Archive for April, 2009

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Harmonic and melodic minor scales, minor(major7th) chords

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Harmonic minor scale consists of ascending pattern:

WHWWH Aug2nd, H

The interval of the aug2nd between the 6th and 7th notes give this scale its characteristic exotic color.

C D Eb F G Ab B C

This scale is th first mode in the family of 7 modes, of which only the 5th, the spanish phrygian is commonluy used in jazz improvisation.

The notes in the harmonic minor scale maybe used whenimprovisnig over minor traids, minor (maj 7) chords, and minor 9 (major 7) chords.

Cm = C Eb G

Cm(Maj7) = C Eb G B

Cm9(Maj7) = C Eb G B D

The minor (major 7) chords consists of a minor traid with a major 7th added.

Adding a maj 9th to this chord creates a min 9 (maj 7) chord.

Typically, mino chords with a maj 7ths function as i or tonic chords in a minor key.

The 2nd and 7th notes in the harmonic minor sale are rich color tones when used over a minor chord.

The b6 is best used as a passing or neighbour tone to the 5th.

Melodic minor scale

The melodic minor has a different sequence of notes when ascending than when descending.

Ascending vesion also known as the jazzmelodic minor scale consists of the pattern:

WHWWWWH

C D Eb F G A B C

Melodic minor in ascending version

The scale is the first mode int he family that includes the dorian b2, lydian augmented, lydian dominant, Hindu or misolycian b13, locrian #2 and altered scaled.

You may think of the melodic minor scale as a dorian scale wth a major 7th or as a major scale with a minor 3rd.

Like the harmonic minor scale, this scale may also be used when improvising on minor triads, minor (major 7) chords and minor 9 (major 7) chords.

All the notes in the scale work well over these chords, with the 2nd, 6th and 7th degrees having the riches color.

Many players utilize the melodic tension created by the tritone that occus between the minor 3rd and the major 6th.

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Whole tone scales and augmented chords

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Whole Tone scale:also known as auxillary augmented scale — consists entirely of whole steps.

This gives the scale a very identifiable, exotic sound, to which cetain composers like Claude Debussy and Thelonious Monk have been drawn.

However cuz all the adjacent inervals are major 2nds, the melodic possibilites are somewhat limited and only one mode exists in this scale:

C whole tone scale:

C D E F# G# A# C

Since the scale is made up entirely of whole steps, the notes are enharmonic — that is they sound the ame eve though they maybe written differently.

The notes of the whole tone scale maybe used when improvising on augmented triads of dom 7th chords with any combination of raised or lowered 5ths and major 9ths.

You may also used the whole tone scale over the minor 7th chord a perfect 4th below, although this will yield a certain amount of dissonamce.

C+ =   C  E G#

augmented traid consists of: tonic, M3, aug 5th.

C7b5 = C E Gb Bb

dominant 7#5 adds a min 7 to the aug traid while the dom 7 b5 replaces the aug 5th with a dim 5th.

C7 # 5 //  C7 +

C9b5

–adding a major 9th to either chord creates dom 9th b5 and dom #5.

–notice that both the whole toe and the dim scales contain dim 5ths but only the whole tone scale works well over these chords, with the aug 5th giving he scale its characteristic sound.

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Diminished Scales and altered dominant 7 chords

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Diminished scales aternate between half steps and whole steps.

There are only 2 modes in this family — the scale that begins with a whole step is called a diminished or diminished (whole-step) scale:

C  diminished scale:

C  D  Eb  F  Gb  Ab  A  B   C

If you begin with a half step, the resultant sale is called an inverted diminished or diminished (half step) scale:

C Db  Eb  E  F#  G  A  Bb C

Because of their symmetrial alternatin of half and whole steps, any diminished mode starting on C, Eb, Gb or A will contain the same pitches (or their enharmonical equivalent).  Likewise the D, F, Ab and B diminished modes as well as the Db, E, G and Bb diminisehd modes, all have the same pitches in common.

C dim =  Eb dim =  Gb dim =  A dim

The diminished scale is used when improvising on diminished traids, fully diminished 7th chords, diminshed/major 7th chords and a bitonal chord whose upper extensions form a triad a half step below the root of the chord.

