Title:

An exploration of the use of Rhythm and Harmony in Snarky Puppys Music

Research Question:

How do rhythmic and harmonic compositional devices influence Snarky

Puppys music?

Word Count:

4000





Table of Contents

Heading Page

Introduction 1

Jazz Fusion 2

Snarky Puppy 3

Miles Davis In a Silent Way 4

Binky 7

Solo Sections 14

Bridge and Ending 15

Flood 19

Conclusion 27

Works Cited 30

Appendix 32

Score of In A Silent Way 32

Score of Flood 33

Score of Binky 40



Introduction:

Ever since the beginnings of the Jazz era, it was as common to hear jazz, swing and funk on

the radio, as it is to hear pop and rap artists of today on the radio nowadays. Soon after the

second half of the century, genres like Funk, Rock and Soul began to replace Jazz as the

music America was known for. To date, the best-selling jazz album of all time is Kind of

Blue, by Miles Davis, recorded in 1959 which sold over 4 million copies1. However, Herbie

Hancocks album, Head Hunters and Weather Reports Heavy Weather both come in at a

close 2nd and both released soon after. All three of these albums had common attributes.

They defined what was taken to be standard functional harmony and brought aspects from

music around the world and also what was popular at the time into their playing. Music

around the world today is no longer solely subject to one overarching type of music, such

as has it been in the past two centuries.

This essay looks at the compositional devices found in the pieces, Flood, and Binky, by

the Jazz Fusion Artists Snarky Puppy and the impact of the pieces on the listeners

experience. Through analysing important compositional devices, such as Rhythm and

Harmony, further exploration as to what makes Jazz Fusion today will be uncovered.

1
"Gold & Platinum - RIAA." https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.

Jazz Fusion:

Jazz Fusion is an evolving musical genre that developed during the late 1960s, after the

emergence of genres such as Bebop and Free Jazz. Bebop jazz was initially characterized by

significantly more complex chord progressions and melodies and with a strong

concentration on the rhythm section. Although the irregular and unpredictable lengths of

solos made the music less suitable for dancing, it was definitely entertaining. Jazz

enthusiasts just sat back and listened to the music! This type of jazz is depicted by its

improvisations, which were primarily composed of 8-note and 16th-note figures. There are

numerous abrupt melody changes and paused intervals between notes. Rather than simply

embellishing a melody, bebop jazz musicians used chord progressions for the basis of their

improvisation. Jazz Fusion builds its sound and style just like its name suggests, through

the fusion of jazz and other genres that are popular at that particular period of time.2 Based

around the concepts and foundations of jazz harmony and an emphasis on improvisation.

Notable artists that began the movement were Miles Davis, Chick Corea, John Mclaughlin

and Herbie Hancock. Later on, bands such as Return to Forever and Weather Report,

further solidified the genre and paved the way forward for future acts. This was done not

just through establishing new frontiers of playing, but changing the very way they perceive

structure, rhythm and harmony.

2
"The Birth of Bebop Jazz - A History of Jazz." http://www.historyjazz.com/bebop.html. Accessed 3 Oct.
2017.

Snarky Puppy (2004 - )

Snarky Puppy is a jazz fusion ensemble led by the bassist, producer and composer Michael

League. The band was formed in Denton, Texas by Michael League in 2004 and comprises

of almost 40 members, who work on a rotating routine.3 The band's instrumentation

consists of guitar, bass, keyboards, woodwinds, strings, brass, percussion and drums.4 They

have released 3 albums in 2008, 2009 and one in 2010 accordingly, however only truly

honed their signature sound on their 4th album, Tell Your Friends. Michael League, the

primary composer for the band himself describes the band, as a "a pop band that

improvises a lot, without vocals". Many of the members grew up listening and playing in

the gospel, funk and hip-hop scenes in Texas. These sounds and characteristics can be

heard in Snarky Puppys music as many of the members draw from this influence when

performing. However, it was Miles Davis In a Silent Way that was a primary inspiration

for Snarky Puppy.

