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Contemporary Piano Improvisation Written by Terence Oh Copyright 2001
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Foreword Some years ago while I was studying classical piano, I attended a Christmas party at a friend’s home. As we all sat around in a circle chatting, a girl began playing some carols on the piano. Her style was simple and casual, yet she played with a sense of freedom that I didn’t recognise in my preludes and fugues. Firstly, rather than relying on clefs and notes, she used a chord chart that provided only a skeleton structure of the song. With this scribbling of letters and numbers on the page, she formed contemporary chords, created melodious frills, all tied together with confident expression and rhythm. I was literally in awe. How was this possible? How did she know which notes to play to make that simple carol come alive? And here I was, having finished my Grade 6 classical piano exam, yet I couldn’t create simple tunes without having the notes in front of me. From that day on, I vowed to play like that girl. I wanted the freedom to express myself using my creativity, my style and my notes rather than relying on somebody else’s. During my final years of classical study, I searched for any material, or teachers on the subject, but both were very difficult to come by. Ten years on, and after long hours of chord experimentation and transcribing the work of jazz and contemporary pianists, I now am a teacher of contemporary improvisation. And, this text is a compilation of guidelines that I developed from those years of perseverance. These manuals were written to help those who, like me, want to play like that girl.
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CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................................................1 Session 1 – Intervals..........................................................................................................2 Session 2 – Scales.............................................................................................................4 The Major Scale
4
Session 3 – Triads and Inversions.....................................................................................6 Major Triads Minor Triads Choosing the nearest inversion
6 6 7
Session 4 – Basic Chord Relationships..............................................................................9 The II – V – I Progression
10
Session 5 – Think ‘Scale’.................................................................................................11 Session 6 – Minor 7th Chords...........................................................................................12 Playing the Minor 7th Think ‘Scale’
12 13
Session 7 – Suspended and Major 2nd Chords..................................................................14 The Major 2nd Chord Inversions of the 2 Chord Slash Chords Summary of Rules
15 15 16 16
Session 8 – Frilly Beginnings..........................................................................................18 Session 9 – The Major 7th and Major 9th Chords.............................................................20 The Major 7th chord and its Inversions When to Use the Maj7 Running with a maj7 The Maj9 Chord
20 22 23 24
Session 10 – Minor 9th and Minor 11 th Chords..................................................................26 When to use Minor 9th Chords Minor 11th Chords Running with the 9th and 11th
27 28 29
Session 11 - The Dominant 7th Family..............................................................................31 When to use the V7 Series
31
Session 12 - Expression...................................................................................................34 Session 13 – Putting It Together......................................................................................35 Conclusion
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Introduction All of us desire to play with freedom, to acquire the ability to sit at the piano and just create music - not to be restricted by the notes printed on a page. We’d love to play, perhaps nothing in particular, but to simply play the way we feel. Unfortunately, most who have some form of musical training, were raised to play notes exactly as they appear. Any deviation from the printed score is deemed a mistake. In this course however, experimentation, along with the mistakes it brings, is highly encouraged, because it is only when we play outside our comfort zones that we discover interesting harmonies and effects not previously considered. Whether you are a beginner or have a solid classical upbringing, this text aims to provide you with a foundation in music creation rather than solely focusing on piano playing. In practical terms, you will learn to play contemporary pieces of music using the given chord symbols and notes merely as a guide, or a basis from which to work on. In short, this text takes you on your first steps in the art of playing notes that do not appear on the page. There are numerous, comprehensive books available on classical music theory and to a lesser extent, jazz theory and improvisation, however very little deal with general improvisation in contemporary music. This manual aims to bridge the gap between the two streams where most popular music falls into. Much of the material covered here stems from jazz theory and is therefore also a good introduction into the subject of jazz and blues. To gain the most from this course, it is assumed that you have some basic musical background, that is, you have the ability to read and play notes confidently in both clefs. If you do not, please spend the time to acquire this skill before beginning. The first three sessions contain an overview of the minimum theory required to fully grasp the concepts covered. Regardless of your level of experience, please work through these sessions, as it does pave the way for the material that follows. This text is the first of two manuals, focussing largely on major scale harmony and the modification of chords. The second manual deals with different playing styles, introduces jazz and blues and the more subtle, finer points of improvisation. Practically speaking, at the completion of this manual, you should be able to take simple to moderate pieces of contemporary music, and add your own distinct flavour and color to the song using chord and rhythm alterations, and the inclusion of runs and riffs. Along the way, you will also develop many of your own chord progressions that will enable you to play freely, composing and creating music whenever you sit at the piano. Let’s now begin this course with the one golden rule: If it sounds good, then it’s right.
Introduction
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Session 1 – Intervals Intervals are the building blocks of all melody and harmony. It is the understanding of intervals and their qualities that will allow you to play intelligently - to make wise choices when improvising. Because of their importance, we shall begin our course with an overview of musical intervals. Simply put, an interval is the distance between any two notes. For example, if you play a C and the G above it, you have played an interval of a perfect fifth. By starting at C and counting up the notes in the scale of C major as shown in Fig 1.1, G is the fifth note encountered, hence the interval is a perfect fifth. Figure 1.14
Intervals of a fourth, fifth and eighth are known as perfect due to the exact ratios in their frequencies. From a musical point, although hollow in quality, perfect intervals exhibit a certain ‘purity’ when played. All other intervals that appear on the major scale are major intervals, eg. C–E is a major third. If a major interval is reduced by a semitone, it becomes a minor interval, eg. C–Eb is a minor third. And reducing a perfect fifth by a semitone results in a diminished fifth. Figure 1.2 contains examples of all the intervals within an octave. Play and listen to the quality of each example. Listen to the hollowness of the perfect intervals as compared to major intervals. Which intervals sound harmonious and which sound dissonant? Figure 1.24
Good pianists can usually identify an interval upon hearing it, and can invert intervals quickly. Knowing your intervals and the effect that each one creates will allow you to build chords and melodies that have the appropriate quality for the given moment. Keep this in mind as you work through this course as I will often mention intervals in my discussions. Remember, they are the building blocks of all melody and harmony, so the more familiar you are with intervals, the more melodious and harmonious you will be!
Intervals
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Exercise 1.0 Name the following Intervals:
1
C
-
E
Maj 3rd
2
E
-
C
Min 6th
3
F
-
A
4
F
-
C
5
C
-
F
6
G
-
D
7
E
-
B
8
A
-
E
9
A
-
C
10
D
-
B
11
Bb
-
Db
12
Eb
-
Ab
13
C
-
Bb
14
Ab
-
B
15
G
-
F
4
If you inverted the notes in a major interval, the result is a minor interval and vice versa. Their positions will always add up to 9, eg. invert a Maj 3rd and you get a Min 6th and 3 + 6 = 9.
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An inverted perfect interval remains perfect , eg. Perf 4th inverted is a Perf 5th and 4 + 5 = 9. Now what do you get when you invert a diminished 5th?
Exercise 1.1 What note is required to create the following intervals?
1
C
-
Perfect 5th
2
F
-
Perfect 4th
3
F
-
Major 3rd
4
D
-
Minor 3rd
5
G
-
Minor 7th
6
A
-
Minor 7th
7
C
-
Major 7th
8
G
-
Major 6th
9
A
-
Major 2nd
10
A
-
Minor 3rd
11
Bb
-
Major 7th
12
Eb
-
Minor 2nd
13
C
-
Minor 6th
14
Ab
-
Minor 7th
15
C
-
Diminished 5th
Ask a friend to play a few intervals for you at random and try to determine whether the interval is perfect, major, minor or diminished. Once you can do this, take it one step further and try to fully describe the interval. You may want to begin by trying to distinguish the following more common intervals: Maj 2 nd , Perf 4th, Perf 5th, Min 7th, and Maj 7th.
Intervals
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Session 2 – Scales Not many people conjure up pleasant images at the mention of ‘scales’. Thoughts of struggling pianists aimlessly running their fingers up and down the keyboard often enter our minds. But, believe me when I say scales can be enjoyable, and so are the rewards of knowing your scales well. After all, scales do provide us with pools of notes from which we can create beautiful chords and melodies. The first section of this course deals primarily with major scale harmony and it is therefore important that you are familiar with all the major scales and how they are constructed. Whether you have a strong classical piano background or perhaps you’re just starting out, it is important that you regularly practise all the scales on the following page to improve your playing technique. Do not be fooled into thinking, “I’ll rarely play a song in Gb major so I don’t need to practise that scale”. As you’ll soon discover, many interesting chords are constructed from each scale, and you don’t necessarily have to be playing a song in Gb in order to use the Gb major scale. As you work through each scale, first memorise the notes that appear in the scale then remember their positions on the scale. The ability to do this will prove useful in later sessions.
