The Fourths Chord

There’s a particular passage in one of McCoy Tyner’s piano solos with John Coltrane that I adore. In his right hand, McCoy is playing the blues. In his left hand, he is playing a mysterious chord. This episode is about that chord.The music you hear at the beginning and end is an original track of mine called “Voice Leading.” Other pieces of music discussed, in order of appearance:“Lonnie’s Lament” by John Coltrane (1964)“Alleluia, Nativitas Gloriose Virginis Marie (Organum Triplum Du Maître Pérotin)” (c. 1200), performed by Dominique Vellard & Ensemble Gilles Binchois“Le fils des étoiles: Prélude du premier acte. La vocation” by Erik Satie (1892), performed by Bertrand Chamayou“So What” by Miles Davis (1959)“Cold Sweat, Pts. 1 & 2” by James Brown (1967)“My Favorite Things” by John Coltrane (1961)“Freedom Jazz Dance” by Eddie Harris (1961)“Freedom Jazz Dance” by Miles Davis (1967)“Maiden Voyage” by Herbie Hancock“It's About That Time” by Miles Davis (1969)“Everybody Loves The Sunshine” by Roy Ayers (1976)“Star Trek: The Next Generation theme” by Jerry Goldsmith (1987)A note to copyright holders: I use short clips of the above recordings for educational purposes. In every instance, I believe this to be protected as fair use in the USA, fair dealing in the UK and EEA, and similar exceptions in other nations’ copyright laws. I do not use any recordings in their entirety, and the excerpts that I do use are edited into analytical commentary, making this usage transformative in nature. This podcast is an educational resource, one which has no negative effect on the market for the works excerpted. Any DMCA notices (or equivalent in other jurisdictions) will be contested. Get full access to Ethan teaches you music at ethanhein.substack.com/subscribe