20

/rlqjo. --{

D;r___{fn;..--{

CHORD CONSTRUCTLON _THE l I ths

More color (an often used musical term is "tension") may be added to the gth chords

with the addition of the 1 l th (the 4th of the maior scale):

R I 5 1 q u /nll .RSf6quAaslttR3dbl?rrt,R. b3 ,, b1 Q tt rrllRbt,telnaCltt

As vou can see, the addition of the 11th to maior or dominant type chords is not generally

advised. In most cases the tension is too high for the stability of the chord. This is due

to the half tone occurring between the 3rd and 4th of the maior scale. This problem is

usually solved in one of two ways. Where an 11th degree is desired, a fr t t is used in the

place of the natural 1 1th. (This is looked at on pages 27 and 4i!') The other altemative

is the use of "sus 4" chords as substitutes:

The 7 (sus 4) chor,ql

R45b7

tending to want to resolve back to

R35b7

The 7 (sus 4) chord has, @-gEpe elllg Jrd a {!! giving the chord a feeling of

suspension. lt may be substituted freely for the 11th chord.

The m7 (sus 4) chord

Rb34b7

The m7 (sus 4) chord could be considered a voicing of a m11 chord, the sth and gth

being eliminated. Both the ml 1 and m7 (sus 4) chords sound fine and may be used inter-

changeably.

]*'ou'

21

Here are somefavorite voici

ongs for the 4l and m7 (sus 4l chords:

7(6',l@".@

l(sci"7ber) "76rr)

7 (sus

6

PLAY: Through the following sections of Tune No, 1 using the chords indicated:

o{(

Care must be taken when 3ubstituting the 7 (sus 4) chord.eristics can alter its function in the progression.

Its internal resolution charact-

@

oGDo

: t l

I t I

tI I

)

uI f

22CHORD CONSTRUCTION - THE l3ths

With the addition of the 13th (the 6th of the major scalel the results are as follows:

*nR3S7lCt,rB AqfSfrh-

t3

Here are a few voicinge for the 13th in various forms:

o(DI

t3t3B

R 3 5 bt I t,1! '3/fl,l.rc

Agnin. not thrt in tfu major and dominant type chords, the 11th is either omitted or a

# 1 1 is substitutcd in its place,

A 'complete' 13th chord includes ercry note up to and including the 13th. Along withwith thc fret that s€ven note chords are unplayable on the guitar, it is not always desir'able to harrs cvery note present in a 13th chord. we have already discussed the unsuitabilityof the 1lth in cenain situations as well 6 the fact that the root and sth can often be omit'ed as "redundant" notes. Any chord can be played with onlv its functional notes present.(Page 17,! A ldoml 13th chord needs only the 3rd, bTth and 13th to qualify as a 13thctrord. This freedom of voicing must be done with t6te howe\rer. and is dependent on theplaying situation. For oxrmplc, if you were playing solo guitar, you would be much morelikely to use 'large' voicingr thm if you were playing with a group where a sparse style wouldbe more usoful,

R !g e n I tr ,3 ^8

b!B

I

t

I

(tl

I

A summary of favorite voicings for the 13th chords can be found on page 54'

23

PLAY: Through the following sections of iazz blues and Tune No. 1 using the chord forms

indicated:

Remember that the complexity of your chording will be dependent on the typ€ of tuneand speed that the tune is played. For example, if Tune No. 1 was to be played as a balladat a reasonably slow tempo, the chord part would be free to expand in complexity:

@@

oo@

la7

24

CHORD SUBSTITUTION

A standard chord progression can be interpreted and developed in many different ways.

The study of chord substitution is probably the most important study in lazz chording.

Chord substitution can range from the use of alternate chords of the same letter name and

type (direct substitutionl to the complete restructuring of a tune's harmony (reharmoni-

zation). Generally, the rules governi-ng direct substitution are:

- any chord in the maior category may be substituted for any other chordin the major category (the 1 l th usually being omitted or altered) e.g' aCma6/9 played for a Cma7.

- anv chord in the dominant category may be substituted for any otherchord in the dominant category (again the 11th is usually omitted oraltered) e.g. a Cl3 played lor a C7 .

