tag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:/blogs/blog?p=9Blog2021-10-23T15:00:29-04:00johnhallguitar.comfalsetag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277232021-10-23T15:00:29-04:002023-10-16T10:54:58-04:00The Amazing and Versatile Diminished Seventh Chord<p>I was talking with a student the other day and we got into the subject of diminished seventh chords and how they are used in jazz. It got me thinking about how many different ways this chord can be resolved based on how it is used by composers of jazz as well as classical music. Most of us think of this chord as having a leading-tone function or wanting to resolve up a semi-tone to another chord. This seems to be the most common usage. But what about the other situations where we find the chord moving down a half-step or where we find the diminished seventh chord with the same root as the chord it moves to? What is going on in these cases?</p>
<p>We can classify the diminished seventh chord in three different ways. The first would be the leading-tone function. The second would be a common-tone classification in which the root of the chord of resolution is any one of the tones of the diminished seventh. The third would also be a common-tone classification but in this case the fifth of the chord of resolution is any one of the tones of the diminished seventh chord. Since jazz harmony rarely uses triads my examples have two common tones (under the common-tone examples) as I have used Major 6th and Minor 7th chords as chords of resolution. All three of these classifications involve chromatic voice-leading with sixths or tenths which serve to pass between two chords or to embellish a single chord. Let’s examine some typical examples.</p>
<p>A typical usage of the dim7 would be an ascending pass between two diatonic chords that are a whole step apart. For example in the key of C major we can connect the ii chord (Dm7) and the iii chord (Em7) by placing a dim7 chord between them: Dm7 - D#dim7 - Em7. This would be the most common leading-tone function since the D#dim7 resolves up by half-step. Note the chromatic tenths that really drive this progression forward.</p>
<p>The second type is an embellishment or prolongation of a single chord in which the root (and in my examples the sixth) of the chord to be embellished is a member of the dim7 chord and the two other voices are chromatic neighbor notes a sixth apart: C6 – Cdim7 – C6. This will be considered a common-tone classification.</p>
<p>The third type is the reverse of the first type in which two chords a whole step apart are connected with a descending dim7 chord: Em7 – Ebdim7 – Dm7. This is also a common-tone pattern in which the fifth (and in my examples the seventh) of the chord of resolution is a member of the dim7 chord. Again the chromatic tenths drive this progression.</p>
<p>Since the diminished seventh chord is a symmetrical structure consisting of consecutive minor thirds any of the four tones can be considered the root. In practice the spelling of the dim7 usually helps us determine its function. It is then possible to say that we can resolve this chord in twelve different ways based on our three classifications. Four roots times three classifications equals twelve different resolutions of one chord type! This means we can go anywhere within our twelve-tone system with this chord. Of course this dim7 chord does not occur in isolation but in a context that usually involves some sort of chromatic voice-leading.</p>
<p>To summarize let’s make three simple rules to remember the three types:</p>
<p>1) The diminished seventh chord resolves up by half-step to next chord (leading-tone).</p>
<p>2) The diminished seventh chord has the same root as the chord of resolution (common-tone, root).</p>
<p>3) The diminished seventh chord resolves down by half-step to the next chord (common-tone, fifth).</p>
<p>I have included musical examples below to show these resolutions. I decided to name the diminished seventh chord the same way each time for easier understanding since my purpose was to show the twelve resolutions possible with the same chord. I used enharmonic spellings to better show the common tones and voice-leading. Notice how the roots of the chords of resolution (when reading from the bottom to the top on the first three lines of music) form the complete chromatic scale!</p>
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<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="resolutionsofdim7.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483052/resolutionsofdim7.pdf" target="_blank">Resolutions of Diminished Seventh Chords.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277812017-12-06T19:00:00-05:002020-03-16T08:41:11-04:00Angels We Have Heard on High<p>A jazz arrangement of this traditional carol that I hope you find interesting and will learn for the Holidays. A good way to keep your jazz voicings in shape.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/e293dc2180ed9d5fd2929b00f239bf098dbe5a4b/original/angelswehaveheardonhigh.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDE1MyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="153" width="500" /> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/zrWcg"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to securely download score for $5.00</span></a></span></p>1:11johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277802017-03-11T19:00:00-05:002020-03-16T08:47:04-04:00Spring<p>My latest in the seasons series. I hope you enjoy Spring even though many of you in the Midwest USA are without power and experiencing temperatures below freezing. We can always hope I guess.</p>
<p>This piece is back to a more traditional tonal language, although it does make use of the Mixolydian mode rather than the usual major (Ionian) mode. Notice that the key signature is two sharps (D major) but the opening and closing harmony is A Major which should give the impression of a tonal center of A major but with the lowered seventh (G natural) degree (A Mixolydian, fifth mode of D major).</p>
<p>Modal composition is nothing new. It actually predates our more common major/minor system and is very commonly heard in traditional North American folk music.</p>
<p>This piece should be accessible to intermediate level guitarists. The triplet section is the most challenging technically. Good luck and think Spring!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/b4452a66a9f8bf61fd28740a8a48e1fd464b9e60/original/spring.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE0MSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="141" width="450" /></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/QYBfF" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to securely download for $2.00 or more if you like.</span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/fsqYe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">You can also purchase the set of four seasons here for $5.00</span></a>.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>2:03johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277792017-02-09T19:00:00-05:002022-05-10T07:53:19-04:00Octatonic<p>Here is short piece using one of the more common octatonic (eight-tone) scales. This particular octatonic scale is often referred to as the <em>diminished scale.</em> It can be described as a symmetrical scale consisting of alternating whole and half-steps.</p>
<p>The scale I used in this piece is as follows:</p>
<p>A B C D Eb F Gb Ab</p>
<p>Of course you could also consider this scale as alternating half and whole-steps by simply starting on the second degree.</p>
<p>There are a couple of ways of looking at this scale and its construction that may aid in learning this scale on the guitar.</p>
<p>Personally I like to think of it as the first four notes (tetrachord) of two minor scales a tritone apart:</p>
<p>A minor: A B C D plus Eb minor: Eb F Gb Ab</p>
<p>You can also think of it as the combination of two diminished seventh chords a whole-step apart:</p>
<p>A C Eb Gb plus B D F Ab. When placed in alphabetical order: A B C D Eb F Gb Ab</p>
<p>Or just simply alternate whole and half-steps on the fingerboard.</p>
<p>Whatever works best for you.</p>
<p>This scale generates many new sonorities as well as familiar ones but in a context that is definitely not tonal as we know it. It was an interesting exploration of new sound combinations and has helped me become more aware of the use of this scale in contemporary composition. Hope you enjoy it and gain some new insights into contemporary compositional techniques. I have included this piece in the "Seasons" collection as Summer.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/efe5db6c48b6988256bfe5b04026da0bbf9ef541/original/octatonic.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE2NyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="167" width="450" /></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/OHSSa" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to download for $2.00 or more if you like.</span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/fsqYe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">You can also purchase the set of four seasons here for $5.00</span></a>.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>For those interested, these are some of the possible harmonies contained within the diminished scale in case you want to try composing something yourself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Triads (using the traditional tertian system) are as follows using the octatonic scale A B C D Eb F Gb Ab:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Adim B Bm Cdim D Dm Ebdim F Fm Gbdim Ab Abm</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Notice how the pattern of triad types repeats at the interval of a minor third. This will be the case for all tertian constructions as we add sevenths:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Adim7 B7 Bm7 Cdim7 D7 Dm7 Ebdim7 F7 Fm7 Gbdim7 Ab7 Abm7</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When we add ninths, the minor seventh chords become minor seven flat-nine (not such a great sound so not very useful).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When we extend the dominant seventh chords we find the additional tones create all of the traditional altered dominant sounds with the exception of the 7#5.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For example, B7 can become B7(b9)(#9)(b5) or any other combination of these additional altered tones. This will be the case for all the other dominant seventh chords within the scale which occur a minor third apart.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the context of jazz improvisation it can be seen that this is an excellent scale for altered dominants. Not quite as good as the altered dominant scale (seventh mode of melodic minor) which contains all the altered tones (b9 #9 b5 #5) as well as the root, third and seventh of the altered dominant chord.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When thirteenths are added to the dominant seventh chords we find the most interesting 13(b9) harmony is created. I personally really like this chord sound and the octatonic (diminished) scale is an excellent choice when soloing over this harmony.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One last point of interest. There are only three different forms of this scale due to its symmetrical structure. The three forms are a minor second apart and would again repeat at minor third intervals as do the chords:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A B C D Eb F Gb Ab</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bb C Db Eb E F# G A</p>
<p> </p>
<p>B C# D E F G Ab Bb</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I hope this gives some additional insight into the diminished scale and its harmonic and melodic possibilities.</p>
<p><span style="color:#000000"> </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>1:18johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277782016-12-14T19:00:00-05:002020-03-16T08:47:41-04:00Winter<p>The second in a series of seasonal compositions.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/04987bb908a08a0d8cb7972346f7c1c3e27bef70/original/winter.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE3MyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="173" width="450" /></p>
<p>Hope you enjoy.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/bXFXZ" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Download available here for $2.00 or more if you like.</span></a></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/fsqYe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">You can also purchase the set of four seasons here for $5.00</span></a>.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>1:17johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277772016-12-07T19:00:00-05:002016-12-08T05:05:00-05:00What is a common-tone diminished seventh chord?
<p>A common-tone diminished seventh chord is a full-diminished seventh chord that has a note in common with its chord of resolution. For example as is common in jazz:</p>
<p>Take the progression in C major:</p>
<p>Em7 - Ebdim7 - Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7</p>
<p>The Ebdim7 chord has the note A (B double-flat) as a common tone with its chord of resolution (Dm7). If we are talking about seventh chords it actually has two notes in common, A and C.</p>
<p>Generally the diminished seventh chord is found in composition as a leading-tone or secondary leading-tone chord meaning that its function or tendency is to resolve up by half-step to its chord of resolution, just as vii is said to resolve to I in a major key or #vii resolves to i in a minor key.</p>
<p>In the example above, even after trying to re-spell the chord with the four possible "roots", we cannot make the case that this chord has a leading-tone function. This is then described as a common-tone diminished seventh chord for the reason stated earlier.</p>
<p>The real explanation for why this chord works is in the voice-leading.</p>
<p>Note the chromatically descending tenths, E-G (Em7) moving to Eb-Gb (Ebdim7) and finally to D-F (Dm7) as you play these chords on guitar. The chord in reality is simply a way of filling in with four voices a chromatically descending tenth. In jazz you will often hear this in a slightly different way using parallel harmony: Em7 - Ebm7 - Dm7 in which the Ebm7 replaces the Ebdim7 chord. Of course since classical harmony attempts to avoid parallel fifths, the Ebdim7 is a better choice.</p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277762016-11-17T19:00:00-05:002020-03-16T08:49:20-04:00God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen<p>My yearly contribution to the Christmas guitar repertory. A new arrangement of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen that I hope you enjoy. I know it's a little early but as before you might need a little time to get it under your fingers.</p>
<p>You can download it for free or pay whatever you like through the link below. Have a great Holiday.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/b68344e95a4c5669571ce623a89b85457d04557c/original/godrestyemerrygentlemen2.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE0OSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="149" width="450" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/bd6b4517fbc38179893c7e6c5ef654f39873ca23/original/godrestyemerrygentlemen2tab.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE2MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="162" width="450" /></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/kWRRD" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to download for free or pay whatever you like.</span></a></span></p>1:56johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277752016-11-07T19:00:00-05:002020-03-16T08:50:11-04:00Hot Cross Buns - A Jazz Reharmonization<p>Hot Cross Buns revised. A short example of reharmonization. I chose the simplest tune I could think of, with a slight variation, and incorporated some of the more common techniques of reharmonizing a melody that would be typically employed by jazz players. Download the PDF below and play along.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 1-2</span></p>
<p>Rather than just a tonic chord through both measures I added the dominant on beat three with commonly used harmonic extensions to add motion and color. Any chord other than vii can be preceded by its dominant.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 3-4</span></p>
<p>The same melody is now harmonized as if it were in the relative minor key of C# minor using the ii-V-i progression in the key of C# minor. This is a very useful technique and works in many cases if the existing melody can be considered part of the new harmony, either a triad member or in this case an extension which of course is even jazzier.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measure 5</span></p>
<p>We begin with the IV chord (A) with extensions and move to A#dim7 on beat three creating a commonly used passing diminished seventh harmony between the IV chord and the tonic chord in second inversion (B in the bass). This progression is often used in a twelve-bar blues in bars 5-6 to connect the subdominant (IV) and the tonic (I). The diminished seventh chord in this context is known as a common-tone diminished seventh chord as it shares the note E with its chord of resolution. The critical voice-leading is A# to B in the bass and G to G# in the middle voice with the E as the common-tone, creating that nice chromatic movement we love.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measure 6</span></p>
<p>The tonic chord reappears in second inversion on beats one and two followed by a secondary dominant C#7#9 or (V/ii) on beat three. When combined with bar seven we get the classic jazz turnaround progression. Secondary dominants are always desirable as they incorporate altered tones. This one is especially interesting since we have both the E-sharp and E-natural producing the 7#9 harmony.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 7-8</span></p>
<p>As predicted the ii chord follows in measure seven but it is also altered to form a secondary dominant (V/V) leading to the dominant (V). I also included a commonly used chromatic passing figure (D#-D-C#-C) in the middle voice which you may recognize as part of many of A.C. Jobim's tunes. Typically this is shown on lead sheets as F#13-F#7#5-B9-B7b9 in which the chromatic passing tones are the thirteenth, sharp five, nine and flat nine respectively. Of course the ultimate goal of this chromaticism is the note B in the following tonic chord in measure eight which is there by implication only in this case to make things a little easier to play.</p>
<p>In summary we can formulate a few suggestions for your next project:</p>
<p>1) Try preceding any chord by its dominant (with the exception of vii) or the tritone sub for the dominant if the melody is accommodating.</p>
<p>2) Reharmonize the melody in the relative minor key if possible.</p>
<p>3) Make use of diminished seventh chords either as a secondary leading-tone function in which the diminished seventh chord resolves up a half-step into the next harmony, or as a common-tone diminished seventh chord in which the chord of resolution shares a common tone with the diminished seventh chord preceding it as in the example above.</p>
<p>4) Use secondary dominants where possible to add altered tones to the harmony. To review, a secondary dominant is a dominant seventh chord that resolves down by perfect fifth to roots of chords in the key other than the tonic chord (ii, iii, IV, V or vi). Chord vii, because it is diminished, has no secondary dominant. The tritone sub for any dominant is also very desirable.</p>
<p>It's a lot harder to play than it sounds. Some of the voicings are a bit unusual for guitar. You may also want to try playing just the changes as you sing the melody.</p>
<p>I hope you find something useful in this little exercise and thanks for reading and supporting!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482988/hotcrossbuns.pdf">HotCrossBuns.pdf</a></p>0:17johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277742016-10-29T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T08:50:50-04:00Fall<p>A new piece that I am hoping will be accessible to most players. Included is a version with standard notation only and a second version with standard notation and tab. Both are contained within the single PDF.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/7100d2e2784739cb89ebb67d3ed08e04facc6e8c/original/fall.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDExMyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="113" width="450" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/6c845ddcebaba488572b9729d1d8a8921f23f6d9/original/falltab.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE4MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="182" width="450" /></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/QWScD" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">To download click here. The piece is $2.00 with the option to pay more if you like.</span></a></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/fsqYe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">You can also purchase the set of four seasons here for $5.00</span></a>.</span></p>2:08johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277732015-08-20T20:00:00-04:002015-08-21T09:49:32-04:00Carulli vs. Sor
<p>What do we mean when we say "Carulli was a good composer but not as good as Sor".</p>
<p>Let's examine a little study of Carulli's and see if we can find an objective way of comparing his work with Sor's.</p>
<p>The Carulli study is Prelude 7 from Op. 114. I have excerpted the first eight measures for my example.</p>
<p>If we consider this piece to have a four voice texture and we examine the voice-leading, we notice that there are parallel octaves between the bass and alto (C-D) in measure four into measure five.</p>
<p>I asked myself what would Sor do? By simply changing the "D" (alto) in measure five to a "B" Carulli would have avoided the parallel octaves and actually improved the harmony in my opinion.</p>
<p>The new harmony that results in measure five is a Bm7b5 (or B half-diminished seventh if you prefer) in first inversion. This would now be labeled as a ii chord in the key of A minor.</p>
<p>Sor often uses this harmony, especially at cadences, as a substitute for the iv chord. Interestingly this creates a ii-V-i cadence rather than a iv-V-i which is preferred and often cited in jazz harmony.</p>
<p>Open the PDF below and compare the two versions and tell me what you think.</p>
<p>At least objective examples like this are one way of comparing the skill and craftsmanship of two composers. Most of us would agree that Sor was the "better" composer. </p>
<p><a href="/files/482985/carulliprelude7op114.pdf" data-imported="1">CarulliPrelude7Op114.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277722015-07-04T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T08:51:38-04:00Shall We Gather at the River<p>A new arrangement of this simple and beautiful hymn for solo guitar. In standard notation and standard notation with tablature.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/5b168e46d37aa3ee315fc201f5d49de55d13eabd/original/shallwe.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDE0OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="148" width="500" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/d3a53c3cdcfd35b031045d82b75e25b2b3e3158f/original/shallwetab.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDE2MSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="161" width="500" /></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://johnhallguitar.com/buy">If you would like to purchase this arrangement please follow this link to my products page.</a> Thank you.</p>2:23johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277712015-04-29T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T08:52:16-04:00Amazing Grace<p>An arrangement of "Amazing Grace" that I hope you enjoy and may want to play yourself! I notated this arrangement in two ways; one using standard notation only and the second using standard notation with tablature as shown in the excerpts below. Both are fully fingered for performance.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/f2723f8fce1f1b5a620a24ff0095cceb69d37d5d/original/amazinggrace.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTUweDE4MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="182" width="550" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/b82e3b8b9f9e60028fbd4f2234912667b89b3839/original/amazinggracetabex.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTUweDIyMyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="223" width="550" /></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/Hyir" target="_blank">To purchase and download securely click here.</a></p>2:40johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277702015-02-14T19:00:00-05:002022-05-26T04:37:36-04:00Ode to Jazzy Joy<p>I decided to attempt to repeat the success of "<a data-imported="1" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://johnhallguitar.com/buy">Twinkle Twinkle Jazzy Star</a>" with an arrangement of "Ode to Joy" which most people are familiar with as a tune used by Beethoven in his ninth symphony. My setting is in the same style I used for Twinkle Twinkle; mainly block chords using four part harmony for the most part in a jazz style. Again the idea was to place a different harmony under each note of the melody using as many different chord types as possible within the bounds of functional harmony. I also tried to keep the voice-leading as smooth as possible.</p>
<p>It's fascinating to me how many different ways there are to harmonize a melody, especially when it comes to using jazz harmony. The notes of the melody can be any chord tone including harmonic extensions (6, 7, 9, 11, or 13) as well as an altered tone of a dominant harmony (b5, #5, b9, #9).</p>
<p>I hope I have succeeded in making an interesting harmonic study as well as something enjoyable to play. It's not easy but should be worth the effort. Thanks for your support!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/NziS"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/8422c37426ead090304977c95e338d458802e9f2/original/odetojazzyjoy.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTUweDE3MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Ode to Jazzy Joy" height="172" width="550" /></a></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc33">To purchase and download securely for $5.00 use the link below:</span></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/NziS" target="_blank">Buy Ode to Jazzy Joy</a> </p>1:33johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277692014-12-31T19:00:00-05:002019-12-17T18:57:35-05:00Etude 1 Villa-Lobos Analysis
<p>It's been a while since I have done an analysis. A few people have asked about Villa-Lobos Etude No. 1 so I thought I would give it a shot. Download the PDF at the end of this article. My analysis reduces the texture to three essential voices for the most part which I believe clearly shows the voice-leading and harmony. I used a few more voices before the final cadence in order to show the resolution of the augmented sixth chord as well as showing the common tone E in the soprano. Let's go through it bar by bar. Since the work is still under copyright I am unable to include the full score but it should be easy to follow along with your published edition.</p>
<p>The piece is loosely in three sections in the key of E minor;</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Section 1, measures 1-10</span>. Basically all functional harmony with mainly parallel tenths between the outer two voices supporting an ascending soprano beginning on a G and rising a sixth to the tonic E (shown with dotted slurs). The E is an eleventh over the bass (B) in measure 9 resolving to a tenth in measure 11 (4-3 suspension).</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Section 2, measures 11-22</span>. Chromatically descending tritones over an E bass spanning the octave beginning on the high E, which we reached in the first section, and ending on the E an octave lower in measure 22.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Section 3, measures 23-33</span>. Back to functional harmony comprised basically of a drawn out cadence V/V to V to I with a few interesting things in between like the Italian augmented sixth chord for example in measure 30 along with the plagal cadence afterthought (iv-I) with the final major tonic chord containing the added sixth. I wanted to show that the tonic tone E with its leading-tone (mm. 27-28) ties the harmony of the final section together so I put it in the soprano so you would see and hear it.</p>
<p>It was interesting to me to sing or play the soprano voice in the reduction as you listen to a recording of this etude. This makes the underlying voice-leading very easy to hear.</p>
<p>A few interesting features to note:</p>
<p>The non-functional passing chord in measure 8 which spells an Em7(b5)(11) but clearly works as a passing harmony as the bass ascends chromatically from the subdominant to the dominant (A-Bb-B). I have seen this chord in some jazz charts written as A7(b9)(sus4). It's a great sound that Villa-Lobos seems to enjoy and seems quite common in Brazilian music.</p>
<p>The common-tone (CT) diminished seventh chord in measure 22 which ends the descending tritone passage and brings us back to tonic with its resolution in measure 23.</p>
<p>The C#m7(b5)(11) in measure 26 is that same sound that appeared earlier in measure 8. This time I hear it as a #vi half-diminished seventh in the context of melodic minor voice-leading (C#-D#-E).</p>
<p>As mentioned earlier, the beautiful added sixth final tonic chord also very common in jazz and Brazilian music.</p>
<p>As usual I hope you found this interesting and please let me know your thoughts on this famous study by one of our best known composers for the guitar. I wish you the best in 2015!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/727cbdc2fc84fca6a6406fd8f15ad63de2c564ff/original/villalobosetude1analysis.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDI2MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="260" width="500" /></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a href="https://gum.co/HNBI" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to securely purchase and download a PDF of the complete analysis for $5.00</span></a></span></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277682014-11-25T19:00:00-05:002020-03-16T08:54:41-04:00Three Traditional Christmas Carols<p>I put together a set of three carols for the holidays that I hope you will enjoy!</p>
<p>"O Little Town of Bethlehem", "Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant" and "Quelle Est Cette Odeur Agréable?" </p>
<p>I started using a new service that lets you purchase and download the file on a secure site which most people seem to prefer. Let me know what you think and please contact me if you run into any problems with the download. If so I will email the file directly to you. So far so good. </p>
<p>Have a great Thanksgiving and thanks again for your support.</p>
<p>Click on the cover below to purchase and download or go to the <a data-imported="1" href="http://johnhallguitar.com/buy">BUY</a> page for more info.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/CSXX"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/76798b114af8a009a2649734f6219923ae99ef43/original/threecarols.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDAweDUxNyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="517" width="400" /></a></p>4:38johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277672014-10-16T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T08:56:03-04:00Solo Guitar-Waltz for Debby/Some Other Time<p>...listening to some Bill Evans and decided to arrange a couple of things for guitar; "Waltz for Debby" composed by Bill Evans (1929-1980) and "Some Other Time" from <span style="text-decoration:underline">On the Town</span> composed by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990). If there is enough interest I will try to get permission to publish the arrangements.</p>
<p> </p>4:04johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277662014-09-11T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T08:57:33-04:00Another Carulli Reharmonization<p>One more Carulli study reharmonized. This one is a bit more difficult but should follow up nicely with the previous two. I used the Andante in A minor from Carulli's method book Méthode Complète Op. 27 as a template. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It contrasts well with the G major studies and might make a nice set of pieces for a recital when programmed with the two in G. I am interested in knowing what you think. Thanks for reading.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482981/carulliandantereharmonized.pdf">CarulliAndanteReharmonized.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>3:04johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277652014-08-23T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T08:59:17-04:00Carulli Reharmonized<p>Here are two simple and well known Carulli studies in G major which I reharmonized in a way similar to the way I reharmonized the previous <a data-imported="1" href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/what_would_sor_do/">Sor studies</a>. The idea was to preserve the quality and character of the pieces while slightly modernizing the harmony. It makes for an interesting way of studying harmony as well as a good way of keeping my chops up. The studies are easy and should make excellent little pieces for beginning students as well as good reading studies for those of us who need it. Let me know if you find these reharmonizations useful and enjoyable. If you do I'll do more!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482979/carullistudygandantinogreharmonized.pdf">CarulliStudyGAndantinoGReharmonized.pdf</a></p>
<p>Examples:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/49b09489263e0e395c5374ffa572abb3f69a129e/original/carullireharmex.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDI4OSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="289" width="450" /></p>
<p> </p>3:12johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277642014-08-23T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T09:13:32-04:00Bachianas Americanas<p>I am excited to let you know that my first digital download is now available on CD Baby. Bachianas Americanas can be purchased here:</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/johnhall2">http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/johnhall2</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="Bachianas Americanas" data-link-type="page" href="/bachianas-americanas" target="_blank">Click here If you would like to hear the entire suite.</a></p>
<p>Thank you for your support of this site. Much more to come.</p>
<p> </p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277632014-07-12T20:00:00-04:002014-07-13T10:26:49-04:00Fun with Polyrhythms
<p>Polyrhythm is the simultaneous combination of contrasting or conflicting rhythms. As guitarists we often encounter these patterns in contemporary composition. As a jazz guitarist, these rhythmic patterns can be used most effectively in soloing and comping, setting up complex rhythmic relationships within the band.</p>
<p>The examples below will give you a method to decode any polyrhythm which then can be played and internalized (with practice and patience) so that when this polyrhythm is encountered in composition or played in an improvisatory context it can be executed easily.</p>
<p><em>Download the pdf below and follow along.</em></p>
<p>1) Choose the two numbers you wish to superimpose.</p>
<p>2) Determine the <strong><em>least common multiple</em></strong> of the two numbers. In all of my examples it's the result of both numbers multiplied.</p>
<p>3) Write two lines of music (rhythm) using note values of equal duration (I prefer eighth notes for grouping purposes) one on top of the other with the number of notes in each line equaling the least common multiple. The top line will be for your right hand and the lower line for your left or, if played on guitar, the lower line is played with the thumb and the top line with the fingers.</p>
<p>4) Group the notes in accordance with the two numbers you are superimposing.</p>
<p>5) Place a number over each beat that is actually sounded counting each beat consecutively 1 - x.</p>
<p>6) Count evenly striking each sounding beat with either the right or left hand as indicated by your numbering.</p>
<p>7) Gradually increase the tempo until you hear the <strong><em>resultant rhythmic pattern</em> (</strong>rhythmic pattern that results from the two lines combined).</p>
<p>Let's look at the simplest example: Two against three.</p>
<p>1) Our two numbers are 2 and 3.</p>
<p>2) The least common multiple is 6.</p>
<p>3) Write two lines of music with each line containing six eighth notes, one on top of the other.</p>
<p>4) Group the top line as two groups of three and the bottom line as three groups of two.</p>
<p>5) Numbering each note 1-6, place a number over each note that actually sounds.</p>
<p>6) Count to six striking each beat that is sounding as indicated by your numbering with the corresponding right or left hand. In this case the sounding beats are 1 (hands together) 3 (left hand) 4 (right hand) and 5 (left hand). </p>
<p>7) Gradually increase tempo until you clearly hear the resultant rhythmic pattern.</p>
<p>Once the rhythmic pattern is clearly heard either by tapping, or if you are a guitarist playing the pattern with the right hand fingering indicated, try playing through the little piece that follows each of the polyrhythmic examples. I reduced the notation in the pieces down to its simplest form except for the <em>five over three</em> example which could not be reduced.</p>
<p>I think you will have a blast playing these. It's mind-boggling when you try to listen to each rhythm separately as you play.</p>
<p>With this system it should be possible to figure out any possible polyrhythm. I have only shown the more common patterns. Try it for yourself and let me know if it works for you.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482978/polyrhythms.pdf" data-imported="1">Polyrhythms.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277622014-05-23T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T09:01:05-04:00What Would Sor Do?<p>OK, enough analysis. Now let's put theory into practice. Below is a reharmonization of the well known Study No. 2 from Op. 6 by Fernando Sor. This is the little study in A major that many of us know as Study No. 3 in the Segovia collection of Twenty Studies by Sor. It made an excellent exercise for myself in trying to preserve the original quality of the study while incorporating more contemporary harmonic language. It's kind of like thinking about what Sor would do if he lived a bit longer. I hope you enjoy it. I find it enjoyable to play and at an intermediate difficulty level. I included a recording for reference and of course the fingering is suggested only.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482977/homagetofernandosor.pdf">HomageToFernandoSor.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="http://johnhallguitar.com/buy" target="_blank">If you are interested, I just completed a set of three reharmonized Sor Studies for purchase on my Buy page.</a></p>0:59johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277612014-04-24T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:31-05:00Choros No. 1 Villa-Lobos Analysis
<p>An analysis of Choros No. 1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos is today’s topic. Because of copyright restrictions I am unable to publish the score, but I am able to publish a reduction analysis showing the harmonic functions as well as the voice-leading. Open the pdf below and follow along with your score.</p>
