Jacob Collier is often called the "Mozart of the digital age," but that might be selling him short. Mozart never modulated to G-half-sharp Major. Watching a Jacob Collier interview is like watching a physicist explain the universe, except the universe is made of jazz chords. His music can sound chaotic, complex, and overwhelming, but it is never random. Every single note is built on a bedrock of advanced—and often forgotten—music theory. In this deep dive, we are going to break down the three pillars of the "Collier Sound": Negative Harmony, Just Intonation, and Quaruplet Swing.
Part 1: The Upside Down: Negative Harmony
This is the concept that broke the internet. In 2017, Collier mentioned "Negative Harmony" in an interview with June Lee, and YouTube exploded. But what is it? It is a theory derived from the work of Ernst Levy (1895-1981). The basic idea is that every scale has a "Mirror Universe."
The Axis of Rotation
Imagine the Circle of Fifths. Now imagine drawing a line (an axis) through it. In the key of C Major, the axis falls exactly halfway between the Tonic (C) and the Dominant (G). That crack is between E and Eb.
- The Reflection: If you reflect C Major across this axis, you get C Minor (specifically, Phrygian).
- The Emotional Shift:
- Positive (Normal) Harmony: Moves from Dominant (G7) to Tonic (C). This feels like "gravity pulls you home."
- Negative Harmony: Moves from Fm6 to C. It still resolves to C, but the gravity pulls from the other direction. It feels like "falling upwards."
- Practical Use: Collier uses this to re-harmonize standard pop songs (like "Flintstones"). He replaces standard chords with their negative cousins, creating a sound that is recognizable but distinctly "darker" and more mysterious.
Part 2: Living in the Cracks: Microtones
Western music is built on a lie. We divide the octave into 12 equal steps (C, C#, D, D#...). This is called Equal Temperament. It is a compromise designed to make pianos easier to tune. Jacob Collier rejects this compromise. He believes in Just Intonation.
The Physics of Tuning
In nature, when you sing a note, physics produces "overtones."
- The Major Third: In nature, a Major Third (like C to E) is slightly flatter (by about 14 cents) than the E on a piano.
- The Minor Seventh: In nature, a Minor Seventh is much flatter (by about 31 cents) than on a piano.
The "Collier Ring"
When Jacob sings a chord on his albums (often layering 100 tracks of his own voice), he doesn't tune to a piano. He tunes to the physics. He lowers the thirds and sevenths until they lock into the harmonic series.
- The Result: The chords "ring" with a clarity that hurts. They vibrate differently in your ear because the sound waves are perfectly aligned, without the "wobble" of piano tuning.
Microtonal Modulation
Sometimes he goes further. In his arrangement of "Moon River," he modulates continuously. But he doesn't just change keys; he changes tuning systems. At the climax of the song, he modulates to a key that is literally "between the cracks" of the piano—often described as "G-half-sharp Major." Why? Because by drifting pitch upward by tiny increments (20 cents here, 30 cents there), he creates a physical sensation of "floating" or "ascending" that standard, locked-grid tuning simply cannot achieve.
Part 3: Polyrhythm and "The Groove"
It's not just the harmony that is complex. It's the time. Most pop music is in 4/4 time, with a straight grid (1-2-3-4). Jazz often uses "Swing" (triplets: 1-and-a-2-and-a). Collier prefers Quintuplet Swing.
The Drunken Stumble
Imagine dividing the beat not into 2 (straight) or 3 (swing), but into 5.
- The Feel: It sounds "drunk." It sounds like it is dragging and rushing at the same time. It has a lazy, swag-heavy feel (Dilla beat) that makes your head nod, but you can't quite count it.
- Why he does it: It forces the listener to stop intellectualizing the rhythm and just feel the groove. You have to surrender to the loop.
Part 4: The Audience Choir
Perhaps his greatest magic trick is showing that we are the instrument. At his concerts, he conducts the audience. He splits a stadium of 5,000 strangers into three sections: Low, Middle, and High.
The Human Synthesizer
He doesn't give them sheet music. He doesn't teach them theory. He just moves his hands.
- The Intuition: He raises his left hand, and the "Low" section glides up pitch. He lowers his right hand, and the "High" section glides down.
- The Miracle: 5,000 untrained musicians instinctively lock into major chords, minor 7ths, and even cluster chords.
- The Lesson: This proves his ultimate thesis: Humans are hard-wired for harmony. Even if you don't know what a "Dominant 7th Flat 9" is, your brain knows exactly what it should sound like. We are walking, talking synthesizers.
Video: Conducting the Crowd
Watch how he turns a stadium of strangers into a massive, living instrument. Notice the look of pure joy on his face—not of showing off, but of sharing.
Why It Matters
Jacob Collier can be exhausting. His music is dense, hyper-active, and relentlessly optimistic. But he matters because he reminds us that music is not finished. We haven't discovered all the chords yet. We haven't found all the rhythms. He treats music theory not as a rulebook that restricts us, but as a playground where gravity is optional. He invites us to open our ears to the notes between the notes.
Ready for something a bit more traditionally blended? Let's meet the masters of the un-amplified voice in The King's Singers.
About the Author
HaND. is a choral veteran with 15 years of experience in practice and organization. A primary Bass, HaND. also demonstrates exceptional versatility as a Countertenor and Vocal Percussionist.