3
"Snarky Puppy | Biography & History | AllMusic." http://www.allmusic.com/artist/snarky-puppy-
mn0002073891/biography. Accessed 15 Aug. 2017.
4
"SNARKY PUPPY | About Snarky Puppy." http://snarkypuppy.com/about. Accessed 15 Aug. 2017.

Miles Davis In a Silent Way:

In a Silent Way is a piece composed by Joe Zawinul, who is most famous for co-leading the

famous 70s jazz fusion band Weather Report. Coming from the same musical concept of

having multiple keyboard players, a not yet famous John McLaughlin included bass lines

and grooves that keep the song going steadily.5 Many players involved have since attained

legendary status in some of the greatest fusion bands of all time, such as Weather Report

and Return to Forever. Saxophonist Wayne Shorter, keyboardists Chick Corea, Herbie

Hancock, and Joe Zawinul, guitarist John McLaughlin, bassist Dave Holland and drummer

Tony Williams all accompanied Miles on the album.3

Miles Davis had gone on to expand instrumentation which could be included in a jazz

ensemble. His constant desire to find the a specific sound in his head lead him to add

electrified instruments, along with bass oboes, sitars and more. The traditional ensembles

were ejected in favour of bands that had three electric keyboards, two drummers,

percussion or anything else that Miles wanted. Miles pioneered what is now known as Jazz

Fusion. He dismantled the idea of what Jazz was. It now had a rock influence, it was

ambient, had funk rhythms, was electronic and it was something that was new to the

audience. This influenced the sound that we know is Snarky Puppy; the big ensemble with a

diverse range of instrumentation, combined with the complex harmonies give Snarky

Puppy its distinctive sound.

The harmony in this piece is based upon open strings and repeating drones. This creates a

5
"<i>Bitches Brew</i> - Miles Beyond." http://www.miles-beyond.com/iaswbitchesbrew.htm. Accessed 11 Aug.
2017.

sense of stability but lacks in harmony. They keyboards slowly enter and provide depth and

the guitar plays an altered melody with open strings to highlight and accent each note of

the melody. When the trumpet comes in, it is quite chilling.

The influence of this group of musicians and their future endeavours are clearly visible in

Snarky Puppys music and performance. Plenty of the rhythmic devices Michael League

implements, are based on South American and African polyrhythmic ideas, which build

rhythmic a foundation as well as diatonic harmonies placed over the top. Their music

combines modern music influences and various traditions, keeping some of these

traditional aspects, so maybe thats why it attracts a young crowd. 6

6
"Q and A: Michael League and the rise of Snarky Puppy | Ottawa Citizen." 21 Jun. 2015,
http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/music/q-and-a-michael-league-and-the-rise-of-snarky-puppy. Accessed 16
Aug. 2017.

Binky:

To understand the significance of the rhythmic and harmonic devices used by League, we

must unpack the piece and look at how the instrumentation works together, using specific

examples. The piece begins with a rhythmic motif, in 3/4 consisting of 3 pairs of 8th notes

played by just Congas and Shakers. This motif continues throughout most of the piece,

brought back at different points and used as a point of reference by League. Lot of the

rhythms played are built by using an additive structure, adding beats on top of each other

rather than subdividing in the Western manner.

Excerpt 2: Bars 1-10

Bar 3 introduces the bass and piano, playing an ascending motif in 3rds and then repeating

a 4th down, ending with a descending lick in bar 10. League introduces this bassline as a

outline for Section A, and the general rhythmic structure for future sections.

Excerpt 3: Bars 12-18

Excerpt 4: Bars 20-26

Section B introduces a strophic melody played by the B and C melody instruments. They

play a third apart accenting beats 2 and 3. The same isorhythmic melody heard in bar 12 is

repeated 2 bars later and a 4th lower. The melody behaves in a conjunct motion using small

intervals between the notes and is in sequence. This sequence is repeated again to create a

C Section. This altered version of the first stated melody ends differently, with an extended

cadence played by the horn section.