The Major Scale The word ‘scale’ is derived from the Latin word ‘scala’ which means ‘ladder’. Now although the rungs on a ladder are evenly spaced, the notes on a scale are often not. Let’s begin by considering the simplest piano scale. Beginning on the note C, the succeeding white notes on the keyboard form a major scale as shown in Fig 2.1. The major scale has a set order of tones (T) and semitones (ST) that distinguish it from any other type of scale. Figure 2.14
Knowing this order will allow you to derive a major scale in any key. For example, to work out the G major scale, simply start on G, then play the note one tone above it, then the note one tone above that, then a semitone above that, and so on until you reach the G an octave higher as shown in Fig 2.2. Figure 2.24
Note that the last four notes in the scale of C major are the first four notes in the G major scale. The remaining four notes differ to the C major scale in that the F is raised to F#. This is done to preserve the correct order of tones and semitones in the major scale. Using the same principle, the last four notes of the G major scale form the first four notes of the D major scale, and once again, the seventh note is raised to preserve the tone-semitone order. It is possible to cycle through all twelve major scales using this technique. This order, where each successive scale is a fifth higher than the previous scale is known as the Cycle of Fifths. The following page lists all the major scales for your reference – practise these regularly, one hand at a time, until you can play each scale accurately and confidently.
Scales
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C Major
4 The Cycle of Fifths G Major
D Major
The order in which the scales are shown is known as the cycle of fifths and it is recommended that when practising anything in all twelve keys, this order is used. Alternatively, many musicians prefer working around the cycle in reverse order where each scale is a fifth lower (or a fourth higher) than the previous one. This is because this order tends to occur naturally in music, simulating common chord progressions. To do this, start from the bottom of the page and work your way up.
A Major
E Major
B Major
Gb Major
Db Major
Ab Major
Eb Major
Bb Major
F Major
Scales
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Session 3 – Triads and Inversions Triads consist of three notes stacked on top of each other where each note is a third higher than the one below it – hence the name triad. There are four types of triads: major, minor, diminished and augmented as shown in Fig 3.1. Incidentally, the terms also accurately reflect a student’s practising habits – the majority of time is spent on major chords, minor chords are a minority, and by the time they get around to learning diminished chords, so too has their interest! Figure 3.14
Our initial focus will be on major and minor triads and it is vital that you practise these triads in every key. Now this may seem daunting at first, but with a bit of persistence, things will become easier after you’ve worked through a few keys. Realise that triads are the simplest form of chords, so in order to play fancy modified chords, you first need to be fluent with your triads. For starters, notice that lowering the 3rd in a major triad results in a minor triad.
Major Triads Let’s begin with the C major triad. There are three notes in the triad and consequently, there are three unique combinations of arranging these notes, ie. C E G, E G C and G C E. These arrangements are known as inversions and are shown in Fig 3.2. Figure 3.24
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Use the following fingering when playing triads Root position: 1st inversion 2nd inversion
135 125 135
You may be most familiar with the root position, but it is important not to default to this inversion every time a C major chord appears on the page. Why? Because your playing would soon become uninteresting and would lack variety and character. Play each of the inversions in Fig 3.2 and listen to the subtle differences in each. Which inversion sounds the strongest? Changing the inversion of a chord changes all the intervals played. As a result some chords (which we will study later) may sound sweet in root position but harsh in first inversion.
Minor Triads Minor triads differ from major triads in that the third is lowered by a semitone. So in the above example, the third of C is E, so lower the E to Eb to create the C minor triad. Fig 3.3 shows the C minor triad in all three inversions. Play Fig 3.3, and once again, listen to the differing qualities of each inversion. Figure 3.34
As you play each inversion, observe and memorise your hand positions. Then make it a major triad and do the same.
Triads and Inversions
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Choosing the nearest inversion Play the four bar chord sequence in Fig 3.4. Then play Fig 3.5. Both examples contain the same chords, however different inversions were used. In Fig 3.4, only root position triads were played resulting in a ‘choppy’ sound, but in Fig 3.5, inversions were chosen that minimised hand movement between each chord, resulting in a much smoother progression. Figure 3.44
Figure 3.54
Here’s a suggestion when choosing inversions: if any notes in the chord you are about to play are present in the chord you are currently playing, retain those notes. For example, in Fig 3.5, when proceeding from the F to the Dm chord, we see that the notes F and A are common to both chords, so we retain those positions. The C doesn’t appear in the Dm chord so we slide it up one tone to the nearest D. Moving to the nearest inversion with each chord change will not only ensure your progressions are smooth, but will provide you valuable experience at rearranging notes within a chord. This is especially useful when we deal with larger chords in the sessions to come.
Exercise 3.1 Write down the notes from bottom to top that make up the following inversions. Then play each chord in all three inversions using the fingering mentioned on the previous page. As you play each chord, aim to memorise each inversion.
1
C 1st inversion
2
F 2 inversion
3
Bb root position
4
Eb 1st inversion
5
G 2nd inversion
6
Am 1st inversion
7
Bm root position
8
Gm 1st inversion
9
Dm 2 nd inversion
10
D 1st inversion
EGC
nd
Triads and Inversions
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Exercise 3.2 The aim of this exercise is to observe the different qualities of each inversion due to the different intervals that exist in each inversion of a triad. For each chord, write down all the intervals that exist within the inversion as shown in example 2 below.
1
F root position
2
F 1st inversion
3
F 2nd inversion
4
Dm root position
5
Dm 1 st inversion
6
Dm 2 nd inversion
A – C:
Min 3rd
A – F:
Min 6th
C – F:
Perf 4th
Practise your major and minor triads in all inversions, using the following checklist to ensure all keys are practised.
Major Key
Root
1
st
Minor 2
nd
Root
1 st
2 nd
C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A D G
Triads and Inversions
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Session 4 – Basic Chord Relationships In the previous session, you familiarised yourself with triads and their inversions. Here we look at how these chords relate to each other to form musical structures. In understanding this, you will know what chords to expect when playing in any given key, and therefore also know what the available chords are when creating your own progressions. Consider the major scale of C as shown in Fig 4.1. The C major triad is derived from this scale and we can see that C, E and G are the first, third and fifth notes of this scale. Now have another look at Fig 4.1 and see if you can determine any other triads (major or minor) that you can construct based on the notes in the C major scale. For example, the A minor triad consists of the notes A, C and E and all these notes appear in the C scale. Figure 4.14
You should be able to find six triads in all – three major and three minor. Regardless of the key you are in, there will always exist three major and three minor triads that can be constructed from the scale of that key. In the key of C, these six chords are given the following Roman numeral values according to their position on the scale: Figure 4.24
There is no ambiguity between major and minor for each position on the scale, eg. II cannot represent a D major chord because the D major triad contains an F# which is not part of the C major scale. Notice also that the three major chords are I, IV and V and the three minor chords are their corresponding relative minors, ie. Am is the relative minor of C, Dm is the relative minor of F and Em relates to G. So to work out the six primary chords in any key, first determine the I, IV and V chords, then determine their relative minor chords. Very often, entire songs are written using only these six chords (or some variation of them), and the ability to quickly recognise which chords are playable in a given key is an essential tool when improvising and developing your own chord sequences.
Exercise 4.1 Write down the 6 triad names that are derived from the following major scales:
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
C F Bb G D A
Basic Chord Relationships
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Exercise 4.2 Below are listed some chord sequences with one or more chords missing in each. Using the table you completed in Exercise 4.1, determine what key the sequence is in, then choose a suitable chord to fill in the blanks. Often there may be more than one appropriate chord that you can use, so play each option until you are satisfied it fits well.
C
–
F
–
Dm –
– C
C
–
Am
–
–
F
–
Dm
–
–
– F
G
–
Am
–
–
– G
D
–
–
-
– D
Bb
–
–
-
–
A
–
–
-
–
G
– C
Repeat Exercise 4.2, but this time move to the nearest inversion as described in the previous session. This is a very useful habit to acquire, and you will be constantly reminded to practise this in all exercises.
