Respond to This

hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

Robert Strait (6627)

Guitar Theory Forum · 11/22/2007 12:14 AM
Happy Holidays Noters!

Put down that turkey leg and dig into a second helping of
harmony homework!

Continuing on from our last thread...

Again, harmonize the melody note below, but this time it must
be some variety of dominant 7th chord!

Kindly name your chord and provide analysis...let us know how
the melody note is functioning within your chord structure. Try
to keep the melody note as the highest voice (note) in your
chord, and try not to repeat any chord that has already been
given.

Melody note (F)


Remember...Dom7 voicings only. Now stop stuffing your face
and get to making some musical gravy! Game on!

Happy Turkey day,

Rob
Responses (continued)  [ Pages: 1 · 2 · 3 ]

Respond to this

Re: hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

11/26/2007 9:05 PM

Joe Walker (2355) wrote:

I have two. I use these in jazz comping all the time. Neither contains the root.

Eb13 or A7alt
Ab13 or D7alt


The notes function as follows, low to high:
Eb13: b7, 3, 13, 9
A7alt: 3, b7, #9, #5
Ab13: 3, b7, 9, 13
D7alt: b7, 3, #5, #9

Respond to this

Re: hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

11/26/2007 10:58 PM

Robert Strait (6627) wrote:

Very cool Joe!

If I might elaborate a little for others who find these voicings a
tad complex...there is actually a mini lesson in this:

Here are versions of those voicings WITH the root added as the
lowest voice:

A7alt(#5)

Eb9


In A7alt, the F melody note functions as the #5, and in the Eb9 it
functions as the natural 9th.

Ab13

D7alt(#5, #9)


In Ab13, the F melody note functions as the natural 13th (notice
there is also a 9th present in the voicing, no 3rd), and in the
D7alt, F functions as the #9.

These chords are known as "b5 substitutes". The rule is this: for
any functioning dom7 chord, you may substitute another dom7
chord whose root lies a b5 away.

This is a great way to get maximum mileage out of your dom7
chords since they essentially share the same notes. The reason
this substitution works is because both chords share a common
interval know as the tritone:

A7 or Eb7 tritone


This is a very important interval to get to know. When you
analyze it you will find that the tritone becomes inverted in the
b5 substitute dom7...for example, in the A7 the G note is the b7
and the C# is the 3rd, but in the Eb7 the G becomes the 3rd and
the C# (now spelled enharmonically as Db) becomes the b7.

Another note of interest is how the upper tensions react...in one
voicing the 5ths and 9ths are natural while in the other they
become altered.

b5 subs really become useful for generating smooth voice
leading in chord changes.

If this is too complicated for some of you, no worries....it's just
food for thought. In any event...blame Joe!

Thanks for the great voicings Joe,

Rob

Respond to this

Re: hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

11/27/2007 9:36 AM

Adriano Parmiggianno (6823) wrote:

Here's two more

C7sus
Bb7


Respond to this

Re: hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

11/27/2007 10:52 AM

Robert Strait (6627) wrote:

nobody likes to provide the analysis, eh?

Anyhoo...If you don't mind, I would like to call your first chord Bb6/9 since we are not using it in a functional progression here. I understand how you might call it a C7sus/Bb, but I think that's an unecessarily complicated name for what it a common chord structure. Of course, if you played that voicing while the band and bass player played C7, then yes, it technically be a C7sus in that application.

The F melody note functions as the 5th in a Bb6/9 and the Bb7 (which is a great 1st inversion).

thanks,

Rob

Respond to this

Re: hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

11/27/2007 12:38 PM

Adriano Parmiggianno (6823) wrote:

Db7
Db7 = Db_F_Ab_Cb = 1_3_5_b7 where the F note functions as the 3rd.

Respond to this

Re: hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

11/27/2007 1:27 PM

Robert Strait (6627) wrote:

Cool Adriano.

Again, the chord name given is a functional name, IMO. As
a static chord, I would prefer to call it Db/Cb.

great chord btw.

Rob

Respond to this

Re: hArMoNy HoMeWorK!!

11/27/2007 7:58 PM

Adriano Parmiggianno (6823) wrote:

Here's an oldie that was very unpopular,

Mystery Chord


I think Alfred Hitchcock used it in one of his movies.

Previous Responses  [ Pages: 1 · 2 · 3 ]