Excerpt 5: Bars 27-34

In Section D, the Guitars are introduced and the percussion heightens the complexity of the

rhythms. The Rhythm section now plays with increased syncopation, creating a more

intense section. The percussion and the drums outline the melodic and bass rhythm. The

guitars play the same riff as the bass but an octave higher, the second note of each 8th note

is an octave higher than the previous 8th note. This widens the melodic and harmonic

range of the piece and serves as a transition to the coming sections.

Section E and F (Bars 35-50) are previously played as Section B and C (11-26), however

this time with the addition of guitars and more keyboards. The flavour of these sections

have changed as well, it is now more lively. At this point, you can hear keyboards playing

fills in between the melodies and a Jam-Band becoming more evident here.

Excerpt 6 Bars 51-58

Section G, which can also be referred to a chorus section, now modulates to a new key thus

creating a new groove. Harmonically it modulates from its previous key of E Major (C#

Minor) to E Minor (G Major), which is its parallel minor. This modulation is quite drastic as

the G#, C# and D# all become G , C , and D . The chord progression here does not follow

diatonic chordal harmony. This is because what should be a F#min7 is a Fmaj9 and what

should be a D7 or a Dmaj7 is a Dm9, where both chords are not in the chord scale of E

Minor. Another thing to notice is the Esus9. When a Sus chord is played the 3rd becomes a

4th. However when a Sus9 is played, its 3rd becomes a 2nd. So it will consist of E, F#, B and

E. League uses this to further emphasise the tonality change in this section.

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E Major Scale

E Minor Scale

The melody that is played over the chord changes outlines the general nature of the chord.

Everything here is diatonic and follows the chordal structure.

Excerpt 6 Bars 51-58

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The metre is another aspect of the music that changes. The chorus section alternates

between 4/4 time and 3/4 time. This creates a whole new rhythmic effect, one where the

groove feels like it is being pushed and pulled. Here the rhythm is more syncopated, as the

drums and percussion are playing 32nd notes with accents on the chords. The chords are

played through short jabs and then held. This continues to build the tension throughout

this section.

Excerpt 7 Bars 59-62

Section H is the second part of the chorus section. In this section, the piece modulates once

again harmonically and rhythmically. Harmonically its now gone to the V7 chord of E

Minor which is a B7, (in this case a Bsus7) and the melody is modulated. The licks played

by the C and Bb instruments and played a 4th apart. The melodic interval between the Bb

and C instruments are a 2nd apart. Rhythmically the time signature changes once again,

this time to 6/4 while still holding on the characteristics of the previous section.

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Snarky Puppys key to having such a diverse and rich palette of textures and dynamics lies

in its instrumentation. A lot of what you hear rhythmically is thanks to the tight,

interlocking grooves played by the combination of percussion and drumming. Through

years of experience in playing together, Snarky Puppy have formed a cohesive unit that

locks in naturally.

Excerpt 8 Bars 63-68

Section I releases the climax and the build up of the previous 2 sections. As well as

modulating back to E major the feel is now of a more open straight 16th note dynamic. The

bass and piano are playing straight sixteenth notes, exploring a wider harmonic range.

With the addition of the 7th note of each chord adds more tension to the harmony. By

having the 7th in the bass, the piece has the tendency to resolve. When we hear a 7th chord

we want the note to fall and resolve, by doing this League is intentionally giving the idea of

resolution and understanding to the listener.

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After section I, the head melodies are repeated once more with the full orchestration and

thus we hear a climax here.

Sections J through K are previously stated material and are repeated, with the exception of

the keyboard. They clearly are playing longer fills in between the phrases and thus adding

tension and excitement. Synths add to the head melody, harmonizing with the horn section.