Although a couple of the scle tones clash with the chord, the dim scale may also be used with discretion over min 7th and half dim 7th chords, esp when they resolve to an altered dom 7th chord in the context of a ii-V progression.

Dim traids consists of a root, a minor 3rd and a dim 5th.

A fully diminished 7th chord — is a diminished triad with a diminished (doubly flatted) 7th added and a dim/major7th chord consists of a diminisehd triad with a major7th added.

Dim chords usually function as passing chords between more stable sonorities.

All the notes in the dim scale work well over the dim th chord with the:

–2nd, 4th, b6th & M7 having the most color

The inverted dim scale is used when improvising over a dom7th chord with a b9, #9 or b5 — pariticularly when the chord is functioning as a V chord in a major key.  In minor keys, V chords are best colored by the altered scale.

The inverted dim scale also may be used over two bitonal chords, one formed from a triad a dim 5th above the root and another formed by a raid a maj6th above the root.

The dom 7th b5 chord consists of a root, a major 3rd, a dim 5th and a  min 7th.

A dom 7#11 chord consists of a dom 7 chord with an aug 11th added.

Adding a min 9 to a dom 7 chord creates a dom 7 b9 chord

dom 7 #9 chord consists of a dom 7 with an aug 9th

All the notes in the inverted dim scale work well over the altered om chords: the melodic use of the #9 and b9th high characteristic of bebop and post – bop styles.

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Chord Substitutions

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Most chord subs are based on the following possibilities:

1.  For most dominant 7th chords, you can sub or add the minor7th chod a perfect 4th below and vice versa. NOtice that their respective scales have exactly the same notes:

F7 =  Cm7  F7

  • C dorian, F mixolydian

2.  For most dominant 7th chords, you can sub the dom7 chord a tritone away. This is commonly referred to as the tritone sub.  Notice that the 3rds and 7ths are interchangeable.

F7 =  B7

3.  Passing chords maybe inserted between the normally occuring chords. This is usally done by means of a stepwise bass line:

FM7      F#dim7   —    Gm7     Abdim7   —    Am     D7

or through the use of chord cycles, typically in a ii-V relatinship.

These chord cycles move chromatically by whole steps, 3rds, or 4ths as long as they resolve logically to the IV chord in the 5th bar and the ii or V chord in the 9th bar.

4.  Melody permitting, you can change the tonality from a dominant key to a major key or vice versa.

5.  You may drop the root of the chord, leaving the upper extensions or add a new root underneath the existing chord.

6.  Melody permitting, you may substitute any of the dominant 7th chords whose roots belong tothe same fully diminished 7th chord

F7  = Ab7 = B7 = D7

This is due to the fact that all four chords share the same notes in their respective diminished half step scales.

7.  In th emodern blues form, you may leave the key center or superimpose any tonaligy, as long as the integrity of the 3-phrase structure is maintained.

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Blues scale, blues form

Friday, April 17th, 2009

The blues has evolved and changed over the course of the 20th Century.

Earliest style of blues, rulral blues, relied on basic I – V – V chord progressions in 3 phrases, typically in this format:

1. statement

2. reiteration of statement

3. response

Although the blues form later became standardized to consist of 3 phrase of 4 bars each (for a total of 12 bars), rural blues songs were often not so symmetrical, with extra bars or beats often added to the phrases.

Basic Blues Progression:

I       I       I      I

IV   IV    I      I

V7  IV    I      I

This progression could also occur in a minior key but it typically featured major triads to which the flatted 3rd was often added, creating a blue note.

A common variation employed the IV or V chord in the second bar, omitted the IV chord from teh 10th bar and added a V7 chord in the last bar (referred to as the turnaround)

Eb (I)          Bb7 (V7)       Eb (I)      Eb (I)

Ab(IV)       Ab (IV)          Eb (I)      Eb (I)

Bb7 (V7)    Bb7 (V7)       Eb(I)       Bb7+5 (V7)

—————————————————

Early jazz composers i New Orleans and Chicago began adding some passing chords and chord substitutions to the basic blues progresssion.

