on this

[@HHJoshHH]

Love being a sub here Rick! Your channel is killin man! Keep up the awesome content!

[@MyNameJim]

Is there any more repertoire out there that you can point to that uses this besides the Bartók and Copland’s pieces??? Would love to get this in my ear more and figure out the contexts in which this is employed. This past summer, I utilized the mirror harmony on all other “pressing scales” and have gotten verrrry interesting results. As a music theorist/young scholar, I guess the next step is to find more evidence/primary sources that utilize this.

[@thehiddenyogi8557]

I am lost at 7:43, E mixolydian with C aolian and mirror chords? Why are you blending E mix with C aolian? E mix is a mirror of E aolian, correct? And the mirror chord of E major is A minor, correct? What logic is used to blend E mix with C aolian and getting a E/F min chord? Anybody? Help me out.

[@TimBoulette]

Really fascinating stuff -- would love to see a video going deeper into the concept.

[@hannes4971]

Best explanation on this topic so far! Thanks

[@girardbleau6808]

I found this video today by accident, so this is the first I have heard of the term "negative harmony". But I actually stumbled on this concept on my own several years ago, while doing inversions using the canonic utilities in Finale. I used the middle line (D) of the bass clef as the inversion point. dorian mode was same either way, then Phrygian flipped into Ionian, etc. I thought this was just interesting, but I didnt know until today that there was a whole harmonic theory based on this.

[@sustayne]

Fascinating. Now, just got to figger out how I can use this info to make my guitar leads more interesting.