This again adds to the timbre and texture, a technique influenced from Miles Davis and

early fusion albums by Weather Report.

Solo Sections:

Section K also introduces us to the first solos. The rhythm section loops the head and

provides the basis for the tenor saxophone solo. Harmonically the soloists of Snarky Puppy

tend to remain quite diatonic and within the chordal tones. Traditionally, jazz

improvisation relies heavily on the use of modes, in the major and minor to give it a

particular dissonant sound. Snarky Puppys horn players tend to stay away from this

particular sound, keeping the listener more engaged and fitting a more contemporary

approach. The horn players use digital and analog effects such as delay and reverb, to

create this distinctive sound. Section M through P are also previously stated material,

which this time is used for solos. In this section, the flugelhorn is used as the solo

instrument, the length of the solo is longer, serving as a final big section before the

breakdown. Section Q repeats a part of the chorus melody and it ends with a slight fade

going into the bridge.

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The Bridge and Ending:

Excerpt 9 Bars 108-111

Section R is heard previously as an interlinking section after the first chorus (Section G).

Here it serves as the basis for the bridge section (Sections R through T). It is important to

note the open atmosphere here. The guitar is arpeggiating the chords and having the E-

string ring out. Arpeggiating the chord allows for the music to sound fuller and increase

harmonic range while the ringing E-string gives added harmonic support to the section.

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Excerpt 10 Bars 112-119

Section S introduces a new melody played first by a soft synth, serving as a big build up as

as the piece progresses. The same melody is looped around and more instruments are

added. It begins with just a soft synth and chords on a piano, then a trumpet is added then

more synths and horns. By the end of this section the full band is lively playing, with plenty

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of improvisation. The melody moves in both conjunct and disjunct motions with phrasing

focusing on the off beats.

At this point, the section breaks down again and releases all this tension. A version of

section R is heard again. The guitar continues to arpeggiate the chord and have an open E-

string ringing.

The outro while technically in 3/4, is actually being played with a 4/4 feel. This is done by

taking the dotted quarter note of the original feel (in 3/4) and isolating it. This becomes the

new quarter note of a 4/4 feel. In fact, everyone can play the written parts identically. Only

the drums/percussion switch between the 3/4 and 4/4 grooves and everything still locks

in. The outro uses previously stated harmonic material in a metrically related, but a

permutated manner. League uses this as a way to allow the listener to perceive something

they are hearing differently than it is actually being played.

Excerpt 11 Bars 125 -

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The ending section is notably different from the rest of the piece. The music has

transcended to a new genre and a new style. This particular section takes its influence

from Hip-Hop and Gospel music. With the groove introduced as a hard hitting 1 and 3,

there is also a thick fat bass line. The rhythm of the percussion goes back to 90s hip-hop

where the snare hits replicate the claps of an 808 drum set. The interaction between the

bass and the drums derives strongly from Afro-beat music in New York, at the time League

was composing Binky.

When the melody enters it resembles as though someone was singing or rapping and

creates a hip hop feel. The melody is short, staccato and accented. The melody continues to

move in conjunct motion and is played by the horn section. The guitars are playing every

other bar and accenting on the snare drum hits. They do this by playing a muted harmonic

on the strings with plenty of reverb, adding to the overall timbre.

Throughout the piece the influence of Michael Leagues choice on the rhythm and harmony

prescribed is quite evident. It provides a whole new dimension to the playing and also for

the listener. Even with a prescriptive score, the scoring allows the band to interpret and

build on the harmonies and motives throughout. Improvisation and of jamming are two big

parts of Snarky Puppy.

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Flood:

The piece begins with a repeated rhythmic figure, in 7/4 and the division of beats is

irregular grouped in a 2+2+3 group. This motif is carried on throughout and brought back

at different points as a point of rhythmic reference. Similar to Binky this piece progresses in

intensity as the piece develops, adding more instrumentation and energy.

