Cataclysm-ic Variations

A look at the song "Cataclysm", by The Flying Luttenbachers

In a previous lesson, I introduced octave displacement, the technique of moving a note or a group of notes from a melody, chord or improvisation to a different octave. Today, I’ll give an example of how using that method can give you very abstract results from material.

The song I’ll be using as an example is Cataclysm, by The Flying Luttenbachers, a band I was in from 2003-2006.

Photo by Vice Cooler (@vicecooler - IG)

I wrote the main phrase that was used in Cataclysm using octave displacement. Here is the final version of the part:

I’ll break down how I arrived at this point. I began with a melodic pattern with a few variations. I wanted the part to have a feeling of chaotic momentum, so I began by using constant eighth notes to make it frantic and unrelenting.