The II – V – I Progression A common progression, or series of chords, that you will encounter is the II–V–I progression. As it’s name suggests, this progression consists of three chords, namely, the II, V and I chords of the key you are in. It’s popularity stems from the fact that it establishes and defines the key in which you are playing. Consequently, a song or a section of music will often end with a II-V-I progression. Fig 4.3 shows an example of this progression in the key of C. Play through the example several times to familiarise yourself with the sound of the progression and notice how naturally each chord resolves to the following one. Did you use any II-V-I progressions in Exercise 4.2? Figure 4.34
Exercise 4.3 Using the six primary chords in the keys given below, create then play your own chord sequences, ending each with a II–V–I progression.
II
V
I
C F G Bb D
Basic Chord Relationships
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Session 5 – Think ‘Scale’ Imagine for a moment that you are playing a simple song in the key of F. As you would expect, you encounter chord symbols like Bb, C and Gm. And as you play each one of these chords, your mind quickly processes what three notes make up a Bb chord, a C chord and a G minor chord. In short, you have restricted yourself to playing three specific notes for each chord you encounter, and by limiting yourself to three notes, you very quickly run out of interesting ways to play the chord. But many of us do this because we have been taught that a Bb chord consists entirely of Bb, D and F and so that’s what we play. This course aims to change that mindset. It is important to realise that a chord is essentially just a few notes taken from a scale and played simultaneously. Remember that in the previous session we derived the six primary chords from a scale – the scale is the unifying element. As a result, because our Bb chord appears in the song that is in the key of F, it can consist of notes in the F major scale apart from Bb, D and F. The same can be said for our C chord and Gm chord. Consider the following chord progression: F – Bb – Gm – C – F Instead of playing the standard triads in the right hand, let’s pick three other notes from the F major scale as in Fig 5.1. At random, we’ve selected A, D and E. Using these notes in the treble while maintaining the bass line, our progression can be played as shown in Fig 5.2. Figure 5.14
Figure 5.24
Play Fig 5.2 and listen to the effect. Depending on the bass note, our random treble notes may be rich or they may be too dissonant to accept. Now try it for yourself. Pick another three notes from the F scale and play them over the bass note of each chord. How does it sound? Now if you had thought ‘chord’ as you played each chord, you would not even have considered playing the three notes you just chose, but when you think ‘scale’, your options now increase immensely allowing more interesting effects and tones. At this point you might be wondering, ‘are you telling me I can play absolutely anything in the F major scale over any chord in the progression and it would sound fine?’ Well, yes and no. Obviously, a song requires some structure, and melody and bass lines may need to be retained, so you can’t just play absolutely anything! But, within the structure of the song you do have the freedom to construct chords and runs using all the notes in the scale of the key you are in. Over time, you will discover for yourself the most appropriate notes in the scale to include in your chords and runs. And this, in a nutshell, is the main focus of this text. As you continue through the rest of this course, remember the underlying principle – think ‘scale’.
Think ‘Scale’
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Session 6 – Minor 7th Chords Fundamental to improvisation is the ability to create a certain effect by altering a given chord. You may have noticed that the triads you practised in the previous sessions sound a little uninteresting. The triads, although harmonically pure, lack character and depth. Chords are therefore often modified to produce a richer, more contemporary quality, and to create the appropriate mood for the given moment. In our quest to think ‘scale’, we need to understand firstly which scale to use, and secondly, the resulting quality of the chord when we include other notes from the scale. For example if you were playing a Dm chord and wanted to create a richer feel, which notes would you add or replace? What scale would these notes come from? Which inversion would you use? In this session we focus first on basic modification of the minor chord then tackle major chords in the sessions to follow. It may take several weeks of practise before you feel comfortable with the concept but it is richly rewarding as you are no longer confined to play chords exactly as they are written on the page.
Playing the Minor 7th Imagine playing a song in the key of C and you come across a Dm chord symbol. You know that playing a simple D minor triad is quite lame, so you modify the chord by adding an extra note. But which note should you add? To create a Dm7 chord, you would add the minor 7th, ie. C, as shown in Fig 6.1. Minor seventh chords are defined by the presence of a minor third and a minor seventh. Play both the Dm triad and the Dm7 chord and listen to the difference. The Dm7 sounds richer and more contemporary. Figure 6.14
However, instead of playing all four notes with the right hand, you can play the D with your left hand, and play F A C with your right hand as shown in Fig 6.2(a). Because your left hand plays the D, it is unnecessary to repeat this note in the treble. As a result, your right hand is playing an F triad which is the relative major of Dm. Similarly, in (b) the relative major of Em7 is G, so the G triad appears in the treble of an Em7 chord. Figure 6.24
(a)
(b)
(c)
In other words, when playing a m7 chord, the left hand plays the root of the chord, while the right hand plays the relative major triad. Playing a m7 chord instead of a minor triad can be done in virtually all situations. Now play a few simple chord charts replacing all minor chords with m7 using the above technique. It is important to begin associating the relative major every time you play a minor chord as this will greatly help you in the sessions to come. So whenever you see a Dm, think ‘F chord’ in the right hand. Whenever you play an Am, think ‘C chord’ in the right hand, and so on. And remember, the relative major is a minor third (or 3 semitones) above the root.
Minor 7 th Chords
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In Session 4 we saw that in any given key, there exists six primary chords: three minor chords, and each of their relative major chords. Because the right hand now plays the relative major triad on a m7 chord, it is possible when playing simple songs to only play three major triads in your right hand while your left hand simply picks out the root as the bass note. In Fig 6.3 the six primary chords of C are played. However, notice that the treble consists only of three major triads, namely, C, F and G. The bass note determines whether the chord is major or minor. Figure 6.34
Think ‘Scale’ So why can a m7 be played instead of a minor triad? In the above example, we focus on the C major scale because our progression is in the key of C. Now Fig 6.4 shows the C major scale but it begins on D instead of C. If we select the 1st, 3 rd , 5 th and 7th notes of this scale, we form the Dm7 chord. Because the chord can be formed from the C major scale, it can be played in the key of C major. The same can be said for Em7 and Am7. Figure 6.44
Exercise 6.1 Write down the relative major of the following minor keys. Then play each minor chord as m7 chords until you can do so without hesitation.
1
Cm
2
Fm
3
Gm
4
Dm
5
Ebm
Eb
Exercise 6.2 Practise the following progressions playing all minor chords as m7 and move to the nearest inversion with each chord change.
1
F – Dm – Gm – C - F
2
D – Em – F#m – G - D
3
C – G/B – Am – G – C
4
C – G/B – Dm – F/G – C
5
G – D/F# - Em – Am – C – C/D - G
Minor 7 th Chords
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Session 7 – Suspended and Major 2nd Chords Let’s now consider the modification of major triads. Major chords can be broadly separated into two categories: those that function as V chords and those that do not. Consequently, the alterations that may be applied to V chords differ to the modifications of other major chords. So in the key of C, for example, we would modify G, the V chord, differently to the way we treat C and F.
Suspended Chords Suspended chords are denoted as sus and are often played on a V chord. In its simplest form, a sus chord is a major triad with the 4 th included. However, for now, to keep things simple and uncluttered, we shall replace the 3rd with the 4th every time we play a sus chord. Play Fig 5.1 and listen to the effect of the Gsus chord.
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In jazz music, the 3rd is often included in a sus chord. Because the 3rd and the 4th are a semitone apart (minor 2nd interval), interesting dissonant effects can be created depending on which inversion is chosen.
Figure 7.14
The suspended chord is so called because the third is raised or suspended to a fourth. A song rarely ends on this chord because it would create the impression that the piece was left hanging or suspended without coming to a proper close. In the above example, the Gsus chord is followed by a G triad. Notice how naturally the suspended chord resolves or lowers to the G major triad. The next time you come across a V-I progression, raise the third and play the V as a sus chord. If the V chord is to be played over several beats, try resolving it to the V triad at some stage as in Fig 7.1. If the V is not part of a V-I progression, then use your judgment as to whether the sus sounds appropriate in that situation.
Exercise 7.1 What is the V chord in the following keys?
1
C
2
F
3
G
4
D
Exercise 7.2 Play the following II – V – I progressions moving to the nearest inversion with each chord change. Treat each bar as having four beats. Play the sus chord for two beats then resolve it.