<p>Most of the piece consists of standard tonal harmonic progressions. There are a few instances where Villa-Lobos stretches things to the limit, particularly in the “B” section with a passage of non-functional harmony. Let’s first determine the form.</p>
<p>The piece is in rondo form with three distinct sections defined by authentic cadences as well as changes of key. The layout is as follows: A-B-A-C-A.</p>
<p>I have reduced the harmony to mainly three parts (some four) and analyzed the three sections separately as shown in the pdf. Let’s look at each one.</p>
<p>Section A (mm. 1-32)</p>
<p>A standard thirty-two bar section divided equally into two sixteen bar sections which I divided with a double bar. The first sixteen measures concludes with a half-cadence on the dominant (B7) and the second sixteen measures conclude with an authentic cadence on the tonic (Em) which is standard fare. The most interesting feature, included in both sections, is the fifth progression that begins in measure five and in measure twenty-one. I indicate the root movement by perfect fifth with the slurs. Notice how Villa-Lobos starts with standard secondary dominant relationships but by the end of the series he has moved far away from the original key of E minor. The goal of this progression in both cases is the Bb7 chord found in measures thirteen and twenty-seven.</p>
<p>In the first case this Bb7 chord functions as an enharmonic <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/augmented_sixth_chords_demystified/" target="_blank" data-imported="1">German Augmented Sixth</a> chord resolving to A minor (iv) as shown. Here is an example of an augmented sixth chord resolving to something other than the dominant or tonic six/four chord as is most common in earlier tonal music. This is exactly the same way the tritone substitution concept works in jazz harmony where we find a dominant seventh chord resolving down by half-step rather than by perfect fifth. Please refer to my article on <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/tritone_substitution/" target="_blank" data-imported="1">tritone substitution</a> for a more complete explanation.</p>
<p>In the second case the Bb7 chord is converted into a conventional German Augmented Sixth by gradually lowering the inner voices chromatically in measures twenty-seven through twenty-nine. This then resolves to the tonic six/four chord setting up the final cadential formula with the insertion of the V/V for color.</p>
<p>Section B (mm. 33-56)</p>
<p>This is the most interesting section harmonically. We have the change of key to C major and start off with a conventional series of secondary dominants that Villa-Lobos seems particularly fond of using.</p>
<p>The material in measures thirty-three through thirty-eight start and end this section with the additional two measures at the end to officially close it off with the authentic cadence in the new key of C major. It’s the harmony of the middle measures (mm. 39-48) that were problematic for me. It seems the best explanation for why it works is a combination of functional and non-functional harmony and modal mixture.</p>
<p>You can see that the chords in measures thirty-nine through forty-one make sense functionally but what happens after that? How does C- B7-D7-Bb7 work? The harmony does not resolve in the usual way. This passage is an example of non-functional harmony. What makes this work is the way in which the voices connect step-wise from one chord to the next. For example notice how the B7 chord in measure forty-two is converted to D7 by moving the D# down a half-step to D-natural and bringing the B up to C (full score). The A and F# are common tones. This of course is not what we expect. We are used to hearing the B7 resolving to E minor in this key (V/iii) but Villa-Lobos is giving us the unexpected. A similar thing happens when the D7 moves to Bb7 (mm. 43-44). This time the bass descends in whole-steps (D-C-Bb), the A moves to Ab, the F# to F-natural and the D remains as a common tone. The Bb7 (bVII) chord can be considered a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key of C minor, same with the Ab (bVI) chord in measure forty-five. Again Villa-Lobos is stretching us to the limit harmonically. In summary, the descending step-wise motion of the bass line supporting the thirds (tenths) as shown in the figured bass tie this passage together.</p>
<p>The interval pattern is broken in measure forty-five where we return to conventional functional harmony with the exception of the chord in measure forty-eight. How does this Em7b5 chord fit in? I am going to say that this functions as vii/IV in C major or if you prefer a rootless C9 (V/IV), but does not continue the expected cycle and resolve to F. Instead Villa-Lobos returns to the dominant and brings back the opening material of this section. The effect is to keep us moving, never resolving, until the final cadence in measure fifty-six.</p>
<p>Section C (mm. 57-72)</p>
<p>This is the most straight forward section harmonically. The key is now E major. Everything is functional and is labeled accordingly. There are two most interesting features:</p>
<p>1) The use of the augmented triad in measures sixty and sixty-eight. With its inherent ambiguity (any of its notes can be considered a root due to its symmetrical structure of consecutive major thirds) the chord can be heard in different ways depending on the context. In its first hearing (m. 60) it functions as a G# augmented (V/vi) and in the second (m. 68) it functions as an E augmented (V/IV).</p>
<p>2) The move from the F#9 chord (rootless) to the German Augmented Sixth chord (m. 71) preceding the final cadence. I completely missed this subtle change and most likely have been playing it wrong for years.</p>
<p>The pdf below shows the voice-leading in a reduced way that can be easily played on guitar and still convey the essential harmony. The goal is to show how the harmonies connect, mainly step-wise, while adhering to traditional contrapuntal principles. Please enjoy responsibly. </p>
<p><a href="/files/482975/choros1analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">Choros1Analysis.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277602014-03-25T20:00:00-04:002022-05-09T07:26:28-04:00Villa-Lobos Etude 2 Analysis
<p>It was suggested to me to work on an analysis of Etude No. 2 from Heitor Villa-Lobos' Twelve Etudes for Guitar by an excellent Chilean guitarist. Because this work is still under copyright I have only included the notes within the first beat of each measure as a guide. Please use your score to follow along with this analysis in conjunction with the pdf below.</p>
<p>This little etude is an excellent example of harmonic practice at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The use of extended harmonies, borrowed chords as well as unexpected resolutions give this piece its "modern" sound without ever leaving the tonal system.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at the most interesting features.</p>
<p>Formally, I hear this piece in two parts; part one comprising measures 1-12 and part two, measures 13-27.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Part One</span></p>
<p>Villa-Lobos begins with the typical tonic to dominant (A-E7) in the first two measures but surprises us with the unexpected move to A#dim7 in measure three. This is a secondary leading-tone diminished seventh chord of the ii chord (Bm) which resolves as it normally would, but Villa-Lobos adds the sixth (G#) to the B minor triad for color. In traditional harmony this is referred to as an added sixth chord, not to be confused with a sixth chord or triad in first inversion. We also find this same type of harmony in measure sixteen.</p>
<p>In measures five and six the return to tonic is first major and then minor as shown. The A minor triad is what is called a borrowed chord or a harmony taken from the parallel minor key of A minor in this case.</p>
<p>We get the same thing in the next two measures but now with the dominant (E). It is first major as it normally occurs followed immediately by the minor form which again is borrowed from the parallel minor key.</p>
<p>Measure nine introduces V/V (B7) which moves to V (E7) in measure ten and is extended through measure twelve ending section one with a typical move to the dominant.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Part Two</span></p>
<p>Part two begins with a move from tonic (A) to submediant (F#m) before introducing the C#9 harmony in measure fifteen. I hear this following section (mm. 15-18) as being in the key of C# minor (iii) with first the introduction of the note D# and most definitely with the introduction of the B# in the dominant harmony (G#7) in measure eighteen. Villa-Lobos builds our expectation for a resolution to C# minor with the strong cadential formula i-six/four to V7 in measures seventeen and eighteen (reminiscent of his Etude No. 1 from the same set just before the series of diminished sevenths) but surprises us by moving to C#7 setting up the final fifth progression of secondary dominants.</p>
<p>This is basically a iii-vi-ii-V-I progression but altered to form a series of dominant seventh chords resolving through the circle of fifths eventually reaching tonic. This as you know is very common in jazz harmony. Notice the intervening diminished seventh chord in measure twenty-two. The inherent ambiguity of this harmony can cause us to expect many different resolutions. I first heard this as a possible move to C# minor (enharmonic B#dim7) but since the move is to E9, I now hear it as an extended V/V as shown.</p>
<p>The final harmony of interest is the FMaj7 in measure twenty-five. This harmony is again considered borrowed from the parallel minor key and makes for a very striking and beautiful cadence.</p>
<p>The final section of my analysis shows the harmony and voice-leading in block chord form which can only be played on a keyboard for the most part, but I hope gives you some idea of how the chords connect. Don't be intimidated by the tempo that you hear this piece performed. It makes an excellent and satisfying study at any tempo. Take your time and enjoy it!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/810a68a4ebfae3d1536d8258eacbdc5437324a26/original/etude2villalobos.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDE5MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="190" width="500" /></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a href="https://gum.co/Nwcy" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to purchase and download a PDF of the complete analysis for $5.00.</span></a></span></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277592014-03-18T20:00:00-04:002020-10-02T07:19:56-04:00Carcassi Op. 60 No. 1 Hidden Structure
<p>Who would of thought that voice-leading is present in a piece like Study No. 1 from Carcassi's Twenty-Five Melodious and Progressive Studies, Op. 60? After all, isn't it just a bunch of scales and arpeggios? That is what I thought going into this analysis and was surprised to find an underlying linear structure that holds this piece together. Open the pdf below and we will get right to it.</p>
<p>Notice how the first note of the descending scales (after the bass note) in the opening three measures outlines the tonic arpeggio C-E-G (dotted slurs in reduction staff). Bar four is V/V preceding the next (dominant) arpeggio in measures five through eight (G-B-D) before the return to the C in measure nine.</p>
<p>So far Carcassi has laid out the tonic and dominant arpeggios with intervening scale passages. Now the most interesting linear motion begins in measure nine.</p>
<p>Beginning with the C in the upper voice in measure ten, trace the descending and ascending lines shown in the reduction staff.</p>
<p>MM. 10-14</p>
<p>Upper voice C moves step-wise down to A introducing relative minor key of A minor by way of its dominant (E7) in measure eleven.</p>
<p>MM. 14-17</p>
<p>Upper voice A returns to C as well as returning to the home key of C major with the G7 harmony implied in measure fifteen and sixteen. I consider the F# a chromatic lower-neighbor to the G as the F-natural sounds at the end of measure sixteen giving us the true dominant (G7) harmony.</p>
<p>MM. 17-21</p>
<p>Upper voice ascends to E introducing key of E minor (iii) conclusively with the B7 chord in measure twenty resolving to E minor in measure twenty-one.</p>
<p>MM. 21-27</p>
<p>Upper voice first ascends to F-natural in measure twenty-two (G7) before descending to A in measure twenty-five through the descending sequential line and linear intervallic pattern 3-5-3-5-3 shown. This is the first and only occurrence of the subdominant (measure twenty-five) in the entire piece.</p>
<p>We then ascend back to D in measure twenty-six and twenty-seven (ii-V) before returning to tonic (C) in measure twenty-nine.</p>
<p>The next five measures are problematic in terms of the voice-leading. We can see that Carcassi connects the triads G to C to G in measures twenty-nine and thirty (as well as in measure thirty-three) moving all the voices in parallel motion, as he outlines the tonic C major arpeggio shown with dotted slurs. This results in parallel fifths and octaves as shown, which was verboten. He could have corrected this easily if he had written mm. 29-31 like this for example:</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/04a4f6ef1c468acfaef094d4b7b0df9ddcfedc8f/original/carcassialt.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzAweDEwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Alternate measures 29-31" height="100" width="300" /> </p>
<p>The only reason for this that I can figure is he possibly ignored proper voice-leading in favor of working on the technical issue of shifting smoothly. It's not like he didn't know what he was doing and as if to prove it, writes perfectly fine voice-leading in the following four bars (mm. 34-37). This is one thing that distinguishes Carcassi from Fernando Sor. Sor would never sacrifice voice-leading for technical reasons. The music always came first with Sor.</p>
<p>Once again I have found structures that went completely unnoticed in a piece I have played for decades. I guess that doesn't say much for my power of intuition.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482974/carcassi1analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">Carcassi1Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277582014-02-20T19:00:00-05:002019-12-17T18:57:29-05:00Allemande Lute Suite 1, BWV 996 - Analysis
<p>Analysis of the Allemande from Lute Suite 1, BWV 996 by J.S. Bach was most rewarding. Here is another piece I have played for generations without ever considering it's complexities. For a little eighteen measure piece it's loaded with them. My source for this analysis was the Neue Bach-Ausgabe with minor alterations to make it playable on guitar. If you are interested I have the entire suite available in a performance edition on my <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/lute_suite_1_bwv_996_by_js_bach/" target="_blank" data-imported="1">Buy</a> page. Here is the breakdown:</p>
<p>We have the typical binary dance form in which two distinct parts are apparent with authentic cadences and repeats.</p>
<p>Part 1 MM. 1-8</p>
<p>We begin in E minor and as is typical but maybe not quite as common, we end in the dominant key of B minor. Generally the move is to the relative major key. Bach does move into G major in the middle of this first section (mm. 3-5) before setting up the main cadence in B minor in bars 6-8. Notice the use of the Picardy third in measure eight.</p>
<p>Part 2 MM. 9-18</p>
<p>This B major triad (V) begins section two and does resolve to tonic (E minor) as would be expected, but in retrospect (working backwards from the cadence in measure thirteen) I am going out on a limb and claiming we will hear this as the V/ii in D major as the analysis shows. There is no doubt we have a move into D major in measures nine through eleven before returning to B minor at the cadence in measure thirteen. There is an interesting twist here in measure thirteen. We expect a B minor triad but as we move through the measure we actually get a B major triad which functions as the dominant of the following E major triad. The tonal center though is still B minor, not B major. My idea was to make it as simple as possible and show the key centers as B minor along with its relative major key of D major in measures nine through thirteen. We get the return to E minor in the second half of measure thirteen but not before touching on its relative major key of G major by way of the classic descending fifth progression in measures thirteen through fifteen, mirroring what he does in measures nine through eleven.</p>
<p>The final cadential ii-V-I again ends with the E major triad (Picardy third) as in the end of part one.</p>
<p>My reduction staff shows what I believe to be the contrapuntal simplification of the piece using mainly a three-part reduction along with my reasoning for what I believe are the harmonic implications. I think it works well if you play through the piece as written and then try the reduction. Let me know what you think.</p>
<p>Interesting features:</p>
<p>1) Notice the use of the F# minor (ii) chord in measures two and sixteen. We all know the ii chord in minor keys is usually a diminished triad but in this case we can see that because of the use of the melodic minor scale (raised sixth and seventh degrees ascending) in the inner voice, the ii chord is now a minor triad. There is an interesting chromatic use in measure sixteen where the sixth degree is first natural (C) and then raised (C#).</p>
<p>2) The chromatic bass line in measure five making use of a secondary leading-tone triad that resolves deceptively before bringing us back to the home key of E minor with its leading-tone triad.</p>
<p>3) The scales used at the final cadences in measures eight and eighteen. In measure eight he ascends a B major scale but then on the way down lowers the sixth degree. It is as if Bach is reminding us that we are indeed in E minor and not E major. He does a similar thing in measure eighteen where he raises the third degree G to G-sharp (Picardy third) but leaves the sixth and seventh degrees (C and D) natural. Again reminding us that the key is E minor and not E major.</p>
<p>Even with this little piece the genius of Bach is apparent and confirms my belief that we were indeed visited by ancient astronauts and Bach was a direct descendant. </p>
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johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277572014-01-30T19:00:00-05:002019-12-17T18:57:29-05:00Sor Study 16, Op. 31 Analysis
<p>It was suggested to me to look into Sor’s Study No. 16, Op. 31 (Segovia edition No. 8) by my friend and colleague Tony Hyman in South Africa. What piqued his interest is the most interesting and striking harmony that occurs in measure ten, second half of beat two. How do we analyze this harmony? What exactly are the chord tones? Very interesting questions that can often times have multiple answers. Let’s look into this excellent little composition.</p>
<p>The form is rounded binary as is common with many of Sor’s studies. This is a two part piece in which the opening material is restated in part before the close of the second section.</p>
<p>So there is no confusion, I am counting <span style="text-decoration:underline">both</span> endings as measure eight.</p>
<p>Part One (mm. 1-8) In D minor (i) closing with a cadence on the dominant A minor (v). Notice that the dominant key area of a minor key is also minor, not major as the dominant harmony would be.</p>
<p>Part Two (mm. 9-24) Begins in the relative major (F major) and returns to D minor with a cadence on the dominant (A) in measure sixteen. The return of the first four bars of the opening material begins in measure seventeen and the piece then concludes with another four bars of material in the home key of D minor.</p>
<p>I use my two stave analysis which shows a reduction analysis of the music in the lower staff along with the usual harmonic analysis and chord labeling. The reduction staff was the most revealing for me. This clearly shows the underlying structure as well as Sor’s genius.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">MM. 1-8</span></p>
<p>When the running bass line is reduced to quarter-notes, ascending and descending tonic triad arpeggios are revealed, first up to the dominant (A) in mm. 1-2 and then down to the dominant in mm. 3-4.</p>
<p>In mm. 5-6 again an ascending arpeggio moves to the dominant key area (A minor) before returning through the descending triad arpeggio in mm. 6-7 setting up the classic cadential ii-V-I in A minor in mm. 7-8. Sor does seem to favor ii-V-i over iv-V-i for his cadences.</p>
<p>Also make note of the voice-leading in the upper voices, mainly ascending and descending thirds and sixths.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">MM. 9-24</span></p>
<p>The first four bars are based on a sequential idea again making use of an arpeggio in the bass and descending and ascending thirds in the upper voices (reduction staff), which brings us to our most interesting harmony in measure ten.</p>
<p>I would hear this chord (the second half of beat two of measure ten) as a D7 or F# diminished if you prefer moving to G minor making it a V/ii as indicated in F major. I hear the Bb as an accented passing-tone. In the big picture you can see that the bass line in measure ten into eleven is a descending scale (C-Bb-A- G) while the upper voices are ascending in thirds E/G-F#/A-G/Bb at the same time. The two clash at the second half of beat two generating a beautiful dissonance. It is interesting to note that this happens quite often in contrapuntal music. As a matter of fact almost every possible altered and exotic harmony can be found in the music of J.S. Bach if we stop the music in time and look at the vertical alignment of the voices. The line though is what rules.</p>
<p>Following this sequence in mm. 13-14 is a beautiful little passage of descending 7-6 suspensions leading to the half cadence on the dominant in measure 16 prepared by the neat little chromatic move in the bass (G-G#-A) in the preceding measure generating a secondary dominant (V/V).</p>
<p>Finally in mm. 17-24 we have the return of the opening material and the close in D minor. I really like the bass line in mm. 21-22 (reduction) before the closing cadential progression. Speaking of interesting harmony, take a look at what he does with <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/harmony_in_practice_fernando_sor_etude_10_op6/" target="_blank" data-imported="1">"God Save the Queen" in Study 10, Op. 6.</a>, you won’t believe it!</p>
<p>One final note; When comparing an original early Sor edition with Segovia's I noticed two discrepancies:</p>
<p>1) Measure six shows a B-natural where Segovia has a B-flat.</p>
<p>2) Measures two and eighteen have a dotted rhythm in the bass that is missing in the Segovia.</p>
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johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277562014-01-19T19:00:00-05:002019-12-17T18:57:28-05:00Carcassi Etude 11, Op. 60 Analysis
<p>Today, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Detroit Auto Show we will look at Etude 11 from the well known Twenty-Five Melodious and Progressive Studies, Op. 60 of Matteo Carcassi. We all know and love these little etudes unless of course you developed some sort of phobia about them during your early days of study. I still enjoy this one very much and wanted to take a closer look.</p>
<p>Even though this study is only twenty-eight measures in length it is clear that there is a condensed rounded binary form here without the clearly defined sections:</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">MM. 1-8</span></p>
<p>Section A, in the home key of D minor (saddest of all keys)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">MM. 9-20</span></p>
<p>Section B, where we move into the relative major key of F before returning to D minor.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">MM. 21-28</span></p>
<p>Return of opening material with a very short closing coda-like section. </p>
<p>Harmonically the piece is very simple with two important exceptions: </p>
<p>1) The use of the German Augmented Sixth chord (Gr+6) in measure fifteen.</p>
<p>2) The Neapolitan Sixth chord (N6) in measures twenty-four and twenty-five. </p>
<p>Both of these harmonies are used in the most commonly found context of dominant preparation. In other words they usually occur just before the dominant or dominant seventh chord. In this case they both prepare the A7 (V) chord.</p>
<p>We have discussed both of these harmonies quite a bit in the past but as a reminder: </p>
<p>An enharmonically spelled dominant seventh chord (the usual minor seventh interval above the bass is spelled as an augmented sixth) in which the bass resolves down by half-step instead of down a perfect fifth is almost always a type of Augmented Sixth chord. </p>
<p>Think of the Neapolitan Sixth chord (major triad built on the lowered second degree of the scale, usually in first inversion) as a type of altered subdominant (iv) chord. In other words Carcassi could have just as easily used a G minor triad in place of the Eb/G in measures twenty-four and twenty-five by simply replacing the note E-flat with the note D. The E-flat is sometimes called an upper leading-tone as it has a strong pull back to the tonic D from above rather than from below as does the traditional leading-tone (C-sharp). This subdominant relationship is the main reason we usually find this harmony in first inversion (third of chord in the bass) which of course is the fourth degree of the scale (subdominant). </p>
<p>Page two attempts to show the proportional relationships of the sections in a reduced two-part texture. </p>
<p>Note how the middle section (mm. 9-20) is in a 3:2 ratio with the opening and closing sections (golden section). This provides additional interest in that it is slightly longer (12 bars) and negates a perfectly symmetrical form in which all sections are eight bars in length. </p>
<p>Please download the PDF below and enjoy this clever little study from this fine composer.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482971/carcassietude11analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">CarcassiEtude11Analysis.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277552013-12-27T19:00:00-05:002022-08-07T21:31:50-04:00Bach 'Cello Suite 1 BWV 1007 Prelude - Analysis<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc33">Purchase and download the complete analysis (D and G major) for $5.00 using the link below: </span></p>
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<p> </p>
<p>The solo 'cello suites of J.S. Bach are so well known and often played by guitarists that I thought it would be worthwhile to do an analysis of the Prelude to 'Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007. I include two versions in the pdf's above; the original 'cello version in G major in bass clef as well as a transposed version for guitar in D major placed into the treble clef for ease of reading. Nothing has been added in the way of extra bass notes. I used the original 'cello version as it appears in the Neue Bach-Ausgabe.</p>
<p>The analysis uses two staves. The upper is the actual music and the lower is the reduction analysis in which the music is reduced to show the underlying voice-leading and harmonic structure similar to what Heinrich Schenker would do. I included some bass notes in the reduction staff which I believe are there by implication only. You can let me know whether you agree or disagree with these choices.</p>
<p><strong><em>I will refer to the D major version in the following discussion. My apologies to the cellists.</em></strong></p>
<p>This Prelude consists of two sections: Part 1 (mm. 1-22) and Part 2 (mm. 22-42).</p>
<p>Part 1 (mm. 1-22)</p>
<p>Notice the voice-leading in the outer voices in the reduction staff. The bass begins on the tonic (D) sustained as a pedal point through measure six.</p>
<p>The bass then begins a step-wise descent all the way down to the F# (by implication) in measure thirteen (V/vi) before returning to D in measure sixteen.</p>
<p>The upper voice follows along a tenth above the bass through measure ten before veering off and moving in contrary motion with the bass in measures 11-16.</p>
<p>In measures 16-20 we move through several secondary dominants before arriving on the true dominant (A7) in third inversion in measure twenty-one prolonged through the fermata in measure twenty-two.</p>
<p>Part 2 (mm. 22-42)</p>
<p>The second section consists harmonically of one long dominant seventh chord (A7) eventually resolving to tonic in measure forty-two. In case you were wondering, the G that was in the bass in measure twenty-two is transferred up two octaves in measure twenty-three (shown by dotted slur) before resolving as it should to F# in measure twenty-five.</p>
<p>Along the way we get a little taste of D minor (parallel minor) with the introduction of the Bb in measure twenty-four as well as another secondary dominant (V/V) in measures 26-27.</p>
<p>The new discoveries for me occur in measures 29-37.</p>
<p>First, the underlying 7-6 suspensions over the A pedal point in measures 29-31 went completely unnoticed by me as well as the ascending and descending thirds in measures 31-37.</p>
<p>Finally the big finish involves the chromatic ascent in the upper voice which transfers the C# up an octave before its final resolution to tonic in measure forty-two. Remember, the tonic 6-4 chord (D/A) in measure thirty-nine is really still considered dominant with a double appoggiatura which does resolve (by measure forty-one) to the dominant seventh and then finally the tonic in measure forty-two.</p>
<p>Once again I hope you find something in this analysis that is useful or enlightening in some way. I am always amazed when I look into Bach's music. It must have something to do with 18th century German beer.</p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277542013-12-12T19:00:00-05:002013-12-13T06:00:48-05:00Jobim's How Insensitive - A Study in Voice-Leading
<p>“How Insensitive” by Antonio Carlos Jobim is an excellent example of how a great composer can generate new and interesting harmonic relationships through voice-leading. This piece was inspired and partially based on Chopin’s Prelude No. 4 Op. 28 as you can easily hear. Much of the harmony in this work falls into the category known as ‘nonfunctional’ or familiar harmonic structures that move and resolve in ways other than what is expected according to the rules of functional harmony. For example we all know that G7 will normally resolve to C (dominant to tonic) or maybe Am or Ab (deceptive) but what about a resolution to Bb? Although it may be possible to explain some of these moves by stretching the rules of functional harmony, the simplest and to me the most logical explanation lies in the voice-leading. When we examine the voice-leading in this piece it is very easy to see how all these chords are connected through the step-wise motion of the voices. Of course chromatic motion is permitted and desirable and Jobim uses it quite a bit here.</p>
<p>I reduced the harmony to three voices which I believe is enough to convey the fundamental harmonic structure minus some color tones. I placed the lead sheet chord symbols above the reduction for easy comparison with the familiar charts of this tune.</p>
<p>Open the pdf below and play through the reduction. Notice how the voices either move by step (mostly descending) or are suspended over into the new harmony (common tone) before moving by step. The chords formed through this motion of the voices can be analyzed as familiar harmonies for the purposes of a lead sheet but will not make a whole lot of sense until the underlying voice-leading can be determined.</p>
<p>The two most important features that tie these nonfunctional harmonies together are:</p>
<p>1) Step-wise voice-leading.</p>
<p>2) Common tones shared by two or more successive chords.</p>
<p>There are many instances of functional harmony in this tune as well. Generally this occurs where the bass moves by descending fifth (ii-V-i). I marked these fifth progressions with a bracket.</p>
<p>The final two-part reduction shows the fundamental structure. Play through this as you sing the melody. Each half note equals two measures in the original. Quarter notes equal one measure:</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Soprano Line</span></p>
<p>The soprano line begins on A (dominant) in measure one and descends step-wise to D (tonic) through the course of the piece.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Bass line</span></p>
<p>The bass begins on D (tonic) and descends chromatically to the A (dominant) before returning to tonic <em>three different times</em> as shown in the two-part reduction. Again, follow the dotted lines. Tonic harmony is enclosed with a box.</p>
<p>I hope this little analysis will help you better understand how this tune works, at least harmonically, as well as giving you some insight into the genius of Jobim.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482970/howinsensitivevoiceleading.pdf" data-imported="1">HowInsensitiveVoiceLeading.pdf</a> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277532013-11-20T19:00:00-05:002020-10-02T07:35:28-04:00Sor Study in D, Op. 35 No. 17 - An Analysis<p>Sor’s well known Study in D major, Op. 35 No. 17 (Estudio 6 in the Segovia edition) is the subject of my continuing series on analyses of popular works for guitar. Virtually everyone who has studied the instrument has performed this little study. It’s still one of my favorites and my intention is to give some reasons as to why it holds up so well musically. Please open the pdf below containing the detailed analysis and follow along.</p>
<p>The form is a short rounded binary which is defined as a two part form in which the opening material returns at the end of the second section which in effect rounds the piece off. In our example:</p>
<p>Section A<br>(1) mm. 1-16</p>
<p>Section B<br>(1) mm. 17-24 (contrasting key)<br>(2) mm. 25-32 (return of opening material with ending added)</p>
<p>Let’s take a closer look at each section.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Section A</span></p>
<p>As with most of this piece Sor uses a three-part texture as shown in the reduction staff. The voice-leading is easily seen in the reduction as well as Sor’s adherence to contrapuntal principles. For example, notice his handling of the tritones in the outer voices in measures three (G#-D) and six (A-D#). The first resolves inward to a third and the second, outward to a sixth; exactly as prescribed. The harmonies containing the tritones are two examples of altered chords; the first being a secondary dominant (V/V) and the second, a secondary leading-tone (viiᵒ/ii).</p>
<p>The first eight measures conclude with a cadence on the tonic.</p>
<p>The next eight measures (9-16) move harmonically into the dominant (A) as is typical of most binary forms in a major key. The most interesting feature here is the common-tone diminished seventh chord found in measure nine. As you can see in the reduction staff it is produced through the use of two chromatic lower neighbor notes (E-D#-E and C#-B#-C#) in the outer voices. The A is the common- tone, hence the name. The section concludes with a cadence on the dominant in measure sixteen.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Section B</span></p>
<p>mm. 17-24</p>
<p>For contrast Sor moves harmonically into the parallel minor key of D minor in this section. The opening four bars are based on a sequential interval pattern or what Schenker refers to as a ‘linear intervallic pattern’ of a tenth to a sixth, shown as 10-6-10-6 in the analysis. This gives rise to the sequential chord progression shown and is why I decided to think of this passage as containing one chord per measure rather than the two per measure as in the rest of the piece.</p>
<p>Measures twenty-one through twenty-four are firmly in D minor. The cadence on the dominant in measure twenty-four is prepared with my favorite French Augmented Sixth chord in measure twenty-three. For a detailed explanation of this harmony please see <a data-imported="1" href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/augmented_sixth_chords_demystified/" target="_blank">Augmented Sixth Chords Demystified.</a></p>
<p>The final eight bars restates the opening material with the additional ending material that Segovia evidently did not care for as he altered the original harmony in his edition. The secondary dominant (B7) chord in measure thirty was changed to a simple diatonic B minor triad by Segovia. I prefer the original.</p>
<p>For a short study this piece has quite a bit to offer musically. Several examples of altered chords in the way of secondary dominants and secondary leading-tone harmonies are present as well as a French Augmented Sixth chord. These harmonies along with the contrasting key of D minor in the middle bridge section offer enough musical variety it seems to hold our interest. I know I still enjoy playing this piece despite decades of reiteration. Hopefully this contributes in some way to your understanding of this music. Thanks for reading and stayed tuned!</p>
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<p>The question of how to add movement within static harmony comes up a lot. I thought I would write a practical explanation using the first seventeen bars of the tune “All of Me” as an example. The inspiration for this approach comes from the teachings of the great pianist Barry Harris born, I am proud to say, in Detroit in 1929. Mr. Harris has a unique way of looking at the workings of music which can sometimes be a bit confusing for those of us who had traditional training. I will attempt to explain these concepts in more traditional terms. Open the pdf file below to follow along.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 1-2</span>. The CMaj7 chord is shown in the chart as lasting through both measures. One approach to adding movement in this situation is to move from the root position tonic chord to its first inversion through a scale passage that incorporates a chromatic passing tone as follows:</p>
<p>1 - 2 - #2 - 3 in which the numbers correspond with the scale degrees C - D - D# - E.</p>
<p>This bass line is then harmonized at the tenth with the upper voice giving us a nice series of parallel tenths in the outer voices. Notice the outer voices in the example and play them separately.</p>
<p>This by itself is enough to create motion, but let’s add in the inner voices and fill out the harmony.</p>
<p>I chose to use the common jazz harmonization I - ii - #iidim7 - I (first inversion) or iii if preferred.</p>
<p>The important thing to notice here is that we are filling the space harmonically as well as <em>melodically</em>. This gives us nice smooth voice-leading. Pianists seem to do this all the time quite naturally. </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 3-4</span>. In the chart the E7 chord is shown as the harmony for these two measures. My approach here is similar to the first two measures except that now we are starting and ending with a dominant seventh chord.</p>
