16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 1/20
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January5th,2014
10EasyOptionsforExpandingYourDominant7thVocabulary
ByEric
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16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 2/20
Whatsthemostimportantchordprogressionthatyouneedtoknowasamusician?
Wellthatsagoodquestion
Inthepastweveexploredsomecommonchordrelationshipsthatyoullencounterasanimproviser,butthereisonechordrelationshipthatsticksoutabovetherest.
Anyguesses?
ItsVtoI.
TheDominant/TonicrelationshipisatthefoundationofWesternmusicfromBaroqueconcertos,toMahlersymphonies,toLouisArmstrong,toColtrane,totheBeatles.
Innearlyeverystandardthatyoullpracticeorperformasanimproviser,youregoingtoencountertheV7toIchordrelationship.
TheBlues,RhythmChanges,StellabyStarlight,GiantSteps,AlltheThingsYouAreitallgoesbacktoV7resolvingtoI.Ifyouhaventalreadyworkedonthisdominanttotonicrelationship,nowisthetimetogetstarted.
TheBasics
Formanyplayers,themostcommonwaytoaccesstheDominant7thtoTonicsoundiswiththeMixolydianmode:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 3/20
oraBebopScale:
TheothercommonrulethatmanyplayersalsofallbackonforV7toIisthenaturalvoiceleadingmotionbetweenthesetwochords.Comingfromananalyticalperspective,thevoiceleadingrulesoftheVtoIrelationshipareresolvingthe7thoftheVchordtothe3rdoftheIchord:
(73Resolution)
andthe3rdofV7totherootoftheIchord:
(31Resolution)
Thisisafineplacetostartconceptualizingthesechordsinyourmindandyourear,howeverthesetwoscalesandvoiceleadingrulesarejustthebeginning.ToreallystartimproviseoveraDominant7soundyouneedtogoevenfurther.
Learnthelanguage
Thenextlogicalstepafterlearningandingrainingthesescalesandvoiceleadingrulesistranscribing.Remember,ascalewithinitselfisnotmusic,howeverascalecanserveasthebuildingblocksinconstructingamusicalline.
Weretalkingaboutspeakingthejazzlanguage.
Checkingoutthebluesisagreatplacetostartgatheringsomelanguageits12barscenteredaroundaV7sound.Withtranscribedlanguage,youllbridgethegapbetweenplayingscales&chordtonesandactuallycreatingmusicalphrasesinrealtime.
Forexample,checkoutFreddieHubbardssoloonHubtones:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 4/20
At:48secondsintothevideoyouhearthisline:
Intermsoftheory,themajorityofthenotesinthislineareallfromtheG7bebopscale,howeverinFreddiessoloyoudonthearscales,youhearmusic.
Thelinehasshapeandforwardmotionfromonesoundtothenext,notastaticscaledevoidofanymusicality.Hereinliesthedifferencebetweenimprovisingwithscalesandmusicallanguage.
Thegoalofimprovisingistocreatemusicalphrasesthatcommunicatewiththelistener.
Youneedtoturnthosescales,instrumentaltechniques,andtheoryknowledgeintoamusicallanguage,intomusicthatpeopleactuallywanttolistento.Todothisyoumustspendalotoftimetranscribinganddevelopingyourownlanguageovercommonchordsandprogressions.
ButwhatisthenextstepafteryouvegatheredsomebasicV7language?
Thenextstepismakingthoselinesyourownbyalteringtherhythm,intervals,articulation,andinthiscase,theharmoniccontent
10Dominant7thAlterations
Attheheartofthedominant/tonicrelationshipistensionandreleasethemovementfromconflictanduncertaintytoeventualmusicalresolution.TheV7chordisfullofunlimitedpossibility.
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 5/20
Asyoucraftyoursolo,thereisaspectrumofdissonancethatyoucanmanipulateoverthischordmovementdependingonyourharmonicapproach.Somealterednoteswillbemildlydissonant,whileotherswillclashintenselywiththeharmonyandbegforresolution.
TherearemanywaysthatyoucanaltertheV7soundtocreatemoredissonanceandaccentuatetheeventualmelodicandharmonicresolutiontothetonic.Belowwellexplore10optionsthatyoucanuseoverV7chords.
Witheachoftheharmonicalterationsthatwellcover,rememberthateachonemustbeapproachedasmusicallanguage,notasamusictheoryexercise
1)V7b9
Oneoftheeasiestwaystoalteradominantchordistoutilizetheb9sound.ThisonealterednoteaddsatouchmoredissonancethatwillpulltheV7towardthetonic.