1
| Am7
| Dsus D
|G
|
2
| Em7
| Asus A
|D
|
3
| Dm7
| Gsus G
|C
|
4
| Gm7
| Csus C
|F
|
Sus and Major 2nd Chords
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The Major 2 nd Chord For a V chord that is part of a V-I progression, the V can be played as a sus chord. For all other major triads, the major 2nd substitution is an easy means of creating a more contemporary sound. In a major 2nd chord, we replace the 3rd with the 2nd . Major 2nd chords are denoted as ‘2’ and I will refer to them as ‘2’ chords throughout this course. Play Fig 7.2 and compare the sound of C2 with a plain C triad. The C2 chord is distinctly more colorful and more modern. Figure 7.24
Virtually any major triad can be played as a ‘2’ chord and consequently, this is often a student’s favourite substitution as it is easy to execute with maximum result. Play Fig 7.3 and listen to the effect of the major 2 nd substitutions. Like suspended chords, it isn’t strictly necessary in a major 2nd chord to omit the 3rd , but for the time being, we will do so to avoid clutter. Figure 7.34
Notice that in Fig 7.3 the Gsus was chosen even though it is not part of a V-I progression. In this situation, both the Gsus or G2 chords would be appropriate. In comparison with the Vsus, the V2 can almost sound minor and it is up to you as to the which chord you prefer. Experiment with both the V2 and Vsus chords in a variety of situations until you gain a feel of what works and what doesn’t.
Inversions of the 2 Chord As with the triads you practised in Session 3, It is important to be familiar with sus and ‘2’chords in all three inversions. As mentioned earlier, moving to the nearest inversion ensures your progressions are smooth. So take the time to practise this in all twelve keys. Play each inversion of the C2 chord shown in Fig 7.4 and listen to the quality of each chord Figure 7.44
4
Note that in the right hand, a C2 chord in 2nd inversion resembles a Gsus chord in root position
Notice that the 1st inversion of the C2 chord sounds sharper and has a minor quality. It also has a broader sound because the span of the chord is larger. The reason that 1 st inversion sound more minor is because it contains a minor 7th interval (D-C). Both root position and 2nd inversion only contain major and perfect intervals. Practically speaking, if you desire to create a sharper, less major sound when playing a ‘2’ chord, use the first inversion.
Sus and Major 2nd Chords
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Slash Chords Slash chords differ from other chords in that the bass note is not the root of the right hand chord. Instead, it is specified in the denominator of the chord symbol. So a C/Bb chord would imply you play a C chord with your right hand and the note Bb with your left. Slash chords can be misleading at times because they are often used to simplify the chord notation and may disguise the true underlying chord. For example, C/Bb is really a form of Bbmaj13 chord, but for many, it is much easier to think of a C triad over a Bb than it is to work out the latter. As a result, if you modified the above chord as though it was a C chord, the result may not be as expected. Ideally, the true chord should be determined first before modification, but this can be a tricky task and we shall cover this much later in the text. For the time being, here is a simple guideline. Replace the major triad in the numerator of the slash chord with a ‘2’ chord, eg play C2/Bb instead of C/Bb. If it sounds better, then use it, if not, leave the chord unaltered. We mentioned earlier that a V chord may be played as Vsus. If it appears in the treble of a slash chord however, this can be very dissonant. This is because the V chord is not functioning as a V in this situation – you will rarely see a V slash chord in a V-I progression. Play Dsus/F# as shown in Fig 7.5 and listen to the result. The Dsus/F# is dissonant due to the minor 9th interval between F# and the G an octave above it.. Now play D2/F#. Notice how much smoother it is and how it adds a minor flavour to the plain D/F# chord. Figure 7.54
The minor quality of D2/F# results from the chord resembling F#m7 as seen in Fig 7.5. If the D was removed from this chord, the three remaining notes, F#, E and A are common to F#m7. An ambiguity is now created as to whether the chord functions as a major or a minor and it is this tonal ambiguity that characterises much of today’s popular music. In short, when playing a slash chord, either change the chord in the treble to a major 2nd chord, or leave it as it is.
Summary of Rules We’ve introduced a number of modification techniques in the preceding sessions, and before moving on, it would be beneficial to revisit a few of the key points covered so far. These are summarised below: •
Chords are merely a selection of notes from a scale, so think ‘scale’
•
Choosing the nearest inversion at each chord change will ensure your progressions are smooth.
•
All minor chords may be played as m7.
•
V chords may be played as either Vsus or V2. If the V is part of a V-I progression, Vsus is a stronger option.
•
All other major chords may be played as 2 chords
•
When playing a slash chord, either change the chord in the treble to a major 2nd chord, or leave it unaltered
Sus and Major 2nd Chords
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Exercise 7.3 Write down the notes in the following ‘2’ chords then play each chord in all 3 inversions.
1
C2
2
F2
3
G2
4
D2
5
Bb2
6
Eb2
7
A2
8
E
Exercise 7.4 Play the following slash chords as they are written.
G2/B
D2/F#
C/D
Bb/C
G/F
D/C
C/Bb
Bb2/D
Exercise 7.5 Play the following progressions applying all the principles stated on the previous page. Play each bar in 4/4 time. When two chords appear in a bar play each chord for two beats.
1
| F
| Bb
| Bb/D
2
| D
| D/F# | G
3
| F
| C/Bb Bb | F
4
|G
| D/F# | G/B
|D
|G
5
| G
| F/G
|G
|
| C/G
|C
|F
|
| G/A | D
|
| Bb
| |
As you work through these progressions, try to insert some variation within each bar, for example, instead of playing the same chord four times (ie. once on each beat) per bar, perhaps revert to the simple triad on one or two of the beats as shown in Fig 7.6. Once you are confident in varying your chords in each bar, experiment by including a few extra notes in your chords - notes that belong to the scale of the key you are playing in. If you create any sounds that you like, make a note of what you played and try to repeat it when playing another progression. Remember, think ‘scale’. Figure 7.64
The following page lists several examples containing all the modifications discussed so far. Play each example and pay attention to the inversions chosen, the quality of each chord, and the modifications made.
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Session 8 – Frilly Beginnings I’m sure all of us have heard a pianist play an attention grabbing riff that has left us in awe. Within a bar, they’ve started from the upper registers and swiftly tinkled their way down to the bass. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most popular skills that a student wishes to acquire. In this session, we’re going to take our first step in that direction, but before we begin, let me make an important point. Being a good musician is not about playing fancy notes – it’s knowing when to play these notes that matter. You will be far more successful if you can execute simple runs confidently and appropriately, rather then playing fancy riffs at inappropriate moments. Consider the two bars shown in Fig 8.1. Given the progression C-F, you would play a major 2nd chord or a major triad on each beat with your right hand similar to that shown below. Figure 8.14
To make these two bars more colorful, we could form a simple run by breaking up the chord on the fourth beat into four semiquaver notes as shown in Fig 8.2. Because our chords currently contain three notes, and our run requires four, repeat one of the notes. The run is played on the beat before the chord change because this strengthens the first beat of the new chord. For lack of a better analogy, the run can be likened to a wind-up before a punch. Figure 8.24
Repeat the above sequence several times until it flows smoothly from the run to the next chord. Keep a strong rhythm, accenting each beat and accent the first note of the run. This will help keep the rest of your run even. When creating your own runs, break up the chord that you would have played on the fourth beat. This will make things easier for you as your fingers are already in the correct position as in Fig 8.2. Now that you are playing four semiquavers on the last beat of the bar, it gives you a lot less time to get your fingers positioned for the next chord. So always prepare yourself by looking ahead at the chord in the next bar, and as you begin the run, plan and visualise which inversion you will use for the next chord. Fig 8.3 and 8.4 on the following page demonstrates the use of runs played on the beat before a chord change. As you play each example, notice how the run is formed, and realise that inserting a run is an option – you don’t have to play a run before every single chord change. Decide on what is appropriate. Also, play a few songs that you are already familiar with and choose a handful of chords to break up to use as runs. Until you gain the confidence at doing this, you may want to mark on your chord chart exactly where you feel a run should be played before playing the song.
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Figure 8.34
Figure 8.44
Exercise 8.1 By constructing broken chords as shown in Fig 8.3 and 8.4, play the progressions in Fig 8.5 and Fig 8.6, and substitute the last beat of each bar with a broken chord run. Practise these progressions until you can play them smoothly and confidently. Figure 8.54
Figure 8.64
Using the same technique, play the following progressions, treating each chord as lasting for one bar.