<p>I used the same parallel tenths in the outer voices with the same chromatic passing tones harmonized with the diminished seventh chord (passing diminished seventh) as in the first example. The only difference now is I used the V of the E7 (B7) to harmonize the second beat (F#). I like the quartal sound so I used the B7sus4 which sounds much less dominant and makes for a smoother passing harmony to my ear.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 5-6</span>. Exactly the same approach as in mm. 3-4.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 7-8</span>. Dm7 is shown over these two bars in the chart. Again I used the parallel tenths in the outer voices but since we are only covering the distance of a minor third here in the bass (D-F) I used only one passing diminished seventh chord to fill the gap.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 9-10</span>. Except for the use of the Bm7 (ii/V) to harmonize the second beat (F#) and the slightly altered E7b9 (because of the A minor that follows) it is the same approach as in mm. 3-4.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 11-12</span>. The single Am7 harmony in the chart is elaborated with its dominant (E7) as well as with melodic motion which create harmonic extensions. Notice the parallel tenths are still used in the outer voices in measure twelve moving into measure thirteen.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 13-14</span>. D7 is the harmony shown for these two measures. This was a bit tricky since I ended up on a first inversion D9. I passed between the first and second inversions with my usual diminished seventh and simply changed the voicing of the D9 (third inversion) on beat two of measure fourteen to add motion; a simple but effective trick.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Measures 15-16</span>. The ii-V progression is filled with a passing diminished seventh between the ii and the V in measure fifteen and the V is simply altered and re-voiced in measure sixteen before returning to the tonic in measure seventeen. Again the parallel tenths are used in the outer voices to create a strong melodic content in this progression.</p>
<p>I know this seems rather complicated to explain. There is an intuitive component to music in which you know what to do because it sounds good. Everything I tried to present here is stuff I have heard millions of times played by the great pianists and guitarists of our time. Try to incorporate these sounds into your ear so that the next time you come across a situation like this you won’t have to think; just play!</p>
<p><a href="/files/482968/allofmechanges.pdf" data-imported="1">AllOfMeChanges.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277512013-08-22T20:00:00-04:002020-03-16T09:02:47-04:00Waltzing Matilda, Solo Guitar Arrangement<p>A solo guitar arrangement of mine of the beautiful "Waltzing Matilda".</p>
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<p> </p>1:08johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277502013-08-21T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:26-05:00Augmented Sixth Chords Demystified
<p>I made up a little musical example which I hope will help clarify the often confusing augmented sixth chords and their function. I believe that all harmony has a contrapuntal origin arising from basic voice-leading procedures. In the case of augmented sixth chords the voice-leading that generates these chords is chromatic, as would be the case for all of the "altered chords" that we encounter in tonal classical music as well as jazz harmony. Please open the pdf file below to see the examples and let me know what you think.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482966/augmentedsixthchords.pdf" data-imported="1">AugmentedSixthChords.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277492013-08-03T20:00:00-04:002020-10-02T07:15:03-04:00Altered Chords (Classical Repertory)<p>Below you will find a chart on the most often found and often misunderstood altered chords that we encounter in classical composition. When I was in college all the theory courses were taught using keyboard examples of chord progressions which of course was very helpful in understanding the voice-leading but never really clicked for me as a guitarist. The idea here is to present the most common altered chords in a context that adheres to the rules of voice-leading but is easily played on the guitar. I used four-part writing for the most part and found it to be surprisingly easy to play these on the guitar in first position.</p>
<p>I began with a simple diatonic progression I-IV-(I)-V-I and progressively added altered tones producing altered chords grouped into in three categories. The links will open examples from my analyses of the standard repertory.</p>
<p>1) <a data-imported="1" href="/files/482929/sorstudy13op-29.pdf" target="_blank">Borrowed chords</a> which borrow tones from the parallel minor scale.</p>
<p>2) <a data-imported="1" href="/files/482925/juliaflorida.pdf" target="_blank">Secondary dominant</a> and <a data-imported="1" href="/files/482927/carcassi3analysis.pdf" target="_blank">secondary leading-tone chords</a>.</p>
<p>3) <a data-imported="1" href="/files/482964/lagrimaadelitaanalysis.pdf" target="_blank">Italian</a>, <a data-imported="1" href="http://johnhallguitar.com/publicfiles/NewSor1.pdf" target="_blank">German</a> and <a data-imported="1" href="/files/482927/carcassi3analysis.pdf" target="_blank">French</a> augmented sixth chords.</p>
<p>I included the <a data-imported="1" href="/files/482960/sorstudy22op35analysis.pdf" target="_blank">Neapolitan sixth chord</a> in the borrowed chord section since it is a chromatic variant of the minor iv chord. The flat second scale degree is actually borrowed from the Phrygian mode. This harmony is sometimes referred to as a Phrygian chord or Phrygian II.</p>
<p>I show two resolutions of the #iv⁰7 (vii⁰7/V) that are commonly found in the repertory. The first is the traditional resolution directly to the dominant (G). The second resolution is to the tonic six-four chord. Remember that the tonic six-four in this context functions as the dominant with a double appoggiatura. In this case we do have a common-tone (C) in the soprano, but since this C is actually part of a suspension figure resolving to B we do not strictly speaking have a common-tone diminished seventh chord here but just your basic vii⁰7/V.</p>
<p>One other note; I inverted the augmented sixth interval (Ab-F#) of the augmented sixth chords in order to better show its relationship to the subdominant. The active interval now forms a diminished third (F#-Ab). They both pull strongly in contrary motion to the dominant (G). Augmented sixth chords are often found in this "inversion".</p>
<p>Notice how all of these altered chords function as dominant preparation. In other words they usually precede the dominant (V) chord or the tonic six-four chord (fifth in the bass) that I have used in most of my examples.</p>
<p>Think of these altered chords as chromatic variants of the subdominant (IV) or its related supertonic (ii) chord since this is the harmony that usually prepares the dominant. I tried to show this relationship by preceding each altered chord with the diatonic or unaltered subdominant chord so you can easily see the voice-leading and which notes are altered.</p>
<p>Play these progressions many times in order to acquaint yourself with the sound of these harmonies and you will start to notice their occurrence in the classical repertory you perform. Some of the differences in the sound of the various harmonies are very subtle as with the vii⁰7/V and the Gr+6 for example.</p>
<p>All of these harmonies can be found in the writing of the composers that I have analyzed in my previous articles along with detailed explanations of their structure. Please look into some of these analyses for further explanation as well as how they are used in the compositions of the great composers for the guitar.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482965/alteredchords.pdf">AlteredChords.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277482013-07-17T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:25-05:00Barrios Vals No. 3 Op. 8 Analysis
<p>My project for this summer was to do a harmonic and formal analysis of Vals No. 3 Op. 8 of Agustin Barrios Mangoré. As in some of my other analyses I used a two staff system with the actual composition on top and a reduction staff below that shows what I believe to be the underlying voice-leading. For the most part I used a three part texture which I hope provides a clear rendering of the harmony.</p>
<p>The waltz is in rondo form conforming to the following plan:</p>
<p>(Intro)ABACA (coda)</p>
<p>Let's take a look at each section and see what's going on harmonically.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Introduction (measures 1-9)</span></p>
<p>A simple alternation between ii and V in d minor establishes the key and introduces the thematic material of the A section. The use of harmonics in the bass adds considerable interest.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">A Section (measures 10-36)</span></p>
<p>Melodically it is based on the very short motive we hear in measures 10-11 transposed to various pitches. As usual I am more interested in the harmony that supports this melodic fragment as well as what is driving the music forward. The answer can be found in the reduction staff showing the underlying voice-leading.</p>
<p>Notice how Barrios begins simply with an alternation of tonic to dominant (mm. 10-15). Nothing special there but what follows is really special. Notice the bass line beginning in measure 15 (Bb) after jumping up an octave starts a long step-wise descent (with one exception, the third skip in measures 23-24) all the way down to the low A (dominant) in measure 30 concluding with the half cadence in measure 33 and full cadence (m. 36) after repeat. Within this descent of a ninth we get the beautiful chromatic harmony (mm. 25-29). This harmony is a product of the chromatic descending tenths shown in the reduction staff.</p>
<p>This passage (mm. 25-29) gave me some trouble at first. The harmony in measures 26-27 spells an Am7(b5) but it did not function as it should. When playing through it I noticed it sounded like a familiar jazz progression that included two passing diminished seventh chords:</p>
<p>A7/C# - Cdim7 - G/B - Bbdim7 - Dm/A</p>
<p>If you consider the G in measures 26-27 an internal pedal (replacing the F#) the progression now makes functional sense. Also notice the major IV chord (G) in measure 28. This chord is considered a borrowed chord from the parallel major (D major). Usually the quality of the subdominant is minor in a minor key.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">B Section (measures 37-52) <br></span></p>
<p>We are still in the tonic (D minor) but a second theme is introduced. This is a short section characterized by a brief move to the relative major key (F major) in measure 43 and a dramatic deceptive move from V to VI (mm. 45-47).</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">C Section (measures 53-120)</span>; The longest and most developed section of the piece.<span style="text-decoration:underline"> <br></span></p>
<p>Here we have the completely new key of D major known as the parallel major key and an internal ABA-transition structure within this large section.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">(a) mm. 53-69</span> consists of two eight measure phrases.</p>
<p>Phrase one (mm. 54-61, m. 53 is a pick-up measure) begins and ends in the tonic key and includes the common-tone diminished seventh chord in measure 60.</p>
<p>Phrase two (mm. 62-69) wants to move us into B minor but doesn't quite make it. The harmony in measure 68 also gave me some trouble until I finally realized the A# was missing! This then makes perfect sense as an F#7 chord (dominant of B minor) but before it can resolve Barrios changes it to A13 in measure 69 (keeping the F# in the upper voice) which brings us right back to D major.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">(b) mm. 70-85</span> This section also contains two eight bar phrases very similar harmonically to the (a) section but this time Barrios does finally settle into B minor (relative minor) with the cadence in measure 85.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">(a) mm. 86-102</span> Repeat of first part with cadence on the tonic (D major) this time in measure 102.</p>
<p>The next section (mm. 102-120) is transitional material to get us back to the home key of D minor for the final restatement of the A section with coda. Notice how Barrios introduces the Bb in measure 117, changing the quality of the ii chord (Em7b5) in order to prepare the return to D minor.</p>
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<p><a href="https://gum.co/txDlV" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/c7e4335a99168d498219338cb04d7bd3f83fa90d/original/vals3analysisbarrios.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDM0NyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Vals 3 Analysis" height="347" width="500" /></a></p>
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johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277472013-05-09T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:24-05:00Quartal Harmony
<p>Quartal harmony or harmonic structures based on the interval of a fourth will give us more material in our never ending quest for new and fresh sounding harmony within the tonal system. In addition this harmony will also enable us to create movement within an unchanging or “static” harmony. Let’s say we are playing through a tune like “Footprints” or any number of other tunes where we encounter a single harmony for a long period of time and want to add some movement within this static harmony. What do we do? One of the most effective ways of accomplishing this is through the use of quartal harmony that will move in a step-wise fashion over a static root. Let’s look at two of the more common situations; a long stretch of a major 7<sup>th</sup> harmony and a long stretch of a minor 7<sup>th</sup> harmony.</p>
<p>I think we would all agree that in the case of a major 7<sup>th</sup> chord the color tones that can be added are the major sixth, major ninth and the augmented or sharp eleventh. Our complete major 7<sup>th</sup> chord with all added embellishment tones (using CMaj7 as an example) would then be:</p>
<p>C-E-G-B-D-F#-A</p>
<p>Placing these tones in step-wise order produces the C Lydian mode:</p>
<p>C-D-E-F#-G-A-B</p>
<p>In the case of a minor 7<sup>th</sup> chord the added color tones would be the major sixth, major ninth and eleventh. Our complete minor 7<sup>th</sup> chord with all added embellishment tones (using Am7 as an example) would then be:</p>
<p>A-C-E-G-B-D-F#</p>
<p>Placing these tones in step-wise order produces the A Dorian mode:</p>
<p>A-B-C-D-E-F#-G</p>
<p>Notice of course that these two modes are relative in that they use the same pitches.</p>
<p>Now all we need to do is construct the quartal harmonies generated by these two modes.</p>
<p>Begin with C and simply stack fourths above each note of the scale in ascending order. We will use four note voicings for the examples:</p>
<p>C-F#-B-E, D-G-C-F#, E-A-D-G, F#-B-E-A etc.</p>
<p>Since the C Lydian and A Dorian modes are relative the quartal structures are the same in both cases. This makes it convenient and easy to remember that you can use the same voicings as embellishments for either C major or A minor which we already know are relative.</p>
<p>Notice that many of these voicings contain augmented fourths which may take a little getting used to. I would suggest playing the voicings over a droning C and A to get acclimated to the new sounds. Then apply them to any tune where you have a couple of measures of the same harmony or wherever you feel movement is needed and let your ear be the judge as to the appropriateness of the chords. I think you will find them to be quite interesting. The pdf file below shows the voicings on two string sets with diagrams for ease of reading.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482962/quartalvoicings.pdf" data-imported="1">QuartalVoicings.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277462013-03-09T19:00:00-05:002023-08-28T19:51:05-04:00Sor Study 22 Op. 35 (B minor) - Analysis and Obligato
<p>Fernando Sor’s Estudio 22, Op. 35 (Study No. 5 in the Segovia collection) is probably one of the most loved and widely performed of all the Sor studies, and he wrote a lot of them. A guitarist that I know mentioned that he had heard an obligato that was written over this study similar to the way Ave Maria by Charles Gounod was written over the Bach Prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier. The Sor study lends itself well to this treatment since it basically consists of arpeggios. I transcribed this obligato from a recording which does not credit the composer. After some internet research I was unable to determine the author of this particular melody although there turned out to be many similar obligatos composed for this study by many different composers.</p>
<p>I thought this duet approach to performing this study would make for excellent teaching material for the intermediate student and decided it would be worth posting. In addition I wanted to do my usual analysis for those who might be interested.</p>
<p>As with many Sor studies it makes use of binary form, in this case rounded binary. Typically pieces in a minor key move into the relative major at the cadence of the first section. This study never really leaves the home key of B minor. What I thought would be one of the simplest harmonically of Sor’s studies actually contains examples of many of the most often found altered chords. Let’s take a look at it a bit closer and see what we find. The reduction staff shows what I consider to be the basic voice-leading or underlying structure of the piece.</p>
<p>Section 1 Measures 1-16</p>
<p>Most of this section is a simple alternation between tonic and dominant but Sor keeps it interesting with the use of a dominant pedal point (F#) and the use of the Italian Augmented Sixth in measure seven and the deceptive move from V to VI in measures eleven and twelve.</p>
<p>Section 2 Measures 17-48</p>
<p>The first eight measures continue the alternation of tonic and dominant over the F# (dominant) pedal. The next eight measures contain some of the more interesting harmonic movement as Sor finally does move into the relative major key of D (III), although very briefly, through the fifth progression B7-Em-A7-D in measures 25-28 as shown in the analysis.</p>
<p>This is followed by the most striking harmony in the piece. In measure twenty-nine we get a C major triad in first inversion (E bass). This chord is known as the Neapolitan Sixth chord and usually functions as dominant preparation as it does here. Think of this harmony as a variation of the subdominant (iv) chord and having the same function (dominant preparation). This is the main reason we usually find this particular chord in first inversion or having the fourth scale degree in the bass. In other words Sor could have just as easily used an E minor triad (iv) in root position here, although much less effective, as it differs from the C major triad by just one tone; the C-natural (flat second scale degree) replaces the B of the E minor triad. This altered tone is what makes this harmony so striking. In the grand scheme of things this flatted second degree functions as an “upper leading tone” resolving eventually to the tonic (B) from a semitone above. Sor makes this passage even more interesting by introducing the chromatic movement between the fourth and fifth scale degrees of the bass line in measure thirty-one (E# diminished seventh) just before the half cadence on the dominant in measure thirty-two. Notice that along with the chromatic ascending bass line Sor writes descending sixths in the upper voices as shown in the reduction staff.</p>
<p>So up to this point in the piece we have textbook examples of:</p>
<p>1) Pedal six-four chords: Measures 4 and 6 and measures 17, 19, 21 and 23. (six-four chords in measures 14 and later in measure 46 are known as cadential six-four chords)</p>
<p>2) Italian Augmented Sixth chord (although briefly) in measure 7.</p>
<p>3) Secondary dominants in measures 25 and 27. (Another example to come in measure 42)</p>
<p>4) Secondary leading-tone seventh chord in measure 31.</p>
<p>It occurred to me that that two of the often difficult to understand altered chords, in this case the Neapolitan Sixth and Augmented Sixth chords, can both be thought of as variants of the minor subdominant (iv) chord as they most often function in the same way the subdominant does; as dominant preparation. Try this as a simple way of remembering these two altered chords:</p>
<p>1) Raising the fifth of the minor subdominant one semitone creates the Neapolitan Sixth chord.</p>
<p>2) Raising the root of the minor subdominant one semitone creates the Augmented Sixth chord.</p>
<p>For example in the key of B minor:</p>
<p>E-G-B (iv) becomes E-G-C-natural (Neapolitan Sixth)</p>
<p>E-G-B (iv) becomes E#-G-B (Augmented Sixth)</p>
<p>Following is a return to the first eight bars of the opening material which gives this piece a ternary or ABA feel. This return to the original A section material near the close of the B section creates what is known as a “rounded binary” form. The final eight measures move into the final cadence first deceptively as the dominant resolves to the VI chord (G) in measure forty-four and finally things are wrapped up with our favorite ii-V-I progression in the final four measures. Notice that the ii chord is in first inversion, as it usually is, because in this period the bass line of 4-5-1 rather than 2-5-1 was much more common at a cadence. Remember that the iv and ii chords are interchangeable as they both usually have the same function which is to prepare or precede the dominant.</p>
<p>Sor was such a fine musical craftsman that even his seemingly simple pieces are intricately constructed. Enjoy this study and try it as a duet with the obligato with a friend or a student.</p>
<p>Interesting how the term “obligato” which I assume is related to the word “obligatory” came to be used for a part that is actually optional.</p>
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johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277452013-01-26T19:00:00-05:002020-10-02T07:07:35-04:00Allegro Analysis, BWV 998 by J.S. Bach
<p>The Allegro, BWV 998 by J.S. Bach, was next on my list of things to do. I wanted to work on this before taking on the Fugue. Below is my analysis of this work. I hope you find it useful.</p>
<p>As with the Prelude to this set I used a reduction method which is shown on the lower staff. The idea here is to more or less reduce the piece to its fundamental contrapuntal structure.</p>
<p>Notice again, as in the Prelude, the long descending and ascending step-wise lines in the soprano and bass that are easy to follow in the reduction staff. For example the opening thirty-two bars can be seen essentially as an elaboration of simple descending and ascending D and A major scales.</p>
<p>Part One-Measures 1-32:</p>
<p>Follow the upper voice beginning on the second D above middle C and notice how it first descends an octave into measure three after which it ascends an octave back to where it began (the high D) by measure twelve.</p>
<p>This is the start of an interval pattern (10-5) which takes the D ultimately down to A in measure twenty-one. The A then travels back up to D in measure twenty-four, down to A again in measure twenty-seven, and finally all the way up to the high A in measure thirty-two at the cadence. We can look at this entire section harmonically as a move from tonic to dominant as is typical in most binary forms.</p>
<p>Part Two-Measures 33-96:</p>
<p>We begin in the dominant (A) and immediately return to tonic (D) in measure thirty-six, followed by a transposed restatement of the previous four measures now in the subdominant (G).</p>
<p>The next sixteen bars take us into the supertonic (E minor). Notice again the descending parallel tenths, then thirds, in the reduction staff between the soprano and bass in measures forty-one through forty-eight.</p>
<p>Following in measures forty-nine through fifty-two is another of Bach’s beautiful sequential lines based on descending parallel tenths leading to the cadence in E minor at measure fifty-six.</p>
<p>This E minor harmony is then converted to E major in measure fifty-seven (functioning as the V/V in D major) resolving as it should to A major (V) in measure sixty, which returns us to tonic (D) in measure sixty-four. Notice the ascending parallel tenths that underlie this passage (mm. 57-64) in the reduction staff.</p>
<p>In measures sixty-five through seventy-two Bach inverts the previous soprano line (mm. 57-60) to create this next sequence which is now based on descending parallel tenths (thirds).</p>
<p>Finally Bach gives us two beautiful melodic sequential patterns based on the two interval patterns shown below the reduction staff. The melodic patterns sometimes terminate before the interval pattern does as in the second example (mm. 81-89). In measures seventy-three through seventy-nine we have the interval pattern 10-7 followed by the interval pattern 3-5 in measures eighty-one through eighty-nine. Notice how we end up at the finish of these interval patterns exactly where we started, on the tonic (D) with the same D and F# in the outer voices.</p>
<p>The final section (measures eighty-nine through ninety-six) wrap things up with the additional interesting move to V/IV in measure ninety-four accomplished via the step-wise ascent to C-natural in the soprano shown in the reduction staff.</p>
<p>Harmonically this second part can be seen as having the following harmonic plan:</p>
<p>V-I-IV-ii-V/V-V-I</p>
<p>As a footnote I would like to mention that many sequential patterns are based on what Heinrich Schenker calls <em>linear intervallic patterns</em> or LIPs for short. I have pointed out a few of these in the analysis using numbers below the reduction staff showing the intervals involved.</p>
<p>Of course, as with other contrapuntal analyses, the harmonic designations are what I believe are implied by the counterpoint. You may or may not agree.</p>
<p>There is also a great deal of contrapuntal technique involved with this little piece that I have yet to look into. I am sure I will discover many more amazing things over time as you will too. At least this gives us some basic insight into the genius of Bach’s compositional technique.</p>
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johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277442013-01-03T19:00:00-05:002021-12-28T04:38:04-05:00Prelude Analysis, BWV 998 by J.S. Bach
<p><span style="color:#ffcc33">Purchase and download the complete analysis securely for $5.00 using the link below:</span></p>
<p><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/ZEcbq" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#ffcc33">Buy Prelude Analysis BWV 998 by J.S. Bach</span></a></p>
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<p>The Prelude from J.S. Bach's Prelude, Fugue and Allegro, BWV 998 has always interested me. Actually everything Bach has ever written has always interested me. But since I have only one lifetime (so I think) I will have to select a few of his works for study and this one I think is especially beautiful.</p>
<p>I have set up the analysis using two staves, the upper containing the actual music along with the harmonic analysis using chord symbols and Roman numerals and the lower staff showing the reduction in a way similar to what Heinrich Schenker (1868-1935) would do. As I have said before, Schenker is a strong influence on my analytical technique.</p>
<p>I hope most of the analysis is self explanatory with the use of the pdf file above. I would like to take a closer look at some of the most interesting features.</p>
<p>The most prominent and ingenious feature of this piece can be seen in the reduction staff. Almost the entire piece can be seen and heard as a series of ascending and descending step-wise lines in the soprano and bass. Notice the long step-wise descending line in the upper voice which begins on the high D in measure one and descends (with two, one octave displacements in measures eleven and nineteen) to the B in measure twenty-seven. The bass support for this line is usually a tenth, sometimes a sixth, which descends step-wise right along with it after the pedal point breaks in measure four.</p>
<p>Once the B is reached (third of subdominant) in measure twenty-seven we have a short ascending line moving from the B to the F# in measure thirty (third of tonic) forming another tenth with the bass. This begins the next descent from F# down to C# in measure thirty-three with bass support a tenth below.</p>
<p>An arpeggiation to the high A begins the next descent back to the F# in measure thirty-six. This time the bass ascends step-wise in contrary motion with the soprano voice.</p>
<p>Once this is reached an ascending step-wise line occurs in the soprano along with a descending step-wise line in the bass, taking us to the G and Bb in measure thirty-eight (minor subdominant, a high point harmonically).</p>
<p>After the Bb descends as it should to the A in measure forty, the final step-wise descent begins, taking us from the high A in measure forty all the way down to the final tonic D at the close of the piece (again with octave displacements occurring in measures forty-two and forty-six). The bass this time is a tonic (D) pedal point beginning in measure forty-two through the first half of forty-six with the traditional cadential 4-5-1 bass line occurring at the close.</p>
<p>If possible, play the reduction staff along with a recording of this prelude and you will hear the underlying voice-leading clearly. With a bit of experience this reduction method developed by Schenker will allow you to see and hear this deeper structure which seems to exist in all music by the great composers of the tonal era. For further study please read Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis by Allen Forte and Steven E. Gilbert, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, NY.</p>
<p>The harmonic plan is also quite interesting and a bit unusual. Notice how all closely related keys are touched on in the course of this prelude.</p>
<p>Beginning with tonic (D major) we move into the dominant (A major), then the supertonic (E minor), then the submediant (B minor), the mediant (F# minor) before returning to tonic in measure twenty-three. Notice how these key areas are arranged in descending fourths rather than the more common descending fifths.</p>
<p>We finally get the subdominant key area (G major, measure twenty-four) before the final return to the tonic key in measure twenty-eight in which we stay to the end. This final section contains a most striking harmonic feature, namely the minor subdominant (Gm) in measure thirty-seven and thirty-eight which morphs into an even more striking Neapolitan Sixth chord (Eb/G) in measure thirty-nine.</p>
<p>Then, as if that isn't enough, Bach resolves this Neapolitan Sixth chord in a most unusual way. Rather than moving directly to the dominant (A) he first moves to the V/V (E7) in third inversion with this great appoggiatura in the upper voice on beat one of measure forty. You can see how the two active notes (Bb and Eb) resolve up by half-step to the B-natural and E-natural and the G moves first to A and then resolves to G# to form the V/V. Then of course we finally get the dominant (A7) in the same measure. That is what I call cosmic!</p>
<p>Note: This may be helpful in understanding the function of the Neapolitan Sixth chord. Think of it as a variation of the minor subdominant (iv) chord. Raising the fifth of the minor iv chord one half-step as Bach does will form the Neapolitan Sixth chord. In the key of D major the minor (borrowed) iv chord (G-Bb-D) becomes the Neapolitan Sixth chord by raising the D to Eb (G-Bb-Eb). The Neapolitan Sixth usually prepares or precedes the dominant. This is the reason it is usually in first inversion. The fourth scale degree is in the bass which then moves up to the fifth scale degree (dominant) while the other voices resolve in contrary motion.</p>
<p>This sets up a restatement of the opening two measures beginning in measure forty-two before the final wrap up in the tonic key.</p>
<p>One more note: The m7b5 chord is known more commonly in classical analysis as a half-diminished seventh chord. I prefer to use m7b5 as it is more descriptive of this chord type.</p>
<p>I always find the most interesting and surprising things in Bach's music. I hope you will too. Enjoy this one!</p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277432012-12-08T19:00:00-05:002012-12-09T01:45:03-05:00Silent Night
<p>An arrangement of Silent Night by Franz Gruber (1787-1863). I intended to come up with something fairly easy but the more I play it the trickier it seems to get. I have included tab with this version for the reading impaired. I have nothing against tablature but I would strongly recommend learning standard notation as this will open up a world full of musical masterpieces for you to study and play.</p>
<p>If you enjoy this and want something a bit more challenging please consider purchasing my published arrangement "<a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/two_traditional_christmas_lullabies/" data-imported="1">Two Traditional Christmas Lullabies</a>".</p>
<p>I have included the music in pdf format below along with a recording for your reference. Have a great Holiday and break (students) and let's hope for a better 2013.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482957/silent-night.pdf" data-imported="1">Silent_Night.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href="/files/482958/silentnight.mp3" data-imported="1">SilentNight.mp3</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277182012-09-27T20:00:00-04:002012-09-28T08:02:43-04:00Diatonic 7th Chords-Minor Scales
<p>A short but detailed look at the diatonic seventh chords that are derived from the three forms of the minor scale. These being the following:</p>
<p><strong>A natural (pure) minor:</strong></p>
<p> A B C D E F G A</p>
<p><strong>A harmonic minor:</strong></p>
<p> A B C D E F G# A</p>
<p><strong>A melodic minor:</strong></p>
<p> A B C D E F# G# A</p>
<p>The seventh chords generated by these three scales are as follows:</p>
<p><strong>A natural minor:</strong></p>
<p>(i)Am7 (ii˚)Bm7b5 (III)Cmaj7 (iv)Dm7 (v)Em7 (VI)Fmaj7 (VII)G7</p>
<p><strong>A harmonic minor:</strong></p>
<p>(i)Am(#7) (ii˚)Bm7b5 (III⁺)Cmaj7#5 (iv)Dm7 (V)E7 (VI)Fmaj7 (#vii˚)G#dim7</p>
<p><strong>A melodic minor:</strong></p>
<p>(i)Am(#7) (ii)Bm7 (III⁺)Cmaj7#5 (IV)D7 (V)E7 (#vi˚)F#m7b5 (#vii˚)G#m7b5</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To recycle these seventh chords as rootless ninth chords use the following third relationships:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>1) Substitute the (i) chord with the (III) chord in all forms of the scale which will give us voicings for either a minor9th chord (natural minor) or the exotic m9(#7) in harmonic and melodic minor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2) Substitute the (iv) chord with the (VI) chord in all forms of the scale which gives us rootless voicings for either a minor9th chord (natural and harmonic minor) or a dominant 9th chord in melodic minor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>3) Substitute the (V) chord with the (#vii) chord in harmonic and melodic minor only creating a rootless 7b9 in harmonic minor or a dominant 9th chord in melodic minor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>4) We will leave the (ii) chord alone since this harmony is usually not extended in common practice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The following chart shows voicings for the above chords using the first four strings only beginning with root position and followed by first, second and third inversions. Some are a bit difficult to play, particularly in the lower positions of the fingerboard so take it easy. Practice these voicings in the order shown and make note of the change in quality of the chords as you go from natural minor to harmonic and melodic minor. Then, the next time you encounter a minor(#7) chord or a Major7(#5) for example you will be able to choose a compatible harmonic or melodic minor scale, transposed of course to the key which generates the chord in question.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482956/diatonic7thchordsminorscales.pdf" data-imported="1">Diatonic7thChordsMinorScales.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277172012-08-07T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:16-05:00Gavotte en Rondeau by J.S. Bach, BWV 1006a - An Analysis
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc33">Purchase and download the complete analysis for $5.00 using the link below:</span></p>
<p><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/TRzG" target="_blank" data-imported="1">Buy Gavotte en Rondeau BWV 1006a Analysis</a></p>
<p> <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/TRzG" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/1d4772effce8d787b1caece41c7516ff028dfab2/original/gavotteenrondeau.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDMwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>The Gavotte en Rondeau by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) is undeniably a little masterpiece, and as guitarists we are lucky enough to have a version (possibly arranged for lute) that we can call our own. This version is from Volume forty-two of the Bach Gesellschaft with the note “not for violine”. It is more commonly known now as a dance movement from the Fourth Lute Suite, BWV 1006a. Of course it is even more widely known as a movement from Partita No. 3 for Unaccompanied Violin, BWV 1006.</p>
<p>The Gavotte en Rondeau is formally a theme (mm. 1-8) with a series of “couplets” occurring between each restatement of this theme. This is essentially the structure of any rondo form; a theme that keeps returning with new material interspersed between the recurrences of the theme.</p>
<p>With this piece we have a theme and four couplets which display the main key and all possible closely related keys, or in other words keys that differ from the main key signature by one sharp or flat. Since this piece is in E major the six closely related keys would be:</p>
<p>E major (I)/C# minor (vi)</p>
<p>A major (IV)/F# minor (ii)</p>
<p>B major (V)/G# minor (iii)</p>
<p>Notice how these keys correspond to the diatonic triads within the key of E major, with the exception of (vii) since we cannot have a key based on a diminished triad.</p>
<p>All six keys are represented which I found interesting.</p>
<p>Let’s look into this in more detail.</p>
<p>MM. 1-8. The theme itself in E major.</p>
<p>MM. 8-16. First couplet in C# minor (vi).</p>
<p>MM. 16-24. Restatement of theme in E major (I)</p>
<p>MM. 24-40. Second couplet begins in E major (I) and moves into B major (V) with the cadence in measure forty.</p>
<p>MM. 40-48. Restatement of theme in E major (I).</p>
<p>MM. 48-64. Third couplet begins in A major (IV) and moves into its relative minor (F# minor, ii) with the cadence in measure sixty-four.</p>
<p>MM. 64-72. Restatement of theme in E major (I).</p>
<p>MM. 72-92. Fourth couplet begins in E major (I), moves into C# minor (vi), B Major (V) and finally into the last of the closely related keys (G# minor, iii) with the cadence in measure ninety-two.</p>
<p>MM. 92-100. Final restatement of main theme in E major (I).</p>
<p>A few other points of interest:</p>
<p>MM. 26-32. I have indicated with brackets the descending parallel tenths that are the underlying structure of this passage, first in the tonic (E) and then in the dominant (B), rather than label possible harmonies.</p>
<p>MM. 60-62. I indicated the descending parallel 7-6 suspensions that generate this passage. This is a favorite contrapuntal device of many Baroque composers and is still in common use today, at least in tonal composition. The C in parentheses at the opening of measure sixty (middle voice) is not in the original score but is considered implied and would then, with the A above, begin the series of descending sixths.</p>
<p>MM. 74-76. Here I indicate the ascending parallel sixths of this passage.</p>
<p>MM. 86-88. Descending thirds, which could actually begin in measure eighty-five with the B and D#, form the underlying structure of this passage.</p>
<p>Please refer to the pdf above which contains the complete harmonic analysis using traditional Roman numeral analysis as well as lead-sheet style chord designations, which to me seems a more practical system for most guitarists.</p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277162012-07-19T20:00:00-04:002014-02-27T07:45:05-05:00What would Bill Evans Do?
