2 Symmetrical Spiral Melody - Analysis

Spiral #1: A/Eb

œ œ
œ #œ # œ #œ nœ bœ
A
œ nœ
E/F
bœ A#/B
œ bœ
& ‰ J œ
Spiral #1: D/Ab Spiral #2: A#/B - E/F
Spiral #1: C/F#

Spiral #1: C/F#

œ nœ # œ
Tritone

œ œ #œ œ
Spiral #1: G/C#

œ #œ #œ nœ
& œ
Spiral #1: D/G#

Spiral #1: E/Bb

Spiral #1: D/G#

œ œ bœ #œ
E E Bb
œ œ bœ
& ‰ J œ #œ #œ nœ œ #œ
C#/D
œ
Spiral #2: C#/D - G/Ab Tritone Spiral #1: G/C#

œ œEb nœE/F œ #œE/Fbœ œ #œ œ

Spiral #2: F#/C

bœ. nœ œ
A
& nœ bœ œ. bœ nœ
Spiral #1: A/Eb
Spiral #2: E/F - Bb/B

A basic analysis of Example 5 in Steve Coleman’s essay, “Symmetrical Movement Concept”. I may have
missed some things in this initial analysis.

The boxes represent the circles presented in the example in the essay. Where there are two tones boxed, the
axis spiral is labeled above in bold. A bracket indicates the interpretation of the influence of each axis spiral.

Parenthesis indicates the closing of an axis, which can span between more than one axis spiral.
Bar 1: G# closure of Axis A.
Bar 2: A closure of Axis C. C closure of Axis A#/B - E/F. Ab closure of Axis A#/B - E/F.
Bar 3: C closure of Axis A#/B - E/F. G closure of Axis C/F#.
Bar 4: C# closure of Axis D/G#. G/C# closure of Axis D/G#.
Bar 5: Eb closure of Axis E/Bb.
Bar 6: C# closure of Axis E/Bb. G# closure of Axis G/C#.
Bar 7: Ab closure of Axis A/Eb.
Bar 8: D closure of Axis E/FE closure of Axis A/Eb. E closure of Axis Eb/A. Eb closure of axis E/F - Bb/B.
C closure of axis E/F - Bb/B. B closure of Axis F#/C.

In bars 4 and 6, I labeled two tritones that suspend an opening or closing of an axis spiral.