1
C2 – F2 (repeat)
2
G2 – C2 (repeat)
3
C2 – G2/B – Am7 – F/G – C
4
Bb2 – Eb2 – Cm7 – Fsus – Bb2
The aim of this session was to familiarise yourself with executing a run. Once you can play broken chord runs both confidently and smoothly, we can then focus on altering the rhythm and the notes used in the run. For the meantime, keep practising these runs in all the songs and progressions you play.
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Session 9 – The Major 7th and Major 9th Chords Consider the scale of C major in Fig 9.1 If we selected the 1st, 3 rd , 5 th and 7th notes of this scale we end up with the chord: C E G B. This chord is known as Cmaj7 and is essentially a C major triad with the seventh note of the C major scale added – it is defined by the inclusion of a major 3rd and a major seventh. If we also included the 9th note, D, in our pool of notes, we form Cmaj9. Both these chords are shown in Fig 9.2. Figure 9.14
Figure 9.24
As you play each chord, notice that the maj7 and maj9 are certainly richer than the simple triad, however, they also create an entirely different effect to the ‘2’ chord we have been using. To demonstrate this, play the II-V-I progression in Fig 9.3. In part (a), the progression ends on a C2 and in (b), it ends on a Cmaj7. How would you describe the quality of each ending? Figure 9.34
(a)
(b)
Unlike the C2, the ‘airy’ feel about the maj7 and maj9 chords may not always be suitable replacements when playing a full bar of C, however, their ‘sweetness’ lends themselves for use as passing chords or the basis for a run. We will deal firstly with the maj7, however, due to their similar nature, most of the discussion is also applicable to the maj9 chord.
The Major 7 th chord and its Inversions Major seventh chords are used frequently in contemporary music and extensively in jazz. Depending on the inversion you choose, maj7 chords can be rich and sweet or they can be sharp and create tension – this makes them a very versatile tool to improvise with. Play the chords in Fig 9.4. Notice the evenness and smoothness of chord (a) compared to the dissonance created in (b) and (c) where the notes B and C form a minor 2nd interval. Figure 9.44
(a)
(b)
(c)
As you can see, the choice of inversion determines the mood of the chord. Also notice that in chord (b) above, the minor second interval is at the bottom of the chord. This reduces the harsh effect of the semitone gap. If you played a Cmaj7 inversion where the semitone interval was at the top of the chord, as in (c), the strength of the dissonance is far greater.
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Exercise 9.1 It may take some practice to quickly determine the seventh note of the major scale and subsequently play the maj7 chord. Take another look at Fig 9.4(b). Notice that the seventh, B, is one semitone below the root, C. Counting down one semitone from the root is much easier than counting up seven notes in the scale, so use this method to determine the seventh in this exercise. Write down the notes that make up the following major seventh chords and play each one. Try the various inversions of each chord and notice the different characteristics of each inversion.
1
G∆
2
Bb∆
3
A∆
4
D∆
5
F∆
6
Eb∆
Exercise 9.2 Play each of the II–V–I progressions below moving to the nearest inversion at each chord change. One of the aims of this exercise is to familiarise yourself with the different quality of the major second and major seventh chords. Once you complete this exercise, play the final few bars of a few songs you are familiar with and end on a maj7 chord instead of a major triad or ‘2’ chord. How did it sound? Was it an appropriate ending for all the songs you played?
1
Am7 – Dsus – G2
2
Am7 – Dsus – Gmaj7
3
Gm7 – Bb/C – Fmaj7
4
Gm7 – Bb/C – F2
5
Em7 – Asus – D2
6
Em7 – Asus – Dmaj7
7
Dm7 – F/G – Cmaj7
8
Cm7 – Eb/F – Bbmaj7
When playing the maj7 chord, it isn’t always necessary to play all four notes of the chord with your right hand. Because your left hand is playing the root, feel free to omit the root from the treble as demonstrated in Fig 9.5. This results in a cleaner chord. Figure 9.54
However, removing the root from the treble eliminates the possibility of forming the beautifully dissonant minor 2nd interval within your right hand chord. So as you practise your maj7 chords, experiment by including or omitting the root in the right hand to get a feel for the different colours this chord can produce.
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S9 When to Use the Maj7 We’ve suggested in Exercise 9.2 that one possible use of the maj7 chord is to play it as the final chord of a song. This obviously depends on the mood and style of the song. More importantly, let’s now focus on how it may function as a passing chord. The term passing chord is used because such chords are only played in passing, and are held for a short period. Any dissonance created is only brief, and is therefore hardly noticeable. Consider a two-bar F-Bb progression. Based on the rules we have covered so far, the progression may be played as in Fig 9.6. Figure 9.64
Let’s now insert a maj7 passing chord in each bar. Play Fig 9.7 and notice how the maj7 chords add a ’sweeter’ touch without spoiling the overall F2Bb2 quality of each bar. Because the maj7 chords are only held for one beat, their effect is reduced. On the other hand, if a stronger maj7 feel was desired, play the maj7 for more than one beat of the bar – the first beat tends to be the strongest. Figure 9.74
Figure 9.8 shows another interpretation of the F-Bb progression which uses maj7 substitution to a greater extent while still maintaining the ‘2’ feel. As you play the example, notice that the run in the first bar was constructed from the notes in the Fmaj7 chord and that a dotted crotchet rhythm was used to make the example more ‘modern’. Figure 9.84
In the above examples, which are in the key of F, the maj7 chord was used in passing over F and Bb chord, that is, the I and IV chords of the key. V chords cannot be played as Vmaj7 because it cannot be formed from the scale of the key you are in. For example, in the key of F, the V chord is C. The notes in the Cmaj7 chord are C-E-G-B and B does not appear in the F major scale. At this point, remember that I mentioned at the beginning of Session 7 that the modifications applied to V chords differ to those applied to I and IV chords.
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Running with a maj7 Until now, you played a four note broken chord on the last beat of the bar. This formed your first run. Now let’s be a bit more creative by including the major 7th in the available pool of notes from which we can form a run or riff. Play Fig 9.9, which demonstrates two of the many possible runs you could create from maj7 chords. Figure 9.94
Exercise 9.3 Take the time now to experiment with the notes in the maj7 chord. Play Fig 9.9 again, but this time, create your own four note riff on the fourth beat of each bar. The run can take any shape, begin and end on any note within the maj7 chord and feel free to repeat notes within the run. Once you have developed a few runs that you like, transpose these runs and use them in the following progressions on the fourth beat of each bar. Also use maj7 passing chords.
1
|F
| Bb
|
2
|G
|C
|
3
|C
|F
|
4
|D
|G
|
5
|F
| Bb
6
|D
| D/F# | G
| Bb/D
|C
|F
|
| G/A | D
|
Once you’ve worked through these progressions, use the above technique in a few songs. Remember that the fastest way to work out the maj7 is to think ‘one semitone below the root’ and include that note in your major triad. It is also possible to play these same runs over chords other than the I and IV. For starters, we could simply swap the runs and chords. Fig 9.10 shows the Fmaj7 run being played in the C bar and vice versa. What do you think of it? Try playing the same runs over other chords in C major, eg. Am, Dm, or G. You may be surprised at how appropriate these runs sound, but remember, the runs and the chords were all formed from the same scale. Remember, think ‘scale’. Figure 9.104
Strictly speaking, when an Fmaj7 run is played over a C chord, it acquires a different name. All this will be explained in greater detail in the future but for the time being, I’m simply encouraging you to use the I and IV maj7 chords to develop a few simple runs, then use them often over as many different chords as possible within the key.