<p>I was listening to a recording of Bill Evans (1929-1980) accompanying Tony Bennett (b. 1926) and thought how wonderful it would be if I could back up a vocalist like he does, but of course using the guitar. My goal was to transcribe the accompaniment to “Young and Foolish” by Horwitt and Hague in a way that maintained the changes and voicings Evans used but was playable on guitar. The changes to this tune are rather generic so the techniques learned from this example could easily be applied to many tunes with similar changes. I am happy with the results so far. At least I know it works well with the vocal although I am not 100% sure of the changes. I am certain this will be an evolving transcription as I hear more and more each time I listen. Evans was known for his fantastically creative use of chord substitution and embellishment and this is certainly no exception. It would be best to find a basic lead-sheet version of this tune and compare it to this transcription. Notice how Evans thinks melodically and sometimes contrapuntally while comping. Some of my favorite examples are in measures twenty-three where the bass and melody are moving in contrary motion, measures twenty-seven and twenty-eight where we have the beautiful descending/ascending lines and the harmonization in measure twenty-nine and thirty.</p>
<p>I included a couple of the fills Evans used where possible (measures twelve and sixteen). Diagrams are used to aid in the reading. This was not at all easy for me. I really struggled with a lot of the harmony and I am sure there will be some revision as I said earlier. I think you will enjoy this, I know I did. It should give you lots of ideas in terms of what can be done with what originally was a simple tune with simple changes.</p>
<p>Let’s examine what Evans does in detail. Download the pdf at the bottom of page containing the basic changes as well as Evans’ changes and follow along.</p>
<p>Measure 1: Evans introduces the secondary leading-tone diminished seventh chord (G#dim7 or vii/vi).</p>
<p>Measure 2: The tritone sub Ab13 replaces the Dm7 (ii) functioning as a V/V substitute.</p>
<p>Measure 3: Rather than simply staying on the tonic, Evans uses the altered dominant (G7alt) on the second half of the measure before moving to the Gm7 in measure four.</p>
<p>Measure 4: The ii-V of F major is maintained with the exception of the tritone sub for C7 (Gb13) on the fourth beat.</p>
<p>Measures 5-6: The original is a standard move from F to D minor through the use of a ii-V-i in D minor. Evans does a most interesting progression in which he first moves from F to B7#9 (dominant of E minor), then to the tritone sub for E minor (Bb13) before finally reaching the A7 or dominant of D minor in measure six.</p>
<p>Measure 7: Where the original is a simple Dm7, Evans enhances this with a ii-V which includes the tritone sub for the ii (Bb7).</p>
<p>Measures 8-9: Instead of the original G7 to C, Evans introduces B7 to temporarily move into E minor (iii) as a substitute for the tonic C (I).</p>
<p>Measures 10-14: Similar to the original with the move into the relative minor (Am). I like the use of the B13 (V/V of A minor) on the first beat of measure ten. Measures thirteen and fourteen include one of my favorite devices for introducing motion into static harmony in which the lower voice moves under the sustained A minor harmony (B-A-G#-G). Evans does this with variation as well as introducing a complementary moving upper voice in measure fourteen which I find most appealing. </p>
<p>Measures 15-16: The basic ii-V is enhanced with the use of another tritone sub for the V/V (Ab7) in measure fifteen.</p>
<p>Measures 17-24: A restatement of the first eight measures with slight variation. My absolute favorite being the elaboration of the D minor harmony in measures twenty-three and twenty-four where Evans uses contrary motion in the outer voices as well as introducing the dominant (A7) along with its V/V tritone sub (Bb7).</p>
<p>Measures 25-28: Very much as the original with the exception of the temporary move to E minor, as he did earlier, in measure twenty-four to twenty-five. I also love the ascending line as an elaboration of the D9 harmony in measure twenty-eight.</p>
<p>Measures 29-32: A classic Bill Evans turnaround in which the melody is harmonized using three tritone subs (Bb9, Eb9 and Ab7b5) substituting for the E7 (V/vi), A7 (V/ii) and D7 (V/V) respectively.</p>
<p>This makes a great study in chord substitution and embellishment which I hope will greatly enhance your accompaniment (comping) skills. I know I learned a lot from this acknowledged master of the art.</p>
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<p><a href="/files/482955/billevanschanges.pdf" data-imported="1">BillEvansChanges.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277152012-07-09T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:15-05:00Torroba Sonatina (First Movement) Analysis of Sonata Form
<p>Federico Moreno Torroba’s (1891-1982) <span style="text-decoration:underline">Sonatina</span> in A major is certainly a staple in the repertory for classical guitar. Although a twentieth century composition, the harmonic language is more characteristic of late nineteenth century and as a consequence lends itself nicely to traditional harmonic analysis.</p>
<p>The work consists of three movements. I will examine the first. Since this music is still under copyright protection my analysis does not include the complete score as was possible with the Sor, Tarrega and Carcassi works. Instead I have included the harmonic analysis only, with cue notes on the first beat of each measure so it will be possible to easily follow along with your published score.</p>
<p>Let’s get right to it and discuss the harmonic and formal points of interest.</p>
<p>The form is ternary, A-B-A, and follows a condensed sonata form, hence Sonatina:</p>
<p>A: <span style="text-decoration:underline">Exposition</span> (mm. 1-30) consisting of a main theme section in the tonic key of A major (mm. 1-16) and a secondary theme subsection (mm. 17-30) in the dominant key of E major.</p>
<p>B: <span style="text-decoration:underline">Development</span> (mm. 33-60) where most of the really interesting harmony appears.</p>
<p>A: <span style="text-decoration:underline">Recapitulation</span> (mm. 61-100) in which the main theme and secondary theme are restated but this time both appear in the tonic key of A major.</p>
<p>The A section (exposition) contains some interesting harmonic features:</p>
<p>1) The extensive use of the augmented sixth chord (Gr+6). Torroba’s spelling of the chord is not always consistent. Sometimes it is spelled as an augmented sixth chord and other times as a dominant seventh. Many times this makes sense in the context of the voice-leading, as in measure six where the parallel descending chromatic sixths occur between the upper two voices. In this context using Eb rather than D# in the spelling of the augmented sixth chord is clearer since this voice moves down by half-step to the D-natural (seventh) in the following E7 chord rather than the traditional resolution up one half-step to E. This would be typical of the way this harmony, known as the “tritone substitution”, is used in jazz. The spelling discrepancies could also be due to editorial changes as I have seen different spellings in different editions.</p>
<p>2) The implied and direct use of extended harmonic structures (7<sup>th</sup>, 9<sup>th</sup>, 11<sup>th</sup> and 13<sup>th</sup> chords). Also notice the chord of the added sixth (D6) in measures ten and twelve.</p>
<p>The B section (development) of course contains the most adventurous harmonic content and was the most difficult to determine an analysis that made sense.</p>
<p>1) The high E in measure thirty-two that is sustained into measure thirty-three serves as a common tone to bridge the two distant keys of A major and C major. This is usually referred to as a “common-tone modulation”. Since the chord of emphasis is E minor I also indicated E Phrygian as a modal key in this section (mm. 33-36).</p>
<p>2) The next section (mm. 37-47) was the most puzzling. I had trouble understanding the function of the half-diminished seventh chords (m7b5). The key turned out to be thinking of them as rootless dominant ninth chords as you commonly do in jazz harmony. The progression then made perfect sense as a series of dominants V/V to V to I in G major (V of C major).</p>
<p>3) In measure forty-eight we get an unexpected and beautiful chromatic modulation to E major where the G7 chord does not resolve to C as we would expect. If we examine the voice-leading here we can see that the note G moves up one half-step to G# and the note F moves down one half-step to E (with the note B as a common-tone) to form the E major triad. The dominant pedal-point “B” (mm. 48-51) is also noteworthy.</p>
<p>3) The return to tonic is accomplished with the introduction of the augmented sixth chord (Gr+6) in measure fifty-two which changes the function of the E major triad from tonic to dominant. This return to A major is further reinforced with the introduction of the D major triad (retrogression) in measure fifty-five.</p>
<p>The final A section (recapitulation) with short coda added brings back the main theme and secondary theme in the tonic (A major) as stated earlier.</p>
<p>1) Notice the basic transposition of the harmony of the secondary theme or subsection from dominant (E major) to tonic (A major).</p>
<p>2) The short coda (mm. 91-100) ties things up in the tonic key. The D major triad (IV) in first inversion in measure eighty-nine to the German augmented sixth chord in measure ninety, incorporating a chromatically descending bass line (F#-F-and finally E in measure ninety-one), strongly prepares the dominant to begin the coda. Remember that the tonic in second inversion in a cadential context is dominant with a double appoggiatura.</p>
<p>The first movement of the Sonatina in A major is a textbook example of sonata form with which most guitarists are familiar. Use it as a model for understanding sonata form in larger works by the great composers of the eighteenth and nineteenth century as well as many examples, like this one, written in the twentieth!</p>
<p>Please see the pdf file below which contains the analysis in score form.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482954/sonatinaanalysis.pdf" data-imported="1">SonatinaAnalysis.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277142012-06-27T20:00:00-04:002023-02-05T00:49:31-05:00The Girl from Ipanema (Bridge) Decoded<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/21b17a1c04bc5d2cebf947e45b2c7454e3360fc7/original/girlfromipanema.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDI0MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="240" width="500" /></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gum.co/PXudq" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to securely purchase and download the PDF of complete bridge analysis for $2.00</span></a></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bridge from the tune “Girl from Ipanema” by Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994) has long been a source of discussion concerning the workings of the harmony. I have often wondered myself about how it works and decided to take a crack at an explanation. I and others have probably played this tune thousands of times throughout the years and managed to do a decent solo as the scale choices are clear enough, but how do these chords function harmonically? What is their relationship to the home key? They seem at first to be a rather random harmonic progression but as you will see this is not the case.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Melodically it is clear that we have four four measure phrases. The first three phrases are simply transposed restatements (sequential repetitions) of the material in the first four measures:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>1) Measures 1-4 (F# Major)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2) Measures 5-8 (E Major)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>3) Measures 9-12 (F Major) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The last four bars are a turnaround based on a second two bar melodic sequence. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, no problem so far melodically. What makes this section so compelling is the harmony. Here is what I think is going on:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jobim simply decides to move up one half-step to begin the bridge (F major to F# major). </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He then, as is fairly typical of many tunes, converts the tonic (F#Maj7) to minor (F#m7) creating what is now a functional ii chord as is confirmed by the move to the V (B7). I did take the liberty of introducing the F#m7 early as shown with parentheses to make the harmony clearer. This was a missing part of the puzzle for me and may be in the original since we all know the jazz changes we are accustomed to can sometimes be different. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This now moves the key to E major and is the start of a common variation of the turnaround progression: </p>
<p> </p>
<p>F#m7 (ii) Am7 (iv) D7 (bVII) in which two “borrowed chords” (iv and bVII) are utilized. These are referred to as “borrowed” because they are borrowed from the parallel minor key of E minor in this case. These are two of the most commonly found altered chords and occur in many tunes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jobim could have completed the turnaround as follows: </p>
<p> </p>
<p>F#m7 (ii) Am7 (iv) D7 (bVII) G#m7 (iii) C#7 (V/ii) F#m7 (ii) B7 (V) EMaj7 (I) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But, he needed to get back to the home key of F major and in order to do that he cut short the turnaround at the point of the D7 chord, changing its function from a bVII to a true dominant function (in this case a secondary dominant, V/ii) in F major to begin the completed turnaround progression he had earlier cut short:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gm7 (ii) Bbm7 (iv) Eb7 (bVII) Am7 (iii) D7 (V/ii) Gm7 (ii) C7 (V) </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This of course brings us back to the home key and the restatement of the “A” section. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Please download the pdf above as this should help clarify things. I would be very interested to know if anyone has the original score to see exactly how Jobim wrote this bridge. The chords in parentheses may or may not be in the original. This shouldn’t change my analysis in any way as it is quite common for harmonies to be present through implication only.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277132012-05-16T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:13-05:00Lágrima/Adelita, Tárrega - An Analysis
<p>In an effort to look into some less demanding music that still displays interesting harmony, I will now turn my attention to two of the best known little pieces written for the guitar; namely Lágrima and Adelita by Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909).</p>
<p>These two brief pieces contain quite a bit of interesting music and I was surprised to discover some interesting details that I completely overlooked in the last thirty or forty years of playing them. As a matter of fact everything I have looked into so far has been a revelation in some respect.</p>
<p>The following will summarize the points of interest harmonically as well as melodically.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration:underline">Lágrima</span></p>
<p>The form is ternary (ABA) and is very clearly defined by the parallel key relationships of E major for the first eight measures, followed by E minor for the second eight and the return to E major through the restatement of the A section for the final eight measures.</p>
<p>Parallel tenths alternately define the tonic and dominant harmonies in the first four measures as shown in the reduction staff.</p>
<p>Measures five through eight consists melodically of a descending E major scale supported again by parallel tenths and sixths but in a much less obvious way. In this case the melodic line is not always on the beat, as in measure six where the A is not heard until the second half of beat three and in measure seven where the F# is heard on the second half of beat two and would be best sustained over the third beat since the D# on the second half of beat three is actually part of an ascending middle voice (C#-D#-E). The reduction makes this clear. Notice how the tenths in measure five are converted to sixths in measure six through the change in direction of the lower voice. Also notice the descending chromatic voice in measure seven that generates the secondary dominant (V/V).</p>
<p>Measures nine through sixteen (B section) is in the parallel minor key of E minor and is quite straightforward. The reduction staff shows the basic voice-leading. Notice how the ascending tenths in measure thirteen continue into measure fourteen with the A dropping down an octave and the C occurring a bit late (second half of beat one). Also notice the actual voice-leading of measure fifteen in the reduction staff in which the F# on beat two is the melody and the notes that follow are again part of an inner voice which descends to the G of the tonic chord in measure sixteen.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-decoration:underline">Adelita</span></p>
<p>I think this one is the more interesting of the two. The form is the same with the key relationships reversed this time.</p>
<p>The A section (mm. 1-8) reduces melodically to a descending E minor scale with the interesting twist of including the raised seventh (D#) as well as the natural seventh (D-natural) scale degree in the descent as shown in the reduction staff. Also present in measures three and seven is the augmented dominant seventh chord (B7#5). This harmony can be shown as a product of the occurrence of an accented passing tone (G) between the seventh of the chord (A) and the fifth (F#) as shown in the reduction staff. Whether or not this chord is a stand-alone harmonic structure is debatable. Usually it occurs, as this one does, in the context of an accented passing tone. Its function is almost always dominant.</p>
<p>The B section (mm. 9-16) contains two interesting harmonic features:</p>
<p>1) The secondary dominant (V/V) F#7 chord that is heard in measure eleven that is missing the all important third (A#). I think you will agree that the implied harmony here is clearly a dominant seventh chord even without the third being present. It would make the execution of the ornamental mordent figure difficult and I am sure that is the reason for the omission.</p>
<p>2) The Italian augmented sixth chord heard in measure fourteen. A rather dramatic moment that should be savored (explains the inclusion of the fermata). As usual this harmony prepares the dominant as it does in this case with the resolution of the augmented sixth interval (C-A#) in contrary motion to octave B’s. Note harmonically that the tonic 6-4 chord (dominant with a double appoggiatura or suspension depending on the context) precedes the true dominant as it often does at cadences.</p>
<p>These pieces contain some nice examples of basic harmony as well as a few more advanced features like secondary dominants, augmented chords and the often difficult to understand augmented sixth chord. By associating these concepts with real music with which almost all guitarists are familiar should make them more comprehensible. It is always better to associate theory with practice when possible. The pdf below contains the score and analysis.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/0d343380ff21b07e29064187f1559c3abbb0b83d/original/lagrimaanalysis.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE2MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="160" width="450" /> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/1c34856ef723fe42a0ab61a683424bf19088176a/original/adelitaanalysis.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDUweDE2OSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="169" width="450" /></p>
<p><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/wBBOr" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#ffcc00">To purchase and download the complete analysis securely for $5.00 click here.</span></a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277122012-05-10T20:00:00-04:002012-05-11T01:57:33-04:00ii-V-I Progressions Using Seventh Chord Inversions
<p>As promised, a follow-up on the recent article concerning <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/7th_chord_inversions/" data-imported="1">7<sup>th</sup> chord inversions</a>. This time the inversions and root position voicings are put into the context of ii-V-I progressions in both major and minor keys implementing the closest possible voice-leading according to the following procedure:</p>
<p>1) When moving from ii to V, the two common tones are maintained and the remaining two tones descend by step to the nearest chord tone in the new harmony.</p>
<p>2) When moving from V to I in major keys the two common tones are maintained and the remaining two tones descend by step.</p>
<p>3) When moving from V to i in minor keys the one common tone is maintained and the three remaining tones descend by step.</p>
<p>You may notice that we could maintain the leading-tone (raised seventh scale degree) when moving from the dominant (V) to the tonic (i) in minor keys giving us a minor/major seventh chord as our tonic which would be acceptable in jazz harmony. I chose to resolve to the more conventional minor seventh chord.</p>
<p>It is also interesting to note this pattern of alternating common tones and moving tones in which the common tones between the ii and V become the moving tones between V and I, and the moving tones between the ii and V become the common tones between V and I.</p>
<p>I use the same string sets as I did with the 7<sup>th</sup> chord inversion table to form these voicings, but again this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to chord voicings on the guitar.</p>
<p>The root position voicings as well as all three inversions of the ii, V and I chords are contained in each eight measure exercise. I did not include the diminished seventh chord since, due to its symmetrical structure, all inversions are equivalent. You may want to incorporate this diminished seventh as a rootless dominant seventh b9 chord (7b9). This can very easily be derived from the dominant seventh chord voicing by locating the root of the chord and moving it up one half-step (semitone). This will convert the dominant seventh chord to a diminished seventh and it will now function as a rootless 7b9 chord.</p>
<p>Of course some of these voicings will be a bit high to play comfortably on an acoustic guitar so feel free to drop them an octave as needed.</p>
<p>Once again I have discovered many new and useful voicings in this exercise and hopefully you will as well. A pdf file containing the voicings using notation and diagrams is below.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482953/2-5-1-inversions.pdf" data-imported="1">2_5_1_Inversions.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277112012-04-27T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:12-05:00Fernando Sor Op. 29, Study 22 - An Analysis
<p>Study 22 from Fernando Sor's Op. 29 set of studies for guitar (study 18 in the Segovia collection) is unusual in that it is in the key of E-flat major. There are very few pieces for guitar that are written in this key for obvious reasons. As with Sor's study 13 in B-flat major from this same set we have the similar challenge of playing smoothly with fewer open strings at our disposal. I have always avoided this study until now for those reasons. Musically it is top notch as with most everything Sor composes. Let's take a look at some of the interesting features.</p>
<p>The edition I used for this analysis is a 1924 edition published by N. Simrock, Berlin.</p>
<p>As you can see from the analysis this study contains some rather dense and complex harmony usually associated with some sort of chromatic voice-leading. The two most complex harmonic passages occur in measures 29-30 and in measures 80-81. If you play only the outer two voices in measures 29-30 you will hear the interval pattern that generates the harmony. Usually it involves a pattern of a tritone resolving to a third (tenth) in contrary motion. The one exception is the perfect fifth (D-A) in the outer voices on the last eighth of measure twenty-nine (D7) resolving deceptively up one half-step to Eb major before the pattern resumes again, ultimately ending where it began on Bb major in measure thirty-one. Notice the use of secondary leading-tone diminished seventh chords as well as secondary dominants.</p>
<p>The second sequence (measures 80-81) is even more complex. Sor starts with three descending tenths, the middle one (Gb-Bb) being chromatically altered to form a minor tonic (i). This Gb is not found in the Segovia version, at least not in my edition. This is followed by the tritone to third (tenth) sequence with the final tritone at the end of measure eighty-one resolving outward in contrary motion to a sixth to ultimately bring us to the F minor (ii) chord. This F minor in first inversion prepares the dominant (Bb) leading to the cadence in Eb major (tonic) in measure eighty-three. Again notice the extensive use of secondary leading-tone diminished seventh chords as well as secondary dominants.</p>
<p>A couple of other things to note harmonically are the common-tone diminished seventh chords that are heard in measures twenty-one, fifty-five and seventy-two and the augmented triads in measures twenty-one, fifty-seven and seventy-two. These chords are always best understood as a product of chromatic voice-leading. You can easily see the chromatic voice-leading in these passages as Sor is always aware of the way in which the voices move according to the conventions of counterpoint handed down by J.J. Fux and J.S. Bach. I think you will agree that measures fifty-two through fifty-nine are really a prolongation of the dominant (Bb) as indicated, with the chords in parentheses functioning as passing tones.</p>
<p>The form is ternary A-B-A (coda) as is typical of many of Sor's longer studies. The A section (mm. 1-40) is defined harmonically with the move from tonic (Eb) to a cadence on the dominant (Bb).</p>
<p>The B section (mm. 41-59) is somewhat developmental in that we have more keys represented including the supertonic key of F minor. You can see from the analysis that harmonically we have essentially a big ii-V progression with the section ending with the dominant prolongation discussed earlier before returning to the A section with the resolution to tonic in measure sixty.</p>
<p>The final A section (measure sixty to the end) begins with a restatement of the opening six bars with the seventh and eighth bars modified to avoid the tonic cadence in order to begin a coda section on the dominant in measure sixty-eight concluding with the final cadence on the tonic.</p>
<p>There were some discrepancies between the Segovia edition and the edition I used for this analysis. First as mentioned earlier the Gb in measure eighty of my edition is a G-natural in Segovia’s. Secondly, I also noticed the E-natural on the final eighth note of measure eighty-one (soprano) is an Eb in the Segovia edition and seems to be fingered as such changing the harmony from Edim7 to Eb7 which could still resolve to F minor but less emphatically. Thirdly, the Ab’s in the middle voice in measures forty-two and forty-four are changed to A natural in the Segovia version changing the harmony from F minor to F major which is clearly wrong as F minor is certainly the implied key with the inclusion of the Db at the end of measure forty-two. Curiously the A-natural is followed with an Ab in the soprano in measure forty-four, beat two of the Segovia edition. Evidently all these discrepancies have been discovered and corrected by others including David Tanenbaum whose recording of this study is true to what I believe Sor intended.</p>
<p>All in all a very interesting piece well worth the effort. I hope you agree. The pdf file below contains the analysis. Thanks for reading and enjoy the piece.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482952/sorop29study22.pdf" data-imported="1">SorOp29Study22.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277102012-04-25T20:00:00-04:002021-03-02T06:01:49-05:007th Chord Inversions
<p>This was a project that was long overdue for me; a chart showing the five basic seventh chords in root position and in three inversions. To review, the three possible inversions of a seventh chord are:</p>
<ul>
<li>First inversion (third of chord in bass)</li>
<li>Second inversion (fifth of chord in bass)</li>
<li>Third inversion (seventh of chord in bass) </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>For consistency I begin with a root position major seventh chord with root located on the sixth, fifth and fourth strings. Then, maintaining the same string sets, I move to the first, second and third inversion voicings by moving each chord tone of my initial root position voicing to the next nearest chord tone of my inversions. For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>GMaj7, root position (voicing G F# B D) moves to:</li>
<li>GMaj7, first inversion (voicing B G D F#) which moves to:</li>
<li>GMaj7, second inversion (voicing D B F# G) and so on. </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>I continue this pattern through all five basic seventh chords using three different string sets. Of course these voicings are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to seventh chords and inversions, but I thought these were some of the most practical as they are commonly used and for the most part comfortable to play.</p>
<p>When going through these I found quite a few new voicings as I always do. You would think I would have seen it all by now, yet I find new voicings nearly every day! Work on these for a bit and we will put them into the context of ii-V-I progressions next, using good smooth voice-leading. The pdf file below shows the voicings with notation and diagrams.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482951/7thchordinversions.pdf" data-imported="1">7thChordInversions.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277092012-04-19T20:00:00-04:002012-04-20T06:31:01-04:00Carcassi Op. 60, Study 22 - An Analysis
<p>Matteo Carcassi’s Study 22 from his Op. 60 set of studies for guitar is another good example of a single line of music with strong harmonic implications. Also of interest here is how Carcassi uses melodic motives for development and unification.</p>
<p>Let’s start with the melodic line. The A section (measures 1-8) is clearly made up mainly of arpeggios which outline the harmony as shown.</p>
<p>The B section (measures 9-26) contains the most interesting melodic features based on three related embellishment figures:</p>
<p>1) The “turn” which is a four note figure where the harmonic tone is preceded by a note a step above, then the harmonic tone, followed by a note a step below (many times chromatically altered) before returning to the harmonic tone. Please see the bracketed figure in measure ten for example. Also note the “inverted turn” as seen beginning at the pick-up to measure nine.</p>
<p>2) “Changing tones” where the harmonic tone is followed by its lower and upper neighbor notes before returning to the harmonic tone. See bracketed figure at the end of measure thirteen into measure fourteen.</p>
<p>3) Chromatic lower neighbor note figures such as those seen in measures 18, 20, 21, 22 and 23 that embellish the root or fifth of the chord. These are the three note figure shown within the brackets.</p>
<p>It’s easy to see how the lower neighbor note figure is part of the “turn”. The “changing tones” are just a slight variation of the turn with the only difference being the location of the harmonic tone. The clever rhythmic placement of these various figures is what I find interesting. Sometimes they occur on strong beats but many times they are buried within the rhythmic pulse as in measures thirteen through seventeen. </p>
<p>Harmonically the most interesting feature is the somewhat unusual move into the mediant key of E minor at the cadence in measure eight and also during the second section in measures seventeen through twenty-four where I hear the B major (with its leading-tone diminished seventh chord) as the dominant of E minor which never resolves. Instead Carcassi decides to return to tonic through a clever manipulation of the B major triad by first changing the D# to D-natural and finally changing the F# to F-natural (measure 26) to create the G7 chord (dominant of C major) preparing the return of the A section in measure twenty-seven, which concludes with the cadence in the tonic key this time. Notice how the same diminished seventh chord (measure six and measure thirty-two) can have two different functions. In measure six it is heard as a leading-tone diminished seventh of E minor and in measure thirty-two it is heard as a leading-tone diminished seventh of G. Remember that the tonic 6/4 chord that occurs just before the G (V) in measure thirty-two is interpreted as dominant harmony with a double appoggiatura (6-5 and 4-3). So the diminished seventh chord preceding this tonic 6/4 chord is not considered a common-tone diminished seventh but a functional leading-tone diminished seventh moving to G.</p>
<p>I consider this an equal opportunity analysis since this study is excellent for classical and or pick technique development. The pdf file below contains the score and analysis.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482950/carcassistudy22analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">CarcassiStudy22Analysis.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277082012-04-10T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:11-05:00Las Abejas (The Bees) by Barrios - An Analysis
<p>Las Abejas (The Bees) by Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944) is another well known and widely performed work in the repertory of the classical guitar. Once again my intention is to gain insight into this work through analysis. In many ways this composition is similar to the Bach minuets for solo ‘cello discussed earlier in that we have a single line, for the most part, that has strong harmonic and contrapuntal implications. I have used the reduction method to show what I believe are the important structural tones as well as the voice-leading within the multi-voice texture implied by this single line.</p>
<p>Most everything should be clear from the analysis itself but there are a few things that need clarification. </p>
<p>A short introduction precedes section one (measures 3-18). This section is defined harmonically by its move from the tonic (D minor) to the relative major (F) at the cadence in measure eighteen. This is very typical of many pieces in minor keys, as we have seen in the second minuet from BWV 1007 by Bach as well as many others. </p>
<p>Section two (mm. 19-36) is where the most adventurous harmonic content occurs characterized by two sections of chromatic harmony which is worth discussing in a bit more detail. Beginning in measure twenty-two is a long chromatic descent in the bass from the D, which actually is first heard in the bass at the opening of section two as a pedal point, to the low G in measure twenty-six. This chromatic bass line is supported with parallel chromatic tenths as is shown in the four part reduction beginning in measure twenty-three through measure twenty-six. I have also shown the voice-leading in the remaining two voices. This generates the harmonies shown with the most interesting feature being the passing diminished seventh chords that chromatically connect the diatonic harmonies with one interesting exception; the G major (IV) chord in measure twenty-four. One way of looking at this is in terms of borrowing a chord from the parallel major key of D major. The B natural in the bass is of course part of the chromatic bass line which is the most important feature to note. Also note the common-tone diminished seventh chord (CT) that occurs in measure twenty-five. The actual common tone (D) is not present as the passing-tone E in the soprano has not yet resolved. It finally does in measure twenty-six. I show the D in parentheses in the reduction. </p>
<p>The ultimate goal of this descent is the ii chord (Em7b5) in first inversion to prepare the dominant (A7) in D minor. This is where Barrios brings in what I think is the most interesting and clever progression in the piece. Where we expect to hear the tonic (D minor) in measure thirty-three we get a C7 chord in third inversion (Bb bass) which we might think is some sort of diversion into a new key. It turns out it is part of a chromatic ascending bass line beginning with the A in measure thirty-two and ending on the C# in measure thirty-six. Along with this chromatic ascending bass is a descending chromatic soprano line beginning in measure thirty-two with the C# and ending with the A in measure thirty-six. The two inner voices (E and G) remain stationary. Ultimately we get this beautiful prolongation of the dominant where we start with A7 in measure thirty-two and finally return to it in measure thirty-six. The harmonies shown between the two dominants (A7) are only a byproduct of this voice-leading and are nonfunctional.</p>
<p>I also always like to point out the augmented sixth chords as they are a bit difficult to understand. There is only one in this piece and it occurs in measure twenty-two as shown, slightly unusual in that it is in an inversion. Usually the augmented sixth interval, in this case Bb to G#, is in the outer two voices which then resolve in contrary motion to octave A’s. In this case the D is in the bass which begins the chromatic descending bass discussed earlier. </p>
<p>After the return to the A section a short coda closes the piece.</p>
<p>That’s about it; a great little piece that is as much fun to play as it is to hear. I hope you find this useful. The analysis is below.</p>
<p> <a href="/files/482949/lasabejas.pdf" data-imported="1">LasAbejas.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277072012-03-31T20:00:00-04:002021-04-22T09:25:06-04:00Cello Suite 1 BWV 1007 Minuets 1 & 2, J.S. Bach - Analysis
<p>I decided to take a look at the Minuets from the first <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/cello_suite_no1_bwv_1007_by_js_bach_arr_by_john_hall/" data-imported="1">‘Cello Suite, BWV 1007 by J.S. Bach</a>. Since most guitarists play transcriptions of this suite I thought it might be interesting to examine the harmonic implications of a single line of music. I used the original ‘cello version because it consists of a single line with the exception of the chord in measure four. I also transposed it to D major since that seems to be the key most guitarists play it in.</p>
<p>Bach or course was the master of writing single lines that implied harmony as well as counterpoint. It wasn’t too difficult to determine most of the implied harmony. There were a few exceptions where there could be many possible solutions and hopefully I picked a good one.</p>
<p>The most difficult for me to determine were the cadential harmonies in measures fifteen, twenty-three, thirty-nine and forty-seven for example. Here we could have many possible interpretations. For instance, in measure twenty-three I hear three distinct harmonies implied. I decided the A (beat one), the D (beat two) and the C# (second half of beat three) were the important soprano chord tones. These I show in my first reduction staff. The other tones are either appoggiaturas (C#, resolving to D), implied passing tones (F#, passing between G and E, although the E is also implied) or a bass note (low A).</p>
<p>I also struggled with the opening four measures of Minuet II. It is clear that we have descending parallel tenths in the outer voices beginning on the tonic and ending on the dominant. What puzzled me was the choice of the inner voice. In measure one I am certain the A on the second half of beat two is the chord tone and the Bb is an upper neighbor, moving back to A in measure two. Measure three was the real problem; is the F on the second half of beat two the chord tone or is it the G on beat three? I decided to hear the F as the chord tone and hear the G as a passing tone between the F in measure three and the A in measure four as shown in the harmonic reduction staff. This also takes care of the parallel fifths that would occur in the upper two voices if G were the chord tone in measure three. I suppose this is one reason Bach’s music is so interesting to listen to as it can be heard in different ways.</p>
<p>This is basically how I approached the entire analysis. The first reduction staff shows what I think are the important structural tones and the second reduction staff is the implied harmonic content.</p>
<p>I want to mention a few things concerning the harmonic rhythm. You can see that for the most part the rate of harmonic change is one chord (sometimes two) per measure until we get close to a cadence at which time the harmonic rhythm increases to the rate of one chord per beat (three per measure). This is consistent throughout the piece and is consistent with most of Bach’s music that I have examined. It’s as if he is signaling a cadence is coming through this increase in the harmonic rhythm.</p>
<p>The Roman numeral analysis shows how these chords function within a key as well as showing the different key areas that are contained within the piece and how they relate to the main key. From this we can see the typical move to the dominant (V) at the cadence of the first section (measure eight) of Minuet I as well as the move into the submediant key area (vi) in the second section before the return to tonic at the close.</p>
<p>In Minuet II we begin in the parallel minor (D minor) and move to the dominant at the cadence of the first section and, as is also typical, move from D minor to the relative major (F) in the second section before returning to tonic (D minor) for the close. </p>
<p>You can’t beat Bach when it comes to harmony and counterpoint. This is why his music has always been the model for the development of tonal music theory. Enjoy these minuets and let me know what you think. The score with the reduction and analysis is below.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GYQKRDX9ZUXRL" target="_blank" data-imported="1">Click here to support this site.</a></p>
<p><a href="/files/482948/cellosuite1bwv1007minuets.pdf" data-imported="1">CelloSuite1BWV1007Minuets.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277062012-03-25T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:10-05:00Reduction Analysis - Carcassi Op. 60, Study 9
<p>I was first introduced to the ideas of Heinrich Schenker (1868-1935) as a graduate music student. His technique of musical analysis completely changed my way of looking at music. Although his ideas and graphic analyses can be rather complex and difficult to comprehend without a great deal of preliminary study, one important concept stands out. This concept is his idea of reduction analysis in which a composition from the tonal era can always be reduced down through a series of structural levels to its bare essentials, ultimately boiling down to a I-V-I progression which supports a descending soprano line which begins on a tonic triad member (third, fifth or octave) and ends on the tonic itself.</p>
<p>I decided to utilize this reduction technique in my analysis of Matteo Carcassi’s Study 9 from his very well known <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/twenty_five_melodious_and_progressive_studies_op_60_by_matteo_carcassi_edited_by_john_hall/" data-imported="1">Op. 60</a> set of studies for guitar. This is by no means a full blown Schenkerian analysis. It is just a basic reduction of a composition to its essential contrapuntal underpinnings; what Schenker calls a structural level. In other words I have stripped away the nonessential components and laid out the skeletal structure of the piece. Let’s take a look at a few examples to clarify this.</p>
<p>In measure one the chromatic lower neighbor notes (B# and D#) as well as the upper neighbors (F on beat two and B on beat four) are eliminated as they are considered nonessential structurally, leaving only the tones of the tonic triad. Since much of the piece is based on this neighbor note idea I have reduced all measures containing this figure in a similar way.</p>
<p>Scale passages such as ones occurring in measures two, four, seven and eight for example are also reduced to the essential structural tones since scales are considered as passing tones between structural tones.</p>
<p>The end result is a nice little two-part (mainly, I did include a third part sometimes to clarify voice-leading and the harmony) counterpoint that is quite satisfying in itself. It is certainly no stretch to hear the piece in this way. It also gives us great insight into compositional technique, in which a simple contrapuntal structure is elaborated upon to produce a complete composition.</p>
<p>Harmonically the piece is straightforward. I would like to point out a few interesting features; first of all the key relationships. Carcassi moves us from E major (dominant key area) to C major/A minor (parallel minor) in measure seventeen directly through the use of a tone that is shared by both keys, E in this case. This is usually referred to as a common-tone modulation in which a move into a more distant key is smoothly accomplished by maintaining one common tone between the two keys, usually sustained in one of the outer voices. In this case the E in the upper voice (root of the E major triad) becomes the third of the new tonic C major triad.</p>
<p>The next most interesting feature is the striking Italian augmented sixth chord that we hear in measure twenty-three which precedes the dominant (E major) as it most often does, preparing the restatement of the A section (mm. 1-8). It is also interesting to point out that this very prominent feature occurs almost exactly two-thirds of the way into the piece (0.657). Of course this is a “Golden Section” ratio which seems to be very prominent in the arts as well as in nature.</p>
<p>One other point concerning the harmony on the fourth beat of measure twenty-five; at first I thought this must be a secondary leading-tone diminished seventh (D#dim7) resolving to E major (V) with its third (F#) missing. When I played through it I decided that the missing tone was actually F natural since this tone is very prominent within the measure. This F natural would now create a German augmented sixth chord resolving to E major (V). Also considering the fact that we have just heard this harmony two measures earlier leads me to believe that this is the correct analysis even though the critical F natural is missing.</p>
