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Compiling global examples of music in the Boogie Woogie Scale

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1-3-5-6-b7

(C-E-G-A-B^b-C)

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• Boogie Woogie: Sounds •

Real-world examples of the scale in action:

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• General: This pentatonic scale form, based around a robust 1-3-5 major triad, turns up in various traditions. Most clearly, it matches the famous ‘boogie-woogie bassline’: a staple of blues, jazz, rock, and countless proximate genres. Extrapolated to match the chord-shifts of the 12-bar blues (i.e. transposing the pattern upwards a perfect 4th & 5th to fit the progression’s IV7 and V7 chords), a common path is transcribed below. Hear variants of this classic bassline in action on tunes such as Rocker (Louisiana harmonica virtuoso Little Walter), Rude Mood (Texas electric guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan), Chicago Stomp (piano-roll composer Jimmy Blythe), and Bru’s Boogie Woogie (jazz pianist and odd-time aficionado Dave Brubeck: below). And learn more about its origins in an article by John Tennison (“The Rocks and The Fives, written by George & Hersal Thomas…and recorded in Feb 1923…are the earliest recordings of which I am aware that contain boogie-woogie bass figures…”).

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• India: Matches the Hindustani Raag Kalavati, a relatively straightforward raga which invites performances of energy and rhythmic charge – introduced to North India by Kirana gharana vocalists around a century ago via borrowing the congruent Carnatic Valaji (n.b. the South Indian ‘Kalavathi’ takes a different scale).

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—Raag Kalavati (North India)—

Rahul Sharma (santoor)

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“Whatever Kalavati’s exact origins, it inspires a distinct set of emotional colours. According to Kalakar, “the beauty of the raga lies in its simplicity, which gives stress-relief and serenity” – and as per novelist Vikram Seth, Kalavati’s “ornamental beautification…if performed with apt devotion, can depict the flavour of romance” (although Ranade considers that “a tinge of a sense of loss may also be felt…”). And a 2015 biomedical study found that “Kalavati is effective in reducing anxiety and blood pressure among haemodialysis patients”, based on playing Shivkumar Sharma recordings during treatment (“patients were instructed to relax completely and concentrate on the music”: also see Antardhwani). Sharma, in turn, titled his interpretations as ‘Prayers to Saraswati’. Indeed, ‘Kalavati’ translates as ‘one who is adorned with the kalas [arts]’ – an overt reference to Saraswati’s role as the Hindu goddess of arts and learning. To delve further into these histories, see the ‘chausath kalas‘: an ancient compendium of 64 artistic pursuits, which – besides music, dance, painting, and theatre – includes such entries as kavya-samasya-purana (“solving enigmatic verses”), suka-sarika-pralapana (“fostering conversation between male and female cockatoos”), and mlechita-kutarka-vikalpa (“the art of fabricating barbarous foreign sophistry”). Despite its short Hindustani history, still spanning little more than half a century, Kalavati has already established itself as a regular fixture on the modern concert circuit…”

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• Boogie Woogie: More •

Features, classifiers, quirks, etc…

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[analysis: coming soon]

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—Classifiers & Quirks—

• Modes: (none in index)
• Quirks: Hemitonic (imperfect: ♮3, ♮5, b7; detached: b7)
• Names: Boogie Woogie, Mixolydian no2/4 (Western); Kalavati (Hindustani); Valaji (Carnatic)

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n.b. For more detailed geometric and mathematical analysis, refer to this scale’s entry in Ian Ring’s fantastic Exciting Universe of Music Theory project (for which I am an occasional ‘raga consultant’)

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