- any chord in the minor category may be substituted for any other chordin the minor categorY (any minor chord containing a 6th should be handled

with care - see page 45) e.g. a Cm11 played for a Cm7'

In other words, chords within a chord category are interchangeable assuming:

- the subtitutes do not clash with the melody.

- the sub'stitutes do not clash with the chording of an accompanying instrument.

- the substitutions work within the key as well as fitting the character of

the surrounding chords,

- the 11th in major and dominant type chords is handled properly (which

usually involves its elimination or alteration).

These are not rules; only observations. As in all musical situations, the ear is the final iudge.lf it sounds good, achieves the desired effect, etc., then it's right. There are some problems

regarding chord substitution which are looked at on Page 36' Sorne of these you might

have run across alreadv.

25THE l lm7. V7. I PROGBESSION

Of all the possible combinations of chords in a major key, the llm7, V7, I progression

is the most commonly occurring, Take a look at Tune No. 1. Count the number of timesthe Am7 (llm7) D7 (V7) GmaT (l) progression is played. This progresion, as a whole orin parts. is the basic harmonic unit of most iazz standards, lt is an excellent structure touse in practicing chording. The examples on the summary are all based on llm7, V7, I(or llmT (b5), V7, ll progressions as are many of the examples from Tune No. 1 later on.

JAZZ BLUES

The progression used in the jazz blues here is probably the most common one. Thereare, however, many versions of this 12 bar progression in use. A few of the variations in'clude: {Key of Bh }

6b hr e"7 llrr* Abtll*&?

(bq)

7s+0$h- cl^l I u-t 4r (H)ll

c",? lo* ot,t llThere are a great many possibilities and the permutations are enormous making the 12 barblues one of the most durable and flexible progressions in iazz.

THE-T!.BNAEOUNQ

The progrEsion found in th€ llst two blr3 of the ilzz bluer is a good example of aturnaround, This progression is a sort of "musical rftsnhought" that brings us around tothe beginning of the tunc (or section) to start rnothcr cyclc. Turnarounds can be foundin all different types of tune. Although the tumaround found in the blues here is a verycommon one, there are many alternate chord sequences that can be used in its place: e.g.:

ll o'.t ottunt lc.r F? ('r) il ll ut Db? | .t B7

llo-'gt

llo^'tDbr? C-? n llB' Db&? lc'n,r Bfld? ll

26

cuaprene-cuonosc

RESOLUTION

A dominant 7th chord wants to move naturally to the chord on its 4th ("its tonicchord"). Let's take a look at this frogression technically:

e.g. G7 -- C

A dominant 7th chord contains a discordant interval called the !d!qne. lt occursbetween the 3rd and b7 notes. Play these two notes together and you will hear the hightension between them. This tension is released by the chord progressing to (in this case)the C chord, This is termed resolution. The key to the resolution of the tritone here is thatthe F and B notes of the G7 chord move to the E and C notes of the C chord, stabilizingthe interval.

G P__9......._,F --C E G

tntoneThe main and most noticeable resolution in music is of course the V7 -- I (or V7

-- lml progression, however, tension - resolution situations occur constantly throughouta piece,

ALTERED NOTES

An altered note is a naturally occurring chord or scale note that has been sharpenedor flattened; e,g. a C7 (*51 contains an altered Sth. The introduction ofan altered notein a chord causes a high tension situation.

Altered notes have an important iob particularly in dominant chords, A V7 chordresolves to its I with a certain force. By using altered notes, this force can be increased;e,g. :

G B D[ F - - - .C E Gtritone

As well as the presence of the tritone interval, we have the added tension created bythe presenc€ of an altered Sth. This causes the G7 to want to resolve with that muchmore force. This, then, is the main function of altered notes in dominant chords.

27ALTERED NOTES AVAILABLE IN

DOMINANT CHORDS

l i l

Thorr arc six alterbd notes available to dominant chords, The sth may be altered toa $ orL€; thc fth to af9 or b€; the 1lth to a# 1; the 13th to a pl3.