<p>The score including the reduction analysis is below. I hope you find this method as much of a revelation as I did when first introduced to the ideas of one of my heroes of musical analysis, Heinrich Schenker.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482947/carcassistudy9op60analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">CarcassiStudy9Op60Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277052012-03-08T19:00:00-05:002019-12-17T18:57:08-05:00Fernando Sor, Study 17 Op. 29 - An Analysis
<p>I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started work on Fernando Sor’s study seventeen from Op. 29, Estudio twenty in the Segovia collection. This piece is loaded with interesting harmonic and contrapuntal content. A clear harmonic plan exists here which tends to define the structure of the piece.</p>
<p>The first “A” section is sixty-four measures in length defined by the harmonic movement from the tonic C major (I) to the dominant G major (V), via the V/V (D), with the cadence in G major in measure sixty-four.</p>
<p>The “A” section can be subdivided into two parts consisting of the first subsection which moves harmonically from C major to D major (V/V) in measure thirty-two, followed by a transition over the D pedal point, followed by a second subsection in G major (V) beginning in measure forty-one and ending with the cadence in measure sixty-four. Sor uses these pedal points as a way of transitioning from section to section throughout the piece.</p>
<p>The “B” section is twenty-four measures long, beginning in measure sixty-five and ending in measure eighty-nine, and is defined harmonically by the move from G major (V) to C major (I).</p>
<p>The final “C” section is a coda that is twenty-six measures in length, beginning in measure eighty-nine through to the end in measure 114, defined by the drawn out cadential I-IV-V progression with the addition of the beautiful harmonic progression first heard in measures fifty-two through fifty-six in the dominant (G major) now transposed to the tonic (C major) beginning in measure 100.</p>
<p>I will discuss a few points of interest as there are too many to discuss without writing a dissertation.</p>
<p>First of all notice the way Sor states the melody as a single line and then adds a second contrapuntal line which clearly defines the harmony, in a rather complex way as you can see, using three secondary dominants in mm. 11-12. When written well, two parts is enough to define the harmony unambiguously. Please see <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/harmonic_implications_in_counterpoint_bourre_in_e_minor_bwv_996" data-imported="1">Harmonic Implications in Counterpoint</a> for a detailed discussion of this topic.</p>
<p>After an extended tonic pedal point, Sor introduces one of his beautiful sequential patterns in mm. 25-29 based on an interval pattern of descending tenths which I show with the brackets. Harmonically this generates chords with roots which descend by fifth completing a cycle with the resolution of the B7 to Em in measure thirty as shown by the chord indications: iv-VII-III-VI-ii-V-i (in E minor). This Em then becomes the ii chord in D major progressing as it usually does to the V (A7) and finally to the tonic D. So we end up with a fifth progression which actually starts with the Am in measure twenty-four and finishes in measure thirty-two with the cadence on D major. The ii/V/V indication is my way of showing the initial goal of E minor as the supertonic (ii) of D major (V/V), which is where things finally end up in measure thirty-two.</p>
<p>Now we get the D pedal point (V/V) taking us to the dominant (G major) in measure forty-one. Note the use of the tetrachord (four note scale) first introduced in measure one (C-D-E-F) that is used extensively through this section in the inner voices. This little motive as well as the three tone neighbor-note figure introduced in measure two (G-F#-G) and the descending three tone scale introduced at the end of measure two into measure three (G-F-E) come up over and over again in ascending and descending form throughout the piece. It’s as if Sor slices and dices his main theme and develops it in various ways, as Beethoven would, as a way of unifying the piece.</p>
<p>Following the decisive perfect authentic cadence on the dominant in measure sixty-four is the development section, my “B” section. This is characterized by the use of imitative counterpoint in a stretto style which involves closely grouped imitative lines, again based on the motives discussed earlier, used with a recurring rhythmic pattern of two sixteenths and an eighth note. Note the fugue-like entry of the transposed subject at the pickup to measure sixty-nine. We also get a second sequential pattern in this section in mm. 75-79 but this time based on descending sixths as indicated by the brackets.</p>
<p>Again after an extended dominant pedal point we return to tonic in measure eighty-nine to wrap things up with a fairly long coda.</p>
<p>Please refer to my previous articles on <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/harmony_in_practice_fernando_sor_etude_i_op6" data-imported="1">Sor’s Op. 6 studies</a> for more detailed explanations of the Italian augmented sixth chords found in this piece.</p>
<p>Remember, when looking at harmony always consider the voice-leading. It is very important to realize that composers of classical music always think in terms of horizontal lines of music that connect smoothly. These lines determine the harmony. Of course there is still harmonic planning involved; on a small and large scale as we have seen in this piece. As we noticed in previous analyses, harmonies that are considered “altered” usually involve chromatic voice-leading in one or more of the voices. For example: if we look at the full diminished seventh chord that occurs in measure thirty-nine we can see that it is generated by simply inserting a chromatic passing tone (Bb) between the B (inner voice) in measure thirty-nine and the A in measure forty. Also look at the G augmented chord occurring in measure forty-five. Again the insertion of a chromatic passing tone (D#) between the D in measure forty-five (inner voice) and the E in measure forty-six creates this harmony. Notice the chromatic descending soprano line beginning in measure thirty-two on the high D and ending on the F# in measure thirty-six that at least partially generates the series of secondary dominants shown. The ascending chromatic soprano line beginning in measure fifty on the G and ending on the C in measure fifty-five is the main contributing factor in the generation of the chord progression shown here. These are but a few of the examples.</p>
<p>In summary, when doing harmonic analysis always ask yourself what is going on with the voice-leading, whatever the progression or succession happens to be. You will gain significant insight into the development of harmony from its origins in the combination of two or more independent voices. Please see the pdf file below containing the score and complete harmonic analysis.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482946/sor17op29analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">Sor17Op29Analysis.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277042012-02-22T19:00:00-05:002021-11-24T09:44:50-05:00Capricho Arabe, Francisco Tárrega - A Harmonic Analysis
<p>Capricho Arabe by Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909) is another very well known piece in the repertory for solo guitar. I have done a harmonic analysis which is included below and will mention some of the important details of the harmony and form.</p>
<p>The piece begins with an introduction (mm. 1–12) that consists harmonically of a prolongation of the dominant (V) of D minor.</p>
<p>The “A” section (mm. 13-24) begins with a little vamp or ostinato (mm. 13-14) which lays out the bass line that we hear throughout the piece, sometimes in major and other times in minor, which acts as a unifying device. The harmony is a simple alternation between tonic (i) and dominant (V).</p>
<p>Following is the main theme: a four measure phrase (mm. 15-18) superimposed over the aforementioned bass line in the home key of D minor; again supported by the simple alternation of tonic and dominant harmony. The second varied statement of the theme moves us for the first time into the area of the subdominant (iv) with the appearance of the commonly used secondary dominant (V/iv in measure 20) before returning to the dominant and the vamp again in measure 23, but this time with an interesting twist. We now have four distinct harmonies based on the progression i-VI-bII-V in D minor. The use of the bII chord in minor has its roots in its use as what is called the “Neapolitan Sixth” (N6) chord. The harmony consists of a major triad built on the lowered second degree of the minor scale and usually appears in first inversion (six) in order to avoid the very tritone that Tárrega seems to enjoy as he uses this harmony (Eb major) in root position followed by the dominant (A major) in root position.</p>
<p>The “B” section (mm. 25-36) is in the relative major key of F major and is introduced harmonically by modifying the vamp in measure 26 to include a ii-V of F major (Gm-C7). The theme and bass line are also modified a bit in this major key but the harmony is basically the same, consisting of the simple alternation of tonic and dominant. Tárrega does make use of the secondary dominant (V/V) in this section by implication which I found interesting. As I was deciding on the harmonic analysis in measure 29 I first thought the harmony on the third beat implied Gm7 or maybe Dm to Gm7. When playing through it my ear told me the harmony should be G7 or V/V even though there is no B natural present anywhere in the measure! Play it through with the indicated harmony and decide for yourself. I think it must be the strong seventh sound associated with hearing the F in the upper voice on the beat that implies this dominant sonority even without the third being stated. The same thing occurs in the D major section in measure 39 where I hear an E7 chord (V/V) implied. Of course this is a transposed restatement of the F major section so it only makes sense.</p>
<p>The second statement of the modified theme is interrupted in measure 32 (third beat) with the occurrence of the Em7b5 or ii chord in D minor moving to the V (A major) in arpeggios cueing what we think is a return to tonic or D minor. The surprise is that Tárrega does return to tonic but in the parallel major key (D major) through the transposed restatement of the F major section.</p>
<p>The “C” section (mm. 37-52) as stated is basically a transposed restatement of the “B” or F major section with a bit more repetition that culminates with the restatement of the vamp in D major (measure 53) and then in D minor (measure 54) to finally return us to the restatement of the “A” section or the original D minor material we started with.</p>
<p>I should note the use of the full diminished seventh chord (D#dim7) in measure 42. It is used as it most commonly is as a secondary leading-tone diminished seventh; resolving up by half-step to the root of the following chord. There is a slight modification with the chord of resolution. We expect to hear some sort of E chord (D#dim7 to E or Em) but instead we get an A major in second inversion (E bass). Remember that this second inversion triad is unstable in traditional harmony and needs to resolve the sixth and fourth above the bass (C# and A) to a more stable fifth and third (B and G# in this case) giving us the E we expect by beat three with the addition of a seventh forming the E7 or V/V as shown. It is also interesting that Tárrega used a B# instead of a C natural in the chord spelling. This can be explained in terms of the voice-leading where the strong chromatic resolution of the sixths (D# and B# to E and C# respectively) occurs in the outer voices.</p>
<p>In summary, harmonically the piece is quite simple and rather conservative for its time. The strong melodic content and use of the ostinato bass seems to be what makes the music so appealing. I hope you find these analyses somewhat insightful and useful in aiding your understanding of traditional harmonic concepts. Any suggestions for future projects?</p>
<p><a href="/files/482945/caprichoarabe.pdf" data-imported="1"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/1f67780a11c3db00569fa7bb184e21d77c77b029/original/caprichoarabeanalysis.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDMxNCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="314" width="500" /></a> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a href="https://gum.co/PAHal" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Click here to securely purchase and download a PDF of complete score and analysis for $5.00.</span></a></span></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277032012-02-01T19:00:00-05:002012-02-01T23:03:40-05:00What Goes Up Can Come Down - A Seventh Chord Exercise
<p>Here is an interesting little chord study. We are all accustomed to thinking about the diatonic seventh chords played in an ascending numerical order of I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii. How about playing an ascending numerical order but with a descending note order? In this example I begin with a root position tonic major seventh chord and move through the entire diatonic set of seventh chords in a major scale by keeping one common tone and moving the remaining three voices <em>down</em> by step to the next available chord tone. For example when moving from tonic (I) to supertonic (ii):</p>
<p>CMaj7 (voiced as C-G-B-E) moves to Dm7 (voiced C-F-A-D).</p>
<p>“C” is the common tone and the remaining three voices descend by step.</p>
<p>When moving from supertonic (ii) to mediant (iii):</p>
<p>Dm7 (voiced C-F-A-D) moves to Em7 (voiced B-E-G-D).</p>
<p>“D” is the common tone and the remaining three voices descend by step.</p>
<p>We continue this pattern until we return to tonic but this time it ends up in first inversion (E or third in the bass) at end of line one.</p>
<p>Line two begins with this tonic in first inversion and descends through the set of diatonic seventh chords as we did in line one; keeping the common tone and moving the remaining three voices down by step. Now we end up with a tonic chord in second inversion (G or fifth in the bass) at end of line two.</p>
<p>Line three begins with this second inversion tonic chord and moves through the series as above ending with a third inversion tonic chord (B or seventh in the bass) at end of line three.</p>
<p>Line four begins with this third inversion tonic chord and moves through the series again ending up where we started with a root position tonic chord.</p>
<p>Just in case you are not familiar with figured bass, the numbers next to the Roman numerals refer to the intervals above the bass note and is another way of indicating chord inversions. The following may be helpful:</p>
<p>Root position = 7</p>
<p>First inversion = 6/5 (third in bass)</p>
<p>Second inversion = 4/3 (fifth in bass)</p>
<p>Third inversion = 4/2 (seventh in bass) </p>
<p>What we end up with is a little exercise in which we play all of the diatonic seventh chords found in a major scale in all the possible inversions. This is not the only way to accomplish this but I thought it was interesting to do them in this descending note order for a change. I didn't even know it was possible until I tried it.</p>
<p>Also notice the interesting inversion pattern that occurs with the different seventh chords in the series:</p>
<p>Root position – Third inversion – Second inversion – First inversion.</p>
<p>This pattern repeats through the entire example.</p>
<p>You can also read down each column and play each of the four voicings (root position, first, second and third inversions) for each diatonic seventh chord.</p>
<p>I hope you find this as interesting as I did. Try using this pattern on other string sets, although some of the voicings become difficult to play.</p>
<p>Remember you can recycle most of these voicings as <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/harmonic_recycling_reusing_7th_chords_as_ninths" data-imported="1">rootless ninth chords</a>.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482944/descendingascendingseventhchords.pdf" data-imported="1">DescendingAscendingSeventhChords.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277022011-12-29T19:00:00-05:002020-10-02T07:17:40-04:00"Home on the Range" - A Study in Harmony<p>I harmonized this melody as an exercise and as a way of keeping up my “chops” so to speak. The idea was to harmonize “Home on the Range” in a chorale style with an independent bass line that would hold up well on its own and then fill in the inner voices. This was done in a traditional classical style paying attention to the principles of voice-leading and counterpoint so masterfully displayed by composers like Fernando Sor whom I greatly admire and was my model for this little arrangement. Briefly, this classical style involves writing in a way that maximizes the independence of the voices by incorporating more contrary motion and less parallel motion; the parallel motion being more characteristic of a jazz harmonic approach. I still wanted to incorporate modern harmony with a jazz bent as I usually do since jazz harmony has always fascinated me, and show how this more modern harmony can be seen as a natural development or extension of previous harmonic vocabulary. This is the same approach I used in writing my book of studies: <span style="text-decoration:underline"><a data-imported="1" href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/influences_21_intermediate_etudes_for_guitar" target="_blank">Influences, 21 Intermediate Etudes for Guitar</a></span>. As I completed it I thought it made a good study similar to <a data-imported="1" href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/harmony_in_practice_fernando_sor_etude_8_op6" target="_blank">Etude 8, Op. 6 by Fernando Sor</a>. I also recently finished a set of six of these arrangements called <a data-imported="1" href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/an_american_medley">An American Medley</a> available for purchase.</p>
<p>The challenge in playing a piece like this is maintaining a legato sound as well as balancing the voices. From a technical point of view, I think I spent more time trying to figure out a fingering to achieve this than it took me to write the piece. I think eventually through natural selection guitarists will have a minimum of seven or eight fingers on the left hand (right for lefties).</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy this little study. I find it quite challenging to play and an excellent left hand workout. It really does keep my chops up in more ways than one. I know you have probably had enough of this harmonic exploration for a while, so I will move on to other things. Please let me know of any topics that you might find interesting. Even if I don’t have a clue about it the research will keep the dementia in check for a while. Happy New Year!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482942/homeontherange.pdf">HomeOnTheRange.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482943/homeontherange.mp3">HomeOnTheRange.mp3</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277012011-12-15T19:00:00-05:002019-12-17T18:57:05-05:00Harmonic Recycling - Reusing 7th Chords as Ninths
<p>It is very important to have a good grasp of fundamental seventh and ninth chord voicings in order to read through a chart with ease. Most of us are familiar with the basic forms with roots on the fifth and sixth strings. When playing with a bass player it is best to try to stay out of his range and play your chord voicings using the upper four strings for the most part. Please refer to my article on seventh chords: <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/the_fab_five_a_seventh_chord_primer" data-imported="1">http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/the_fab_five_a_seventh_chord_primer</a> if you need to learn or review these important voicings with roots on the third and fourth strings. The exercise at the end of this article uses these voicings exclusively.</p>
<p>Once again I will use the common chord sequence found in tunes like “Autumn Leaves” and many others for my examples. Since this progression is derived from the circle of fifths it lays beautifully on the guitar and utilizes text book voice-leading. Note as we move from chord to chord we retain two common tones and move the remaining two tones by step to form the next chord in the sequence. This will give us a very smooth, connected sound which is always desirable.</p>
<p>The first exercise uses diatonic seventh chords alternating roots on the fourth and third strings, then alternates roots on the third and fourth strings on line two.</p>
<p>The second exercise uses the exact same voicings, with the one exception of the diminished seventh voicing, but this time as rootless ninth chords. The missing roots are located on either the fifth or sixth strings as indicated by the open circle. To understand these relationships let’s look at the structure of the ninth chords with and without roots.</p>
<p>I use five types of ninth chords in the exercise; Major9, Dominant9, minor9, minor7b5(b9) and Dominant7(b9). The spelling of these chords is as follows using C as the root:</p>
<p>CMaj9 = C-E-G-B-D</p>
<p>C9 = C-E-G-Bb-D</p>
<p>C7(b9) = C-E-G-Bb-Db</p>
<p>Cm9 = C-Eb-G-Bb-D</p>
<p>Cm7b5(b9) = C-Eb-Gb-Bb-Db </p>
<p>If we remove the root from these chords we end up with four fundamental seventh chords: </p>
<p>CMaj9 = (C) {E-G-B-D} or Em7 (upper structure without root)</p>
<p>C9 = (C) {E-G-Bb-D} or Em7b5</p>
<p>C7(b9) = (C) {E-G-Bb-Db} or Edim7</p>
<p>Cm9 = (C) {Eb-G-Bb-D} or EbMaj7</p>
<p>Cm7b5(b9) = (C) {Eb-Gb-Bb-Db} or Ebm7 </p>
<p>So, it is possible to use the same voicings as two different chords; one as a seventh chord <em>with</em> a root and another as a ninth chord <em>without</em> a root. The examples below will make this clear. Again, I have indicated the location of the missing root in the ninth chord exercise with an open circle. </p>
<p>Play through these exercises multiple times until the fingers are comfortable with these voicings. This will ingrain these patterns into your muscle memory and hopefully allow you to easily use these when reading through standard tunes.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482941/common7-9voicings.pdf" data-imported="1">Common7_9Voicings.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277002011-11-17T19:00:00-05:002021-04-22T04:25:14-04:00Good King Wenceslas, O Tannenbaum-Jazz Harmonization
<p>Harmonizing “Good King Wenceslas” and “O Tannenbaum” was my goal for this holiday season. The idea was to enrich the harmony with four and five note voicings with a traditional jazz approach. I am happy with the results so far and wanted to post this, maybe a bit early, so there would be time to work on it before Christmas. My approach was to maximize the color content by harmonizing every note of the melody with a new chord and adding just a touch of counterpoint with some inner voice and bass line movement where the melody remains stationary. So please read the notation as well as using the diagrams to facilitate the chord reading. I included some of my favorite quartal sounds as well as a few polychords for good measure.</p>
<p>I think the charts are pretty well self explanatory as I included chord names with the diagrams. The most interesting harmonic feature in “Good King Wenceslas” occurs in measures five and six where the descending chromatic bass line supported by parallel sevenths and tenths generates two altered chords (Eb9#11 and C13) which function as tritone substitutions for the V/IV and V/ii respectively. Most everything else that is altered can be considered either a secondary dominant or a product of modal mixture in which harmony is borrowed from the parallel minor key. For example the classic minor iv chord (dm) that appears in measure ten as well as any E7(b9) harmony can be thought of as borrowed from A minor. Please refer to my earlier articles on modal mixture, secondary dominants and tritone substitution for a detailed explanation. Also of interest is the D#m7b5 chord in measure sixteen. Originally I had a D natural bass on the first beat which gives us a basic DMaj7 chord. By raising the root one half step to D# I now have a much more interesting chromatic bass line (E-D#-D) in measures fifteen through sixteen and the new harmony is simply a product of the voice-leading.</p>
<p>“O Tannenbaum” is a bit simpler harmonically making use of many secondary dominants, secondary leading-tone diminished seventh chords and tritone substitutions. In this, the most interesting feature is the use of a flat seven dominant ninth chord (Bb9) at the cadences in measures eight and sixteen. This harmony can be thought of as being borrowed from the parallel minor key of C minor (modal mixture). I think it works quite well even though it is contrary to the common notion that a leading tone (B natural) should be present in the harmony preceding the tonic at a cadence, although I am aware that this harmony is not unusual in jazz.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy these little arrangements. If you do you might also enjoy my <strong><span style="color:#ffcc00"><a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/three_traditional_christmas_carols/" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#ffcc00">Three Traditional Christmas Carols available here.</span></a></span></strong></p>
<p>Thanks for your support. </p>
<p><a href="/files/482939/goodkingwenceslasotannenbaum.pdf" data-imported="1">GoodKingWenceslasOTannenbaum.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href="/files/482940/goodkingwenceslasotannenbaum.mp3" data-imported="1">GoodKingWenceslasOTannenbaum.mp3</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276992011-10-29T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:04-05:00Du, du liegst mir im Herzen - Jazz Harmonization
<p>I harmonized “Du,du liegst mir im Herzen”, inspired by Clare Fischer’s arrangement for voices, as a way of applying my newly discovered polychord voicings and some quartal harmonic sounds. I am sure the tune is familiar to most everyone.</p>
<p>I labeled the functional harmony as usual and also showed possible functional harmonic designations for the quartal sounds although their relationships to standard harmonic labeling are stretched to the limit. The idea was to show a standard jazz harmonization of this tune with the polychords and quartal sounds serving as harmonic embellishment as they occur within a functional framework. I think your ear will accept these sounds as long as the voice-leading is smooth, which I tried to do for the most part in writing this.</p>
<p>You might want to play the changes, first playing only the chords shown on the first beat of each measure while singing the tune, and then add the others. The changes on the downbeat are straightforward and functional, the chords in between are the interesting ones, containing many altered tones that resolve well into the functional harmonies, usually by step and most times chromatically, although some of the notes of resolution are implied.</p>
<p>To summarize, the basic progression is as follows:</p>
<p>D | F#7 | Bm | B7 | Em | Bb7(b5) | A7 | D |</p>
<p>D | F#7 | Bm | B7 | Em | A7 | D | D7 |</p>
<p>G | F#m | A#dim7 | Bm | Em | A7 | D | D7 |</p>
<p>G | F#m | A#dim7 | Bm | Em | A7 | D | D ||</p>
<p>There are several enharmonic spellings where the written notation and chord designations conflict, but don’t let that bother you. Usually it has to do with the proper way of writing an augmented sixth chord in the notation and its labeling as either a dominant seventh or dominant seven flat five chord as it is shown in jazz charts.</p>
<p>I think this makes an excellent chord etude and a nice follow up to “Twinkle Twinkle Jazzy Star” posted June 3, 2011, which you may want to investigate if you haven’t already. The pdf and recording are below.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482937/du-du-liegst-mir-im-herzen.pdf" data-imported="1">Du_du_liegst_mir_im_Herzen.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href="/files/482938/du-du-liegst-mir-im-herzen.mp3" data-imported="1">Du_du_liegst_mir_im_Herzen.mp3</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276982011-10-20T20:00:00-04:002020-10-02T07:36:12-04:00Polychord Voicings in Jazz - Harmonic Refreshment<p>Polychords are a great way of introducing fresh sounding harmony into familiar progressions. We have previously discussed “dominant” polychords in the article <em>Polychords-Harmonic Resources of the Diminished Scale</em> posted on September 30, 2011. I was working with an advanced student the other day and he got me thinking about the possible polychords that could be used to substitute for other standard chords in a key. I decided to work with the ii-V-I progression, since we all know this is a ubiquitous progression in jazz, and figure out possible substitutions for these chords based on triads that can be extracted from what I call a “super-chord” which is generated by simply stacking thirds (1-3-5-7-9-11-13 or every other note) derived from common scales.</p>
<p>For example, for the tonic (I) chord I use two scales to generate my triads. First is the Lydian mode and second is the relative melodic minor of the tonic key. Since my examples are in C major I use the C Lydian mode and the A melodic minor scale. These two scales contain tones that are commonly added to tonic chords when the chords are extended to their upper limits. For example we would never add an F-natural to a tonic chord as an eleventh extension but we would add an F-sharp (sharp 11), so Lydian is a natural choice for tonic. I also wanted to introduce the raised fifth or G-sharp since the sound of a Major7#5 has always intrigued me. The best choice of scale then containing both these altered sounds is A melodic minor.</p>
<p>For my supertonic (ii) chord I use the Dorian mode since it is the major sixth that is commonly added to the minor triad. To introduce the major seventh sound I use the melodic minor since this scale contains both the major sixth and the major seventh.</p>
<p>The dominant (V) chord is the most complex so I use three scales for this one. The basic Mixolydian which extends the chord through the thirteenth and two other scales which include the altered tones (#5, b5, #9 and b9) commonly added to the dominant; namely the Lydian Dominant or fourth mode of melodic minor and the Altered Dominant scale or seventh mode of melodic minor. For further explanation of these scales please refer to my previous article <em>Jazz Improv.-Scales for Altered Dominants</em> posted on July 11, 2011. These altered scales can also be combined to generate even more triads but I don’t want to get carried away here.</p>
<p>The idea is to show all possible triads that can be generated by these scales and superimpose them over the roots of the corresponding tonic (I) supertonic (ii) and dominant (V) chords. Page two of the pdf contains examples of ii-V-I progressions using these polychords in different combinations in a smooth, connected way exploiting the more “out” sounds since that is the main goal here.</p>
<p>When using these voicings you might consider using a more stable tonic (I) chord as a point of resolution in order to bring the progression back down to earth, so to speak, since too many distant harmonies might be a bit much for most ears (including mine) to take in.</p>
<p>When soloing, try using all these triads played as arpeggios over the corresponding chord type. For example when soloing over CMaj7 (I) try using any or all of the triads shown for the tonic chord (C, Caug, D, E, Em, F#dim, G, G#dim, Am and Bm). Do the same for the ii and the V chords. One of my favorite and easy to remember combinations is the superimposition of three major triads ascending chromatically over the ii-V-I bass line. (See measures 3-4 and 13-14 on the Polychord voicings page for examples). Start with the tonic triad (C) over the root of the ii chord (D), move to Db major over the root of the V chord (G) and end with D major over the root of the I chord (C). These triads can also be used very effectively when comping as a way of filling space between long stretches of a single static harmony.</p>
<p>The pdf below shows the triad choices for the I, ii and V chords as well as examples in the context of a ii-V-I progression. These are just to get you started as the possibilities are almost limitless in terms of voicings and triad combinations. Experiment and have fun.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482936/polychordtriadchoices-voicings.pdf">PolychordTriadChoices_Voicings.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276972011-10-13T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:03-05:00Barrios, La catedral-Preludio-Analysis
<p>The Preludio from Barrios’ <span style="text-decoration:underline">La catedral</span> is a beautiful example of idiomatic writing for the guitar that demonstrates good voice-leading and contrapuntal technique. It is quite easy to trace the four voices as they move through the composition in a mostly step-wise progression. Any large skips that are encountered, as in measures twenty-eight and twenty-nine for example, usually occur within the same harmony where the voices exchange chord tones or an octave displacement occurs.</p>
<p>As with the Allegro solemne movement, the harmony is straightforward for the most part. The piece is in B minor and makes extensive use of the ii7 chord (C#m7b5) as well as the VI7 (GMaj7), iv7 (Em7) and V7b9 (F#7b9) chords. A secondary dominant thirteenth chord (V/III) occurs in measure eight where Barrios moves temporarily into the relative major (D). The use of the tonic pedal point (open B) in measures one through seven is also noteworthy as it seems to give the music an ethereal quality.</p>
<p>One of the more striking harmonic features occurs in measures fourteen and fifteen where the C#7 chord (V/V) is converted into a French augmented sixth chord by lowering the G# to G natural. As a review, this chord type is known to jazz musicians as a dominant seven flat five chord and is referred to as a “tritone substitution” in which a dominant seventh chord is substituted for another dominant seventh chord with a root related by the distance of a tritone or a diminished fifth. In this case the C#7 is substituted with the G7b5. I chose to label it as an enharmonic G7b5 in keeping with our practice of showing this harmony resolving to the dominant (F#7) a half-step below. The seven flat five chord has two possible roots which are related by tritone. In other words C#7b5 and G7b5 contain the same tones.</p>
<p>Many times the harmonies I indicated include non-harmonic tones such as suspensions, passing tones or neighbor tones that eventually resolve but were not labeled in order to keep the analysis as clear and uncluttered as possible. For example, in measure two the upper voice (F#) is a suspension that resolves to the E in measure three to complete the chord. I did label one example of an upper neighbor tone in the bass in measure forty-three as this creates a rather modern guitar sound that I find interesting.</p>
<p>The use of the minor five chord in measure twenty-six (F#m) in first inversion as a passing chord between i (Bm) and VI7 (GMaj7) I find to be quite beautiful. Also the G6 chord found in measure thirty-three is interesting. It may also be heard as an Em7 since these two chords are identical, but to me it sounds more like G is the root in this case.</p>
<p>The pdf file below contains the score and analysis. Once again my hope is that through this type of analysis you will gain a deeper understanding of the music as well as having a practical way of understanding important harmonic principles through well known works for the guitar.</p>
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<p><a href="/files/482935/lacatedralpreludio.pdf" data-imported="1">LaCatedralPreludio.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276962011-10-08T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:03-05:00Barrios, La catedral-Allegro solemne-Analysis
<p>The Allegro solemne movement of Barrios’ famous <span style="text-decoration:underline">La catedral</span> is one of the best known and most widely played pieces in the repertory. I have always enjoyed playing it. In order to understand this piece a bit better I decided to do a harmonic analysis. As is always the case I discovered harmonic relationships that I did not notice in the read through. I would like to discuss in more detail some of the more interesting features.</p>
<p>The piece is in B minor and other than the slight excursion into the relative major (D) in measures 9-15 and measures 52-59 with a cadence in D major, the piece pretty much stays in B minor. I think I expected more in the way of harmonic development for some reason. The harmony is quite traditional and straightforward using a rather conservative approach for the period which may have been intentional as the piece was inspired by J.S. Bach’s organ music which Barrios evidently heard one day while in a cathedral. Not to say that Bach was conservative with his harmony in any way; it just seems as if Barrios avoided some of the more adventurous Romantic harmonic tendencies.</p>
<p>Section one (mm. 1-59) begins in B minor and moves into D major (relative major) with the authentic cadence in measure fifty-nine. Note how he sometimes approaches the dominant (F# major) chromatically from below in this section with the fourth degree (E) ascending to E# and then to F# (dominant). He accomplishes this with two different harmonies. First with the traditional secondary leading-tone diminished triad as in measure seventeen and with the augmented sixth chord in measure forty-seven, although in this case only the interval of an augmented sixth is present in inversion. At first I assumed these two were the same until I took a closer look. Since many of these harmonies are implied I thought the presence of the G natural along with the E# strongly implied the augmented sixth chord whereas in the other instances, where the G is not present, the E# bass along with the other tones seemed to imply a diminished triad.</p>
<p>Section two (mm. 60-87) consists mainly of a succession of descending parallel tenths in the outer voices beginning with the D and F# (third and fifth of tonic) in measure sixty and moving down the scale arriving on the F# and A# in (root and third of dominant) in measure eighty. The resulting succession of first inversion triads are usually not considered a chord progression and so were not indicated as such. The important feature is the parallel descending tenths that connect the tonic and the dominant. Again we get that brief chromatic approach to the dominant in measure seventy-nine and again in measure eighty-three with both the secondary leading-tone and augmented sixth chords as we had in the previous section.</p>
<p>Section three (mm. 88-122) is basically a repeat of the second half of the first section (mm. 21-59) but this time with a cadence on the tonic (B minor).</p>
<p>Section four (mm. 123-153) is the development section. The use of the German augmented sixth chord (mm. 124-127, 135-138) is the meatiest part of this development. It was this that caught my attention on first hearing this piece and I had no idea what it was at the time. Barrios uses this harmony, as it has been used traditionally, as dominant preparation. It usually precedes the dominant or the tonic 6-4 chord. The interval of an augmented sixth contained in this harmony resolves in contrary motion to an octave, which in this case is the root of the dominant harmony. We have discussed this chord in detail in previous articles. Please refer to the Sor Op. 6 analyses for an in-depth explanation. There is also a very nice circle of fifths progression which begins in measure 141 on the dominant (F#) and works its way back to the dominant, completing a circle in measure 150. The root movement is as follows: F#-B-E-A-D-G-C#-F#. Of course there is one diminished fifth in this sequence in order to remain diatonic and not leave the home key.</p>
<p>The final section (mm. 154-201) is a restatement of the second half of section one with a coda added to finish things up nicely. The coda, beginning in measure 187, makes use of what is now a common blues/jazz interval progression. The bass line descends (B-A-G#-G-F#) while the inner voice ascends chromatically (D-D#-E-E#-F#) in a move from tonic to dominant. Harmonically this creates a series of chords which include a secondary dominant, a borrowed major IV chord and an augmented sixth chord as shown in the analysis. The idea of borrowing chords from the parallel major in a minor key is less common than the other way around. This E major triad can also be thought of as a diatonic IV chord generated by the ascending B melodic minor scale. The chromatic voice-leading is what is most important here and not so much how we rationalize the scale source. The chord is simply a bi-product of the voice-leading. This is an important thing to realize especially when dealing with nineteenth and twentieth century harmonic practice. This sets up the final cadence containing the great B minor arpeggios taking us to the top of the guitar’s range.</p>
<p>Once again I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I have and find it useful in better understanding this great composition. The pdf file below contains the score and the analysis for your use. More to come with the analysis of the Preludio and Andante religioso.</p>
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<p><a href="/files/482934/lacatedral-allegrosolemne.pdf" data-imported="1">LaCatedral_AllegroSolemne.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276952011-09-29T20:00:00-04:002011-09-30T07:30:56-04:00Polychords-Harmonic Resources of the Diminished Scale
<p>We all know that the diminished scale can be used to solo over diminished seventh chords and their associated dominant seven flat nine chords, but what about other harmonic resources contained within this scale? To review, the diminished scale is a symmetrical octatonic scale made up of alternating whole- and half-steps or half- and whole-steps. Either form will work over diminished seventh chords since the chord tones remain intact appearing as every other note but with different passing tones. For example:</p>
<p>C-Db-Eb-E-F#-G-A-Bb-C (half/whole diminished scale)</p>
<p>C-D-Eb-F-F#-G#-A-B-C (whole/half diminished scale)</p>
<p>Notice how the first, third, fifth and seventh tones are the same in both forms (chord tones of the diminished seventh chord) but the notes in between change. The important part is that the tones of the chord are present in the scale. The fact that the chord tones occur on strong beats makes things even better.</p>
<p>I noticed that we can also generate four major and four minor triads from this scale. Since these triads make use of some passing tones we must be a bit more careful in our scale choice. Let’s take the first example, the half/whole diminished scale.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Major triads</span> are C (C-E-G), Eb (Eb-G-Bb), F# (F#-A#-C#) and A (A-C#-E). Of course many of these are enharmonic spellings.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Minor triads</span> are Cm (C-Eb-G), Ebm (Eb-Gb-Bb), F#m (F#-A-C#) and Am (A-C-E).</p>
<p>This got me thinking about how we can use this scale over certain polychords associated with altered dominants. One of my favorite sounds has always been the polychord F/Gb meaning an F major triad with a Gb bass. (This could refer to any major triad with a bass note one half-step above its root). Usually this sound is associated with an altered dominant, one of which you may know as a dominant thirteen flat nine without a root.</p>
<p>The plan is to take this polychord and move it up in minor thirds, corresponding to the minor third relationships within the diminished scale that produced the major triads, and generate new and what I think are interesting “dominant” sounds. All tones are contained within one diminished scale so we can use the same scale to improvise over all four dominant sounds.</p>
<p>The examples should make things clearer. I used a ii-V-I progression in the key of G major inserting the new polychord as a dominant substitution. I labeled the polychord as a “slash” chord as well as a traditional dominant seventh chord including the altered tones so you could compare it to the standard altered dominant. Since many of these polychords are new structures it is not possible to use tertian harmonic designations to accurately describe them, so the harmonic indications are approximations but the traditional dominant descriptions will give you some point of reference.</p>
<p>When improvising, use the diminished scale shown at the top of the page for all four polychords. Also experiment with arpeggios of the four basic major triads that make up the polychords, either separately or even more interestingly in combination, as a way of exploring new altered dominant sounds in a fresh, contemporary way. For example, the next time you are soloing over a D7 chord try playing F, G#, B and D major triad arpeggios over this chord. I think you will find the sound interesting. Again, notice the minor third relationships between these major triads; it makes it much easier to remember which triads to use, especially when using them in combination.</p>
<p>There are numerous enharmonic spellings as well as enharmonic labeling of the polychords. The intention was to make the comparisons simpler between the two sets of voicings as well as making the voice-leading clearer in the musical notation.</p>
<p>One other thing; try different resolutions of the polychords. I chose to use GMaj7 to illustrate all the inversions of this chord but you can resolve to any G major type chord for variety and even smoother voice-leading.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482933/dominantpolychords.pdf" data-imported="1">DominantPolychords.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276942011-09-22T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:02-05:00Harmonized Octatonic Scales
<p>When working through some of Barry Harris’ ideas on chord/scale relationships it occurred to me that the eight-tone or octatonic scales found in his method can be generated by taking the chord tones of the chord you wish to imply and fill with the notes of the diminished seventh chord that is built one half-step below. For example:</p>
<p>GMaj6 chord tones are G-B-D-E.</p>
<p>The diminished seventh chord one half-step below is F#dim7: F#-A-C-Eb.</p>
<p>Combining these two chords to form a scale gives us:</p>
<p>G-A-B-C-D-Eb-E-F#-G.</p>
<p>In jazz this scale is often referred to as “bebop major” which is generated by the insertion of a chromatic passing-tone (in this case between fifth and sixth scale degrees) in a major scale in order to prominently place the chord tones on strong beats. In my examples I have the chord tones shown as open note heads and the passing tones as filled note heads.</p>