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S9 The Maj9 Chord Major ninth chords are similar to major seventh chords in their quality and texture. As a result, they have similar applications. Now let’s digress for a moment. Remember that the ‘2’ chord can replace the major triad in virtually all situations, creating a more modern feel. The ‘2’ chord was defined simply as a major triad with the 2nd added to it as shown in Fig 9.11. To simplify the chord, we often omitted the 3rd . Now have another look at Fig 9.11 and notice that the maj9 is essentially a maj7 with the 9th added to it - the 9th is the same note as the 2nd . As a result, the maj9 ‘modernises’ the maj7 in the same way that the ‘2’ chord modernises the humble triad. Figure 9.114
A casual way of thinking about the maj9 is that it is a blending of both the ‘2’ and the maj7 chords. In other words, do not think of a maj9 as a difficult chord which requires you play five specific notes instead of three. Rather, aim to combine the chords you are already familiar with. Here’s another thought - realise that the maj9 chord consists of five out of the seven notes in the major scale. The larger the chord becomes, the more it begins to resemble the major scale. So by thinking ‘scale’ instead of ‘chord’, it creates a freedom for you to play any selection of notes from the scale in the treble, and your energy can then be devoted to shaping your runs and chords, rather than worrying about playing every single note in the chord. Read the text in Session 5 again to solidify this concept. Fig 9.12 takes the same example in Fig 9.9, but the runs are now formed from the notes within the maj9 chord. Although I have called the riffs maj9 runs, begin to think of them purely as notes taken from the major scale. The ‘maj9’ is simply there to provide the shape of the run, so that you are not playing random notes from the scale. These shapes and patterns formed from the maj9 chord can then be used over other chords within the key. This explains why we can swap the runs around with confidence as shown in Fig 9.13. Figure 9.124
Figure 9.134
Let’s now look at more examples that tie together the maj7, maj9 and ‘2’ chords. You will see these chords used in a variety of situations. Pay attention to the inversions chosen, the notes used within each chord and the way the runs were constructed. Each example builds on the previous one and increases in complexity.
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S9 Figure 9.144
Figure 9.154
Figure 9.164
Figure 9.174
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Session 10 – Minor 9th and Minor 11th Chords Alternatives to the m7 chord are the minor 9th and minor 11th chords. These are rich, vibrant chords that may substitute for the minor triad or m7 chord in a variety of situations. Let’s begin with a derivation of these two chords. Consider the C major scale shown in Fig 10.1. Instead of beginning on C, it starts on D. This scale is known as the second mode of C major. Figure 10.14
By selecting the 1st, 3 rd , 5 th and 7th notes of this scale we form the Dm7 chord. Building on this, if we also included the E, G, then B in our selection, we form the Dm9, Dm11, and Dm13 chords respectively. These three chords are shown in Fig 10.2. Notice how each chord is developed from the previous chord by stacking another third on top. Figure 10.24
For those of you with a classical music upbringing, it might seem foreign that a C major scale was used to define a family of D minor chords. Let’s look at things from another angle. Back in Session 4, we saw that six primary triads can be formed using the notes in any major scale. Using the C major scale, we could form the triads: C, Dm, Em, F, G and Am as shown in Fig 10.3. Figure 10.34
We then extended that idea beyond the three note triad to include larger chords like Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, etc. All these chords can also be formed from the C major scale. Now the same can be said for all the chords in the Dm7 family, ie. Dm7 through to Dm13. After all, look again at Figure 10.2 – all the chords consist only of white notes on the keyboard and can therefore be derived from the C major scale. In fact, the Dm13 chord is the C major scale and conversely, the C scale defines the Dm13 chord and its family. This line of thought stems from mode theory which will be introduced in the next module. If you didn’t quite grasp the above explanation, do not stress. For the time being, simply realise that to determine the notes in, say, a Gm9 chord you would have to use the F major scale beginning on G, not the G minor scale. That is, use the second mode of the major scale that is one tone below the root. Exercise 10.1 Name the major scale you would use to derive the following minor chords. Then write down the notes that exist in each chord
1
Am9
Scale:
Notes:
2
Em11
Scale:
Notes:
3
Fm9
Scale:
Notes:
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Enough theory for now. Play the Dm9 and Dm11 chord in Fig 10.2. They have a similar quality to the Dm7 chord but sound broader and richer. we have seen that with the larger major chords, it isn’t always required to play every single note in the chord. It’s the same in this case - choose the key notes that give the chord its distinct quality. Common sense would tell you, for example, that when playing a Dm9 chord, you should include the 9th. Often the 3rd or 5th may be omitted (omitting both may thin your chord too much) and often the root need only be played in the bass. So on m9 and m11 chords you’re left with about four notes to play with your right hand, which is quite manageable. Fig 10.4 (a) shows a basic Dm9 chord with the 5th omitted. This is one of my favourite m9 positions as it is has a distinct sharpness and is easy to play. On the other hand, if you wanted a richer sound, try (b) where the 7th is repeated in both the bass and the treble. Fig 10.4 (c) shows a Dm11 chord that contains the 7th in the bass, a repeated root in the treble, with a 5th, 9 th and 11th. The 3 rd has been omitted. As you can see, there are numerous positions for both these chords. Figure 10.44
4
(a)
(b)
As you play each chord, you may experience a slight discomfort as your fingers and wrists are in positions you are not used to. These chords are not evenly spaced like the triads you used to play. As with anything, the more you use these positions, the more natural things become, so please persevere!
(c)
When to use Minor 9 th Chords Minor 9th chords are full of character and possess a ‘dark’ quality when played as in Fig 10.4 (a). Because of their distinct sound, they work best as passing chords, or when held for a longer duration to create that mysterious feel. m9 chords are ideal for temporarily heightening the effect of a minor chord. Play Fig 10.5 and observe the way the Am9 really sharpens the minor effect of the bar. Figure 10.54
Unfortunately, in popular music, the m9 chord cannot be played over all three primary minor chords in a key, being used only on the II and VI chords. The m9 cannot be played on the III chord as it cannot be formed from the scale of the key you are in. Consider the following sequence in the key of C: C – Dm – Em – F We can make the Dm9 substitution because the ninth of Dm is E which is part of the C major scale. However, the ninth of Em is F# which does not appear in the scale of C and may not be an appropriate substitution in this situation. When creating a run over a II or VI chord, aim for the 9th as this is a very classy note to include in your run or riff. Examples of this will be given at the end of this session.
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Exercise 10.1 Play the following progressions making all the necessary substitutions and moving to the nearest inversion with each chord change. Play either broken chords or maj9 runs on the fourth beat of selected bars. Play m9 chords where appropriate: 1
F – Dm – Gm – C – F
2
Amaj7 – A/C# –Bm7 – Esus – Amaj7
3
Bb – F/A – Cm7 – Eb – Bb
4
G – Am7 – Bm7 – C/D - G
Minor 11th Chords The m11 chord shown in Fig 10.2 contained six notes and can often be too rich to use as a regular substitution for the minor triad. I therefore want to focus on one simple version of the m11 chord which can be used frequently in virtually all situations. But what notes should we include in our simplified m11 chord? Well, in creating a Dm11 chord, we shall include a D which is the root of the chord, and the minor third, F, which distinguishes it as being a D minor chord. The next obvious candidate is the 11th which is G. So now we have the three essential notes that make up Dm11. And to add a bit more color, we include the 7th, C. This Dm11 chord is shown in Fig 10.6 below. Play the chord and listen to the effect of the G in the treble. Figure 10.64
The Dm11 is certainly is a lot sharper than Dm7 and has more character, but it has a less distinct quality than the Dm9 and can therefore be used more frequently. It can replace a m7 chord freely in most situations without fear of clashing with the key or with other band members. But here's the best part: the beauty of the above m11 is that the right hand resembles an F2 chord. Now back in Session 4, I encouraged you to think of an F triad in the right hand when playing a Dm7. If you've been practising that line of thinking, all you have to do now is adjust that to ‘think F2’ in the treble when playing a Dm11 chord. In general terms, play the root in the bass, then think of the relative major (3 semitones above the root) and play the 2 chord with the right hand. From this point onwards, use this simplified m11 chord as your default minor chord.
Exercise 10.2 Play the following progressions as they are written. Remember to move to the nearest inversion with each chord change. 1
C2 – G2/B – Dm11 – F2 – Gsus
2
Fmaj7 – Bbmaj7 – Bb/D – Csus – Dm9
3
G2 – D2/F# - Em9 – Am11 – C2/D – G
4
A2 – E2 – F#m11 – C#m11 – A2
Now play a few songs using m11 as your default minor chord. On the II and VI chords you have the option of using a m9. Listen to the rich tones created when you use these chords.
