The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    For any of you following Tommy Echol's 'Labyrinth of Limitations' youtube channel, as a learning aid I have tabulated the notes of the voicings on each scale degree in his contrary motion elevator sequences into iReal so they can be easily transposed into any key you are working on.

    Here is a link to download the iReal files for import into the app. There are 2 for Major6dim and 2 for Minor6dim and the letters in the charts represent individual notes, not chords as they customarily do in iReal charts. Hope this of some use, I haven't played through all the charts yet so let me know if there are any errors in the patterns.

    Elevator files

    Here is a link to the original explanation video:

    Last edited by bleakanddivine; 11-15-2020 at 04:56 AM. Reason: Terminological inexactitude - originally referred to escalators, not elevators!

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Thank u for that!

  4. #3

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    Screenshot

    Barry Harris - Contrary Motion Elevators-m6dim-contrary-elevator-1-jpg

    A bit of explanation:

    Construction
    The note combinations are created by starting from a unison on any scale degree and raising the top line up the scale while dropping the bottom line down the scale, filling in the middle voices with notes (some, all or none) from the appropriate M6 or dim chord. Each successive combination is visualised as a 'floor' with all combinations on the same floor being the same construction. So, everything on the 2nd floor is just 3rds, everything on the 6th floor is the familiar drop 2 chord, everything on the 7th floor is the drop 3 chord etc.

    The elevator metaphor likens the patterns to a building with multiple floors with multiple rooms on each floor. It's not quite accurate as you would normally have just one elevator serving all floors, but in this case you have an elevator for each room serving the same room on other floors.

    Use
    Usually when harmonising a typically scalar step-wise melody, you could use, say, all drop 2, or all drop 3 (i.e all on the same floor) and the top and bottom voices would always move in parallel. However if you move in the elevator the top and bottom voices move in contrary motion. So using this predictable pattern you can construct a harmonisation that includes parallel and/or contrary motion at will, by either moving about on the same floor or taking the elevator up/down at each step. You can mix and match - e.g. stay on the same floor for one bar (parallel motion) then move in the elevator for the next bar (contrary motion).


    This elevator concept can be applied to any pool/set/scale of notes but it is particularly appropriate for the 8-note 6dim scales as IT KEEPS THE 6TH AND DIM7TH dichotomy as you move in it. Each neighbouring note combination reflects the alternating 6th/dim pattern, either moving in a floor or between floors.

    From the source:


  5. #4

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    People often seem to have problems knowing how to get up and running applying these things to tunes, so here is a run down in a real-life situation. Take harmonising the 3 note pick-up to Autumn Leaves in Bb. G A Bb

    1) Staying on same floor. All give parallel motion (bass:soprano).

    The simplest way to play this is obviously with single notes. You can interpret this as staying on the ground floor.
    G A Bb

    Moving up a floor would give all thirds (although some of these work out as M2s in the 6dim scales). Melody always in top voice
    F G, Gb A, G Bb.

    Moving up another floor would give triads (or 5th without middle voice).
    D F G, Eb Gb A, F G Bb.

    Moving up another floor would give sixths (with or without middle voice).
    Bb (D) G, C (Eb) A, D F Bb

    A basic BH treatment would be on the drop 2 floor.
    F Bb D G, Gb C Eb A, G D F Bb (= M6, dim7, M6)

    Another would be on the drop 3 floor.
    D Bb F G, Eb CGb A, F G D Bb (= M6, dim7, M6)

    The other floors would be the octave boundary shapes:
    G Bb F G, A C Gb A, Bb DG Bb (= M6,dim7, M6)
    G F Bb G, A Gb C A, Bb G D Bb (= M6,dim7, M6)

    2) Moving up elevator. All give contrary motion. All alternate M6 and dim7 notes

    Single note, third, triad.
    G, Gb A, F G Bb

    Third, triad, sixth
    F G, Eb Gb A, D F Bb

    Triad, sixth, octave
    D F G, C Eb A, Bb D G Bb

    Sixth, octave, drop2
    Bb D G, A C Gb A, G D F Bb

    Octave , drop2, drop3
    G Bb F G, Gb C Eb A, F G D Bb

    Drop2, drop3, drop 2&4
    F Bb D G, Eb C Gb A, D G F Bb

    Drop3, drop 2&4, double octave
    D Bb F G, C Gb Eb A, Bb G D Bb

    3) Moving ALONG floors and UP elevator. Pick your own bass contour. Many possibilities here, these are just a few examples.

    ALONG, then UP. Bass goes parallel then contrary
    Third, third, triad
    F G, Gb A, F G Bb

    Drop2, Drop2, Drop3
    F Bb D G, Gb C Eb A, F D G Bb

    UP, then ALONG. Bass goes contrary then parallel.
    Triad, sixth, sixth
    D F G, C Eb A, D F Bb

    Drop2&4, double octave, double octave
    Bb F D G, A Gb C A, Bb G D Bb.

    There's obviously more scope for creating more interesting basslines contours with longer melody segments.

    4) There's potential for oblique motion (moving melody against static bassline) but for stepwise melodies this would require borrowing and forms from different rooms and floors.