<p>This related diminished seventh chord is known as a “leading-tone diminished seventh chord” since its function is to “lead” into or resolve to another harmony one half-step above as vii in major and #vii in minor (harmonic minor) resolve to tonic (i).</p>
<p>The idea is to take each of the four remaining common chord types (Major6, Dominant7, minor7 and minor6) and build an octatonic scale with the above system. Remember the minor6 chord is equivalent to the m7b5 or half-diminished seventh chord spelled from the sixth.</p>
<p>We end up with three of the most common bebop scales (bebop major, bebop natural minor and bebop melodic minor) as well as one unique scale for the dominant seventh chord that I refer to as the fifth mode of melodic minor with chromatic passing-tone. It is almost the same scale as the bebop dominant with the exception of the lowered sixth scale degree. I am still not sure about this one. My ear wants to hear the major sixth as in the bebop dominant scale.</p>
<p>Harmonizing these scales using only the fundamental seventh or sixth chord and the passing diminished seventh chords gives us a very useful way of filling space in charts that have rather static harmony as well as a way of learning the inversions of the basic chord types.</p>
<p>Try using these new octatonic scales when improvising over their corresponding chord types. You may find some fresh sounds and some familiar sounds heard in the solos of the great players of jazz.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482932/harmonizedoctatonicscales.pdf" data-imported="1">HarmonizedOctatonicScales.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276932011-09-07T20:00:00-04:002011-09-08T07:42:36-04:00Generating ii-V-i Progressions, Part 2 - Minor Keys
<p>Continuing with our idea of generating chords from the diminished seventh chord foundation we will now explore the ii-V-i progression in minor keys. I will use the parallel minor key of C minor for the examples in order to make the distinction clear between the major and minor modes. I will start with a common diminished seventh chord voicing as I did previously with the major keys. This will serve as the rootless dominant seventh flat nine chord (V) in our progression. In the first example I started with the Bdim.7 chord voicing in first position on the inside four strings (B-F-Ab-D). This is the rootless G7b9 or V chord in the key of C minor. To generate the ii chord, in this case a Dm7b5 chord, we simply raise the note B to C. Now we have the notes C-F-Ab-D which is a third inversion Dm7b5 chord. To get our tonic Cm7 chord I decided to move all four tones of the Bdim7 chord down by step (half or whole) to the nearest chord tones of Cm7. So the B moves to Bb, the F to Eb, the Ab to G and finally the D to C giving us a Cm7 chord in third inversion. This of course is only one of several ways of resolving this chord to tonic, but I wanted to maintain a pattern of resolution in order to generate all possible inversions of each of the chord types as was done in the previous examples in C major.</p>
<p>Again, I duplicated the voicings on the first four strings in order to demonstrate the different fingerings for the same chords on this string set.</p>
<p>As in the previous major key examples, the third and sixth lines utilize the voicings shown in the two lines immediately above these lines but in a pleasant descending pattern for practicing.</p>
<p>The purpose of these exercises is to get you thinking about how the chords relate one to another in terms of the individual chord tones, as well as generating a smooth, connected sound through good voice-leading. In the process of writing these out I have discovered many new voicings that are quite playable and should be fairly easy to incorporate into my chord vocabulary as I hope you will too.</p>
<p>Practice these patterns in all keys and make a note of where the roots of these voicings are located for easy transposition. Good luck and keep working.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482931/2-5-1voicingsminor.pdf" data-imported="1">2_5_1VoicingsMinor.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276922011-08-31T20:00:00-04:002011-09-08T07:17:51-04:00Generating ii-V-I Progressions Using Diminished Seventh Chords
<p>Chord voicings on guitar are seemingly infinite in number. In an attempt to come up with some new ones, at least for myself, I decided to begin with a diminished seventh chord voicing commonly used by guitarists on the inside four strings (B-F-Ab-D) in first position. This will be my rootless 7b9 chord, in this case G7b9. This will serve as my V chord in a ii-V-I progression in C major. By moving two tones of the diminished seventh chord up a half-step (B to C and Ab to A natural) we can generate the ii chord (Dm7). So B-F-Ab-D (rootless G7b9) becomes C-F-A-D (Dm7). The D and F (root and third of Dm7) remain as common tones.</p>
<p>For my tonic chord (I) I decided to use a Major thirteenth since I do not have many voicings for this particular chord. If the chord is voiced using the seventh, third, thirteenth and ninth we end up with a quartal structure (B-E-A-D) which I happen to like very much. This resolution to the CMaj13 is also accomplished by moving two tones of the G7b9 chromatically. This time one moves up and one moves down. The F (seventh) in the G7b9 resolves down to E (third of CMaj13) as it would traditionally and the Ab resolves up to A natural, giving us the sixth or thirteenth of the CMaj13 chord. The B and D (seventh and ninth of CMaj13) remain as common tones.</p>
<p>I also decided to duplicate this exactly on the first four strings as well, which as we all know will give us a completely new set of fingerings for the same chords.</p>
<p>The third and sixth lines of the examples utilize the voicings shown in the two lines immediately above these lines but laid out in a pleasant descending pattern that makes it a bit more enjoyable to practice.</p>
<p>Notice that since we are using the root position as well as the three inversions of the diminished seventh chord as our starting point for these voicings we are generating root position, first, second and third inversions of the Dm7 (ii) chord as well as inversions of the quartal structure (tonic). By placing these chords into a common context (ii-V-I) the hope is that they will more easily become incorporated into your chord vocabulary. I have found that learning chords out of context, as in say learning inversions for each separate chord type in various positions, to be a waste of time.</p>
<p>Most everything is quite playable with the one exception of the CMaj13 voicing at the end of measure two, although if you hold the two common tones (D and B) of the preceding G7b9 with fingers two and one respectively, then add in the A and E of the CMaj13 with fingers four and three it is not so bad.</p>
<p>As with most everything it is always a good idea to transpose these voicings through all the major keys. Get used to how the fingers move from chord to chord within the groups of three through repetition and transposition becomes quite easy.</p>
<p>I hope you find some new and interesting voicings here. We will take up ii-V-i in minor keys in the next edition.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482930/2-5-1voicings.pdf" data-imported="1">2_5_1Voicings.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276912011-07-31T20:00:00-04:002012-03-02T01:46:11-05:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 13 Op. 29 The "Golden Section"
<p>Study 13 from Fernando Sor’s Op. 29 (study nineteen in the Segovia collection) is unusual from a key perspective, at least from a guitarist’s point of view in that it is in Bb major. This key as you know requires quite a bit of barre technique since the open E and B strings are flatted much of the time. This has always been a difficult study for me as my left hand will sometimes fatigue. I have always considered this piece one of the more beautiful of Sor’s studies and thought it would be worth a closer look.</p>
<p>As you can see from the harmonic analysis, most everything here has been discussed earlier in depth. I would like to point out a couple of interesting features though that were less common in the previous studies. First of all, the use of a “deceptive” resolution of a dominant seventh chord that we find in measures thirty-three through thirty-six. We would expect the D7 chord in measure thirty-three to resolve to G minor as it does in measures forty-nine through fifty-two, as dominant seventh chords usually resolve down by perfect fifth. Instead the resolution is to C minor in first inversion. This is known as a “deceptive” resolution where the dominant seventh chord resolves to something other than a tonic. The most common type of deceptive resolution is when the V moves to VI instead of i (minor keys). This one is even more unusual in that Sor resolves to iv (of G minor) in first inversion (C minor/Eb). We still get the characteristic move of the bass up a step but the tritone is partially unresolved, leaving the note C as a common tone between the two chords D7 and C minor.</p>
<p>The second feature occurs in measure thirty-seven where by changing one note (the G in the tenor voice to A) Sor changes the C minor triad to an Am7b5 chord which is the leading-tone seventh chord (vii) in the home key of Bb returning us to tonic for the finish. I labeled the Am7b5 chord as dominant (V) since we know that vii has a dominant function. It also clears up the following harmony (the A diminished seventh) in measure thirty-seven. We are still within the dominant (V) harmony; the Gb is a chromatic passing-tone between the G and F and creates a full diminished seventh chord which is considered a “borrowed” chord from Bb harmonic minor or the parallel minor key. Note that in jazz this is equivalent to the dominant seven flat nine chord (F7b9) with root omitted.</p>
<p>So what makes this piece so beautiful? Could it be partly due to its architecture? I decided to reduce the music down to the essential voice-leading using a two-part contrapuntal texture. The bass line remains intact as written but the upper voice includes the essential or structural notes of the voice-leading. In other words I included the notes in the upper voice that really define the harmony. These notes are sometimes buried in middle voices in the actual composition. When you play the reduction you will easily hear all the harmony of the original in a simple two-part format. If you are familiar with contrapuntal writing you will notice that this is first rate in terms of interval choice and voice-leading principles.</p>
<p>From the reduction we can now appreciate the beauty of the architecture. I laid it out to clearly show the phrase structure and sections of the piece. There is an important principle at work here that is known as the “Golden Section” or the “Golden Ratio”. Basically this principle involves structural ratios that are roughly 2:3 in their relationship. It is a pattern found throughout the natural world as well as in architecture and art. I learned of this originally as the ratio between two numbers of the Fibonacci series in mathematics. The series is simple in structure and involves beginning with zero and one, then adding these together to get the next number in the series. Continue by adding together the last two numbers to get the next one. For example: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 etc. The higher you go in the series, the closer you get to the Golden Section as expressed by the ratio of any two adjacent numbers. The idea is that perfect symmetry is boring and predictable whereas asymmetry is much more interesting and vital. It is a fascinating topic and I would encourage you to study it in more detail.</p>
<p>When we look at the first section of the piece (mm. 1-20) assuming you agree with my segmentation, we have two, four measure phrases (8) followed by three, four measure phrases (12). The ratio of the two parts is exactly 2:3.</p>
<p>The second section (mm. 21-40) has exactly the same structure: Two, four measure phrases (8) followed by three, four measure phrases (12), again displaying the Golden Section proportions of 2:3.</p>
<p>The final section (mm. 41-58) is a bit more symmetrical in that we have four, four measure phrases. Although with the addition of the last two measures which I consider the equivalent of putting a period at the end, we do have a six measure phrase giving us something closer to 2:3.</p>
<p>Also note the ratio of the first part (mm.1-20) defined by the move harmonically from tonic (I) to dominant (V) is roughly a ratio of 2:3 to the second part (mm.21-58) defined by the move from dominant back to tonic.</p>
<p>Please see the written musical example below for clarity. Play through the study and ask yourself if this structure is perceptible. I would think that it must be apparent on some subconscious level since it would be extremely difficult to compare parts of a musical composition that only exist in real time during a performance. Any psycho-acousticians out there?</p>
<p><a href="/files/482929/sorstudy13op-29.pdf" data-imported="1">SorStudy13Op.29.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276902011-07-17T20:00:00-04:002019-12-17T18:57:01-05:00Harmony in Practice-Matteo Carcassi, Study 7 Op. 60
<p>Carcassi’s study seven from <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/twenty_five_melodious_and_progressive_studies_op_60_by_matteo_carcassi_edited_by_john_hall/" data-imported="1">Op.60</a> is another very well known piece from this set of studies. I like to use this piece as a way of introducing notes in first position as it contains nearly all of them plus a few higher ones on the E string. I would like to present an analysis of this piece to continue reinforcing concepts in harmony and counterpoint that we studied earlier. There is little in this study harmonically that will be new to us after studying Sor. Although it is a fine example of the use of the Neapolitan sixth chord in a slightly different context than we found it in the Sor studies.</p>
<p>The first thing I would point out that might not be readily apparent to students in the early stages of study is that there are distinct voices in this piece that move through the music in distinct ranges just as voices in a Bach chorale do. In this case we have two- and three-part writing that adheres to the principles of voice-leading handed down by J.S. Bach which was certainly part of Carcassi’s musical training. I have included a reduction version of the piece at the end of this discussion that will clearly show the voices and how they connect. They are quite easy to follow even in the full version. For example, the first measure and subsequent measures that contain bass notes with repeated notes would of course always be considered two-part writing, whereas the measures that contain arpeggios are three-part writing. You will notice that in the arpeggio sections the three voices (lower, middle and upper) move along from chord to chord in a mostly step-wise fashion. Take measure two for example: The lower voice moves step-wise down the scale (D-C-B-A) while the upper voice moves in parallel sixths with the lower (F-E-D-C) and the middle voice fills out the harmony with A-A-G#-A. The middle voice is usually least active and sometimes doesn’t move at all as in measure twelve for example. As a former trombone player I am very familiar with rather uninteresting middle parts. In composition the outer two voices are usually the most important. As we saw in the Bach Bourrée two parts are enough to create a satisfactory composition, although sometimes the harmony can be a bit ambiguous. Carcassi uses the third voice to clarify the harmony as well as fill out the texture.</p>
<p>Harmonically the piece is rather straight forward with the most interesting features occurring toward the middle and near the end where we have a little coda section introduced by the Neapolitan sixth chord in measure twenty-three. Let’s look at the sections in a bit more detail.</p>
<p>Section one (measures one through eight) is typical of many pieces of this period in minor keys. We begin in A minor and cadence in A minor and then begin the second part in the relative major, C major in this case. Nothing too exciting to report other than the secondary dominant B7 chord (V/V) in measure seven. I do hear this as a distinct harmony here but do not in measure three where I hear the D# as a chromatic passing tone within the Bm7b5 (ii) chord as the bass moves from the third to the fifth chromatically.</p>
<p>Part two (measures nine through twenty) begins in the relative major key of C. There are two interesting things to look at here. In measure eleven, beat three we get this great dissonant combination of A-G-F#! That certainly is not a chord that we know of. It is clear though that in the context of the voice-leading we are getting a confluence of passing tones that clash with the G in the middle voice. The F# in the upper voice is a chromatic passing tone between the G and the F natural (seventh) while the A in the bass is a passing tone between the G and the B (root and third of the G major chord). This type of dissonance in the context of voice-leading is acceptable as well as desirable as it serves to move the music forward in time. The second thing and my favorite part is the interval progression in measures thirteen and fourteen. The interval pattern which is used in sequence is: M3, M6, P8, and tritone in measure thirteen which is repeated a step higher in measure fourteen with the slight change in the second interval from a M6 to an augmented sixth. This is the essence of the Italian, German and French augmented sixth chords without the inner voices. I labeled it +6 to indicate the augmented sixth interval since the country of origin cannot be determined. Harmonically the function of this progression is to return us to A minor. Typically the augmented sixth chord functions as dominant preparation or in other words resolves into the dominant seventh chord of the key we are moving into as it does here.</p>
<p>The third section beginning at measure twenty-one and continuing to the end restates the opening two measures then suddenly introduces the very dramatic Neapolitan sixth chord (Bb major) in measure twenty-three. This chord is a major triad built on the lowered second scale degree and is usually found as it is here in first inversion. You can think of this chord as an altered subdominant (iv) chord and having the same function as the subdominant, that of dominant preparation. For example in the key of A minor the subdominant triad is D minor. By changing one tone, in this case raising the A by half-step to Bb, we create the Neapolitan sixth chord. Try this at the piano or on the guitar: Play D minor, E7, A minor and compare it to Bb, E7, A minor. Quite a dramatic difference! Carcassi uses this harmony in a little different way. Instead of moving directly into the dominant (E7) he moves into A7 or V/iv treating the Neapolitan sixth chord as VI in D minor. Eventually he does get us to the dominant for the big finish. Quite clever that Carcassi!</p>
<p>I really enjoy this study as it seems most everyone does. I hope this gives you a bit more insight into its inner workings and maybe more respect for this excellent composer. As usual the analysis is below for your use.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482928/carcassi7analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">Carcassi7Analysis.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276892011-07-12T20:00:00-04:002020-01-07T13:33:14-05:00Harmony in Practice-Matteo Carcassi, Study 3 Op. 60
<p>Study three from <a href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/buy/twenty_five_melodious_and_progressive_studies_op_60_by_matteo_carcassi_edited_by_john_hall/" data-imported="1">Twenty-Five Melodious and Progressive Studies Op. 60</a> by Matteo Carcassi (1792-1853) has always been my personal favorite from this famous set of studies for guitar. I am sure almost everyone reading this has played through it many times during his or her course of study. The harmony in this piece has always intrigued me. As a student there were many things that I didn’t understand, like that strange sounding chord on the first two beats of measure twenty-three or that unusual cadence on C# major in measure sixteen. What follows is my harmonic analysis of this beautiful little study with a few more years of experience under my belt.</p>
<p>Although Carcassi is not considered in the same league as Sor as a composer, he is certainly no slouch when it comes to harmony. The first thing you notice in this study is the frequent use of appoggiaturas (leaning tones) in the melody. This is a perfect example of what I discussed previously concerning earlier dissonances that gradually over time become acceptable consonances. The opening A major triad supports an F# (sixth above the bass) on beat two which then resolves to the chord tone E (fifth above the bass) on beat three. In measure two we have the same pattern in which the non-harmonic tone F# (seventh above the bass) on beat two resolves to the chord tone E (sixth above the bass) on beat three. This pattern continues through most of the piece and is best expressed as an interval pattern between the <em>bass</em> and <em>soprano</em>. The first eight bars look like this where the numbers represent intervals above the bass:</p>
<ul>
<li>Measure one: 6-5</li>
<li>Measure two: 7-6</li>
<li>Measure three: 4-3</li>
<li>Measure four: 9-8</li>
<li>Measure five: 7-6</li>
<li>Measure six: 6-5</li>
<li>Measure seven: 4-3</li>
<li>In the final measure (eight) the melody comes to rest on the dominant (E) without an appoggiatura. </li>
</ul>
<p>You could say that with modern ears these appoggiaturas could be considered integral parts of the harmony and heard as added sixths, added ninths, major sevenths, dominant ninths, etc., which would not require resolution within the same harmony as non-harmonic tones would require. Just as the seventh of the dominant seventh was originally always an unaccented passing tone, it eventually was accented over time and heard as an integral part of the harmony. A good example of this harmonic development occurs in measure five. Here we have a major seventh (G#) moving to a major sixth (F#) over an A bass. I am more inclined to hear this chord as a tonic A major with an added sixth than as an F# minor (vi) in first inversion. </p>
<p>The most remarkable harmony takes place in the middle section, measures nine through sixteen, which is typical in that most development generally occurs here. The harmony in the first four bars takes place over a pedal point E (dominant). When we reach measure eleven we encounter a diminished seventh chord that doesn’t quite do what we expect it to do; resolve up by half-step as a leading-tone diminished seventh does. From the spelling I have indicated the “root” as A#. We would expect that A# diminished seventh would resolve to B major or minor as it does in measure six and seven. Instead it moves into an E7 chord. This type of diminished seventh chord is known as a common-tone diminished seventh in which there is at least one common tone between the diminished seventh chord and its chord of resolution. In this case the common tone is the note E. The other three voices ascend chromatically: A# to B, C# to D, and G to G#. This type of diminished seventh chord is quite common in nineteenth century harmony as well as in jazz harmony. Please see my article “The Amazing and Versatile Diminished Seventh Chord” for a more detailed exploration of how this chord is used. </p>
<p>The E7 chord in measure twelve becomes an E# diminished seventh chord in measure thirteen with the chromatic ascent of the bass from E to E#. This time the E# dim.7 chord resolves as it usually does, up a half-step to F# minor. This temporarily moves us into the key of F# minor which clears up the remaining harmony in this section. The B minor in measure fourteen is the iv chord in this new key area. The D7 sound in measure fifteen is actually an Italian augmented sixth chord where the outer voices (D and B#) form the interval of an augmented sixth which resolve in contrary motion to the octave C# in measure sixteen bringing us to a cadence on the dominant of F# minor, the C# major triad. The last four eighth-notes serve to imply the E7 (dominant) chord to move us back to the home key of A major for the finish.</p>
<p>The last eight bars are a partial restatement of the first eight bars with a pedal point A (tonic) through the first four measures. By far the most dramatic harmonic feature is the French augmented sixth chord that we hear in measure twenty-three. To review, this harmony usually contains the interval of an augmented sixth in the outer voices filled with a major third and an augmented fourth in the inner voices. In this case the augmented sixth interval is inverted to create a diminished third. The effect is the same except that the diminished third resolves “inward” to an octave by contrary motion rather than “outward” to an octave in the case of an augmented sixth. One other interesting feature of this French augmented sixth chord is that it can have two possible roots which are related by tritone. I have indicated the two different roots in the chord analysis above the staff. Carcassi’s spelling would indicate a B root but we could also indicate F as the root with an enharmonic spelling of the chord: F-A-Cb-Eb. Again as we talked about in previous discussions this is considered a tritone substitution in jazz harmony where the F7(b5) is substituted for the B7(b5). In this case the two chords are identical and both function in the same way, resolving into the dominant of A major (E7). The dominant seven flat-five (7b5) and dominant seven sharp-five (7#5) chords can be considered as generated from the whole-tone scale (B-C#-D#-F-G-A-B). You will find this sound in the music of the French Impressionists (late nineteenth/early twentieth century) particularly Debussy. In jazz, the whole-tone scale is an excellent choice when improvising over these chord types.</p>
<p>That was quite an interesting little study in harmony! My hope is that we can better understand more advanced harmonic concepts if we can associate these concepts with pieces we know and love. You will find the analysis below. Stay tuned for part two as we will look at Carcassi’s study seven from the same set.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482927/carcassi3analysis.pdf" data-imported="1">Carcassi3Analysis.pdf</a></p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276882011-07-10T20:00:00-04:002020-01-07T13:33:50-05:00Jazz Improv - Scales for Altered Dominants
<p>In our continuing series on jazz improvisation I would like to discuss the application of certain scales, in addition to the usual major and minor, which will add spice to your solos by incorporating non-diatonic sounds usually associated with the dominant (V) harmony. In jazz this harmony is referred to as the “altered dominant” or “alt” for short and would contain as many as four possible altered tones (b5, #5, b9 and #9). This sound is very important in jazz harmony as it adds a great deal of color and gives the soloist much more to work with in terms of note choices.</p>
<p>I am assuming most everyone is familiar with the diatonic major scale as well as the seven modes derived from it. Just in case, a brief review may be helpful.</p>
<p>The seven modes are as follows:</p>
<ol>
<li>Ionian (major) C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C (I-tonic Major) Associate with Major7 chord.</li>
<li>Dorian D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D (ii-supertonic minor) Associate with minor7 chord.</li>
<li>Phrygian E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E (iii-mediant minor) Associate with minor7 chord.</li>
<li>Lydian F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F (IV-subdominant Major) Associate with Major7 chord.</li>
<li>Mixolydian G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G (V-dominant Major) Associate with Dominant7 chord.</li>
<li>Aeolian (minor) A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A (vi-submediant minor) Associate with minor7 chord.</li>
<li>Locrian B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B (vii-leading-tone diminished) Associate with minor7b5 chord.</li>
</ol>
<p>Each of the seven modes is associated with each of the corresponding diatonic seventh chords that are generated from the diatonic scale. The association is strong because the notes that make up each seventh chord appear on every other note of the scale. For example, if we take every other note of the first mode (Ionian) we have the tones C-E-G-B which spells the C Major7 chord. These tones would naturally be emphasized as they would occur on the strong beats when playing eighth-notes. This chord/scale association does not require that the notes of the chord occur always on strong beats. As long as the chord tones are present within the scale an association with the chord sound exists. What occurs between the chord tones (passing tones) is less critical. We could generate any number of different scales including pentatonic, octatonic, chromatic and various synthetic patterns that contain the chord tones we are improvising over and achieve a successful result. Our ears are accustomed though to the traditional diatonic sounds of the modes described above so we will use these first. In theory then, you would play each mode over each of the corresponding chords in a tune. Although I am not a strong proponent of the modal approach to improvising, it is important to understand the function of these modes.</p>
<p>These scales are excellent for soloing over most changes in the typical jazz standard as long as the chords involved are diatonic seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords. The limitation of these scales occurs when we encounter altered chords. As stated earlier, altered chords contain tones that are not part of the diatonic scale (b5, #5, b9 and #9 in <span style="text-decoration:underline">major keys</span> for example) that are commonly added to the dominant (V) chord. This is quite common in jazz as an over use of diatonic harmony is undesirable. So, what do we do when we encounter these altered chords in a tune? The most common technique is to use modes derived from the harmonic and melodic minor scales.</p>
<p>Let’s review these two scales as they would be constructed from the pitch A (or in A minor).</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Harmonic minor</span>: A-B-C-D-E-F-G#-A {minor (Aeolian) with raised seventh degree}</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Melodic minor</span>: A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#-A {minor (Aeolian) with raised sixth and seventh degrees} In jazz this scale is the same ascending and descending and is sometimes referred to as “jazz melodic minor” for that reason.</p>
<p>In the context of this discussion we will concern ourselves with only three modes of these scales that will work best and are commonly used over altered dominants: The fifth mode of harmonic minor and the fourth and seventh modes of melodic minor.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Fifth Mode of Harmonic Minor (Phrygian Dominant)</strong></div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The scale consists of the tones E-F-G#-A-B-C-D-E and is an excellent choice when playing over 7b9 and 7#5 chords. Again if we take every other scale degree we end up spelling the E7b9 chord (E-G#-B-D-F). So this chord sound would have a strong association with this scale as these notes would naturally be emphasized. The E7#5 (E-G#-B#-D) sound is also present with the inclusion of the note C (enharmonic B#). Of course both b9 and #5 could be included together in the chord as well: E7(#5)(b9). The best way to remember the correct choice of mode in this case is to play the harmonic minor scale that is built from the same pitch as your <em>tonic</em> chord, not the <em>dominant</em> chord as is sometimes incorrectly assumed. The mode begins on the dominant. For example:</p>
<p>E7(b9)(#5)-Play A harmonic minor from E to E (dominant).</p>
<p>A7(b9)(#5)-Play D harmonic minor from A to A (dominant).</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Fourth Mode of Melodic Minor (Lydian Dominant or Lydian Flat-Seven)</strong></div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>This scale contains the tones D-E-F#-G#-A-B-C-D and is an excellent choice for playing over 7b5 chords. In this case if we take every other note (strong beats) we end up with the unaltered D7 chord (D-F#-A-C). The b5 sound is still strongly implied with the inclusion of the G# (enharmonic Ab) in this scale. Personally, when using this mode I think of it as Mixolydian with a raised fourth. Since I already associate Mixolydian with dominant seventh chords it is easy to use my Mixolydian patterns that begin on the root tone of the altered dominant chord and just raise the fourth degree.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Seventh Mode of Melodic Minor (Altered Dominant or Super Locrian)</strong></div>
</li>
</ul>
<p>This is the mother of all altered scales. The scale includes the notes G#-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#. In jazz this is the number one choice for soloing over altered dominants because it contains all possible altered tones (b5, #5, b9 and #9) as well as the key elements of the dominant seventh chord associated with it (root, third and seventh). Let’s look at it in detail with its association with the G#7 chord in this case. The important chord tones G# (root) B# (enharmonic C or third) and F# (seventh) are present in the scale as well as all the altered tones: A (b9) B (#9) D (b5) and E (#5). An easy way to remember which is the correct choice of mode when playing over an altered dominant is to simply play the melodic minor scale that is a half-step above the root of the altered dominant in question. For example:</p>
<p>E7 (altered)-Play F melodic minor from E to E (seventh mode).</p>
<p>A7 (altered)-Play Bb melodic minor from A to A (seventh mode).</p>
<p>Not so hard to remember with a little practice.</p>
<p>I have included a pdf file below which summarizes the discussion. The filled note heads show passing tones (notes between chord tones) in the first set of seven diatonic modes. In the modes of harmonic and melodic minor the filled note heads indicate altered tones as well as unaltered passing tones. I am hoping this gives you some new and important scale sounds that will make your solos sound much more colorful and certainly more authentic.</p>
<p><a href="/files/482926/scalesmodes.pdf" data-imported="1">ScalesModes.pdf</a></p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276872011-06-24T20:00:00-04:002020-12-23T10:11:38-05:00Harmony in Practice-Agustín Barrios, Julia Florida<p>As we move closer to the present, harmony becomes more and more complex. The ear is now able to hear more and more complex tonal relationships and what were earlier dissonances have now become acceptable consonances in many cases. To illustrate this newer harmonic thinking I thought it would be appropriate to move into the late Romantic period (late nineteenth century) and discuss the harmony of Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944) as displayed in his well known composition <em>Julia Florida.</em></p>
<p>Tonality is still in full force here as most harmonic relationships are as we would expect, following the principles of functional harmony as presented in the Sor etudes we examined earlier, i.e., dominant to tonic progressions as well as other standard chord progressions and successions. Key relationships are also typical although we do find some new and more remote keys occurring here. One of the main features that we find in this piece as well as other music of this period is a greater use of chromatic harmony and occasional use of non-functional harmony. In a nutshell non-functional harmony occurs when familiar harmonic structures are used in a non-standard way. Usually this non-functional harmony is found within a passage that is fundamentally linear or, in other words, the harmony that occurs is a bi-product of voice-leading. The step-wise movement of the voices from one harmonic structural point to another is the driving force of such a passage. The harmony generated is secondary. This will become clearer as we look at the music in more detail.</p>
<p>Let’s begin at the beginning. The A section of the piece (measures 1-20) is quite straightforward harmonically. Interesting features are the use of an augmented triad (measure five) and the chord succession V-iii-ii-iii-IV (measures 14-16) which includes two minor seventh chords. The augmented triad usually functions as a dominant in that it resolves down by perfect fifth as it does here. The augmented triad occurs in the context of an accented chromatic passing tone in the middle voice (A-A#-B). In jazz this is known as a 7(#5) chord and functions in exactly the same way.</p>
<p>The B section beginning at measure twenty-one is in the relative minor key of B minor. Again this is standard procedure. As you can see there is not a great deal happening in this section harmonically other than the striking G minor chord in measure twenty-nine. This is considered a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key of D minor and is one of the most common altered chords in tonal music. In the analysis I hear this as moving us back into D major as confirmed by the second ending where we have an authentic cadence in D major that includes a dominant thirteenth chord in measure thirty-three. This feature of extended harmonies is also an important new development during this period.</p>
<p>The C section beginning in measure thirty-five is where the real fun begins. The secondary leading-tone diminished seventh chord that occurs in measure thirty-six is nothing new. We had many examples in the Sor etudes. The first really new sound is the chord of the added sixth that occurs in measure thirty-eight. In this case it is a tonic triad (D) with an added B (sixth). In jazz this is known as the major six chord and is written D6 (not to be confused with a first inversion triad). In measure thirty-nine we move into F# minor or the mediant (iii) area. This takes us into the most complex section of the piece, measures forty-two through fifty-six.</p>
<p>This passage is best understood in terms of the voice-leading. I have included a supplemental page in which I isolate this passage and reduce it down to the bare essentials. Notice how all the voices move by step with the bass line moving generally in a downward direction culminating on the dominant (A9) in second inversion (E bass) in the home key of D major. Assigning Roman numeral analysis to this passage was a challenge to say the least, particularly measures fifty-three through fifty-six. This passage is a good example of what I would call non-functional harmony. Familiar sounds used in an unfamiliar way, like the G7 chord in measure fifty-five moving to A9 for example. It is clear that we have a chromatic bass line (G-F#-F-E) and two chromatically descending inner voices (E/C#-Eb/C-D/B that move with the bass ending on the dominant. My Roman numeral analysis stretches harmonic relationships to the limit. Clearly it is the voice-leading that explains this passage best. You will notice that this chromatic descent actually begins way back in measure forty-two. If you trace the middle voice beginning on the A you can follow it down chromatically all the way to C# in measure fifty-six! A (measure 42) G# (43, beat 4 implied-44) G (45) F#-F (46) E (47-53) Eb (54) D (55) and finally the goal C# (leading-tone) in measure fifty-six. Amazing! I still find this incredible. Is this part of a premeditated plan or is this intuitive to these great composers?</p>
<p>One final point of interest: The French augmented sixth chord that occurs in measure forty-four. This is our first look at this structure. The French augmented sixth chord is one of three types of augmented sixth chords. We have previously encountered the other two types: Italian and German, in the Sor etudes. I remember reading in some obscure theory book a simple way to build and compare these three types. The most important functional feature is the augmented sixth interval that usually occurs in the outer voices. The explanation was to first play an octave at the keyboard: Let’s use C-C. Move the lower C up a half-step to Db and the upper C down a half-step to B forming the interval of an augmented sixth. To form the Italian augmented sixth, fill in the interval with a major third (F). To form the German, fill in with a major third (F) and a perfect fifth (Ab). To form the French augmented sixth chord, fill in with a major third (F) and an augmented fourth (G). These chords then usually resolve back to the C major triad or the C7 (dominant) or commonly the tonic 6-4 (F/C). In our example in measure forty-four the augmented sixth interval is D (bass) to B# (alto). The filled intervals are F# (major third) and G# (augmented fourth). The resolution is as it should be: The augmented sixth interval moves in contrary motion to an octave (C#-C#) while the F# resolves down by half-step to E# and the G# remains as a common tone. In jazz this structure is known as a 7(b5) chord and is referred to as a tritone substitution. Its function is identical. Please refer to my earlier discussion of <a data-imported="1" href="http://www.johnhallguitar.com/blog/tritone_substitution" target="_parent">tritone substitutions</a> for a more detailed explanation. </p>
<p>Below is the analysis and the supplement that I hope clarifies the voice-leading of the complex passage (mm. 42-56). Please comment. I would be interested in knowing your interpretation of this music and if you find this helpful in any way. Thanks for your attention. I know this can be migraine inducing!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="/files/482925/juliaflorida.pdf">JuliaFlorida.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276862011-06-15T20:00:00-04:002020-10-02T07:37:39-04:00Harmonic Implications in Counterpoint: Bourrée in E minor, BWV 996<p> </p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/NNLMu"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/1a3774ab4bd9b11f18fcd177f0f7eaea6a7f5935/original/bourreeeminor.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjAweDE3MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="170" width="600" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<h4><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/NNLMu"><span style="color:#ffcc33">Purchase and download the complete analysis securely for $5.00 here.</span></a></h4>
<p> </p>
<p>There has always been discussion concerning harmonic implications in contrapuntal writing. Voice leading in and of itself can be enough to generate interesting music, but without a clear harmonic plan the music will lack direction. Since J.S. Bach is the acknowledged master of counterpoint and harmony I will use what I thought would be a fairly simple piece to demonstrate the coexistence of these two musical principles: the Bourrée from Lute Suite 1 BWV 996. This is such a well known piece that I think everyone who reads this will know it in some capacity. My intention is to take a basic two part contrapuntal texture and indicate what I believe are the harmonies implied by the two tones. Or, if Bach were to compose this piece as a chorale for four voices, what harmony would he use when filling in the inner parts?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My analysis shows the implied harmony above the staff using chord symbols with Roman numeral analysis below. The harmonic rhythm is at the quarter-note level or on every beat as would be common in most Bach chorales. The level of harmonic complexity in this little piece is staggering. Bach actually uses all the notes of the chromatic scale within these twenty-four measures generating all kinds of interesting harmonic relationships!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There are several passages in which three voices are implied: measure nine (beats two and four), measure ten (beat two), measures thirteen and fourteen (beats two and four), measures twenty-one (beats one, two, three and four) and measure twenty-two (beats one and two) for example. These as well as other measures where skips occur in either the melody or bass line imply three part texture. This makes the job of harmonic analysis much easier. You may notice I did not include the D# in measure twenty-one, beat three in my harmonic analysis. I decided to hear it as a chromatic neighbor or chromatic passing tone to the following E and not as part of a G augmented triad, although you could easily make the case for that analysis. Every altered chord is originally a function of some sort of chromatic voice-leading which becomes acceptable to the ear as a struck dissonance over time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I would like to discuss a few more points of interest. As is common in many binary Baroque dance forms we have the basic key relationships of minor to the relative major and back again to minor. In this case, E minor moving to G major (relative major) at the cadence of part one, continuing in G major in part two and returning to E minor by the final cadence. Part one consists mainly of ii-V-i progressions in E minor and G major.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Part two is where we really get the harmonic development. There are cadences in two new key areas (A minor in measure twelve and B minor in measure sixteen) as well as numerous secondary dominants within the passage beginning at the end of measure twelve through twenty. Bach uses a sequential bass line beginning on beat four of measure sixteen through beat one of measure twenty which generates the circle of fifths progression we know well in jazz: B7-E-E7-A-A7-D-D7-G-G7-C-F#m7b5-B7 and eventually Em to complete the cycle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course many of the harmonies I indicated are conjecture on my part since we do not have full chords to work with. I do think my analysis is accurate and within what would be common practice during this musical period. Play the chord changes while singing the melody line or do your own chord/melody arrangement and I think you will agree the harmonies work quite well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One other note: The circle with the diagonal slash indicates a half-diminished seventh chord or, as in jazz, a minor seven flat five chord. This type of chord is usually found functioning as the ii chord in a minor key as Bach uses it here and prepares or precedes the dominant (V).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In conclusion it is clear that Bach is always thinking harmonically. It is this perfect marriage of the linear (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) aspects of the writing that makes his music so successful.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60276852011-06-02T20:00:00-04:002022-05-11T05:23:20-04:00Twinkle Twinkle Jazzy Star<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc00">Purchase and download complete arrangement with notation and chord diagrams for $5.00 using link below:</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#ffcc33"><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/mrcXP" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffcc33">Buy Twinkle Twinkle Jazzy Star</span></a></span></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://gumroad.com/l/mrcXP" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/393288/e02712f0777d8395220a21cc616bb3c6dc3c3bc7/original/twinkletwinklejazz.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTUweDExMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="110" width="550" /></a> </p>