Here ar€ sewrel containing altered notes:

o

U ag'lI

A summary of favorite voicings for dominant chords containing altered notes can be foundon pages 55 through 58.

"Complae" chords containing the #1 1 and bl3 are difficult to find on guitar. Forthis reason, these notes are often interpreted as altered sths, e.g. a I $1 1) chord playedas a 9 (b5); a 9 {b13) chord played as a S ({S). ttrese are cloce enough approximationsso that they can be used where the {11 and b13 chords are not immediately available.{See page 46.}

n

voicings

o

It3sIqdtb

I5+

dominant chords

@

t3r3?

b (l

tfu

t t33-

t(l ,) )

I

, H

28

DI RECT SUBSTITUTION IN DOMINANT CHORDS

In a V7 -- | (or V7 -- lml progresion you may substitute for the V7 chord any dom-inant chord (of the same name) containing altered notes. This is assuming the altsred notes:

1 . do not conflict with the melody of the tune.

2. do not conflict with the chord subctitutions of an accompanying instrument.

3. work within the key as well as with the surrounding chords.

It is important to note here that the V7 must resolve if altered notes are to be used. TheEb7 in the fifth bar of the iazz blues, for example, would !g! be a pls to utc alterednotes! Agoin, it is theeqJ that decides a good substitution from a brd rubrtitution;rely on it,

PLAY: Through the following sections using the chord forms indicated:

29

The Diminished 7th chord is constructed as follorar:

R b3 b5 bb7 (6)

It is derived from a dominant 7th chord, each note of which has been lowered a half-step.

It has successive m3rd intervals between each of its not6. Because of this symmetry any

note can be the root e.g. a C can also be an elo , a Al0 , or an A@ .

The diminished 7th chord tends to sound like a 7 (b9) chord and is often used as

such, e.g. a Ca sounds like it is the "top end" of an Ai 7 ( bg).

Here are a couple of voicin$ for the dim. 7th chords:

THE AUGMENTED TRIAD

The augrnented triad is constructed as follows:

R 315

It is also built symmetrically, the interval between each note being a (maior) 3rd. A C-t can

also be an E* or a G* t

The augmented triad is the basis of the 7 Hsl chord and tends to act in the same fash-

ton.

Here are a few voicings:

(r (, )

C.,)( )

30

CHAPTER 5 _ THEORY

IHE_M!N9E_KEvs

Just as the major scale is the basis for the melodic and harmonic structure ofmusic in the major keys, the natural minor scale is the basis for the music in the minor keys.

T 2 t3 + gb6 btr' l r l l r l r l lo l l r l r l le I l r l

Without taking into account the alterations applied to this scale, the chords in the minorkeys would be as follows: (using the key of A minor as an example)

An important point should be made here. The notes and chords in the key of A minora shown here, are the same as those for the key of C malor: (a C maior scale = an A minorscale, only the tonics are different). Because of this important link, these are called relat-ive keys. The key signatures for relative keys are the same, e.g. the key of 1 sharp can be thekey of G major q1 E minor. The relative minor key can always be found the interval ofa minor 3rd (1% tones) below its relative maior.

31

THE HARMONIC MINOR SCALE

In a malor key there is a dominant 7th chord occurring on the sth degree of the scale

(V7). This makes possible a final resolution (V7 -- l) where desired' ending on the tonic

chord. The presence of a dominant 7th chord on the sth is essential if the hermony is to

work correctly with relation to that tonic chord. lt establishes the tonality without a doubt.

unfortunately, the natural minor scale does not produce a V7 chord; a vm7 is all thst is

available. A V7, then, has to be created, The harmonic minor scale produces the "lerding

tone" which makes this Possible:

bb (llz r6

t : f(I[ Ii&, I

t3 I

Ith-The b7 has been raised to a "natural" 7th note. This note becomes the 3rd of the V7 chord.

lf we based the chords in the minor keys on the harmonic minor scale' the result would

be as follows:

These chords can, of course, be extended to their 4 note versions'

@

The melodic minor scale was derived to solve problems caused by the t% ton€ l€tp

found in the harmonic minor scale' lt includes, as well as the (f) 7, a (+) 6' In order to

restore the ,,minorness,' lo6t with the raising of the b6 and b7 notes, the scale i3 plryed as

shown ascending, ard the natural minor is played descending. This also solres various

rne|odicre6olutionprob|ems.Despitethecontrivedappearanceofthesca|e,itlound!remarkably "normal".