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Running with the 9th and 11th Before we jump into the examples, let’s go over a few points. Early in the course, you were encouraged to always think of the relative major in the right hand when playing any minor chord. This wasn’t only because it provided a simple means of determining the m7 chord, but rather, it laid the foundation for the following point, and that is, any improvisation that you do over a major chord can be repeated over its relative minor. Let’s look at this in more detail. Consider a moderately complex run you could use when playing an F chord symbol as shown in Fig 10.7 (a). The run has included the 7th and 9th. In (b), the same run is used, but this time over a Dm chord symbol. The major 7th of F now becomes the 9th of Dm and the major 9th of F is now the 11 th of Dm, so the key notes that you included when forming runs over major chords are also the notes to include when forming runs over minor chords. In fact, the Fmaj7 family and the Dm7 series of chords share many common notes, eg. Fmaj9 = F-A-C-E-G, and Dm11 = D-F-A-C-E-G. As a result, all the riffs and runs you played in the previous session over major chords can also be used over their relative minors. You may encounter a few exceptions, but in general, this rule works well and will get you off to a good start when improvising over minor chords. Figure 10.74
(a)
(b)
The above principle can also be applied to chord modifications, passing chords, and so on – basically, anything you play over a major chord can be used over its relative minor. This is an extremely powerful rule, because it reduces the bulk of your chords to major chords in the treble.
Exercise 10.3 Play the following two bar progressions repeatedly, using maj7 and maj9 chords and runs in the first bar, then repeat the same chords and runs in the treble of the second bar.
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F – Dm
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G – Em
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C – Am
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Bb – Gm
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D – Bm
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Eb – Cm
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Ab – Fm
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A – F#m
The following page lists several examples that demonstrates the use of m9 and m11 chords, and the formation of runs over these chords. Observe the different qualities of the 9th and the 11th when included in the minor chords and notice how the m7 chord in its basic form now plays a lesser role as we opt for the more colorful m11. Once you’ve studied the examples, try to use the same chord structures and runs in a few songs you are familiar with.
Minor 9 th and Minor 11 th chords
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Figure 10.84
Figure 10.94
Figure 10.104
Figure 10.114
Minor 9 th and Minor 11 th chords
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Session 11 - The Dominant 7th Family The fifth of any key is known as the dominant. The dominant, or V chord, has a distinctly different function to the I and IV chords and consequently, different modification techniques are applied to the dominant chord. Have a look at Fig 11.1. It is the C major scale beginning on G, and this is known as the fifth mode of C major. Figure 11.14
By selecting the 1 st 3rd 5th and 7th notes of this mode, we get G-B-D-F which forms the dominant 7th chord, G7. Unlike major 7th and minor 7th chords, dominant 7th chords contain a major 3rd and a minor 7th. If we included A, C and E in our selection, we form the G9, G11 and G13 chords respectively. These chords are shown in Fig 11.2. Listen to the fullness of the sound produced when playing the larger chords. Notice also that these series of chords create a completely different feel to the series of maj7 chords. Dominant chords sound as though they are ‘going somewhere’. In other words, it doesn’t sound like a chord you would end a song on. Figure 11.24
As with the Dm7 family, we used the C major scale to define the G7 series, and once again, notice that the G13 chord is the C major scale. So, to work out the notes in any chord in the dominant 7th series, use the scale in which the chord is the dominant, eg. to determine the notes in an F9 chord, use the fifth mode of Bb major because F is the dominant of Bb.
When to use the V7 Series In general, you can play a V7 through to V13 whenever you encounter a V chord that is functioning as a dominant. V-I progressions are the clearest example of this. Fig 11.3 shows a II-V-I progression in the key of C. Until now, when you came across a V chord, you would have played a Vsus as shown. Figure 11.34
You may have also seen the slash chord IV/V being used frequently in contemporary music. This chord is often used in V-I progressions and functions as a V chord. Play Fig 11.4 and notice how the F/G chord has a similar sound and function to the Gsus chord above. After all, in basic terms, a sus chord is really any major chord containing the fourth, so F/G is in fact a sus chord, which explains their similar quality.
The Dominant 7 th Family
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Figure 11.44
Now play Fig 11.5, where a ‘fat’ G13 chord is used. This too, is a sus chord, but clearly, it comes out ahead in terms of character and color. The point is, all the above chord symbols are interchangeable, and consequently, anytime you encounter a V-I progression, you have the option of playing Vsus, IV/V, or any member of the V7 series, including V13, which contains all the notes of the scale of the key you are in! Remember once again, think ‘scale’. Figure 11.54
Several examples have been included using a variety of V chord structures. Play each example to get a better idea of how to construct V chords to create the desired effect..
Exercise 11.1 In the following II-V-I progressions, use either a m9 or m11 when playing the II chord. Whatever chord structure you use in the treble when playing the II chord, repeat the same structure exactly when playing the V chord. Observe how natural this sounds.
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Am – D – G
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Em – A – D
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Cm – F – Bb
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Gm – C – F
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Bbm – Eb – Ab
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F#m – B - E
Just as we stated in the previous session that whatever you play on a major chord can be repeated over its relative minor, here we see that whatever you play over the II chord can be repeated over the V chord. So, learn to identify II-V progressions quickly while playing a song and treat the two chords as though they were one chord in the treble. More examples follow demonstrating some of the many options available when playing V chord structures. Listen to the richness of these fat V13 chords and notice that the runs played over the V chord look very similar to those played over I and IV chords. And why wouldn’t they? They are all formed from the same scale. Once you’ve worked through the examples, use these large V chords in some songs.
The Dominant 7 th Family
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Figure 11.64
Figure 11.74
The notation Bbmaj7#4 in Fig 11.7 indicates a Bbmaj7 chord with the raised 4 th included in the chord. The raised 4th of Bb is E. Often, when playing IVmaj7, as in the above example, aim for the #4 as this creates a temporary tense feel that can be resolved easily. Notice that the raised 4th of the IV chord, is the same as the major 7th of the key you are in. Also note that the C13 chord in the third bar resembles a Bbmaj7/C Figure 11.84
In Fig 11.8, the symbol Bbadd6 suggests you play some basic form of Bb chord and include the 6th note in the chord. Also, realise that a Bbadd6 is the same chord as a Bbadd13. By including the major 6th, a chord that has a similar feel and function to a maj7 is created. Often, when a maj7 symbol is played, the 7 th is replaced by both the 6 th and the 9th to create a darker texture. Although the example is in the key of F, I’ve snuck in an A7#5 chord to create a more ‘bluesy’ feel. This is the dominant 7th chord of A with the raised 5th, F, included in the chord. The small C#’s in the fourth bar are called acciaccaturas. They indicate that each C# is meant to be crushed against the following D, that is, the C# is meant to be played either fractionally before the D is played, or at the same time, and released immediately. Technically, acciaccaturas are notes with no duration.
The Dominant 7 th Family
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Session 12 - Expression Because the dynamics of a song are difficult to quantify on a page, I’ve left this topic towards the end of the module. However, it is by no means the least important. Although most pianists starting out are focused entirely on playing fancy chords and cool runs, it is the ability to play expressively that will bring a song to life. It takes a lot of practise and listening to other musicians to firstly know what expression to use and when. I have encountered far too many musicians who are capable of playing fancy chords, but they’re as expressive as a jackhammer. Get it into your head now – it is much easier to listen to an expressive pianist playing simple triads than a thumper playing jazz. The dynamics of a song can be likened to waves in the ocean. Waves consist of crests and troughs and these extremes are joined by smooth gradients. So too, songs are characterised by their high and low points and these are linked by sections of increasing or decreasing intensity. I used the word ‘intensity’ instead of ‘volume’ because expression is not solely dependent on volume but also takes into account the density of notes played, the range of notes played, their duration, the tempo, pedalling, rhythm etc. Each of the above categories is a topic on its own and it is outside the scope of this text to deal with each one individually. Rather, I’ve compiled a simple list of suggestions and tips that should provide some guidance in your playing. All the following points stem from this one simple rule: Don’t play each bar in exactly the same way you played the previous one. Create contrast and variation. • • •
The melody line of a song is a good indicator of volume levels – when the melody rises, increase the volume. When the melody dips, play softer. Create a contrast in volume within each bar. Perhaps play the first beat louder than the remaining beats, treating them as echoes of the first beat. The left hand is generally softer than the right. If your left hand is playing bass notes only as in Fig 12.1, keep it at a level that is audible but not noticeable.
Figure 12.14
• • • •
Ensure your song is ‘breathable’. Don’t clutter up each bar with chords and runs. Sometimes, nothing is the most appropriate thing you should play. By inserting rests and pauses, it highlights the notes you do play, eg. if you rested for four beats then played a single note, everyone will notice that one note. It’s all about contrast. On the topic of contrast, dissonant chords make the chords that follow sound much more consonant, so use dissonance to create consonance! Try closing your eyes as you play. This enables you to focus on the tone and quality produced. Any lack of expression is easily identifiable.