Theb9ofV7naturallyresolvestothe5thscaledegreeoftheIchord:
Askeletonofmelodicmovementcontainingthisaltered9thwouldlooklikethis:
Takealistentoafewexamplesofthisalterednoteinaction.LetsstartwiththemelodyofDonnaLee:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 6/20
Inthe12thand16thbarsofthemelodytheb9isaccentuatedontheV7chordandresolvedinthenextbar.NowcheckoutCliffordBrownssoloonJordu:
Thefirstnoteheplaysonthebridgeisab9(1:24inthevideo).Againtheb9isusedonthedominantsoundasatensionnotethatleadstoresolution.
Inbothcasesthisb9wantstoresolvedownward,eventuallyarrivingatthe3rdofthefollowingchord.Thisalterednotehasauniquesoundthatyouneedtolearnhowtomanipulateinyourimprovising.
Getthesoundofthisnoteinyourear,experimentwithitinthepracticeroom,anduseitinyoursolos.
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 7/20
2)V7#9
Nextexplorethesoundofthe#9.The#9naturallyresolvesuptotheMajor7oftheIchord:
The#9andb9arealsooftenpairedtogetheronaV7chordasshownbelow:
Keepinmindthatthe#9isalsotheminor3rd,soexplorethisrelationshipbyswitchingbackandforthbyhalfstepbetweenthesetwochordtones:
CheckoutthisarticleformoreideasontheV7#9chordandworkonincorporatingthissoundonyourapproachtodominantchords.
3)V7#11
The#11oftheV7chordresolvestorootoftonic:
ItsimportanttomakeadistinctionbetweenaV7#11andaV7b5chord.OnaV7#11,the#11referstotheupperstructureofthechord,sothe5thisnatural,howeveronaV7b5chordthe5thisflat.
HereareafewwaystoaccessthisV7#11sound:
AMajtriadoverG7:
(Majortriadawholestepabovethetonic)
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 8/20
DmelodicminoroverG7:
Thisii7overtheV7canalsobeapproachedwithii7V7language.
FMajor7#5overG7:
These3ideasareallessentiallythesamesound(V7#11),justapproachedfromadifferentmindset.Oneisamelodicminorsound,oneisaMajor7#5sound,andoneisamajortriad.Dependingonyourlanguageandtechniqueeachwillproducedifferentpossibilities.
4)V7b13/#5
Theb13resolvesuptothe3rdanddowntothe9th:
Tohighlighttheb13or#13youcanuseadescendingAugmentedtriad:
Oryoucanemployawholetonescale(#4,#5):
ListentohowMonkusesthewholetonescaleovertheV7chordonhisblues,BlueMonk(1:031:04):
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 9/20
5)TritoneSubstitution,V7b5b9
OnecommonbebopreharmonizationtechniqueovertheV7soundwasthetritonesubstitution.ForexamplethetritonesubstitutionofaDbMajortriadoveraG7chord:
Thissoundhighlightstheb5andb9oftheV7chord:
Theb5hasadistinctivesoundwhenitusedoveraV7chord,itsdissonantandimmediatelygrabsyourear.ForexamplelistentothemelodyofTuneUp:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 10/20
ThemelodyemphasizesthetritoneontheV7chords.Focusonthethirdnoteofthemelody:theb5(tritone)resolvingtothe5thoftheVchordandultimatelytothe3rdoftheIchord.
6)AlteredScale/MelodicMinor
Thealteredscaleutilizesallofthealterednotes(b9,#9,#11,andb13):
Thisscaleissometimesreferredtoasadiminishedwholetonescale(itsparthalfwholediminishedscaleandpartwholetonescale)andisalsothemelodicminorscalestartingonthe7thnote(lookattheGalteredscaleaboveasanAbmelodicminorscale).
Takealistentothevideobelow,at4:54Freddiebeginshissolobycreativelyusingthealteredscale:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 11/20
Youcanalsotakealookatthisarticleon4waystousethemelodicminorscale.
7)HalfWholeDiminished(octatonic)scale
Theoctatonicscaleisaneightnotescale,forimprovisersthisgenerallyreferstothehalfwholediminishedscale(an8notescalealternatingbetweenhalfstepsandwholesteps):
Thisscaleemphasizesthe#9,b9,andthe#11.
TakealookathowFreddieHubbardusesthisscaleinhissoloonBirdlike(2:57):
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 12/20
HeutilizesthehalfwholediminishedscaleovertheV7soundtoresolvetothe5thofthetonic.IndoingsohecreatesmoretensionovertheV7soundwhilegrabbingthelistenersattentionandemphasizingtheresolution.
8)Diatonictriadpairings
AnotheroptionyoucanuseovertheV7chordarediatonictriads.ForinstancealternatingbetweenaGtriadandanFtriadoveraG7chord:
CheckoutthisarticleformoreonUsingTriadsinYourSolo.