Excerpt 1 Bars 1-4

The piece is in the key of E Major. The piano and guitar both are playing the same chords,

Emaj9 and Amaj9. The 2nd chord, the Amaj9, is the 4th of the key. The intro 4 bars are

looped until the melody enters. This section is looped a second time, with the drums and

bass entering. The guitar copies the keyboard melody the second time. The drums and

percussion progressively become more complex and louder. This rhythmic motif is used as

a basis for a more funky improvised rhythm by the keyboards and guitar, with accents and

ghost notes added.

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Excerpt 2 Bars 5-8

Excerpt 3 Bars 9-12

Bar 5 introduces the a strophic verse motif played by the B and C melody instruments.

They play a 2nd apart accenting the off beats. The same isorhythmic melody heard from

bar 5-14 is repeated again with increased intensity. The melody behaves in a conjunct

motion, using small intervals and is sequential. The sequence is repeated once again to

create a third section. This altered version of the first stated melody ends differently, with a

perfect cadence played by the horn section.

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Excerpt 4 Bars 33-36

Bar 33 introduces the chorus section. This section has a time signature change to 5/4 and a

significant textural and mood change. It modulates a third down. The guitars and pianos

play a arpeggiated chord on the offbeat, allowing for a relaxed feeling. With the percussion

moving dynamically to a more ghost noted and cymbal focused feel, this pseudo chorus

section gives the appearance of a poly-metric vibe.

Bar 45 introduces us to the first solo section. It is comprised of specifically bars 1-12. This

solo section however continues to be in the key of the chorus section, and is based on the

chords of C#m11 and Amaj9.

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After this we are introduced to the drum solo. In this section the drum strips down its

rhythm and is playing very loosely. This groove accompanies the rest of the band. The

whole band is playing a chordal accompaniment along with the drum solo, increasing in

intensity as this section progresses. Throughout the strings and horns are playing in

unison.

The horn section along with the strings are harmonising the chords played by the guitar

and keyboards. They are playing the 7th notes of each chord, creating more tension and

depth.

22


Next you see the horns and strings playing a descending wholenote phrase in a legato feel.

Covering the 5th (C#), a chromatic passing note (the C), leads to the 5th of the EMaj9 (B)

which is then held tell the end of the chord.

The horns and strings stop during the CMaj9 but however reappear in the AbMaj9. Here

they are using a chromatic approach to reach 7th of the chord (G).

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This is followed by a descending legato phrase and following the chord changes, moving

both conjunctly and disjunctly. A 2nd (F#) is played over the Emaj9 and then leaps down to

the 7th (D), then to the E which is a 3rd of the Cmaj9.

These two instrumental sections play yet another descending legato phrase which follow

the slightly altered changes. It plays a 3rd (Db), followed by a chromatic passing note (C)

and then resolves to the 5th of the E Major (B).

In this section, the horns and strings are placed up an octave and continue to play

descending phrases, with additional passing notes. Here they play a 2nd (F#) over the

Emaj9 and descend down to E which is the 3rd of Cmaj9.

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Here they play chromatic notes leading into a accented crescendo in the next section. By

outlining the chromatic scale, League achieves an out sound, (dissonant) which creates a

contrast in the harmony, transcending to the drum solo that is also occurring.

The final progression of this section has the band playing at full dynamics. This excerpt

shows another descending chromatic sequence outlining the tensions of the chords.

25


This is the summary of the last bars identified, where the full band is playing the ascending

arpeggiated chord lick played originally by the guitars and keyboards.

This is then repeated a second time and the horn section plays a descending melody which

leads to a conclusion of the section.

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The final section acts as an outro involving the whole band and uses accents on all the

upbeats. The time signature also changes to common time, 4/4 and again changes the feel

of the piece. It gives it a more uplifting and pulsating listening experience, as the accent

falls on the 2 and the 4. Many people have suggested this creates a more comfortable

experience, as it is more in the traditional jazz idiom, with beats 2 and 4 being swung.