32

'r 2bt 5 clr (l1t r' l . l l . l . l l . l l . f l . l l . l . l

Asol:,-ffwJ; n:l*

Note: Although a knowledge of these minor scales is not directly applicable to lazz chording,it is an important part of musical theory that every musician should know. Also, it helpsin understanding the origin of the chords found in the minor keys.

THE l lmT (b5), V7, lm PROGRESSION

This is the most frequently occurring progression in the minor keys. lt can be foundin various places in Tune No. 1: e.g.:

This progression illustrates a very common occurrence in music - a modulation (key change)to the relative minor key. The whole structure of Tune No, 1 is based on the mo\€mentfrom the key of G major to its relati\€ minor - E minor, This brings up the subject of"key areas".

f,tcxepren0-runesrn

KEY AREAS

lf a iazz tune were to stay strictly in one key, the resulting progression wouldprobably be pretty boring. Most interesting progresions wander away from the overallkey into other temporary key areas. These key areas may range from long lasting, wellestablished, tonal centers to fleeting glimpses of new keys. lt is important to be able todetect new key areas in a piece both for soloing and chording purposes. When approach-ing this problem, keep in mind that there is only one true dominant 7th chord in each key- on the V (page 16). The occurrence of a 7th chord in the progression, then, indicatesthe key immediately, The V7 often occurs as a memberof a llmT -- V7 -- lor llmT (b5)--- V7 -- lm progression, (pages 25 and 32).

Tunc No. 2 is a progression based on "All the Things You Are". lt is a good exampleof a progresion moving through several well established key areas, The Roman numeralsystem hac boen used to indicate the position of each chord in the key.

lt U.(r"LD

In detecting areas of a tune that are in a minor key, remember that the "ll" chord willgenerally be a I lm7 _(b!) - the presence of this chord is usually an instant gi\reawry.Also, the V7 chord often contains a bg and the tonic chord is, of course, a lm.

Understanding the harmony of a piece is essential if your chording is to work to bestadvantage. There are several problems relating to chord substitution and key which willbe.discussed later.

34

@

Many different types of tunes are used as a basis for jazz improvising. Chord pro-gressions may range from the use of a single chord for the entire tune, to a complex seriesof chords and key areas. Most rock and blues players have trouble with jazz tunes becauseof the more complicated progressions involved. In approaching tunes like this, go throughthe following steps:

The first thing to look at is the basic structure of the oiece. Most tun6 have severaldistinct sections. These may be labeled " A" , "8" , "C" , etc. A very common structure iniazz tunes is the A, A, B, A arrangement; that is the main theme ("A" sectionl is playedtwice, the bridge ("8" section), once, and the main theme once more, completing the cycle.Tune No. 1 is an example of an A, A, B structure.

Next, take a look at the new key areas introduced. Look out for llm7, V7, I andU.r'7 (V51, V7, lm progressions. Mark out is necessary where new Key areas occur.

Next, look at the series of chords themselves. Chords tend to move via natural cycles.

CHORD CYCLES

Cvcle of 5ths

This is one of the most powerful forces in chord progresion. A chord tends to pro-gress freely to the chord on its 4th or sth, for example C -- F or C -- G. (i.e. clockwise oranti{lockwise around the circle.} Of the two, theclockwise movement is the most Dowerful as wellas the most commonly occurring. The V7 -- |resolution and the I lm, V7, I progression are ex-amoles of this clockwise movement around thecycle of sths.

tsI& c F

D-

A

F$aa

Gb

EB

35

Scalewise Progression

Chords tend to flow freely up and down the key scale; e.g. in the key of C major, an

F -- Em -- Dm -- C progression occurs naturally.

Chromatic Progression

Chords tend to Jlow chromatically (particularly in a downward direction). This is

because the chord lying chromatically below another tends to give the effect of resolution:

e.g. Em7 -- EbmT -- Dm7 -- Db7 --- C.

