Intervals
- an interval consists of 2 notes that an occur successively ( a melodic interval) or simultaneously (a harmonic interval)
- names for intervals consist of 2 parts: a prefix such as perfect, major, minor, augmented or diminished followed by a number indicating the distance between the 2 notes. If that number is less than 8, the interval is called a simple interval. If the number is 8 or more, the interval is a compound interval.
- simple intervals have compound equivalents. For eg. a 2nd plus an octave is called a 9th; a 4th plus an octave is called an 11th and a 6th plus an octave is called a 13th.
- in major scale, the intervals from the tonic to the 4th, 5th, octave or their compound equivalents are referred to as perfect; they are diminished when contracted a half step and augmented when expanded a half step.
- the intervals from tonic to the 2nd, rd, 6th, 7th and their compound equivalents are called major.
- they are called minor when contracted 1/2 step, diminished when contracted a whole step and augmented when expanded a half step.
- when intervals have he same number of half steps but are spelled differently, they are referred to as enharmonic.
- develop your ability to recognize these intervals by playing them on the piano.
Modes of major scale:
- C major
- D dorian
- E phrygian
- F lydian
- G mixolydian
- A aeolian
- B locrian
Modes in melodic minor scale
- C melodic minor
- D dorian b2
- E lydian augmented
- F lydian Dominant
- G Hindu
- A locrian #2
- B altered
Diatonic 7th chrods in Major keys
- chords are formed from scales by stacking in 3rds on each scale degree, every other note in the scale
- chords that are derived from the same parent scale are called diatonic chords
- in any major scale, the chords built on the first and forth scale degress (notated as IM7 and IVM7 ) will always be major 7th chord
- the chords built on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th scale degrees — ii7 iii7 vi7 are minor 7th chords
- the chords built on the 5th scale degree (V7) will be a domianant 7th chord
- the chord built on the 7th scale degree will be called half-diminished.
Diatonic 7th chords in minor keys
- the pirmary diatoic 7ths chords are derived from either the natural minor or aeolian scale
- i7 ii half dim 7, IIIM7, iv7, VIM7
- or the harmonic minor scale (the V7, vii half dim 7 chos)
- on rare occasions, the v7 and bVII7 chords from natural minor, the iM7 from harmonic minor and the IV7 and #vi half dim 7 from melodic minor may also be used.
Cm7 — D half dim 7 — EbM7 — Fm7 — G7 — AbM7 — B dim 7
i7 iihalf dim7 IIIM7 iv7 V7 VIM7 vii dim 7
Chords and their relationship to scales
Below is a list of all chords commonly encountered in jazz improv. After the chord name is the name of the scale or scales that maybe used in improvising over the chord
1. Major 7th, major 6th, major 9th
- scales: major, lydian, major pentatonic, major pentatonic a perfect 5th above the root
2. Major 7thb5; M7#11, M13#11
- lydian, major pentatonic a major 2nd above the root
3. M7#5
- lydian augmented
4. m6, m13
- dorian, minor pentatnoic a major 2nd above the root, mino/added 6th pentatonic
5. minor 7th, minor 9, minor 11
- dorian, aeolian, minor pentatonic, minor pentatonic a perfect 5th above the root, minor/added6th pentatnoic
6. minor (major 7)
- harmonic minor, ascending melodic minor
7. minor 7b5; half dim 7
- locrian, minor pentatonic a perfect 5th above root, minor pentatonic a major 2nd below root, locrian #2, minor/added 6th pentatonic a minor 3rd above the root
8. m9b5; half dim 9
- locrian #2, minor/added 6th pentatonic a minor 3rd above the root
9. dom 7, dom 9
- mixolydian, major pentatonic, dominant pentatonic
10. dom 9b5
- whole tone, lydian dominant
11. dom 9#5
- whole tone
12. Dom 7th#9; dom 7b9
- inverted dim, altered
13. dom 7#9b5
- inverted dim, altered, major pentatonic an augmented 4th above the root
14. dom 7#9#5; dom 7 b9#5
- altered major pentatonic an augmented 4th above the root
15. dim 7th
- diminished
Upper structure or slash chords
formed by placing a chod above a bass note that does not belong to the chord or by placing one chord over another with a diffeent root
the upper chord is placed to the left of a slash, the bass note or lower chod to the right
these slash chords are also viewed as altered chords or chords with extensions
eg. A/F — A triad over F bass — same as FM7#5
eg. B/F7 — B traid over an F7 is equivalent F7b9b5
Improviser should learn to recvognize both ways of spelling chords.
Keyboard and guitar players tend to think in terms of slash chords
horn players prefer to see a single chord with extensions or alterations