First, a quick reality check. Published in 1947, this book is not a light read. There are no chord charts or pop songs. Instead, Slonimsky—a Russian-born composer, conductor, and lexicographer—created a .

Until then, remember Slonimsky’s own advice: “The purpose of this thesaurus is to furnish material for the creative mind.” The tool is secondary. The ear is primary.

Here's an overview of the Slonimsky Thesaurus:

He systematically breaks down every conceivable scale, interval pattern, and polytonal cluster. It’s dense. It looks like a math textbook. But it works.

Pick a single pattern and play it against different chord qualities (Maj7, Dominant, Minor) in all 12 keys.

The Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns by Nicolas Slonimsky, first published in 1947, is a monumental reference work in music theory that catalogs nearly every conceivable musical scale and melodic progression. It is widely used by composers and improvisers to break away from traditional tonal habits. Overview of the Slonimsky Thesaurus The "Thesaurus" is essentially a mathematical approach to melody. Instead of focusing on traditional Western scales (like Major or Minor), Slonimsky used a system of

Did you find a copy? Let me know in the comments which pattern you’re working on—I’m a fan of the “Grandmother Chords” myself.

Keep in mind that the availability and accessibility of the Slonimsky Thesaurus in PDF format may vary depending on your location and the specific sources you have access to.

Search for the book on . Depending on your region and the library’s lending status, you can often “borrow” a scanned digital copy for 1 hour or 14 days. It is a real PDF, legally, via controlled digital lending.

If you are cash-strapped, here is how to actually use the Slonimsky system right now without breaking the law.