Symmetric Progression

Once a pattern (any pattern) has been established, a chord progression will flow freely

along that repeated pattern; e.g. C --- Eb --- Gb -- A is a symmetric cycle. lt moves 172

tones each time.

Relative Maior - Minor

Each chord has a relative maior or minor counterpart. These chords are very closely

connected (a Cma6 contains the same notes as an Am7 - its relative minor chord). A

chord moves very easily to its relative maior or relative minor counterpart.

g!9lClyp9_!t'a33g

Although this is not really a "chord change" as such, it is an imponant force in chord

progression, e.g.

ll c'rn rn1[^r &z Evil&1'f

A'chord type; change often marks the beginning of a new key area.

ALTERNATE CHORD SYMBOLS - ALTERED NOTES

Occasionally (-) and (+) signs are used to indicate flattened and sharpened notes,e.g. C7 {f5) or C*7 for C7 {f5}, C7 (-9) for C7 (b9}. Watch out for these and be sure tointerpret them in the right way. Because of the use of the (-) sign in C-7 (Cm7l it canoften be confused.

36qHAEIEE]

CHORD SUBSTITUTI ON PROBLEMS

In substituting chords, there are certain situations which must be handled with care.lndiscriminate substitution may cause the addition of notes to a chord that are foreignto the key. For example, it might be unwise to subctitute an Em9 for ar; Em7 in the keyot C maior because the gth or Ef note is not presenr in the key. The Ff here would clashwith the chord in context, i.e. as it appears as a member of the key of C malor.

Another, and very important, example of this type of thing is the substitution of thegth chord for the V7 of a minor key. (e.g. an E7 in the key of A minor). There is no F#in the key of.A minor. lf a gth degree is to be added to the E7 chord here, it would haveto be a bg or+9. The unaltered gth does not sound "right". Try $is substitution andverify this for younelf. As indicated on page 33 the presence of a tlmT (b5) and V7 (b9lis the "norm" for a minor key.)

It must be stated here that these are observations, not rules. There are many situationswhere notes foreign to the key are used in chord substitution. These can, however, producea rather "ouBide" sound and must be handled carefullv.

The "normal extensions" for the chords major key are a follows:

5 (ilrl- l{.,9)

tf- (r.1 - -e)

E- (-?o"lt)

- ( , r ) - l3wril

- t t - t t

mj - t l - ro l3

if e" rf$ &r* bUJ,"d+t ttl

t

t

(ur(g-)

(g-)(bs)

(t')([.tF))

E (r{.? -i.t) 9 - .o l l - 13 cg ('t * i.s) t -.gt- r3<-+*rl,t*s,toirrr, OU)gt ("1o"f1) t - , , -rfs

g,,.(br) (rzoo;y) rci - fr -r.rEt

Because of the duplication of the chords between major and minor keys (page 3Ol it is un-necessary to write out the extension on the chords based on the natural sclb - trta rulat.ive minor chords are shown to the rightof the figure. (The extensions on a VllmT (b5)in a major key are the same as for the llmT (bSl in a minor key.)

The extensions on the V7 of a minor key (based on the harmonic minor scale) areas follows:

*reftt mayuesuhituted forthe 11th.

(minor key) V7: b9 orfi9 --- t 1 --- b13

37

CHORD TERMINOLOGY

One of the main problems with using chord symbols is rhat they sometimes fail togive enough information about the inversion or general voicing of the chord. This problemhas been tackled various ways; some of the results are as follows:

e.g, C (add 9) is an example of an "incomplete" fth chord. The construction of the chordwould be: C (Rl, E (3rdl, G (sth), D (gth). lr tends to function like a ma7 or ma9.

Note: The term "add" is sometimes used to indicate other omitted notes in chords:

e.g. C7 (add 6) is a rather poor way of writing Cl3 (no 9). In either case, rhe chord tobe played would be a Cl3 with the gth (and l lth as usual) omitted. you will quiteoften find chords such as C13 (no 9l where the notes to be omitted are shown tothe right of the chord. This is one of the better ways to indicate a chord voicing.

f,ue.g. Ctr is probably thc bcst and most precise method of indicating a chord voicing. The

extemions and elteretions are all indicated in their ascending order to the right ofthe chord, This leevcs no doubt as to the notes present (although it does tend tomake for "busy" chord symbols!).