ListentothemelodyofPassionDanceandtheopeningtoMcCoyssoloforanexampleofthisinaction:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 13/20
ThisapproachwillgiveyouaDominantsussound(accentingthe4thscaledegree).Formoreonsuschordstakealookatthisarticle,HowtoImproviseOverSusChords.
9)Nondiatonic(chromatic)triads
Asidefromthediatonictriadsthatnaturallyoccurwithinthekey,youcanalsoutilizethenondiatonictriadsthatoccuroutsideofeachkeycenter.
Eachtriadhasavaryinglevelofdissonancedependingonitsrelationshiptotheroot.
Major6thTriad(b9)
AnEMajortriadoveraG7:
Majorb6Triad(#9,b13)
AnEbMajortriadoveraG7:
Minorb2Triad(b9,b13)
AnAbminortriadoveraG7:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 14/20
Tritonesubstitutionb5Triad(b9,#11)
ADbMajortriadoverG7:
Major3rdTriad(#5,Maj.7)
ABMajortriadoverG7:
CheckouthowFreddieHubbardemploysboththe#5andmajor7thonthetuneBirdlike(2:32inthevideo):
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 15/20
Eachofthesetriadshavetheirownuniquesoundandmethodofresolution.Strivetofamiliarizeyourearwiththesoundofeachofthesedissonantornondiatonictriads.
10)Diminished(minor3rd)relationships
FinallyexploretheuseofthediminishedrelationshipovertheV7sound.
TobeginplayMajortriadsseparatedbyminor3rdsstartingonthetonicofthedominantchord,forG7:
Anexampleofalineusingthisdiminishedrelationshipisbelow,awholestepbeloweachdiminishedchordtone:
ListentohowJohnColtraneusesthispatterninhissoloonMomentsNotice(2:092:11):
Thereareanumberofdifferentpatternsthatyoucanplayusingthesequenceofdiminishedthirds.
Besidestriadsorscalepatterns,youcanalsoexploredifferentintervalsfromeachoftheDiminishedchordtones(4ths,5ths,etc.)
TakealistentoMulgrewMillerssolointhevideobelow,specificallyaround2:002:05mins:
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 16/20
Heisusingtheminor3rdrelationshipanddescendin4thsfromeachrootnote.
OrcheckoutMichaelBreckerssoloonMyOneandOnlyLove.Injusttheopeningfewminutesyoullhearmultipleusesofthisdiminished3rdrelationshipovertheV7sound:
Connectingtheoryandlanguage
Themainthingtokeepinmindwiththese10optionsisthattheyarejusttheorydevices.
Toemploythesesoundsinyoursolostheymustbemusicaltheyneedtime,articulation,rhythmic
16/6/2015 10OptionsforImprovisingoverV7ChordsandAlteredDominants|jazzadvice.com
http://www.jazzadvice.com/v7toi10optionsforexpandingyourdominant7thvocabulary/ 17/20
variety,sound,andalogicalplacewithinyourphrase.Thewaythatyouachieveallofthisisthroughlistening,transcribingandapplyingtheseharmonicconceptsmusicallyinyourownsolos.
Onceyouhavethemusicalandstylisticfoundationoftranscribingunderyourbelt,itbecomesmucheasiertoincorporatenewtheoryconceptsintoyourplaying.
Remember,yourenotreinventingthewheelorforcingaforeignobjectintoyourplaying,yourejusthighlightingadifferentharmonicflavorwithinyourlines.
Thebestplayersseamlesslyblendtheseconceptsinandoutoftheirlinesastheyplay.Itsnotacutandpasteapproach,ratheronethatiseffortlessandmusicalanotherharmonicoptionthataddstensionandinteresttotheageoldtonic/dominantrelationship.
Howeverthisisnotanovernightprocess,ittakeshoursofpracticeandtrialanderroronthebandstandtomaketheseconceptseffortless.YoumustgetthesoundofeachoftheseV7alterationsinyourearandingrainthemintoyourfingers.
BeginbygoingtothepianoandplayingeachofthesealterednotesoverasimpleV7voicing.
Theninyourpracticetakeapieceoflanguagethatyouvealreadytranscribed,aiiVIlineorachorusofblues,andexperimentbyalteringtheV7chordusingthetechniquesshownabove.
Inessenceyoullbeusingthesealtereddominantoptionsasanextensionofthelanguagethatyoualreadyknow.
Withthismethodyoullquicklyaddinteresttothatfamiliarlanguage,youllbegintocreatenewlinesofyourown,andmostimportantly,youwontbestuckwiththeusualmixolydianmodesorbebopscales,youlltrulyhaveanentirespectrumofsoundatyourdisposal!
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