Although diatonic chords comprised the majority of the chords,

  • secondary dominant chors began to be employed such as V/IV in the 4th bar (a dominant chord built on the tonic) ,
  • a V/ii in the 8th bar (a dominant chord built on the 6th scale degree)
  • and a V/V in the 9th bar ( a dominant chord built on the 2nd scale degree)

Passing diminished chords and chord inversions also were used, particularly in the second or 6th bar to create smooth bass lines.

C(I)                                   F (IV)                                   C(I)                                   C7 )V7/IV)

F (IV)                              F#dim7 (viidim7/V)                    C/G bass (I6/4)  — only 3 bars on this line

A7 (V7/ii)                       D7 (V7/V)                           G7 (V7)                              C (I)                          C (I)

———————————————

The swing era did not add an abundance of new chord sub to the blues form, however the 6th, 7ths and 9ths were frequently added to the chords.

The tonic chord was typically a major 6th chord, a minor 6th chord or a dominant 7th chord.

The latter creates a dominant tonality which is not commonly found in Western harmony.

————————–

The bepob ear brought a significant amt of h armonic variation and chord sub to the blues form.

The IV chord in the 2nd bar and the V/ii chord in the 8th bar b oth became common place.

Bars 9 and 10 as well as the final bar (the turnaround) were typically ased on ii-V progressions.

F7  (I7)                                 Bb7  (IV7)                             F7 (I7)                          F7 (I7)

Bb7 (IV7)                            Bdim (vii dim7/V)             F7/C                               D7 (V7/ii7)

Gm7 (ii7)                             C7 (V7)                                 F7 (I7)                          Gm7 (ii7)  C7 (V7)

———————————————

Blues scale:

— a 6-note scale consisting of the ascending pattern:

–minor 3rd, whole step, half step, half step,. minor 3rd, whole step

C  Eb  F  F#  G  Bb  C

C blues scale:

the pitches that are a minor 3rd and an aug 4th or dim 5th above the tonic are often referred to as ‘blue notes’.  These are actually an approximation of true ‘blue notes’ which are bent pitches that lie in between the minor and major 3rd and the dim and perfect 5th.

The blues scale maybe used in any type of composition to color the minor 7th or dom 7th chords. In rare instances, it has even been used over major 7th chords.

When it is used over a dom 7th chord, the minor 3rd of the scale adds an aug 9th (usually written as a minior 10th) to the chord.

The blues scale built on the root of the I chord can be used to color all of the chords in the basic blues progression. This great simplifies improvising on the blues because the player needs to be concerned with only one scale. Because of its lack of flexibility to imply chord sub, the blues sclae is best used in combination with other scale choices.

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Major 7th b5

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Lydian and Phrygian Scales, Major 7th b5 chords

The lydian mode is the 4th mode in the major sale family and contain the same notes as the major scale a perfect 4th below.

Lydian mode may also be thought of as a major scale with the 4th note raised a half step.

Like the major scale, the lydian mode maybe used in improvising over major triads, major 7th chords and major 9th chords.

Because of its raised 4th degree, the lydian mode may also be used over the following chods:

–major 7th b5,

–major 7th #11,

–and major 13#11 (which  can also be written as a slash chord: G/F M7)

FM7b5    — F, A,  C or Bb, E

FM7#11  — F  A  C  E  G  B

FM13#11  (G/FM7) —  F A C E G B D

Major 7 b5  consists of:

— a root, M3, dim5,M7

Maj 7 #11

— root, M3, P5, M7, M9, Aug 11

— a major 13 may be added to this chord resulting in the lydian scale stacked in 3rds.

—————

In major key, M7 functions as either I (tonic) or IV (subdominant) chords.

Lydian scale is genearally the best scale choice when the major chord is functioning as a IV chord or is altered, while the major scale works best over the I chord in a  ii-V-I progression.

Major 7 b5 chord — may occurs as bII chord in a progression in which the i chord is colored by the phrygian scale and the bII chord by the lydian scale.

— Em  –  FM7b5
Phrygian scale

— consists of the ascending pattern:

HWWWHWW

E F G A B C D E (in C scale)

The phrygian scale is the 3rd mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale a major 3rd below.

