Jazz Chords Revelation

[A. Kingstone]

I thought you were going all Latin on us for a minute there, Alan. Maybe it's a case of qui totum vult totum perdit (he who wants everything, loses everything).

That's very clever.

I decided on lower case when upper was denied.

I like the methodical way you charted Autumn Leaves out.

[PMB]

That's very clever.

I decided on lower case when upper was denied.

I like the methodical way you charted Autumn Leaves out.

Thanks. I could say the same for The Barry Harris Harmonic Method for Guitar. I was already aware of the basics of BH's thinking but your book brought it all into focus, especially the concept of "borrowing" from related diminished chords.

[grahambop]

Maybe it's a case of qui totum vult totum perdit (he who wants everything, loses everything).

Festina lente!

[grahambop]

Thanks. I could say the same for The Barry Harris Harmonic Method for Guitar. I was already aware of the basics of BH's thinking but your book brought it all into focus, especially the concept of "borrowing" from related diminished chords.

I am really into Alan's book these days, I keep applying it to every tune I can think of. In fact I am hardly playing any single-note solos at the moment, I'm having too much fun with chords!

I've saved your Autumn Leaves chart too, I'll check it out when I've got time. Looks very useful, to be honest I have not been that methodical about chord permutations in the past, so it's good to have.

[A. Kingstone]

PMB & Grahambop:

It means a lot to hear you're benefiting from the book. Barry's idea's are straight forward but vast in implication, especially the Borrowing aspect.

I feel very lucky to have been introduced to Barry's teaching via Howard Rees.

Alan

[PMB]

I am really into Alan's book these days, I keep applying it to every tune I can think of. In fact I am hardly playing any single-note solos at the moment, I'm having too much fun with chords!

I've saved your Autumn Leaves chart too, I'll check it out when I've got time. Looks very useful, to be honest I have not been that methodical about chord permutations in the past, so it's good to have.

Well, I don't believe in shortcuts, Graham but it helps as a teacher to express concepts in the most concise manner possible. These examples came about years ago as a way to force myself out of reverting to standard root-based grips.

[PMB]

PMB & Grahambop:

It means a lot to hear you're benefiting from the book. Barry's idea's are straight forward but vast in implication, especially the Borrowing aspect.

I feel very lucky to have been introduced to Barry's teaching via Howard Rees.

Alan

So much has been written about alterations of sixth and diminished chords in discussions about Barry that it tends to sweep away everything else. I have both the Howard Rees workshop DVDs as well (the second of which features a familiar figure on guitar) and have been working quite a bit recently with chromatic major and melodic minor scales.

[A. Kingstone]

.............................. I have both the Howard Rees workshop DVDs as well (the second of which features a familiar figure on guitar) ............

That was my young man swimming everyday figure. I now resemble an egg on legs.

[robguitar]

PMB
That's a great exercise! Do you know of any other tunes or publications? I want to work on memorizing tunes and work on drop 2/3 chords at the same time.
Any direction you might have to share would be great!

[PMB]

Hi Rob,

I put that exercise together years ago to teach myself all the inversions in drop 2/3. The opening of Autumn Leaves is an ideal tune as it contains the five main seventh chord types and moves in a cycle of 4ths. You could initially work with tunes that contain a similar movement, e.g. Fly Me to the Moon or All The Things You Are. It doesn't have to be 4ths - Jonathan Kreisberg once showed me a version of that approach over Giant Steps.

[Melodic Dreamer]

Niiiiiiice!!

Roscoe, before worrying too much about extensions I'd get to know all the 7th chord inversions in context.

You've been looking at Autumn Leaves. It's been called THE desert island jazz tune. Apart from its use of melodic sequencing, there are a number of harmonic aspects worth noting.

The first eight bars (in the original key) outline a cycle of 4ths: A-7 | D7 | Gmaj7 | Cmaj7 | F#-7b5 | B7b9 | E-7 | % |. That opening section contains a major ii-V-I progression (A-7, D7, Gmaj7) followed by a minor ii-V-I progression (F#m7b5, B7b9, E-7). Incidentally, the connecting Cmaj7 wasn't in the original version but provides nice contrast and helps complete the cycle.

Another useful aspect of learning this cycle is that it includes the five basic 7th chord types: major (Gmaj7, Cmaj7), dominant (D7), minor (A-7, E-7), half diminished (F#-7b5) and diminished (B7b9=D#dim7).

Here's an exercise in voice-leading via inversions that I give to my students. This exercise presents the five most common drop 3 and drop 2 chord types. Once you have these down without having to reference the pages, try transposing them up a minor 3rd from Em to the more common contemporary key of Gm. Then you'll be ready to simplify the voicings (by extracting guide tones and shell voicings) and enrich them (by adding extensions, passing chords etc.).

Attachment 30976Attachment 30977Attachment 30978Attachment 30979Attachment 30980

[christianm77]

What you should do for practice is to sing the melodies as well as arpeggios in all inversions, of all the chords you are to play, 11 times in a row, without mistake. Also in reverse. Then transpose to couple more keys, preferably all 12. Only then you will start hearing things in your head.

Mostly I just hear ... voices...

[Vladan]

Mostly I just hear ... voices...

Now, sing them, harmonize, sing that, then in reverse, then arpeggios, make counterpoint, 11 times, no mistakes. It must be done in the car, on your commute drive, on the way to work. If you make a mistake, make a U turn back home, without singing, then another U turn, then you may sing again.
Only sing on your way to work. Never sing on the way home.

If in the process you run out of gas, jump the first passing cop car and wait to be shot. You may scat along.

[christianm77]

Now, sing them, harmonize, sing that, then in reverse, then arpeggios, make counterpoint, 11 times, no mistakes. It must be done in the car, on your commute drive, on the way to work. If you make a mistake, make a U turn back home, without singing, then another U turn, then you may sing again.
Only sing on your way to work. Never sing on the way home.

If in the process you run out of gas, jump the first passing cop car and wait to be shot. You may scat along.

I mean voices telling me to do things... terrible things....

[Vladan]

I mean voices telling me to do things... terrible things....

I'm telling you, to sing, in reverse, what they're telling you, is the only way to get the message.
That's on your way to work, of course.
On the way back, don't sing.
Just listen ...
... learn the lyrics ...

[A. Kingstone]

I mean voices telling me to do things... terrible things....

There's a stoop in Hyde Park with your name on it.

[robguitar]

Great
I'll start working through AL, sounds like it's a lot meatier than I first anticipated. Probably doing it in a few keys would be a good exercise.
Thanks PMB!

[PMB]

Thanks Rob. The amount of information when first learning jazz guitar can seem overwhelming and each person has their own handle on dealing with all that stuff. My initial approach to the maze was to break everything down to five basic types and the AL exercise came out of that process.

Keys: G/Em, C/Am, F/Dm, Bb/Gm and Eb/Cm

Scales: Major, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, Whole Tone, Diminished

Positions: C-A-G-E-D

Chords: Major 7th, Dominant 7th, Minor 7th, Half Diminished 7th and Diminished 7th

Voicings: Drop 2 & 3 (6th String Root), Drop 2 & 3 (5th String Root), Drop 2 (4th String Root)

Tunes: Blues, Rhythm Changes, Swing, Latin, Ballad