<p>I thought this might be a good time to apply some of the harmonic concepts we have learned through the analysis of Fernando Sor’s etudes and our discussions of jazz harmony by harmonizing a very simple melody, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. This little tune lends itself beautifully to a traditional jazz harmonization utilizing chord changes found in most standard tunes. Sor’s contribution to this exercise is the concept of voice-leading which is the idea that individual voices should connect smoothly, usually and preferably by step-wise motion, through the course of a composition. This concept is one of the most important principles in classical composition and is of course derived from vocal writing where small intervals are much easier to negotiate from a singer’s perspective in addition to imparting a smooth flowing quality to the music.</p>
<p>My goal was to use a new harmony for each note of the tune while maintaining a strong harmonic progression based mainly on root movements of descending fifths as is common in most jazz standards. I also wanted to use as many chord embellishments (additions of ninths, elevenths and thirteenths), chord substitutions (tritone subs) and altered chords (dominants with b5, #5, b9, #9, secondary dominants and borrowed chords) as possible.</p>
<p>Let’s look at it line by line.</p>
<p>Line 1: Chord progression used is {I IV iii V/ii ii V I V/ii} The A7b9 is a secondary dominant or V/ii in this case.</p>
<p>Line 2: Chord progression is {ii V I vii/ii ii V I} The C#dim7 is a passing diminished seventh chord connecting the I and ii chords chromatically.</p>
<p>Line 3: Chord progression is {I V/ii ii iv I V/ii ii V} The new feature here is the minor iv chord (borrowed from c minor). All chords are over a dominant pedal point (G).</p>
<p>Line 4: Chord progression is basically {I V/vi V/ii ii V/V V} The Bb13, Eb9 and Ab7#5 are tritone subs for E7 (V/vi), A7 (V/ii) and D7 (V/V) respectively.</p>
<p>Line 5: Chord progression is basically {ii-V/iii iii V/ii ii V ii-V/ii} The F#m7b5 to F7 is a variation of the typical minor ii V progression but the V chord (B7) is replaced with its tritone substitution (F7).</p>
<p>Line 6: Chord progression is basically {i ii-V/vi V/ii V/V V I} This line is the most complex harmonically. The idea was to write a chromatic bass line spanning the tonic (C) to the dominant (G). The opening minor tonic chord can be heard as a borrowed chord from C minor. It does come as a surprise as we would expect to hear a ii chord (Dm) following the A7 in the previous measure. The voice-leading allows for a smooth transition to this unexpected harmony as the C# moves to C natural and the E to Eb (chromatic sixths/thirds) while the Bb is a common tone. Here again the Bb7b5 and Ab7b5 are tritone substitutions for E7 and D7 respectively.</p>
<p>Line 7: Chord progression is {ii-V/vi vi vii/ii ii V I} This line is an alternate ending just to demonstrate the many possibilities when it comes to harmonizing a melody.</p>
<p>You will also notice that many of the chords are rootless. I indicated the implied root when labeling the chord so that the underlying harmonic progression is clear.</p>
<p>Also notice the voice-leading as you move from chord to chord. Most connections that occur between the inner voices are by step. Root movements are for the most part descending fifths or chromatic if a tritone substitution is involved.</p>
<p>This is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to harmonizing a melody. It is still all very magical to me how these relationships work. As hard as I try to understand it I still find much of it quite mysterious. I hope you enjoy this little exercise as much as I have and discover new and interesting ways to put new “clothes” on an old tune.</p>0:51johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277422011-04-21T00:00:00-04:002020-01-14T09:18:02-05:00Common-Tone Voicings<p>I was working through some chord changes recently and was wondering if I could maintain a common-tone in the upper voice while moving through multiple changes of harmony. I decided to use the standard “Autumn Leaves” changes as my chord progression and include each the notes of the G major scale as my common-tone in the soprano through the entire sequence of chords. It worked beautifully with two exceptions; when the fourth (eleventh) was harmonized by a major seventh chord (measures seventeen and eighteen) and when a minor sixth was harmonized by a minor seventh chord (measure twenty-one). In those cases I adjusted the upper voice by a half-step in order to create an acceptable harmony. The chord progression I used was as follows:</p>
<p>Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 – Cmaj7 – F#m7b5 – B7 – Em7</p>
<p>I began with A in the soprano in line one, then B in line two and so on through the entire G major scale. I did include the D# once (E harmonic minor) for a more convincing cadence in measure thirty-four.</p>
<p>The voicings are on the first four strings only and many are rootless. I think you will find all are quite practical and comfortable to play. Since we have a common-tone on top all voicings are in close proximity and almost all have common-tone or step-wise connections within the inner voices as we move from chord to chord. You will notice that most of the commonly used extensions of the fundamental seventh chords can be found by reading <span style="text-decoration:underline">down</span> each column.</p>
<p>I think you will enjoy this little study and you may find some new and interesting voicings for your next gig.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="commontonevoicings.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483030/commontonevoicings.pdf" target="_blank">CommonToneVoicings.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277412011-04-07T00:45:00-04:002021-07-20T07:58:26-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 12 Op.6<p>Etude twelve by Fernando Sor is the final study in this set. It corresponds to Estudio fourteen in the Segovia collection. With this study we have a harmonic plan similar to Etude eleven in which Sor contrasts the major with the parallel minor. In this case A major and A minor are the two key areas. The A minor section beginning in measure twenty-one characteristically moves into the relative major key (C) before returning to A minor followed by the restatement of the earlier A major section.</p>
<p>All harmonic points of interest have been discussed previously. It might be worth mentioning the second occurrence of the Neapolitan sixth chord in measure thirty-four. To review, this structure is a major triad built on the lowered second scale degree of major or minor scales and is usually found in first inversion. In this case we have a Bb major triad with a D in the bass. The D bass implies a subdominant (iv) function to this harmony as it almost always precedes the dominant (V) as it does in this case. The note Bb (lowered second degree in A minor) is often described as an “upper leading-tone”. In effect the harmony encircles the tonic from above (Bb) and, with the move to the dominant (E7), from below (G#) which creates the effect of upper and lower leading-tones.</p>
<p>The voice-leading as it relates to the Neapolitan sixth chord in the context of an altered iv-V-I progression can be seen very clearly in this example. Beginning in measure thirty-four, the Bb in the upper voice first returns to A in measure thirty-five supported by the very interesting vii/V before moving to G# in measure thirty-six and finally back to tonic (A) in measure thirty-seven. The bass line is basically four-five-one with a passing diminished seventh between the iv and V. So, combining the four-five-one bass line with the encircling Bb-G#-A will demonstrate the essence of this harmony. In its simplest two-part form in A minor:</p>
<p>Bb/D (N6) - G#/E (V) - A/A (i)</p>
<p>It might be interesting to do a statistical analysis of the various harmonies used in these twelve etudes. The breakdown will probably be about 50% I, ii, and V chords as Sor seems to prefer to use the ii chord rather than the IV at cadences, 30% IV, vi and vii chords (iii rarely used) and 20% altered harmonies which would include secondary dominants, secondary leading-tone chords, augmented sixth and Neapolitan sixth chords as well as borrowed chords. This would be typical of most music of this period.</p>
<p>It has been my hope that this series of analyses will make the understanding of certain key elements of harmony and voice-leading a bit easier to comprehend by showing their application in the context of real music by a respected composer. I would love to hear from you in the form of comments as to whether or not I have been successful in this. Also any suggestions for future projects or ways to improve the presentation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading and enjoy the music!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor12.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483032/newsor12.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 12 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor12.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483034/sor12.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 12 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ocwOeWlUhb0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/ocwOeWlUhb0/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ocwOeWlUhb0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277402011-03-30T12:00:00-04:002021-07-20T07:42:39-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 11 Op.6<p>Etude eleven by Fernando Sor corresponds to Estudio seventeen in the Segovia collection. This is one of the more Romantic, stylistically, of the studies to date. Harmonically we have a rather typical plan beginning in E minor, moving to the relative major (G), back to E minor and then to E major (parallel major) for the final section. Sor again uses double suspensions, appoggiaturas and accented passing tones (some chromatic) frequently throughout the piece creating some beautiful dissonances. We also find multiple uses of the passing diminished seventh chord that we discussed previously but in a jazz context.</p>
<p>There are three key areas in the study (E minor, G major and E major) but very little in the way of non-diatonic harmony other than the passing diminished seventh chords and a few secondary dominants. I expected it to be richer harmonically because of its Romantic quality and was surprised to find the harmony to be quite straightforward.</p>
<p>This is probably a good time to review the passing diminished seventh chord as we can now see how it is applied in the context of this piece. As we discussed previously, two chords that are a whole-step apart may be connected chromatically through the use of a diminished seventh chord placed chromatically between the roots of the two chords. For example in the key of C major the diatonic triads are as follows:</p>
<p>C (I) Dm (ii) Em (iii) F (IV) G (V) Am (vi) Bdim (vii).</p>
<p>We can connect the C major chord to the D minor by inserting a C-sharp diminished seventh chord between them as follows:</p>
<p>C – C#dim7 – Dm</p>
<p>We can also connect the D minor with the E minor with the insertion of a D-sharp diminished seventh chord as follows:</p>
<p>Dm – D#dim7 – Em</p>
<p>This process can continue as long as there is a whole-step between the chord roots with the exception of chord vi (Am) to chord vii (Bdim). Since a diminished triad is not considered a point of resolution or stability, moving into a diminished triad with a leading-tone harmony does not occur because the desired effect of tension and release does not exist.</p>
<p>The first instance of this harmony occurs in measure fourteen in which Sor passes from ii in first inversion to V chromatically using a diminished seventh chord. Yes, I know that ii and V are separated by more than a whole-step. It is the fact that the ii chord is in first inversion implying the root of IV that then passes chromatically to V that is the difference. We talked earlier about how the ii and IV chords are interchangeable due to their intervallic relationship of a third. You can confirm this by substituting the ii chord (Am) with the IV chord (C) and noting how similar they sound. You might also try changing the note A in the upper voice in measure fourteen to a G, which would effectively change the harmony from a ii chord to a IV chord and compare the two versions.</p>
<p>The first true instance of this passing diminished seventh harmony occurs in measure twenty-three in which the V and vi chord are chromatically connected. It is interesting to note that in measures fifty through fifty-two Sor uses both the iv and the ii with the same bass (A) which then moves to A-sharp diminished seventh and then to B major (V). There is one final occurrence in measure sixty-seven in which V and vi are connected chromatically.</p>
<p>This is a beautiful study and I am sure you will enjoy working on it. The analytical and performance versions are included below for your use.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor11.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483012/newsor11.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 11 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor11.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/482998/sor11.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 11 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="AidiHXESliM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/AidiHXESliM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AidiHXESliM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277392011-03-21T00:00:00-04:002021-07-20T07:56:39-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 10 Op.6<p>Etude ten by Fernando Sor is a study in two parts. The first part is a study in octaves and the second is a chorale-like harmonization of the famous tune “God Save the Queen” or known to most in the USA as “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”. The first part poses an interesting problem in harmonic analysis; how do we come up with a harmonic analysis when there are no chords to analyze? What we need to do here is determine what harmonies are implied by the notes present in the single melodic line. This was an excellent test of the knowledge gained so far in analyzing Sor’s harmony. I tried to show which harmonies I believed Sor would have used if he did indeed harmonize these lines. There were times when I thought the line implied one thing and then would later decide it was something completely different. This is the interesting and fun part of harmonizing a melody; there are many solutions possible, most with equally good effect. Sor demonstrates this beautifully in the last section of this study in which he harmonizes “God Save the Queen” in a unique, very progressive and almost jazzy way!</p>
<p>Since the harmony of the first section in octaves is speculation on my part I thought I would point out a few interesting features in Sor’s harmonization of “God Save the Queen”. In measures forty-six through forty-nine Sor harmonizes the melodic sequence sung to the words “Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims’ pride” beginning on the note G with a slight variation of a very common jazz harmonic sequence: |Em7b5 |A7 |Dm7b5 |G7| which is known as a “turnaround” progression (iii-vi-ii-V) in jazz; the slight variation being the use of the minor iv chord (Gm) in D minor rather than the Em7b5 (ii) as they are equivalent if an E were added to the Gm triad. The driving force of this sequence is the descending chromatic line that is present in the inner (tenor) voice: Bb-A-Ab-G. As is the case in most jazz turnarounds the vi chord (Am) is altered to become a dominant of the ii chord (Dm). The two minor seven flat five chords (Em7b5 and Dm7b5) are borrowed from D minor and C minor respectively. A similar sequence also occurs in measures eighteen through twenty-one in the first section which lends itself well to the same type of harmonization.</p>
<p>When that phrase is repeated beginning in measure fifty-four Sor uses a completely different harmony for the same melody: |Gm7b5 |C7 |F |Dm7b5 – G7|. Rather than moving into Dm (ii) with a ii-V-i progression (Em7b5 – A7 – Dm), Sor now moves into F (IV) with an altered ii-V-I progression (Gm7b5 – C7 – F). These two areas, supertonic (ii) and subdominant (IV), are interchangeable in practice as are tonic (I) and submediant (vi). Sor exploits this relationship in measure fifty-eight where he re-harmonizes the same melody heard in measure fifty using A minor (vi) rather than C major (I). Compare the two harmonizations as you sing the phrase “Land where my Fathers died, Land of the pilgrims’ pride” beginning on the note G in triple time:</p>
<p>Em7b5 | A7 | Dm7b5 | G7 |</p>
<p>Gm7b5 | C7 | F | Dm7b5 – G7 |</p>
<p>Both are correct and equally good.</p>
<p>Make note of these relationships and try using these techniques the next time you do an arrangement or chord/melody of a jazz or pop tune. A new harmonization of an old familiar tune can make it sound fresh once again and can be an excellent exercise in applied harmonic principles.</p>
<p>Included below are the performance and analytical versions of Etude ten.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor10.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483008/sor10.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 10 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor10.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483029/newsor10.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 10 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="TCWUgs_izN4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/TCWUgs_izN4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TCWUgs_izN4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277382011-03-17T00:00:00-04:002021-07-20T07:52:42-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 9 Op.6<p>Etude nine by Fernando Sor corresponds to Estudio thirteen in the Segovia collection of Sor studies. This study is a study in sixths in D minor and has some similarities to Etude six (the study in thirds) in that Sor uses chromatic neighbor notes and chromatic passing tones to alleviate diatonic blandness. As you can see there is not much happening harmonically other than the predictable move to F major (relative major) in the middle (B) section.</p>
<p>The most interesting harmonic features occur first in measure nineteen where Sor uses the Italian augmented sixth chord to move into the dominant (D7) of the supertonic (Gm) and then in measure twenty-three where he uses another Italian sixth chord to move into the dominant (C7) of the relative major (F) creating a circle of fifths progression D7-Gm-C7-F. This chord pattern can also be described as a harmonic sequence in which we have a dominant to tonic progression repeated a step lower. Harmonic sequences usually go hand in hand with melodic sequences as is the case in this piece where the melodic pattern in measures nineteen through twenty-two is repeated with slight variation in measures twenty-three through twenty-six a step lower. This progression with the inclusion of the augmented sixth chords is now a fundamental part of the jazz harmonic vocabulary. The term “tritone substitution” is used to describe this type of harmonic embellishment in which the Eb7 is a tritone substitution for A7 (dominant of D) and the Db7 is a tritone substitution for G7 (dominant of C). Remember that tritone substitutions and augmented sixth chords are one in the same. In a jazz chart the progression would appear as follows:</p>
<p>FMaj7 – Eb7 – D7 – Gm7 – Db7 – C7 – Fmaj7</p>
<p>Of course I have added sevenths to the triads as would be standard procedure in jazz harmony.</p>
<p>The bass in measure twenty-three seems to move by the very unusual (in this period) skip of a tritone (G-Db). The G that we assume to be the bass moves to the F in the following chord and not the Db. This is a case in which we have an implied D bass on beat one of measure twenty-three which would then move down by half-step to the Db and continue to the C in measure twenty-four chromatically, avoiding the tritone skip.</p>
<p>The next feature to note occurs in measures thirty and thirty-two where Sor’s use of chromatic passing tones in the inner voices in parallel sixths (E/C#-F/D-F#/D#-G/E) within the A7 harmony is very much a blues cliché today. Could it be that Sor was the actual father of the blues!?</p>
<p>There are many double suspensions, mainly in the form of 9-8/4-3, that are found throughout the piece that would occur quite naturally where the sixths are suspended over the bar line into the new harmony (measures six, eight, twenty-two etc.). I have indicated only the most prominent occurrence in measure twenty-six.</p>
<p>Lastly, in measures fifty-five and fifty-six on beat four we get a very strong dominant seven flat nine (A7b9) chord. True, it can be considered a full diminished seventh chord on the leading-tone (C#) but there is a very strong A in the bass occurring here. This is not as unusual as you may think as this chord construction was also used quite often by J.S. Bach. It is only natural that this chord type would appear in this period and earlier as it is a logical combination of the leading-tone full diminished seventh chord with the root of the dominant harmony. This is an important realization in determining a voicing for any seven flat nine chord that may come up in our jazz charts. If we understand that the upper four tones of a seven flat nine chord spell a full diminished seventh chord, we can then simply use any diminished seventh chord voicing we already know as a dominant seven flat nine chord with its root missing. I think the easiest way to remember this relationship is, as Joe Pass explains, to play a diminished seventh chord one half-step above the root of the dominant seven flat nine chord. For example:</p>
<p>G7(b9) = Abdim7 or C7(b9) = Dbdim7 etc.</p>
<p>With a bit of practice this will become clear and will become one of the most practical and useful concepts you will ever learn.</p>
<p>Included below are the analytical and performance editions of Etude nine for your use.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor9.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483038/newsor9.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 9 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor9.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483036/sor9.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 9 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="BX41w3k-xTI" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/BX41w3k-xTI/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BX41w3k-xTI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277372011-03-07T19:00:00-05:002021-07-20T07:51:22-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 8 Op.6<p>Sor’s Etude eight corresponds to Estudio one in the Segovia collection. This is a fascinating little study in three voices in the homophonic style of a Bach chorale. We are introduced to several new concepts in this piece which include development of a motive through sequential repetition and inversion, imitative counterpoint as well as invertible counterpoint in which parts are composed in such a way that the upper voice can become a lower voice or vice versa.</p>
<p>The ascending three note figure which is first heard in measure one beginning on beat two in the bass (E-F-G) is the building block of the entire study. The inversion of this figure as first heard in measure two, beat three in the bass (F-E-D) is also prominent. Notice the sequential use of the descending figure beginning on beat three, measure four in the bass and how the upper voices pick it up in imitation in thirds beginning in measure five, beat three. Also notice how this generates harmonically a complete circle of fifths progression (Am-Dm-G7-C-F-Bdim-E7-Am) starting on beat two, measure five through the end of measure seven.</p>
<p>Following the cadence on the dominant in measure ten, the descending figure is extended to a fifth (G-F-E-D-C) starting on beat two, measure ten in the bass and is again imitated in the upper voice three beats later in measure eleven forming parallel tenths with the bass. Sor then moves us into D minor (ii) through the beautiful Italian augmented sixth chord resolving to A7 (V/ii) in measures twelve and thirteen where he introduces the descending five note figure again, this time a step higher (A-G-F-E-D) in the upper voice of measure thirteen, beat two. The middle voice now picks up this line in imitation three beats later on beat two, measure fourteen and completes the line by merging with the bass in measure fifteen to conclude on the D in measure sixteen. I nearly missed this entirely when examining this piece and honestly never noticed it in the thirty plus years I have played it! That is the genius of this music; there is always something new to be found and heard.</p>
<p>After returning to C major in measure nineteen the figure appears again in the bass and is imitated at the octave in the upper voice through measure twenty-four with one exception (last note of measure twenty-four).</p>
<p>One of the most clever passages begins in measure twenty-six where the ascending three note figure is used sequentially, moving down by step in the upper voice with some interesting alterations to create harmonically another circle of fifths progression (nearly) through measure thirty-one. I say “nearly” because Sor avoids using the tritone which would occur if the pattern of root movement by descending fifth continued in measure twenty-eight, where the F would move to B on the third beat. This skip of a tritone in the bass would have been prohibited at the time.</p>
<p>In measure thirty-two the upper voice that we heard in measures twenty-six through thirty-one becomes the lower voice and is restated exactly as before but an octave lower. Segovia does point this out in his edition by placing emphasis markings under the restatement of this line in the bass. This is known as invertible counterpoint at the octave. Notice how the inner voice is the same in both cases and descends chromatically from C to E. Sor adds a new upper voice in measure thirty-two creating what are called “nine-eight suspensions”. This involves the suspending of the upper voice over the change of harmony creating a dissonant ninth above the bass (9) that resolves to a consonant octave (8). The numbers under this passage show the intervals formed between the outer voices where in this case the root of the chord on beat one is implied on beat two.</p>
<p>Below I have included an analytical as well as a performance edition of this etude. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GYQKRDX9ZUXRL" target="_blank">Click here to support this site.</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor8.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483006/newsor8.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 8 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor8.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483056/sor8.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 8 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="L86q0SMmLCg" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/L86q0SMmLCg/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L86q0SMmLCg?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277362011-03-06T00:00:00-05:002020-01-14T09:04:34-05:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 7 Op.6<p>Etude seven in this set is rather unremarkable. I suppose this is why Segovia as well as many others have not included it in any recent editions, at least to my knowledge. It is the first to use a “drop D” tuning which lends itself to the use of a D pedal point which Sor uses effectively. It is similar in a way to Etude six in that it is a study in thirds although in this case the thirds are separated rhythmically. It also includes the sixteenth-note triplet mordent figure which serves as a good slur exercise combining rapid ascending (hammer-on) and descending (pull-off) slurs.</p>
<p>I decided to not include an analysis of this study since there was little new to discuss. I have included a performance edition for your reading pleasure. Stay tuned.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="etude7.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483010/etude7.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 7 Performance.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277352011-03-04T00:00:00-05:002021-07-20T07:49:29-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 6 Op.6<p>Etude six by Fernando Sor corresponds to Estudio twelve in Segovia’s collection. Harmonically there isn’t anything in this piece that we haven’t already discussed. It is clearly a study in thirds in A major with mainly diatonic harmony other than the occasional use of secondary dominants and some interesting borrowed chords. There is some nice use of chromaticism that occurs as chromatic passing tones between the thirds and as chromatic neighbor notes. As usual Sor uses just enough spice in terms of non-diatonic harmony to keep things interesting. This study is technically one of the most difficult so far because of the constant rapid shifting of the left hand that is required to produce legato thirds on the guitar.</p>
<p>So since we understand the harmony pretty well I thought this might be a good time to introduce some contrapuntal principles. There is one area in particular that serves as an excellent example of a musical passage that is best understood in terms of counterpoint.</p>
<p>Measures thirty-three through forty are best understood as a product of counterpoint and voice-leading rather than as a chord progression or succession. The important thing to notice here is the relationship between the two outer voices as they move through this passage. The upper voice begins on the high A in measure thirty-three and descends step-wise an interval of a minor ninth to the G# in measure forty. At the same time the lower voice begins on C# and descends step-wise an interval of a major seventh to D in measure thirty-eight before ascending chromatically to E in measure forty. The intervals that are formed between the two voices are sixths that move in parallel through measure thirty-eight. When the lower voice changes direction in measure thirty-nine a tritone is formed (D#-A) which then resolves as it normally does to a third (E-G#) in measure forty. To make it more interesting Sor introduces dissonance by incorporating what are known as “seven-six suspensions”. The numbers under the staff refer to the intervals formed between the two outer voices. Since parallel sixths can be rather bland, Sor introduces a nice dissonance (seventh) on beat one of each measure by suspending the note from the previous measure over the bar line forming a seventh that then resolves to a sixth on beat two. In counterpoint, intervals are said to be either consonant or dissonant. Sixths are always considered consonant or pleasing to the ear where as sevenths are considered dissonant or harsh sounding. So under the rules of counterpoint dissonances can be used as long as they are resolved to consonances. This is also the case in measure thirty-nine in which the ultimate dissonance, the tritone, resolves to a third (consonance) in measure forty. It is this interplay of consonance and dissonance that keeps music moving forward in time. </p>
<p>Measures forty-nine through sixty-six consist of fundamentally one harmony; the dominant E7 chord. Notice that the E in the upper voice is a pedal point while the thirds in the lower part ascend chromatically from the root and third (E-G#) to the fifth and seventh (B-D) in measure fifty-six. Sor then arpeggiates the E7 chord using chromatic neighbor notes as embellishment in measures fifty-seven through sixty before descending back to the fifth and seventh (B-D) of E7 an octave lower in sixty-four. He introduces some chromaticism and the borrowed (ii) diminished triad for color. Here again if we tried to put chord symbols and a harmonic analysis under each triad or seventh chord as they are formed during this passage it would tell us nothing at all about what is really going on here; a prolongation of one harmony, the dominant. As a reminder; tonic chords with the fifth in the bass (second inversion) that precede dominant (V) harmony are considered dominant chords with a double suspension or appoggiatura.</p>
<p>The two versions of Etude six are included below for your use. This one will take some practice to perfect. Good luck!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor6.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483013/newsor6.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 6 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor6.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483007/sor6.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 6 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="s6GzB4UscFU" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/s6GzB4UscFU/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s6GzB4UscFU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277342011-02-25T00:00:00-05:002021-07-20T08:04:21-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 5 Op.6<p>Etude five by Fernando Sor is the most ambitious harmonically so far. This study is reminiscent of the first prelude from the <span style="text-decoration:underline">Well-Tempered Clavier</span> by J.S. Bach. Sor makes extensive use of the full diminished secondary leading-tone seventh chord as a way of drawing out or delaying expected cadences. For example, we would expect to find a D7 chord on the third beat of measure seven resolving to G major in measure eight. Instead Sor writes a C#dim7 taking us to D in measure eight delaying the expected resolution to G until measure ten. He does the same thing in measures sixteen, seventeen and eighteen where the phrase is extended by the use of three secondary leading-tone chords. Each time it comes as a surprise to the ear which keeps things interesting and gives us some asymmetry in that it creates unusually long and irregular phrases rather than the traditional eight bar patterns.</p>
<p>I really like the way he moves into D minor (ii) beginning in measure twenty-one. Notice how the bass descends step-wise (E - D -C#) while the alto ascends step-wise (C - D- E) setting up the A7 chord (dominant of D minor) in measure twenty-two. The introduction of the Bb in measure twenty-one which moves to the root (A) in measure twenty-two is what really pulls us into the new key since of course this is the key signature of D minor (the C# is the new leading-tone from harmonic minor). To take us back to tonic the D minor becomes the (ii) chord in C major with the nice chromatic voice-leading in measure twenty-five to twenty-six (A-Ab-G) in the tenor. Harmonically this Ab alters the (ii) chord, changing the quality from minor to diminished. It is then considered a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key of C minor. Altered chords are usually found in a context of voice-leading involving chromatic passing tones in one or more voices. Here again the voice-leading is fundamentally the most important thing to notice. Get used to observing how the individual voices move smoothly through the piece. I am always fascinated with the way great composers can move through complex harmonies and multiple key changes while maintaining the fundamental principles of good voice-leading. This no doubt is a product of excellent training in counterpoint. I remember my first class in counterpoint was a revelation to me as to how music was actually composed. Harmony is a by-product of sound contrapuntal principles. Great composers, at least in the tonal period, were always primarily concerned with voice-leading and counterpoint, or the way individual voices related to each other according to the concepts of consonance and dissonance, when writing music. I always thought counterpoint should be the first course of study in music school. If you are interested in pursuing this study pick up <span style="text-decoration:underline">The Study of Counterpoint</span> from <span style="text-decoration:underline">Gradus ad Parnassum</span> by Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) translated and edited by Alfred Mann, published by W.W. Norton and Co. New York. This is an eighteenth century text (1725) that was used by Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven to name a few and is the best little book I have seen on the subject.</p>
<p>Note the use of the tonic (C) pedal point in the opening four measures and from measure forty to the end. Also as is common in many of Sor’s pieces is the use of suspensions which delay the resolution to tonic as can be seen in measures twenty-four, thirty-six and forty. The two most active tones of the A7 (C# and G) and G7 chords (B and F), which together form the highly unstable tritone, are suspended over from the preceding measures while the bass moves to tonic. These two tones do finally resolve as they should to D and F and C and E respectively by beat four of the measure.</p>
<p>As usual I have included an analytical and performance version of Etude five below.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor5.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483015/sor5.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 5 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor5.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483043/newsor5.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 5 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="_-yibWUw7NE" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/_-yibWUw7NE/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_-yibWUw7NE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277332011-02-24T00:00:00-05:002021-07-20T07:46:02-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 4 Op.6<p>Fernando Sor’s Etude four is quite simple harmonically. Its most interesting feature is the extensive use of what is called a “pedal point”. This is where a single tone is sustained, usually in the bass but could appear in any voice, through changes of harmony. The pedal point got its name originally through its use by organists who would stand on an organ bass pedal and improvise various harmonic progressions over this sustained tone. It is a very effective way of adding interest and new and unusual dissonance to simple harmonies as you will hear in this study. The pedal point in this piece is either the tonic (G) (measures 1-11 and 33-42) or the dominant (D) (measures 17-32) and appears in the bass or a middle voice. The use of the tonic and dominant tones as pedal points is most typical. Also this feature is not restricted to classical music as it is often heard in jazz as in the opening bars of “On Green Dolphin Street” as recorded by Miles Davis for example.</p>
<p>Other than the pedal point the most interesting harmonic feature is the big German augmented sixth chord that occurs in measure 41 and 42. To review, this chord is typically used as Sor has used it here and involves the interval of an augmented sixth (Eb – C#), found between the two outer voices, that resolves to the octave (D –D, dominant) by moving the voices in opposite directions (contrary motion). The chord sounds exactly like an Eb dominant seventh chord but is spelled differently and functions differently. In this case Eb G Bb C# is the spelling of the augmented sixth chord where as an Eb7 chord is spelled Eb G Bb Db. We would expect the Eb7 chord to resolve down by perfect fifth where as in this case it resolves to (D) or down by half-step as it would in the jazz equivalent tritone substitution. Note that it actually moves into a tonic 6-4 chord before moving to the dominant as it commonly does in classical composition. Remember that the tonic 6-4 chord is considered a dominant with a double suspension.</p>
<p>Also note the discrepancy between the chord implications shown above the staff and the harmonic analysis shown below from measure seventeen through measure twenty-eight. This is a good example of a case in which simple voice-leading (ascending thirds with some chromatic passing tones) can imply various harmonies on the micro level while on the macro level it is clear that this is all a prolongation of the dominant. I was first exposed to this idea of reduction analysis through the work of the great music theorist Heinrich Schenker (1868-1935). In a nutshell, voice-leading is the fundamental principal or force that guides the ear through complex musical passages and if the structural voices are connected by step, combinations of notes will occur along the way that may or may not make sense as independent harmonic structures but will make sense in terms of the voice-leading, taking us from one structural point to another. The idea is we must look at the big picture and not so much the small details. Always ask yourself what is the goal of a certain passage. Most of the time it is best to look ahead in the music and determine the harmonic end point then work backwards to form your analysis. </p>
<p>A couple of other noteworthy features: The use of a tonic chord with an added sixth in measure nine. Sor may not have thought of it in this way as it can also be considered an Em7 chord in first inversion. Yet, to my ear in this context, I would hear it as a tonic G major triad with the added sixth (E). Also note the G minor triad in measure twenty-nine. This is known as a borrowed chord and in my analysis I am hearing it as a minor four chord borrowed from D minor since this entire passage, from measure seventeen through thirty-two, is in the dominant (D) area.</p>
<p>Once again I have included below the performance edition and analytical copy of Etude four for your use. Hopefully this will aid in your understanding and enjoyment of the music.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor4.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/482997/sor4.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 4 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor4.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483020/newsor4.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 4 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Kp5TpUmCh3c" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/Kp5TpUmCh3c/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kp5TpUmCh3c?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277322011-02-21T00:00:00-05:002020-01-14T09:13:37-05:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 3 Op.6<p>Etude three by Fernando Sor corresponds to Estudio eleven in Segovia’s collection of Sor studies. This is the first piece up until now to use two keys; E major and E minor. This key relationship is known as a parallel relationship and is found quite often in music and is one of my personal favorites. It is also a perfect example of a piece that lets us compare the harmony in major and minor keys. Let’s first review and compare the triads in E major and E minor:</p>
<p>E major: E (I) F#m (ii) G#m (iii) A (IV) B (V) C#m (vi) D#dim (vii)</p>
<p>E minor: Em (i) F#dim (ii) G (III) Am (iv) B (V- harmonic minor) C (VI) D#dim (#vii-harmonic minor)</p>
<p>I have shown the most commonly used chords when in a minor key. In most cases they are derived from a combination of chords from natural (pure) minor and harmonic minor.</p>
<p>The change of key is easily seen in this piece because Sor actually changed the key signature. It is cleaner to do it this way rather than writing all sorts of accidentals. I have shown the key centers in the traditional way with a capital letter followed by a colon for major keys and a lower case letter followed by a colon to indicate minor keys.</p>
<p>There are two important harmonic features to note in this piece; the first is the use of secondary leading-tone chords and the other is the use of what is called a Neapolitan Sixth chord.</p>
<p>Secondary leading-tone chords are used exactly like secondary dominants in that they temporarily “tonicize” another chord in the key. Remember that the diminished triad and diminished seventh chords occur on the seventh degree (leading-tone) of the major scale and the raised seventh degree (leading-tone) of a minor scale (harmonic minor). They usually resolve up by half-step to the tonic chord. There is an important distinction to be made between the quality of the seventh when included in a major and a minor key. When in major the seventh chord built on scale degree seven is a <span style="text-decoration:underline">half-diminished seventh</span> chord where as in minor the seventh chord built on the raised seventh degree of the scale is a <span style="text-decoration:underline">full-diminished seventh</span> chord. The difference is in the quality of the seventh. In a half-diminished seventh chord the quality of the seventh is minor and in a full-diminished seventh the quality of the seventh is diminished. For example:</p>
<p>C half-diminished7 = C Eb Gb Bb</p>
<p>C full-diminished7 = C Eb Gb Bbb</p>
<p>In jazz we call the half-diminished seventh chord a minor7b5 which to me is a clearer way of indicating this type of seventh chord.</p>
<p>Both types are used in this piece. In measure three we find the half-diminished seventh chord built on the raised fourth degree (I am including the G# in the upper voice, beat four, in my spelling). We also find the full diminished seventh chord in measure eleven built on the raised fourth degree of E minor. Both function as secondary leading-tone chords resolving to the dominant (V) chord B major.</p>
<p>The Neapolitan Sixth chord occurs in measure nineteen, beat three. This chord type is a major triad built on the flatted second degree of the scale and usually is in first inversion, which is what the sixth refers to. In this piece it is an F major triad (lowered second degree in E major/minor) with an A in the bass (first inversion). It usually moves to the dominant, as it does in this piece in measure twenty, although it first passes chromatically through another secondary leading-tone chord. You might notice that the chord on beat one of measure twenty is an E minor triad yet I have labeled it as (V). Tonic triads in second inversion (fifth in the bass) are considered as dominants with a double suspension in which the sixth and fourth above the bass (G and E) resolve to the fifth and third (F# and D#) respectively.</p>
<p>Also notice the move into the relative major (G) and the subdominant (A minor) in the E minor section.</p>