Phrygian scale may also be thought of as an aeolian (natural minor) scale with the 2nd note lowered one half step.

Although phrygian scale is a type of minor scale, it is occasionally used independently from a specific chord with the word ‘phrygian’ appearing in place of a chord symbol.

It can also be expressed harmonically as a minor 7 sus4 b9 chord, a slash chord consisting of a major 7b5 chord a half-step above the root, or as a progression consisting of a minor chord moving up a half-step to a major 7b5 chord.

E phrygian — Em7sus4 (b9) — Fmaj7(b5)/E —  Em7  — Fmaj7b5

Spanish Phrygian

It is a variation of the phrygian scale

–replaces the minor 3rd with a major 3rd

–it is hte 5th mode in the harmonic minor scale family

E Spanish Phyrgian:

E F G# A B C D E  (in C sale)

–can be used to color  all the chords in a  I –  bII –  bIII progression.

E  –  F  –  G  –  F –  E

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Recording yourself

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Tape record yourself improvising over the chord progression.

Listen to the tape and critique your rhythm.

Is your tempo steady or do you rush or drag certai passages?

Is your time as solid in the difficult keys as it is in the easy keys?

If not, devote ourself to resolving any technical issues that maybe hindering your rhythm.

Make sure to pay attention to what the rhythm section is doing.

Don’t get absorbed in thinking about what you are going to play. Need a quiet mind.

The rhythm is more important than notes.

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ii dim7 – V7 – i

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Locrian and Aeloian scales and Minor ii dim7 – V7 – i  Progressions

Aeloian scale –– also known as pure minor or natural inor scale — cosists of the ascending pattern:

— WHWWHWW

Aeloian scale: A B C D E F G A  (in C scale)

The aeloian scale — 6th mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale down a mjaor 6th (or up a minor 3rd).

Aeloian scale — may be thought of as a dorian scale with the 6th notes lowered a half step.

Like the doiran scale — this scale may be used to improvse over minor triads, minor7th chords, minor 9th chords or minor 11th chords.

Since aeloian mode contains a minor 6th degree , it is not tpically used to color a minor 6th chord (which contains a major 6th)

Aeolian scale suonds best when

— used over a minor chord functioning as a tonic chord  ( “i” in a mnior key)

–or as a submediant chord (vi in a major key).

Dorian mode is usually the preferrd choice when the minoir chord is functioning as a supertonic chord ( “ii” in a major key) or when used in modal compositions.

The aeolian mode may also be used in a modal context.

Every note in the aeolian scale works well over the minor 7th chord with the exception of the b6th which has a tendency to resolve down a half step tot he 5th.

The 2nd and 4th scale degress possess the riches color in relationship to the minor chord.

Locrian scale — consists of the ascending pattern:

HWWHWWW

Locrian scale is the 7th mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale a minor 2nd above.

B C D E F G A B  (in C scale)

The locrian scale is the lest stable mode in the major scale modal family cuz of the interval of a dim 5th between the 1st and 5th notes in the scale.

The locrian scale is used when improvising over the half-dim chor, which may be thougth of as a minor 7th chod with a flatted 5th.

— Bm7b5 or B-7b5  or B dim7

For 11th:

Bm11(b5) or B-11(b5) or B dim 11 (b5)

The half-dim 7th chord consists of a root, minor 3rd a dim 5th and a m7th.

The lowered 2nd of the locrian scale or (b9th) is not typically considered to be a usable chord extension but the 11th is frequently added.

Occasionally a  major 9th is added to the half dim chord but this note is derived form a mode of the melodic minor family called the locrian #2 scale.

Half diminished chord is usually used as a supertonic (ii dim7) chord in a minor ii-V-i progression,

although it may also occur as a leading-tone (viidim7) chord in a major key or a secondary leading tone chord.

In a minor iidim7 – V – i  progression, the V chord is altered by adding a #9th or a b9th, and often a #5th or a b5th as well.

The preferred scale choice for improvising over an altered V7 chord is a mode of th melodic minor family called the altered scale.