    Drop2, drop3, triad
    F Bb D G, F D G A (borrowed), F G Bb

    Drop3, drop 2&4, triad
    C A Eb G(borrowed), C Gb Eb A, C Eb Bb (borrowed)

    There are even more possibilities if you treat the pick-up as over Gm6 or G7 as this brings in Min6dim and Dom7dim scale options.

    Jonathan
    Last edited by bleakanddivine; 11-15-2020 at 09:44 AM.

  6. #5

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    Thank you for this. I bookmarked Labyrinth of Limitations a while back and to date haven't invested much time. Maybe you've given me a nudge. TILF Barry Harris has been a gold mine. I appreciate the enormous generosity of content creators like Chris and Tommy.

  7. #6

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    I wish we could just have notation easily on this forum lol

  8. #7
    DaShigsta Guest
    Back to the shed... :-)

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Neverisky
    TILF Barry Harris has been a gold mine. I appreciate the enormous generosity of content creators like Chris and Tommy.

  9. #8

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    Here's a chart of the Major6dim escalator in a BIAB file I have uploaded to the same place (Maj6dim Escalator.MGU).
    Not sure how useful the BIAB file is for transposing as you'll have to deal with the octave jump separately in a different place for each key. It's probably easier to just learn it all in one key and transpose it up and down the neck by shapes.

    Jonathan

    Barry Harris - Contrary Motion Elevators-maj6dimescalator-jpg

  10. #9
    DaShigsta Guest
    Hi Jonathan,

    great !

    I did write out the same elevator exercise yesterday.

    There's a minor misprint in the Double Octave boundary chord at the end of the 2nd system.
    It should be (top to bottom) F Ab D F

    Thank you for bringing Mr. Echols' work to my attention !
    This will keep me busy in the coming months...

    Paul

    Quote Originally Posted by bleakanddivine
    It's probably easier to just learn it all in one key and transpose it up and down the neck by shapes.

    Jonathan

    Barry Harris - Contrary Motion Elevators-maj6dimescalator-jpg

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by DaShigsta

    There's a minor misprint in the Double Octave boundary chord at the end of the 2nd system.
    It should be (top to bottom) F Ab D F

    Paul
    Thanks Paul

    I've changed it in the download files.
    Tommy's version has F Ab B F, and if you model it on the 1st system it would be F D Ab F. There are various options available for the inner voices.

    Jonathan

  12. #11
    DaShigsta Guest
    Yes, I also bought Thomas' complete pdf collection and saw what you've described in his example 5.
    I'll ask him about that... ;-)
    Sonically speaking I do prefer the voice distribution like in all of your other examples
    (according to the 1st system) you've written out.
    This one chord sticks out imho... but that's just me being ocd. :-)

    Paul

    PS: Interesting to note that in his video he doubles the beginning note on string 2 (1st finger) with the same pitch on string 3 (4th finger).

    For my own interest: Which are the 'various options available for the inner voices' ?

    Quote Originally Posted by bleakanddivine
    Thanks Paul

    I've changed it in the download files.
    Tommy's version has F Ab B F, and if you model it on the 1st system it would be F D Ab F.
    There are various options available for the inner voices.

    Jonathan

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by DaShigsta

    For my own interest: Which are the 'various options available for the inner voices' ?
    Particularly for the spread voicings there are a few options:

    11 10 10 - - 11
    11 - - 12 13 11
    11 10 - - 13 11
    11 - 10 12 - 11

    And given that the important movement is between the top and bottom voices, you could just leave out all of the inner voices, giving the bare intervals 3rds, 5ths, 6ths, 8ths, 10ths, 11ths, 13th, 16ths. Interestingly, there are no 2nds, 4ths, 7ths, 9ths etc as these would combine notes from the Maj6 and Dim7 sides of the scale and break the alternating on/off duality.

    Jonathan

  14. #13
    DaShigsta Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by bleakanddivine
    Particularly for the spread voicings there are a few options:

    11 10 10 - - 11
    11 - - 12 13 11
    11 10 - - 13 11
    11 - 10 12 - 11
    Thanks... I like the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. That F in the 1st voicing sticks out a bit imho... ;-)


    And given that the important movement is between the top and bottom voices, you could just leave out all of the inner voices, giving the bare intervals 3rds, 5ths, 6ths, 8ths, 10ths, 11ths, 13th, 16ths. Interestingly, there are no 2nds, 4ths, 7ths, 9ths etc as these would combine notes from the Maj6 and Dim7 sides of the scale and break the alternating on/off duality.

    Jonathan
    Yes... understood. Contrary, oblique and parallel 2-part motion is really effective.

    Paul

  15. #14

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    Barry Harris - Contrary Motion Elevators-min6dimescalator-jpg

  16. #15

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    Holy moly, what a cool advanced concept. I have been working just the parallel stuff so far.

  17. #16

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    Try resolving the Cm6 at the end to E.

    Cm6 as B7alt.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by A. Kingstone
    Try resolving the Cm6 at the end to E.

    Cm6 as B7alt.
    Yes, any part of the sequences could be used:

    - as tritone's minor. Cm6 (=B7alt) to E7 (Bm6)
    - Cm6 (=F7) to Bb7
    - Cm6 (=Am7b5) to D7 (Am6)