Having said the above, it is very difficult to learn good expression from a textbook, so always listen to other pianists and apply what you hear.
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Session 13 – Putting It Together In this final session, we apply all the modification techniques discussed to the final sixteen bars of Nat King Cole‘s classic standard, ‘Unforgettable’. The aim is to create a simple, uncluttered accompaniment to the melody line provided in Fig 13.1 with a light contemporary jazz feel. Look at the chord symbols in Fig 13.1 and notice that the chord structure of this piece is slightly different to the examples considered earlier, as it modulates through a few keys within the sixteen bars. This proves a greater challenge as the scale from which you can construct your chords changes with each key change. Play the melody a few times until the tune is firmly in your head, then play Fig 13.2 which is the improvised accompaniment.. Following is a detailed, bar-by-bar commentary that explains the construction of Fig 13.2. Study the explanations carefully to gain a feel for the thought processes involved when improvising. Then apply the same thought patterns when playing other songs. Figure 13.14
Bar 1 Two dotted crotchets are used. Dotted rhythms are used widely in contemporary music often creating a bit more color than playing evenly on each beat. Notice the maj7 interval in the bass. Try not to form the habit of playing octaves in the bass as duplicating notes in a chord adds little to the overall effect of the chord. Instead, use a third, fifth, seventh or a combination of these. The three-note run at the end of the bar doesn’t begin on the fourth beat but a semiquaver after. This also adds to the syncopated feel already established by the dotted crotchets. Bar 2 Similar to Bar 1 except a triplet was used to create more emphasis of the three note run than the run in Bar 1. Bar 3 The first chord in Bar 3 is a simple Bm7 which resembles a D/B. Once again, notice that a 7th was used in the bass. The second chord is a Bm7add11. The reason why I didn’t denote this as a Bm11 is that this implies the 9th, C#, may be included in the chord, which isn’t appropriate since C# does not appear in the key of G. Having said all this, simply think of this chord as a D2/B, ie the relative major second chord in the treble. Listen to the distinct effect of the inclusion of the 11 th (E) in the chord. Bar 4 This bar consists mainly of semiquavers. Because the first three bars were more chord-like, runs were used in this bar to create contrast with the bars already played. Also, because the next bar is the beginning of a new musical sentence, this is a good opportunity to insert a riff that leads into the next sentence. The pattern played on the first beat highlights the ninth, ie. F#. And on the second beat, the 11th is played, ie. A. These are key notes to aim for when playing minor chords. The final riff in the bar begins a semiquaver after the third beat to maintain syncopation and once again, includes both the 9th and 11th. Accent the second, fourth and sixth notes of this final pattern. Bar 5 Dotted quavers are used here. Just as two quavers make up a crotchet, two dotted quavers make one dotted crotchet. Practise this rhythm until it feels natural. Note that the Cmaj7 chord is modified slightly with each successive dotted quaver. Each chord is to be played with a slight stabbing motion and dabs of the pedal – between staccato and legato. Try to vary the volume with each chord to add color. In choosing the notes to include in each chord, simply think scale. We’re currently playing a IV chord in the key of G so any chordlike structures formed from the G major scale should work. Bar 6 The idea of creating chord structures from the G scale continues through this bar. Notice that the thumb and second finger in the right hand stay roughly around the same area with each chord, adding to the richness, while the fifth finger creates the shape of the pattern. As a result, most attention is given to the top part of the right hand as it creates the melodic component of the chord structures.
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Figure 13.24
Bar 7 As with the Bm7 chord in Bar 3, think of the relative major when playing the Em7 chord. By playing a G2 in the treble, you create a simple Em11 chord. Due to the flurry of activity in the preceding few bars, this bar creates contrast by reverting back to a simple dotted crotchet feel of Bar 1. The inversion of the first chord in this bar was chosen to keep the melody note in Fig 13.1 at the top of the chord. Two simple passing notes are then used to lead into the next bar. Bar 8 As with the previous bar, the A9 inversion chosen places the B (melody note) at the top of the chord, thus giving the accompaniment the same shape as the melody. A triplet is then used to casually lead into the start of the next sentence. The triplet is denoted loosely as Asus because of the presence of the D (4th) . The inclusion of the 4th gives a slight feel that the chord should be resolved. Realise that Bars 7 and 8 is really a II-V progression in the key of D. When thinking ‘scale’ in these two bars, use the D major scale instead of the G scale. Bar 9 The key changes again to F major, and we begin a I-IV progression. Notice the fifth in the bass and the simple richness of an evenly spaced maj9 chord in the treble. This bar creates a bit of space to make the song more breathable. Remember that you do not have to fill each bar with fancy notes when improvising. Always allow enough room for other instruments or vocalists to have their freedom. Bar 10 I’ve denoted this chord as Bb9add13 because the bottom four notes form the Bb9 and the G is the 13th. I didn’t call it a Bb13 because that would imply the inclusion of the 11 th, Eb, which would sound out of place here. Because the Bb9add13 has such character, I’ve chosen to simply sustain the chord, keeping the bar uncluttered yet colorful. Bar 11 Another I-IV progression appears in this bar, but this time in the key of C. F7#11 - this chord and mode will be discussed in the next module, but I threw it in here to wet your appetite. The key notes are the 7th and the raised 11th, ie Eb and B. This is a very effective chord to occasionally substitute for a IVmaj7 to create a darker sound.
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Bar 12 A II-V progression in the key of D appears here. The treble of the Em7 chord is a simple G2 in first inversion. The A9 chord is played as an A13 by the inclusion of the F#. This chord is derived from the scale of D. Compare this A13 chord to the A9 chord in Bar 8. Which do you prefer? Bar 13 We’re now back in the key of C, starting a II-V-I progression. The first three chords in this bar are simple chord structures constructed from the scale of C. To add character, the 9th and/or 11th are included in each structure including the standard four-note run on the last beat. Bar 14 The chord symbol states Gsus, but we can replace that with anything in the G7 family, so long as we include the 4th, C. The 7 th is played in the bass, therefore we don’t need to include the F in the treble. The notes chosen for the treble are the same as those chosen for the first chord in Bar 13. Remember, in a II-V progression, the same treble may be used over both chords as both the IIm7 and V7 families are formed from the same scale. The second chord in the bar is G7b9 which does not belong to the G7 series of chords. This chord is not formed from the scale of C major and does not use major scale harmony. We will deal with such chords later. For the time being, note the effect of playing a b9 on a V chord and how easily it resolves to a Imaj7. Bar 15 Major 7th chords are commonly replaced by maj9/6 chords, that is, the 7th is replaced by a 9th and a 6 th where the 9th is above the 6 th in the chord structure, ie. D is above the A in this chord. The result is a simple, slightly dissonant, dark chord that seems to hang in the air. Bar 16 This is the ‘turnaround’ progression, ie the II-V chords of G major. Play this bar if you intend to repeat the song. Play Fig 13.2 several times until you can play it fluently and expressively. With each successive time you play it, try looking more at the chord symbols rather than the notes provided. The aim is not to memorise Fig 13.2 but rather to acquire the thoughts behind its construction. Once you’ve gained confidence, improvise directly from Fig 13.1.
Conclusion Well done on your completion of the first module in this course. In this text we focused largely on chord modifications using major scale harmony, that is, all our chords were formed using various modes of the major scale. In particular we studied the maj7, m7 and 7 series of chords, ie modes I, II and V of the major scale. In the next module, more detail is given to the application of these chords along with an introduction to minor scale harmony. We will also take a closer look at the formation of runs, mood creation, free progressions, and rhythm. I strongly suggest that, before proceeding to the next module, you spend a few months playing as many songs as you can, until the techniques discussed here become second nature. As you do this, be willing to step out of your comfort zone and experiment. Most of what I learned stemmed from hours of sitting at the piano simply ‘fooling around’. I would take a Dm7 chord and play that for half an hour trying to create as many interesting effects using that one chord. To avoid severe boredom, I had no choice but to experiment. I wrote down what I thought worked well over Dm7 then tried to apply the same techniques to Em7, and so on. I suggest you do the same. Spend time listening to other pianists and transcribe as many pieces as possible as this greatly improves your ability to identify chords and progressions when hearing them. A great deal can also be gained by playing along with recordings and other musicians. Once again, well done on getting this far. I hope you enjoyed working through this text and I look forward to your company in the next module!
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