Alongside, the percussion and drums continue to play on beats 1 and 4, thus syncopating

heavily with the rest of the band. This effect creates a driving finality to the piece.

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Conclusion:

The influence of compositional devices such as Rhythm and Harmony are indeed two key

aspects in Michael Leagues particular style of writing. You do not need to look far to see its

impact on Snarky Puppys music. In both recordings of "Binky and Flood, the Rhythm

and the Harmony are fundamental and are intently the driving force behind their individual

and particular sound.

Flood and Binky are indeed largely influenced by Rhythm and Harmony. It is noticeable

that Binky orientates itself around the use of Rhythmic devices, whereas Flood can be

seen to revolve around the dense harmony and the treatment of the Harmonic devices.

Binky revolves around a tightly packed rhythm section which lays the foundation for the

chordal and melodic instrumentation to build on. There is a complex rhythmic centre

provided, thus giving the melody and harmony the freedom to create an equally complex

progression and development, or even layer more simplistic progressions and motives

above this rhythmic centre.

Flood provides a different landscape of sound when compared to Binky. Flood orientates

itself by using rich chords and dense textural development, using more traditional

harmonic progressions. You can hear chordal development more clearly in Flood. Rhythm

though extremely important, takes on a more soloistic role in some of the sections,

however it also plays a supportive element throughout, with the melodic and harmonic

devices being the driving force and focus.

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Both pieces really exemplify the unique sound heard in Snarky Puppys music. The creative

exploration of musical devices used alongside modern studio sounds and production

techniques have moved Jazz Fusion into a new era, pioneered not only by Michael League

and Snarky Puppy, but nowadays their contemporaries also lead the evolution of modern

jazz fusion.

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Works Cited:

1. Transcriptions - "In A Silent Way" by Miles Davis - Submitted by HalfNelson,

freejazzinstitute.com/showposts.php%3Fdept%3Dtranscriptions%26topic%3D201

00803052943_HalfNelson.

2. Bangs, Lester. In A Silent Way. Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 1969,

www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/in-a-silent-way-19691115.

3. Okayplayer. Miles Davis In A Silent Way. Okayplayer, 7 Nov. 2013, revive-

music.com/2010/11/23/miles-davis-in-a-silent-way/.

4. KeyboardMag.com Online Community for Keys, Boards, Gear, Lessons, News, Video,

Tabs & Chords. 5 Ways to Play Like the Keyboardists in Snarky Puppy.

KeyboardMag, www.keyboardmag.com/lessons/1251/5-ways-to-play-like-the-

keyboardists-in-snarky-puppy/55053.

5. The History of Jazz. Google Books,

books.google.com.sg/books/about/The_History_of_Jazz.html?id=J9G50L3c14QC&re

dir_esc=y.

6. Vempala, Naresh N. Fusion. Research Gate, 2014,

www.researchgate.net/publication/277579655_Fusion.

7. Calc, Rick. Http://Www.jazzrockworld.com/Jazzrockarticle.pdf. Jazz Rock Fusion

Surviving Four Decades and Counting, Mar. 2006.

8. Farley, Jeff. Making Americas Music: Jazz History and the Jazz Preservation Act.

theses.gla.ac.uk/519/1/2008farleyphd.pdf.

9. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.475.490&rep=rep1&typ

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e=pdf

10. Tingen, Paul. MILES BEYOND | The Making of In A Silent Way & Bitches Brew | An Ear

Witness Account, www.miles-beyond.com/iaswbitchesbrew.htm.

11. Gold & Platinum. RIAA, www.riaa.com/gold-

platinum/?tab_active=top_tallies&ttt=T1A#search_section.

12. Scores bought from the Snarky Puppy website and Hal Leonard, Real Book Edition V

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Appendix:

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