 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Ken Mills
Date: 2006-07-14 22:12
Dear People; A jazz tune modulates around but you will find clusters of chords that are diatonic to one tonality and then another. But as an example in C major, all the chord tones come from that CM scale: CM7 Am7 G7 CM7 FM7, etc, taking off to another tonality, etc. But there are ways to organize the use of other notes that do not belong to CM. Sometimes, as in rhythm changes, the Am7 is an A7 (flat 9) instead, not diatonic to its surrounding chords, it calls for the D harmonic minor scale, but let us stick to diatonic harmony.
Compound minor, or cm, is the only primary scale that I use. So a Ccm is a C natural minor and/or C harmonic minor scale, it has the same notes as the Eb major as well as the C harmonic minor scales. Melodic minor is mm. Diminished is dim.
We do not play a chordal instrument, so you do not have to read every chord or know what it is. Just play off the CM scale, as bookends, with other scales that offer a harmonic resolution to the listeners' ears: CM Dcm Ccm CM, CM Dcm Fmm CM, I want to call CM an Acm instead, why? In a moment. Acm Fmm Ecm Acm, Acm Adim Ecm Acm, Acm Adim Gcm Acm, Acm Adim Abdim Acm. We see that the "secondary harmony" consists of diminished and melodic minor scales. My only primary scale is the cm scale because, relief, we use only one primary scale and minor key harmony is the only way that tritone substitution works for me as I employ those melodic minor scales. To go around the cycle of fourths we can have secondary scales stuck in between our primary scales as an option, but if we decide to go in reverse, say, Acm to Ecm (a fifth) then it will not work without some secondary scales stuck in between.
I usually spend six notes on a scale before moving to the next, say, two triads, to speed it along. But practice harmonic minor scales too where you play every other-other note instead of just every other note or consecutive notes, add lower neighbor notes, etc. That is "woodshedding" which is a little boring. Then play the different scales in sequences like I have above in every key. The key of C is so simple, but woodshedding is required to play all around in every key.
Thanks for Your Attention, Ken, note: the sound of a Ccm going home to CM7 was invented by George Gershwin in bar six of rhythm changes, but Dcm is the most popular "takeoff" scale from the CM7. Flying!!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bruno
Date: 2006-07-14 22:23
One excellent way to put all the chords of a given tonality into your fingers is to play (upward, then downward) what I like to call a "major seventh" chord, on all the degrees of a scale. CM7, Dm7, Em7, FM7, G7, Am7, B half-dim 7, and CM7th again.
As can be seen these chords contain every chord you will need to learn in this particular tonality. Go around the circle of fourths doing this and you'll come out the other end knowing something about vertical (as opposed to horizontal) playing!
b/
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Mills
Date: 2006-07-15 21:48
So Bruno; All the Things You Are is a tune that changes key quite a bit, but each key looks like CM7 Am7 Dm7 G7 CM7 FM7 for five bars in C major, say, while the last three bars is a II V I in another tonality (a third higher) to make eight bars, and it goes to the next tonality or temporary key change again. In my C major example, I would play these C major chords HORIZONTALLY (and freely) using minor key harmony based on the Acm scale as "bookends." Here are some horizontal C melodies: Acm Dcm Ccm Acm, Acm Dcm Fmm Acm, Acm Fmm Ecm Acm, Acm Dcm Bbmm Acm, Acm Gcm Bbcm Acm, Acm Cmm Ecm Acm, and there are a few more. And with the Acm alone you can mix in at will the Fmm, Bbmm, and Cmm. But it is good to play other primary cm scales so that the tonic seems to move up and down even while we are still in the key of C for a duration, the listener will hear this harmonic motion as not sounding too flat or level.
Let me conclude by saying that in minor key harmony the key's scale is the harmonic or natural minor scale and the mm scales come from the dominants of the I and IV and V chords, so the dominant of Acm is E7alt or E7+9 which uses the Fmm scale, and we have the Bbmm and Cmm justified from the other chords. This is all my harmony, but music is just a trade, Ken
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
