The Lydian Chromatic Concept is often described as more than just a music theory book; it is a philosophical system that re-examines the very ontology and structure of music. For composers and performers dedicated to musical exploration, this book offers a perspective distinct from traditional functional harmony, potentially opening new avenues of creative thought.
The author, George Russell, was a musician and theorist who dedicated approximately 50 years of his life to the development and dissemination of this theory.
Published in 1953, the Lydian Chromatic Concept is historically significant as one of the first comprehensive harmonic theories derived directly from the practical genre of Jazz, rather than being based on the framework of European classical harmony.
While traditional tonal music is based on the causality of “Resolution” (the Dominant-Tonic relationship), Russell’s theory contains a theoretical challenge to fundamentally shift this towards “Being” (existence/staying). This theoretical challenge can be seen as the direct motivation that later gave birth to the style known as Modal Jazz.
At the core of the theory is the concept of “Tonal Gravity.” This is the philosophy that harmony should be perceived not as a horizontal set of rules (chord progressions), but as a natural principle of order centered around a unified tonic—essentially, as “movement within a gravitational field.” Russell selected the Lydian mode, derived from a chain of perfect fifths, as the scale that maintains the highest degree of tonal unity, establishing this vertical structure as the foundation of his theory.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of the Lydian Chromatic Concept lies in providing the theoretical basis for a major stylistic shift in late 20th-century jazz: Modal Jazz. Emerging as a reaction against the rapid and complex chord changes of the Bebop era, Modal Jazz is characterized by maintaining specific modes over a fixed tonic center for extended periods. This theory gave this musical practice its first systematic theoretical grounding.
The impact of this theory on practice was immeasurable. Trumpeter Miles Davis popularized Modal Jazz globally with his album Kind of Blue (1959). In particular, the track “So What,” with its extremely static harmonic structure, is considered a perfect example embodying the vertical philosophy of “Being” advocated by the Lydian Chromatic Concept.
Additionally, John Coltrane deepened his exploration of modes in works like “Impressions,” establishing an improvisational technique called “Sheets of Sound,” where rapid arpeggios are deployed within a modal framework. Meanwhile, pianist Bill Evans contributed by delicately expressing static harmonic colors.
Furthermore, the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu recognized this theory as one of the significant innovations in modern music history and publicly acknowledged its influence on his own creative activities. He evaluated this book as “one of the two greatest books on music,” placing it alongside Olivier Messiaen’s The Technique of My Musical Language (Technique de mon langage musical).
Thus, the framework of the Lydian Chromatic Concept possessed the flexibility to allow for an extremely diverse range of artistic interpretations and styles for improvisers and composers alike.
Moreover, another decisive achievement of this theory appears to be the establishment of the theoretical foundation for the Chord-Scale Theory, which is the primary language of modern jazz education. By establishing the basic approach of associating specific scales that encompass and unify the intervals of specific chords, this book played a pioneering role in establishing jazz theory as a sophisticated academic discipline.
While the theoretical depth and influence of the Lydian Chromatic Concept are clear, it is also true that several points of contention exist from a specialized perspective.
First, regarding theoretical consistency, criticism sometimes focuses on the fact that Russell relied solely on the chain of perfect fifths—Pythagorean intervals—when deriving the supremacy of the Lydian scale. This questions the theory’s philosophical claim of a “universal natural principle of order,” suggesting that there may have been an “arbitrary choice” in the selection of acoustical grounds.
Also, the fact that the Lydian Chromatic Concept presupposes the artificially adjusted 12-tone equal temperament, rather than just intonation derived from the natural overtone series, is occasionally a subject of criticism. Russell affirmed equal temperament from a practical standpoint, but it has been pointed out that this attitude creates a theoretical tension (aporia) between the “natural principle of order” the theory claims and the artificial system it utilizes.
Furthermore, as a challenge in musical practice, there is criticism regarding the formalization of improvisation. The Chord-Scale Theory established by the Lydian Chromatic Concept systematized note selection in improvisation. However, concerns have been raised that if immature musicians rely too heavily on this theory and mechanically follow the “map” of note choices, improvisation tends to become “aimless, shapeless, or mechanical sounding.” Applying the theory dogmatically may contain the danger of actually constraining creativity.
George Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept presented a fundamental paradigm shift for understanding the harmonic organization of jazz, thereby offering modern musicians a creative space liberated from the constraints of functional harmony.
The true value of this book may lie not just in the rigor of the theory itself, but rather in the fundamental challenge it poses to artists. It asks how a musician can merge and navigate the gravitational field of “balance between vertical unity and horizontal motility” with their own creative spirit.
This book is arguably an extremely important document suggesting that musical creativity is born not merely from the novelty of sound, but from a structural understanding of and a deep dialogue with existing tonal systems.
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In my personal opinion, the more one attempts to thoroughly practice the Lydian Chromatic Concept, the more one realizes that a terrifying space of “freedom to do anything” expands before them. I believe beginners should avoid treating this book as a general music theory textbook. However, if viewed as a book to be encountered after passing through all manner of practical theoretical considerations, it might offer a world where one can even feel a kind of healing. Personally, I think this is the type of book that chooses its readers.
I first encountered this book in a magazine article I read during my student days. It mentioned that “That Lydi-Chro (as it was generally abbreviated) has been translated into Japanese.” At the time, I only heard fragmented comments like “it’s a flexible analytical theory” or “it’s a new concept of composition,” but I didn’t know the specifics accurately.
Without the internet as we have now, I simply yearned to read it. Later, through a stroke of luck, I was able to obtain it, but upon reading it once, question marks raced through my mind. Even if I could imagine it as a concept, it was difficult to imagine it as sound.
Thinking back now, I believe it was a logical cheering song for those trying to leap beyond established musical styles. Since I wasn’t trying to leap anywhere at that time (nor did I have the power to do so), Russell’s encouragement might have been wasted on me. It was truly an incident where I experienced that “a book chooses the person.”
Book Information
Title (Japanese) :『リディアン・クロマティック・コンセプト』
Author : ジョージ ラッセル (著)
ISBN : 475493072X
Table of Contents of “Lydian Chromatic Concept”
- To the Japanese Readers
- On “The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization”
- Explanation of Jazz Improvisation Styles seen in the “River Trip”
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Vertical Tonal Gravity
- Lesson 1: Determining the “Parent Scale” of a Chord
- Lesson 2: The Parent Scale and the Lydian Chromatic Scale
- Lesson 3: Selection of Chord Scales (other than Parent Scales) by the Second Scale Degree
- Chapter 2: Classification of Melodies
- Lesson 4: Vertical Melodies
- Chapter 3: Horizontal Tonal Gravity
- Lesson 5: Horizontal Melodies
- Chapter 4: Tonal Gravity seen in the “Circle of Close to Distant Relationships”
- Lesson 6: Constructing Chord Patterns and Chord Substitution
- Chapter 5: Lydian Chromatic Order of Tonal Gravity
- Lesson 7: Explanation of the Tonal Gravity Chart
- Chapter 6: On Tonal Resources
- Lesson 8: Outgoing Tonal Resources of the Lydian Chromatic Scale
- Summary
- The Theoretical Foundation of the Lydian Chromatic Concept in Tonal Organization
- Afterword
- Thinking About the World Through Music (Dialogue / George Russell : Toru Takemitsu)
- George Russell’s Lydian Concept / Toru Takemitsu
- Ornette Coleman and Tonality
- Appendices I, II, III / Glossary / Index of Terms / Discography / Answers to Problems
About the Author
George Russell
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1923. He attended Wilberforce University, known for producing many jazz musicians, and moved to New York in 1944. In 1953, he published The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization.
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