Figured bass - this is a classical method of indicating chord inversion; e.g. C! indicates aC triad in the second inversion. Although it is a precise method, the placing intervalspacing numbers to the right of a chord can be easily confused with "modern', chordsymbols. For this reason, figured bass is rarely used in modern chord terminology.

Chord superimposition - chords. particularly the more complex ones, can often bethought of as two separate units superimposed:

e.g. C/D or C/D bass indicates a C triad superimposed over a D bass note. The resultingchord is essentially a C9 (sus 4).

e,S, D/C7 indicittes a D triad superimposed over a C7 chord. The resulting overall chordi sac13 (d l1) .

In the case of C/D, the bottom letter is usually interpreted as being a single bass note.It is not uncommon, however, to have C/D interpreted as a C triad superimposed over aD triad, (especially when dealing with polychords). lfthere isany doubt, the chord sym-bol should be written C/D bass or C/D triad.

Note: Chord superimposition is one of the better methods of indicating chord inversion,e.g. F/A is easily interpreted as an F triad with the 3rd in the bass; C/Bb as a C triad withthe b7 in the bass.

38CHORD SUPE RI MPOSITON AN D POLYCHORDS.

Fortheguitar player, chord superimposition can bea very useful tool, Rather thanplaying a large chord, the guitarist might choose to superimpose another chord over theaccompanying bass note to achieve the same result; e.g.

^s l[rla- il]*- 4.3

lH2o',Gale\(d+'la\

6a1q+o

Cfi^1Aca

When one chord is superimposed over another chord, the result is a polvchord, Althoughit can be rather difficult handling both sections of a polychord on guitar, thinking in termsof polychords can have its advantages. For example, if another chordal instrument wasplaying a basic four note chord such as a 7th. the guitarist could superimpose a simple triadto produce the "upper structure" of the chord, e.g.:

Oll+ rruthi$tt 6*ita.G7ft^1

D +ri..tG +rnf

fu*ltEcil-- 4 rs(*r')

l$ ' , t l

Major triads are generally the units used for superimposition. This gives the polychordapproach several advantages over the single chord approach. The major triad is a very"clear" harmonic unit. lt is also very mobile. Several triads may be superimposed over abass note or chord with great ease without sacrificing clarity. This can produce coloring andeffects which might not be available in the more unweilding single chord structure.

The effect here is best felt if the Ab and Bb triads are played alternately in their differentinversions over the D7. Quite often. only the ldlelg of the 7th chord is played as the basisol a polychord substitution. Due to its strength, it is really all that is needed to outline thedom. 7th function. Although it is not within the scope of this book to cover polychords,it is a subject which should be looked at soon.

Here is an example of polychordal thinking applied to Tune No, l:

39

CHORD PLURALITY

You will have already noticed many chord pattern duplications, as well as many chords

that, depending on context. might be interpreted as other chords. For example, the notes

C, E, G and A could be heard as either a Cma6 or an Am7 depending on which note was

in the bass. lf these notes were superimposed over an F bass, the result would be heard

as an Fmag! This is called chord plurality; the chord having one of several names and/or

functions depending on its surroundings. lt may be the case of one four note chord sharing

notes with another, such as the Cma6 and Am7 above, or it may be that one chord is a part

of another larger chord: a . ^-.

Ia

a

I

ecCrs(*rr) -

:

I

I

I

I

II

I

I

II

I

I

I

(c)Ia

:

r l-.Tf..r|Sft-

rlU.n'.rD iri-a

r-l

4- (lr't

L#

These "interior chords" are, of course, the basis of chord superimposition and polychords.

Some of the possibilities for plurality in the ma7, ma6, m7,7 and m7 (b5) chords are looked

at on pag€ 61. A knowtedge of what these chords produce when superimposed over various

structure6 can be \rery valuable to the guitar player.