Bdim7 –  E7(+9,+5)  – Am

Keyboard skills: play minor iidim7 — V7b9 — i

D dim7 —  G7b9  —  Cm

C dimu — F7b9   —  Bbm

Bbdim7  —  Eb7b9 —  Abm

G#dim7  —  C#7b9 —  F#m

F#dim7 —  B7b9 — Em

Edim7 —  A7b9  — Dm

Ebdim7 — Ab7b9 —  Dbm

C#dim7 — F#7b9 — Bm

Bdim7 — E7b9 —  Am

Adimu — D7b9 — Gm

Gdim7  — C7b9 — Fm

Fdim7 — Bb7b9 — Ebm

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Guide tone

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Guide tone improvisation:

a guide tone line is a series of notes that outline the chord progression, typically the 3rd and 7ths of the chords.

To create a guide tone line, start on either the 3rd or 7th of the first chord, then move to eitehr the 3rd or 7th of the following chord, whichever is the closest.

After practicing the 2 guide-tone lines over the progression, create an improvisation by embellishing the guide-tones with notes of your choice.

Improvise over the chord progression, without looking at book or thinking about the notes in the scale.  Let your fingers or hands move without consicously controlling them, using your ear find resolutions within the key center.

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2-5-1 Progression

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Diatonic chords are derived from teh same pattern scale and funciton within the same key.

These chords are built on each note in the scale and are labeled with Roman numerals.

eg. C major key:

Start on C.

Dm7 starts on the ii chord.

G7 starts on the dominant 5th chord. V7 chord.

In functional harmony, the ii chord typically progresses up a perfect 4th or down a perfect 5th to the V chord. (which in turn progress up a perfect 4th or down a perfect 5th) to the I chord.  Technically this is called ii7 – V7 — IM7 progression.

or ii V I

I vi ii V I

Another common variant of this progression adds the minor chord built on the 6th degree of the scale. Usually this progression occurs in the sequence:  I vi ii V I

CM7  Am7 Dm7 G7 CM7

  • sometimes the vi and ii chords are changed to dominant 7th chords and are referred to as secondary dominants.
  • The dominant chord on the 6th degree has a V-I relationship to the ii chord, sometimes called V/ii (pronounced as V of ii)
  • and the dominant chord built on the 2nd degree has a V-I relationship to the V chord, so they are called V/V  r

I  —  V/ii  —  V/V —   V —   I

The vi chord

vi chord can be replaced with a half diminished chord built on a chromatically raised first scale degree and the V chord replaced by a fully diminished chord built on the chromatically raised 2nd scale degree.

In functioning harmony, diminished chords are typically built on the 7th note (or leading tone) of the scale.  Because these two chords form vii dim – i relationships to the ii and iii chords, they are called secondary leading tone chords and labelled vii dim7/ii  and vii half dim7/iii respectively.

CM7 —  C#dim7 —  Dm7  —  D#half-dim7 —  Em7

I  — vii dim7/ii  —  ii  —   vii half-dim7 — iii

iii chord subbing I

Frequently, a minor chord built on the 3 rd degree of the scale is sbustituted for the I chord, creating:

iii  —  vi  —  ii  —  V  –  I

or

iii  V/ii  –  ii —  V  –   I

When one of these progressions occurs at the end of a tune, it is referred to as ‘turnaround’.

Em7 A7  Dm7 G7 Cm7

Tritone

It is common to replace the V chord with the dominant 7th chod on augmented 4th away creating a tritone substitution built on the flattd 2nd degree.

Dm7   Db7  Cmaj7

ii trone sub  V-I progression in C major

On rare occasions, the bVII7 chord substitutes for the V7 chord. It is approached from either the ii chord or the iv chord borrowed from the parallel minor key.

Dm7   Bb7  Cmaj7

ii –  bVII  –  I in C major

Fm7   Bb7  C major

iv —  bVII –  I

————————————-

The 2 5 1 progression is the most common chord progression in jazz

Being able to recognize the progression greatly simplifies the process of improvising on chord changes.

C major — ii chord would be colored by a D dorian scale

V chord — by a G mixolydian scale

I chord — by a  C major scale.

These 3 scales all contain the same notes, therefore you can remain in one key when improvising over all 3 chords in the progression.

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