<p>Below are the performance and analytical versions of Etude 3. My hope is that in reading through these studies with the harmonic analysis you will better understand the harmonic concepts we have been studying. I have always believed the best learning is achieved through doing. Enjoy!</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor3.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483047/sor3.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 3 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor3.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483000/newsor3.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 3 Analysis.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277312011-02-18T00:00:00-05:002021-07-20T07:54:09-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude 2 Op.6<p>To continue with the theme of harmony in practice we will now examine Etude 2 by Fernando Sor (1778-1839) from Douze Etudes op.6 (Meissonier Edition). This etude corresponds to Estudio three in the Segovia collection of Sor studies. This study is in A major and is mainly composed of simple diatonic harmony. To review, the triads in A major are as follows:</p>
<p>A (I) Bm (ii) C#m (iii) D (IV) E (V) F#m (vi) G#dim (vii)</p>
<p>You will notice that the diminished triads that occur in the piece are analyzed as dominant seventh chords (V) rather than as leading-tone (vii) triads. This is because these diminished triads function as rootless dominant seventh chords in that they resolve to tonic or a secondary tonic. Not all diminished triads function in this way but many times they do. It is simpler to consider chords (V) and (vii) as interchangeable as they are in practice. For example:</p>
<p>E7 (EG#BD) without the root (E) equals G# diminished (G#BD).</p>
<p>Remember from our previous discussions on harmony that many times chords related by thirds are interchangeable. It is common practice to think in terms of only three basic harmonies:</p>
<p><strong>Tonic</strong> (I), (vi) and (iii)</p>
<p><strong>Subdominant</strong> (IV) and (ii)</p>
<p><strong>Dominant</strong> (V) and (vii)</p>
<p>Notice how Sor frequently alternates between the (ii) and the (IV) chords and uses (vi) where we would expect (I) as well as the V/vii exchange. Think of these interchangeable triads as slight variations in color of a fundamental sound. This variation is one reason this simple piece maintains our interest.</p>
<p>As in Etude one, make note of the secondary dominants in measures 2, 6, 7 and 13. Also notice the D minor triad in measure fourteen. This is the first occurrence so far of what is called a “borrowed chord” or a harmony that is taken from the parallel minor key. This particular chord (minor iv) is one of the most common. The D minor triad is considered as borrowed from the parallel minor key of A minor. This is a case of modal mixture where chords from the major and parallel minor keys are combined. You can see that the F natural at the end of measure fourteen is simply a chromatic passing tone between the F# (& of 3) and the E (& of 1, measure fifteen). These things never occur in isolation and are always found in the context of voice-leading which refers to the smooth connection of the voices (usually step-wise if possible) in music. Notice how smoothly the supporting harmony moves in this and all of Sor’s compositions.</p>
<p>A couple of other interesting features to note: The delayed resolution to the dominant (E major) triad at the end of section one, measure eight through the use of a double appoggiatura in which the notes F# and A resolve by step to E and G# respectively. Also the delayed resolution at the final cadence (measure sixteen) in which the G# and the D (tritone) are suspended over from the previous harmony and resolved, as all good tritones should be, by moving in contrary motion to a sixth in this case or the root and third respectively of the tonic triad.</p>
<p>Lastly the E# in measure fourteen can be heard either as a chromatic lower neighbor note to the F# on beat two, measure fourteen or as a chromatic passing tone between the E natural in the previous measure (A7 chord) and the F# in measure fourteen. If heard in the second way it would be analogous to our dominant seven sharp-five (A7#5) chord we know and love in jazz. It is interesting to consider how these dissonances evolved over years of use to become more and more acceptable to the ear and are now a common part of modern harmonic vocabulary.</p>
<p>As before, I have included a performance edition and a clean copy with analysis below.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="sor2.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483057/sor2.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 2 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor2.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483050/newsor2.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude 2 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="S5wMyKD2oP0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/S5wMyKD2oP0/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S5wMyKD2oP0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277302011-02-11T00:00:00-05:002021-07-20T07:55:23-04:00Harmony in Practice-Fernando Sor, Etude I Op.6<p>I thought I would start a section on analyses of well known classical guitar works. It is always good to begin simply and who better to begin with than Fernando Sor (1778-1839). Sor has always been considered one of the best guitar composers of this period. His writing is straightforward and very well represents the classical style of composition. Sor was meticulous in his writing and was more concerned with musical correctness than guitar playability. His work is a text book example of musical mechanics and structure and sounds great as well!</p>
<p>Sor wrote many pieces for his students. To begin with we will examine some of his famous studies for guitar taken from a set entitled Douze Etudes (op.6) that he wrote while in Paris. The first etude in this set corresponds to Estudio four in the Segovia collection of Sor studies. I am working from a facsimile edition reprinted from the original Meissonier Editions with text by Frederick Noad that I received from the Guitar Foundation of America. I have included a performance edition with fingering as well as a clean copy showing harmonic analysis using traditional Roman numeral designations as well as lead-sheet style chord indications. I thought this may be a more practical way of showing the harmony as well as a way to bridge the gap between the classically trained and the non classically trained guitarist.</p>
<p>The piece is in D major so we would expect most of the harmony to be derived from the D major scale. The triads would be as follows:</p>
<p>D (I) Em (ii) F#m (iii) G (IV) A (V) Bm (vi) C#dim (vii)</p>
<p>The V chord (A) usually contains the seventh. Other seventh chords occur less often.</p>
<p>There are several examples of secondary dominants (measures 6,7,14,15,21,28 and 39) as well as the most striking harmonic feature involving the use of what is called an augmented sixth chord in measure 23. These chords are always the most difficult to understand until you actually see how they are used in the context of real music.</p>
<p>The most important thing to notice is the voice-leading that occurs in the two outer voices. Note how the G in the soprano (top) voice in measure 22 moves up chromatically to G# in measure 23 and finally to A in measure 24. At the same time the bass (lower) voice moves chromatically downward from B in measure 22 to Bb in measure 23 and finally ends up on A in measure 24. The interval that forms in measure 23 between the two outer voices is an augmented sixth (Bb to G#). The resolution of this interval to an octave (A to A) is the essence of this chord. Usually this augmented sixth chord precedes the dominant as it does here and involves the flat sixth scale degree (Bb) in the bass and the sharp fourth scale degree (G#) in the soprano. This is a perfect example of common usage of this harmony.</p>
<p>One other note: In jazz we call this augmented sixth chord a “tritone substitution”. I have indicated the chord sound in parentheses as Bb7. The actual spelling of Bb7 would require changing the note G# to Ab (enharmonic). If it were a Bb7 chord the resolution would traditionally be by descending perfect fifth. In this case it resolves down by half-step as it would when we encounter tritone substitutions in our jazz charts. So even though it sounds exactly like a dominant seventh chord, the augmented sixth chord is spelled and resolved in a completely different way. </p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="soretude1.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/482995/soretude1.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude1 Performance.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="newsor1.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483059/newsor1.pdf" target="_blank">Sor Etude1 Analysis.pdf</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="7frseNG4Us4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/7frseNG4Us4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7frseNG4Us4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277292011-02-02T00:00:00-05:002022-05-26T04:38:30-04:00Target-Tone Improvisation<p>Target-tone improvisation is a method of soloing in which chord tones that make up the harmony that is sounding within the measure or part of the measure are targeted or emphasized, usually by their rhythmic placement on strong beats. These chord tones can be any member of the chord (root, third, fifth, seventh etc.). For our examples we will concentrate on the third and seventh of the chord since these are the two most important tones in defining the quality of the chord. For example, if we are soloing over a CMaj7 chord we would want to target the E (third) and the B (seventh). If the harmony is C7 we will target the E and the Bb and for Cm7 the Eb and Bb. With this method it is possible to set up a framework or skeletal line for a solo that will strongly imply the underlying chord progression.</p>
<p>For our examples we will use the familiar iii-V/ii-ii-V-I progression in C major (Em7-A7-Dm7-G7). The first example simply states the third and seventh of each chord using quarter notes. Notice how the seventh of each chord resolves by step to the third of the following chord. This step-wise connection of chord tones in different harmonies will give the line a smooth flowing quality. This will be the framework for the following lines. I like to use a simple eighth note rhythmic pattern (four notes per chord in this case) since this allows us to concentrate strictly on note choice. Now it is just a matter of finding two more notes per chord to add to the framework to complete the line as shown in the examples. We can insert scale steps that pass between chord tones or other chord tones using arpeggio patterns. The lines are constructed in the style of traditional jazz to give a feel for this style of playing.</p>
<p>The importance of this method is to get us thinking about the tones that make up the harmony so that we can zero in on a particular harmonic sound with our lines. With target-tone improvising we can “play through the changes” effectively rather than simply playing a scale through multiple chord changes without concern for the individual chords. This approach is much better than the modal or scalar approach for soloing through complex chord changes that move quickly and involve altered chords. The solos of great players like Charlie Parker and Joe Pass are so well conceived in this regard that it is possible to determine the underlying harmonic structure of the tune by the single note lines they play. This is very similar to the way J.S. Bach’s single line compositions for solo instruments will very clearly imply the harmonic structure without ever actually stating a chord.</p>
<p>This would also be a good time to introduce another important concept in constructing an interesting melodic line. The concept involves the introduction of chromatic passing tones or chromatic neighbor notes where the chord tones are approached by half-step from above or below. This is very desirable in a jazz line. The idea is to try to introduce non-diatonic tones to add color to the solo just as it is desirable to extend and alter the harmony. In my examples any note with an accidental that is not a chord tone is approaching a chord tone by half-step. If we consider how these notes relate to the harmony we will discover that the notes with accidentals that occur over the dominant seventh chords are one of the four altered tones of the altered dominant harmony (b5, #5, b9, #9).</p>
<p>Play through the examples below to get the idea and then create your own variations. Remember that you do not have to target only thirds and sevenths; any chord tone will work including ninths, elevenths, thirteenths and altered dominant tones. This will open up lots of possibilities. I would also recommend you examine solos by your favorite jazz artists and notice how they are thinking in terms of the chord tones when soloing. Better yet, transcribe some solos by ear. There is no better way to learn the language of jazz.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="targettones.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483040/targettones.pdf" target="_blank">Target-Tones.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277282011-01-28T04:40:54-05:002011-05-03T04:55:53-04:00Jazz Improv. 101
<p>What do we need to know in order to improvise over a set of chord changes? What is the difference between jazz soloing and rock/pop soloing? What about blues? How do I handle that? These are the questions that are most often asked by music students when first starting to improvise. It can be intimidating for musicians who are used to playing only what they see on the page. Improvising for most people requires knowledge of music theory that is often lacking in the non-improvising musician because realistically it is not a necessary requirement for reproducing notes from the page. Sure, most trained players understand key signatures, scales and basic harmony but mainly in the sense that it benefits their playing through technical development and sight reading. It is another thing entirely to actually create music spontaneously with these ingredients. I believe improvising is the best way to really understand how music works through the practical application of all of its elements.</p>
<p>Let’s examine the first question; what do we need to know to play over a set of chord changes? The first and most important is to know what key you are in so that you can choose the correct scale for improvising. This requires knowing the diatonic chords that are generated in most cases from major and minor scales so that when we look at a progression of chords we can determine the key or scale they are derived from. A quick review of the diatonic triads in C major:</p>
<p>C (I) Dm (ii) Em (iii) F (IV) G (V) Am (vi) Bdim (vii)</p>
<p>So in most simple tunes you will find a set of chords like C G Am F and you would then say: OK, I know these chords are all diatonic to the C major scale so I can use the C major scale for my improvisation since all notes in the chords are within the C scale. This is a basic but important point; the scale that you choose to solo with must contain the notes that make up the chords. The notes that will sound best to your ear as you are soloing are the ones that happen to be contained in the chord that is sounding at that moment. Blues is a notable exception to this rule where it is desirable to play notes that are not in the chord, the so called “blue notes”, which give blues its characteristic sound. Usually it is easiest to start improvising using a method where we group as many chords as possible within a key area and use the one scale that generates these chords.</p>
<p>This leads to the second question; what is the difference between jazz soloing and pop/rock? The main difference is that jazz soloing usually requires changing key numerous times through the course of the tune. We may start with a chord progression in C major but then we suddenly find that the chords no longer fit in C. This usually signals a change of key and will require that we must now use a new scale for our solo. Also jazz harmony is considerably more extended or embellished than the harmony of most pop tunes. This actually works to our advantage since the more notes there are in a chord the less chance there is of playing a bad one. This is not to say that pop/rock is elementary or inferior in any way to jazz; it’s just a different approach. I find that it is sometimes more difficult to come up with an interesting solo over simple chord changes (chords with fewer notes) because the choice of notes is limited. I know many great jazz players that can’t adapt to the style.</p>
<p>Now let’s look at a typical jazz tune and make some decisions about how we should solo over the chord changes. It is always a good idea to start with a tune that doesn’t change key, or if it does, the key it moves into is the relative minor. Since the relative minor uses basically the same pitch set as the major with the exception of the raised seventh (harmonic minor) we will start with a tune that has these key relationships; major/relative minor. This is a very common key relationship and is used quite often in many tunes. We will use the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves” to start.</p>
<p>The chord changes are as follows. I will use C major to keep it as simple as possible.</p>
<p>Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 | FMaj7 | Bm7b5 | E7 | Am7 | Am7 |</p>
<p>Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 | FMaj7 | Bm7b5 | E7 | Am7 | Am7 |</p>
<p>Bm7b5 | E7 | Am7 | Am7 | Dm7 | G7 | CMaj7 | CMaj7 |</p>
<p>Bm7b5 | E7 | Am7 D7 | Gm7 C7 | FMaj7 | Bm7b5 E7 | Am7 | Am7 || <br><br>The key signature would indicate C major/A minor or no sharps or flats so we could assume that it is in C Major/A minor and indeed it is. To confirm this we need to analyze the chord progression using the traditional numbering system in which roman numerals (large and small) designate the scale degree that is the root of each chord; upper case for major chords and lower case for minor. A quick review of the diatonic seventh chords in C major and A minor:</p>
<p>CMaj7 (I) Dm7 (ii) Em7 (iii) FMaj7 (IV) G7 (V) Am7 (vi) Bm7b5 (vii)</p>
<p>Am7 (i) Bm7b5 (ii) CMaj7 (III) Dm7 (iv) E7 (V-harmonic minor) FMaj7 (VI) G#dim7 (#vii-harmonic minor)</p>
<p>The letters indicate key areas. The analysis would be as follows:</p>
<p>C: ii | V | I | IV |Am: ii | V | i | i |</p>
<p>C: ii | V | I | IV | Am: ii | V | i | i |</p>
<p>Am: ii | V | i | i | C: ii | V | I | I |</p>
<p>Am: ii | V | F: iii V/ii | ii V | (I) Am: VI | ii V | i | i ||</p>
<p>You can see by the analysis that nearly everything fits nicely into C major and A minor with the exception of that little excursion into F major toward the end. As a reminder; the E7 is the V chord in A minor because we usually use harmonic minor (#7) when spelling the V chord.</p>
<p>You will notice that this tune is based harmonically on a pattern of root movements that descend by fifth. As we noted in earlier discussions this is very common in many jazz compositions and is the basis of the famous ii-V-I chord sequence we all know and love. Make note of the difference between a ii-V-I progression in a major key and a ii-V-i progression in minor. Let’s compare the two:</p>
<p>C Major ii-V-I = Dm7 G7 CMaj7 </p>
<p>A minor ii-V-i = Bm7b5 E7 Am7</p>
<p>What is most important to note is the quality of the chords. In major keys the (ii) chord is a minor seventh chord and in minor keys the (ii) chord is a minor seven b5 chord. The (V) chord is the same in both major and minor (because we use the harmonic minor scale for the dominant in minor keys). The tonic chord (I) of course is major in major keys and minor in minor keys. The difference in the quality of the (ii) chord is an important signaling device. It usually tells us we are about to move into a major or minor key. For example if we see Bm7b5 it usually tells us we are about to move into A minor. This minor seven b5 chord is most commonly used in jazz as a (ii) chord in a minor key. It is usually followed by the (V) chord and then the tonic (i) chord. If we see Bm7 we are more than likely moving into A Major as this would be the (ii) chord in A major. This helps us anticipate key changes when soloing through a tune.</p>
<p>Finally let’s take a look at the chord progression in the tune “Blue Bossa”. I like to use this tune as a perfect example of the ii-V-I progression in major and minor keys. This tune is a bit more complex since it involves two keys and consequently we will need two scales for soloing. The chords and analysis is as follows:</p>
<p> Cm7 | Cm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 | Dm7b5 | G7 | Cm7 | Cm7 |</p>
<p> Cm: i iv ii V i </p>
<p> Ebm7 | Ab7 | DbMaj7 | DbMaj7 |</p>
<p> Db: ii V I</p>
<p> Dm7b5 | G7 | Cm7 | Dm7b5 G7 ||</p>
<p> Cm: ii V i ii V</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When analyzing a chord progression I find that in most cases it is best to find the dominant seventh chord and assume it is the V chord of the key you are in at the moment. Then work around the V chord to determine how the other chords fit into the key. Remember that this dominant seventh type chord (major triad/minor seventh) occurs most commonly on scale degree V so we can be pretty sure that it is the V chord of the key we are in. Group as many chords as possible into the key, numbering them as you go along until you find a chord that no longer fits. Once this non-fitting chord is found, move ahead until you come across the next dominant seventh chord. This is usually the V chord in the new key. By working backwards you can then figure out how the preceding chords fit into the new key. In “Blue Bossa” we have two dominant seventh chords, G7 and Ab7. These are the V chords in the respective keys of C minor and Db major. We can work around these to determine how the other chords fit in as I have shown above. Now that the key areas have been determined we can improvise over these chords with the corresponding scales. With some experience you will be able to do this on the fly and negotiate complex tunes with multiple key changes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course most tunes are much more complex than my examples and contain harmonies such as secondary dominants, tritone substitutions and borrowed chords (modal mixture) as well as multiple changes of key. Since tunes like these contain so many harmonies that are altered or contain notes outside of our diatonic major and minor scales, it is usually best to improvise over these tunes by treating each chord as an entity unto itself. In other words it would not be possible to group these highly altered chords into any one scale, so we must treat them as separate things where we have a particular scale for each chord type. Better yet is a system of improvisation known as “target tone” improvisation that emphasizes the targeting of chord tones as a way of building lines that flow smoothly through the changes of harmony. This requires knowing chord structure well and arpeggio patterns on your instrument. This will be our next topic for discussion. Again please stay tuned.</p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277272011-01-22T19:00:00-05:002022-08-07T07:22:12-04:009, 11, 13th Chords and Altered Dominants - Don't play jazz without 'em!<p>Now that the seventh chords are understood we can talk about the ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords as well as the altered dominants. As a jazz musician it is expected that you would use these chords to embellish or enhance the basic seventh chords shown in most jazz lead sheets.</p>
<p>The ninth chords are formed by adding one additional note to the seventh chords. Remember that the system of chord formation is based on thirds (tertian) so to form or spell the ninth chord we add an additional tone that is a third above the seventh of the chord. For example:</p>
<ul> <li>C Major seventh = C E G B (1 3 5 7)</li> <li>C Major ninth = C E G B D (1 3 5 7 9)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Eleventh chords are formed by adding an additional tone that is a third above the ninth of the chord. For example:</p>
<ul> <li>G eleventh = G B D F A C (1 3 5 7 9 11)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Thirteenth chords are formed by adding a tone a third above the eleventh:</p>
<ul> <li>G thirteenth = G B D F A C E (1 3 5 7 9 11 13)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>That is the limit on extensions because if we add another tone (fifteenth) we would be back to where we started (1 or the root of the chord).</p>
<p>The diatonic ninth chords in C Major are as follows:</p>
<ul> <li>Chord I: C E G B D</li> <li>Chord ii: D F A C E</li> <li>Chord iii: E G B D F</li> <li>Chord IV: F A C E G</li> <li>Chord V: G B D F A</li> <li>Chord vi: A C E G B</li> <li>Chord vii: B D F A C</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>We will use the same system we used for the seventh chords to determine the quality of these ninth chords. The numbers show the number of half-steps that separate the chord tones.</p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>Chord I: C E G B D (4-3-4-3)</li> <li>Chord ii: D F A C E (3-4-3-4)</li> <li>Chord iii: E G B D F (3-4-3-3)</li> <li>Chord IV: F A C E G (4-3-4-3)</li> <li>Chord V: G B D F A (4-3-3-4)</li> <li>Chord vi: A C E G B (3-4-3-4)</li> <li>Chord vii: B D F A C (3-3-4-3)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Within these seven ninth chords are five unique structures. Of these five there are three that are commonly used. They are as follows:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>Major ninth = Major seventh chord plus major nine (Chords I and IV)</li> <li>Dominant ninth = Dominant seventh chord plus major nine (Chord V)</li> <li>minor ninth = minor seventh chord plus major nine (Chords ii and vi)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Notice how all the ninths added are major intervals. In other words the ninth that is added to the basic seventh chord is always the ninth degree of the major scale. This makes it convenient to then make a simple formula for ninth chords as we did with the seventh chords. We will use the major scale as reference and make three simple formulas as follows:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>Major ninth = 1 3 5 7 9</li> <li>Dominant ninth = 1 3 5 b7 9</li> <li>minor ninth = 1 b3 5 b7 9</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>You can see that if you understand the structure of the basic seventh chords creating a ninth chord is simply a matter of adding a major ninth. Think of the additional ninth as adding “color” to the sound without changing the function of the basic seventh chord in any way. Try adding these ninths to the basic seventh chords. Just remember to stay within the correct chord family. Major ninth chords embellish major seventh chords, Dominant ninth chords embellish Dominant seventh chords and minor ninths embellish minor seventh chords.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eleventh chords basically come in two varieties; Dominant eleventh and minor eleventh. Adding the eleventh to the ninth chords in certain situations creates an unacceptable dissonance between the third of the chord and the added eleventh. This is most noticeable when the third of the chord is major. The eleventh sounds fine when added to the minor ninth chord but sounds terrible when added to the major ninth chord. When added to the Dominant ninth the third is usually omitted, so the eleventh sounds (and is often written) as a suspended fourth or sus4 for short. (The eleventh is a fourth plus an octave).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two eleventh chords that we need to know are as follows:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>Dominant eleventh = 1 (3) 5 b7 9 11</li> <li>minor eleventh = 1 b3 5 b7 9 11</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Try using these eleventh chords in place of the basic seventh chord. Again remember to use the Dominant eleventh to replace a Dominant seventh or ninth chord and use the minor eleventh to replace a minor seventh or ninth chord.</p>
<p>Thirteenth chords are again theoretically possible on all scale degrees but you will be relieved to know that there is only one type that is most common and that is the Dominant thirteenth. In a major key this is the chord built on scale degree five (V):</p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>Dominant thirteenth = 1 3 5 b7 9 (11) 13</li>
</ul>
<p>(The eleventh is usually omitted for the same reason as stated earlier).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Try using this chord to replace the basic Dominant seventh, ninth or eleventh chord.</p>
<p>The final thing to understand is what are called altered dominants. Thankfully this only pertains to the Dominant seventh chord. Remember that this chord type is unique to scale degree five (V) in major keys and is the chord that has the strongest tendency to resolve to tonic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Altered dominants consist of your basic dominant seventh chord with the possibility of including any or all of the extensions (9, 11, 13) and the addition of up to four more tones that are not diatonic within the major scale. These four new notes are the b5, #5, b9 and #9 major scale degrees. As we discussed earlier, these tones add considerable dissonance and tension to the dominant seventh chord and increase its tendency to want to resolve to tonic. So in the key of C major the V7 chord (G7) can include the following:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul> <li>G B D F A (C) E (Ab A# Db D#) and would be written as G13 (b9 #9 b5 #5)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course this is everything plus the kitchen sink and you usually don’t see all of this at once but it is possible.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now we need to know the common voicings for these chords and some context as to how they are actually used. The following charts will hopefully show this. The first pdf shows two standard voicings for ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords with roots on string six and string five.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The second pdf puts everything we have discussed so far into the context of a very common chord sequence known as a “turnaround” progression or iii-vi-ii-V-I in the key of C major and G Major. The vi chord (Am7) has been altered to form a secondary dominant (A7) or V/ii as it would be in common practice in order to achieve a greater variety of sound and chord choices. Along with altered dominants, tritone substitutions are also included. There are a few other chord types included that have yet to be discussed, i.e., Major with added sixth and ninth and some unusual enharmonic spellings where you sometimes see 7(#5) written as 7(b13). Also many of the voicings are rootless in order to include more of the extensions and alterations on the guitar. I have indicated where the root would be located with an open circle. When these voicings are understood you are well on your way to mastering the essentials of jazz harmony.</p>
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<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="9-11-13th-chord-voicings.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483045/9-11-13th-chord-voicings.pdf" target="_blank">9 11 13th Chord Voicings.pdf</a></p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="7-9-11-13-chords-altered-dominants.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/482996/7-9-11-13-chords-altered-dominants.pdf" target="_blank">7 9 11 13th Chords and Altered Dominants.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277262011-01-17T00:00:00-05:002020-01-14T09:27:30-05:00The Fab Five - A Seventh Chord Primer<p>There are five harmonic structures that occur within the tertian system of harmony that must be understood completely. These are the five basic seventh chords that are used most frequently in tonal music. They are as follows:</p>
<ul> <li>Major seventh</li> <li>Dominant seventh</li> <li>minor seventh</li> <li>minor seventh with b5 (half-diminished)</li> <li>full diminished seventh</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>The first four of these structures are derived from the major scale and the last (full diminished seventh) is derived from harmonic minor. Let’s examine each type and find some simple formulas that will make it possible to easily determine the structure of these chords in any key.</p>
<p>First of all we need to know the major scale in all keys. This is not so daunting a task if you understand the familiar formula to create a major scale: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half in which “whole” represents a whole-step or the distance of two frets and “half” represents a half-step or the distance of one fret. It is then very easy to construct a major scale from any pitch; just remember to follow alphabetical order when naming the notes in order to correctly assign a sharp or flat to a note. We will use C major for the examples to keep it simple.</p>
<p>Since our tonal system of harmony is based on thirds (tertian) the chords can be derived from the scale by simply playing every other note. This is where the keyboard becomes a very handy tool for hearing and understanding the chords. Since the C major scale is made up of the white keys only, all we need to do is play every other key to make the chords. So let’s form the seventh chords in the key of C major.</p>
<ul> <li>Chord I: C E G B</li> <li>Chord ii: D F A C</li> <li>Chord iii: E G B D</li> <li>Chord IV: F A C E</li> <li>Chord V: G B D F</li> <li>Chord vi: A C E G</li> <li>Chord vii: B D F A</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Now what are the qualities of these seven chords? The quality is determined by the intervals that make up each chord. To really understand this we must look at the intervals between each tone of each chord. When we do we will find that there are four unique structures within the scale. The easiest way to show the interval structure is by numbers which show the number of half-steps between the chord tones. For example the distance from C to E is 4 meaning four half-steps. The distance from E to G is 3 meaning three half-steps. So the interval formula for chord one (C E G B) is 4-3-4 meaning there are four half-steps between C and E, three half-steps between E and G, and four half-steps between G and B. By definition this structure is known as a Major seventh chord because traditionally the chord is named by describing the quality of the triad (C E G) and the quality of the seventh (B). The triad (4-3) is major and the seventh is also major (the distance between C and B is eleven half-steps or a major seventh). We then say this structure is a Major (triad) Major seventh chord or simply a Major seventh chord. The structures found within a major scale then are as follows. Commit this list to memory as it is extremely important to know which chord types occur on which scale degrees when analyzing harmonic progressions.</p>
<ul> <li>Chord I (C E G B) 4-3-4 = Major seventh</li> <li>Chord ii (D F A C) 3-4-3 = minor seventh</li> <li>Chord iii (E G B D) 3-4-3 = minor seventh</li> <li>Chord IV (F A C E) 4-3-4 = Major seventh</li> <li>Chord V (G B D F) 4-3-3 = Dominant seventh (Major/minor seventh)</li> <li>Chord vi (A C E G) 3-4-3 = minor seventh</li> <li>Chord vii (B D F A) 3-3-4 = minor seven b5 or half-diminished seventh</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Notice that chords one (I) and four (IV) are the same type (Major seventh), and chords two (ii), three (iii) and six (vi) are the same type (minor seventh). Chord five (V) is unique (Dominant seventh) and chord seven (vii) is unique (minor seven b5). The unique quality of the five (V) chord is extremely helpful in figuring out key areas in jazz since this chord is usually the Dominant or V7 of the key we are in at the moment.</p>
<p>We still have one other structure to examine that does not occur naturally in a major scale but is derived from harmonic minor; that being the diminished seventh chord that is built on the raised seventh degree of the scale. In A minor the chord would be G# diminished seven and is spelled as follows:</p>
<p>G# B D F with an interval structure of 3-3-3 which again is different from the others and is the last of the five types.</p>
<p>Now for the simple formulas; the easiest way is to compare the five types and see how they differ from one another. This is the system that is used in most jazz texts. We start with the major seventh chord as the fundamental structure and lower certain chord tones until we end up with the diminished seventh chord at the end.</p>
<p>When we compare the major seventh chord (4-3-4) with the dominant seventh chord (4-3-3) it is clear that the only difference is that the distance between the last two tones (fifth and seventh) has been reduced by half-step. So to convert any major seventh chord to a dominant seventh we just lower the seventh of the chord by half-step:</p>
<ul> <li>C E G B = C Major7</li> <li>C E G Bb = C Dominant 7 or C7</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>When we compare the dominant seventh chord (4-3-3) with a minor seventh chord (3-4-3) it turns out that the difference is the distance between the root and third and we can convert the dominant seventh chord to a minor seventh chord by just lowering the third by half-step:</p>
<ul> <li>C E G Bb = C7</li> <li>C Eb G Bb = C minor7</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>When we compare the minor seventh chord (3-4-3) to a minor seven b5 or half-diminished seventh chord (3-3-4) we find that the difference is the distance between the third and fifth. So to convert a minor seventh chord to a minor seven b5 we just flat the fifth. (So that’s why it is called a minor7b5)</p>
<ul> <li>C Eb G Bb = C minor7</li> <li>C Eb Gb Bb = C minor7b5</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally when comparing a minor seven b5 chord (3-3-4) to a diminished seventh chord (3-3-3) we see that the difference is the interval between the fifth and seventh. By lowering the seventh of the minor seven b5 chord by half-step we can convert it to a diminished seventh chord.</p>
<ul> <li>C Eb Gb Bb = C minor7b5</li> <li>C Eb Gb Bbb = C diminished7</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>To put another way, the five formulas can be summarized as shown below using the degrees of the major scale: </p>
<ul> <li>Major seventh chord = Major scale degrees (1 3 5 7)</li> <li>Dominant seventh chord = Major scale degrees (1 3 5 b7)</li> <li>minor seventh chord = Major scale degrees (1 b3 5 b7)</li> <li>minor seven b5 chord = Major scale degrees (1 b3 b5 b7)</li> <li>diminished seventh chord = Major scale degrees (1 b3 b5 bb7)</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>To determine the notes that make up any of the five types of seventh chords just start with the major scale that corresponds to the root of the chord you are working with and plug in one of the five formulas. For example let’s spell a G Major7 chord. We take the G major scale (GABCDEF#G) and extract the 1 3 5 and 7 giving us a spelling of G B D F#. To convert to G7 simply flat the seventh: (G B D F). To convert to G minor7 just flat the third: (G Bb D F) and so on down the list. With a little practice you will be spelling chords easily in no time.</p>
<p>Extensions or embellishments of the basic seventh chords (adding 9ths, 11ths or 13ths) is just a matter of counting up to whatever number you are adding, always using the <span style="text-decoration:underline">major scale</span> as reference, and adding that note to the chord. Adding altered tones or notes that are not diatonic within the scale are indicated by including an accidental before the number, i.e., b9, #9, b5, #5 etc. For example C7#9#5 would be spelled C E G# Bb D# (one of my favorite jazz sounds).</p>
<p>I have included a chart of the basic seventh chord voicings for guitar with roots on the sixth, fifth, fourth, third and second strings in the order described above. These voicings are the ones most commonly used by guitarists and should give you more than enough options for quite some time.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="seventhchords.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483014/seventhchords.pdf" target="_blank">Seventh Chord Voicings.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277252011-01-10T00:00:00-05:002020-10-02T07:40:09-04:00Modal Mixture<p>We have discussed secondary dominants and tritone substitutions as effective ways of enhancing basic chord progressions. Another common method of accomplishing this is through the use of modal mixture or the technique of mixing harmonies found in two or more modes. The most common method is to mix the diatonic seventh chords from the major (Ionian) mode with chords from the parallel minor (Aeolian). Be sure you are clear about the distinction between parallel minor and relative minor. Parallel minor has the same tonic tone as the major scale we are comparing it to. In other words C minor is the parallel minor to C Major. The relative minor to C major would be A minor. Let’s review the chords in both C major and C minor.</p>
<p>Diatonic seventh chords in C Major: CMaj7 Dm7 Em7 FMaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7b5</p>
<p>Diatonic seventh chords in C Minor: Cm7 Dm7b5 EbMaj7 Fm7 Gm7 AbMaj7 Bb7</p>
<p>So far so good, now let’s mix them. We will start with the most common. It is a sound I am sure everyone is familiar with if you’ve ever listened to Beatles tunes; the Minor iv chord used in place of the Major IV chord. C – F – C becomes C – Fm – C. It is also common to use both forms: C – F – Fm – C. Introducing that one new note (Ab) adds color and resolves beautifully back to tonic as the Ab will have a strong pull downward to the G or the fifth of the tonic C Major. In jazz we would more than likely add the seventh to these chords making the progression CMaj7 – Fmaj7 – Fm7 – Cmaj7. By the way, these altered chords are usually referred to as “borrowed chords” since they are borrowed from the parallel minor scale.</p>
<p>Along with the Minor iv, altering or borrowing the ii chord from the minor scale in a major key is very common. Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 is often changed to Dm7b5 – G7 – Cmaj7. Again the introduction of the flat sixth scale degree (Ab) will add color and move nicely to G.</p>
<p>The use of the bvi chord (AbMaj7) and the biii chord (EbMaj7 ) in a major key in various combinations is also very effective: CMaj7 – AbMaj7 – G7 – Cmaj7 or CMaj7 – EbMaj7 – AbMaj7 – G7 – Cmaj7 are beautiful progressions.</p>
<p>The use of the bVII in a major key is another great sound: CMaj7 – Fmaj7 – Bb7 – Cmaj7 for instance works beautifully and is often found in many jazz standards.</p>
<p>The Minor v chord (Gm) in a major key is least common since the usual dominant seventh with all of its possible alterations, which by the way are derived by adding tones from the parallel minor scale, is by far the best choice for additional color. For instance if we look at the altered dominant in the key of C major, G7(b9#9)(b5#5), three of the four possible altered tones are derived from C minor; the b9 (Ab), the #9 (A# or Bb), and the #5 (D# or Eb).</p>
<p>There are even more choices available when we combine chords derived from the harmonic and melodic minor forms of the minor scale with chords from the parallel major scale. The most common of these would be the use of the fully diminished seventh chord to replace the half-diminished (m7b5) chord on the seventh degree: Bm7b5 – Cmaj7 becomes Bdim7 – CMaj7. Remember that this chord (Bdim7) is best thought of as a rootless dominant seventh with a flat nine; in this case G7b9.</p>
<p>In summary, when you come across a chord in a tune that isn’t a secondary dominant or a tritone substitution and still doesn’t seem to fit in with the usual diatonic harmonies ask yourself if it could possibly be a borrowed chord derived from the parallel minor scale. There is a very good chance it is.</p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277242010-12-12T04:26:37-05:002011-05-03T04:55:53-04:00Cosmic Forces
<p>What are the cosmic forces that govern music? The most important are the forces of tension (or instability) and release (or stability). These are the forces that move music forward in time. If we examine the forces at work within the basic major scale we can gain valuable insight into the inner workings of music. Let’s look at the major scale and decide which notes are stable and which are unstable and require resolution. The C major scale contains the notes C D E F G A and B. The notes that are stable are the three tones that make up the C major triad (C E G) or the first, third and fifth tones. These three tones occur as natural harmonics of a fundamental frequency and guitarists can confirm this by playing natural harmonics at fret twelve (the octave above the fundamental open string), fret seven (the fifth above the fundamental), and the fourth fret (the major third above the fundamental). Even if we don’t understand the acoustical reasons for this the stability of these tones is recognized by the ear. So if we agree that these notes are stable, then all others are unstable in various degrees and require resolution to the stable tones. Let’s look at the four remaining tones D F A and B and decide where we think they want to go. I think everyone would agree that the B has a very strong pull toward C. This is called the “leading tone” for that reason. Its relation to C by half-step is the reason for the strong pull. There is another half-step that exists between the fourth degree (F) and the stable third degree E. This causes the fourth degree (F) to be highly unstable wanting to move to E. Note that these two tones (F and B) together form a tritone which is a highly unstable interval that needs to resolve by either expanding to a sixth or contracting to a third. In our case the F would move to E and the B to C, resolving to the two stable tones of the tonic C major triad. This tritone can also resolve in the opposite direction where the F could move to F# and the B to A# resulting in a resolution to the root and third respectively of an F# major triad. This is known as the duality of the tritone and is the basis for the augmented sixth chord in classical theory and the jazz equivalent known as the tritone substitution. The two remaining tones D and A are relatively unstable but because of their relationship of a whole-step to the stable tones they are less active. The D could go either to C or E and the A most likely will want to move to G. So in summary:</p>
<p>b><strong>C</strong><d d><strong>E</strong><f <strong> G</strong><a</p>
<p>Chords that contain the two most active tones (B and F) will have the greatest tendency to want to move back home to tonic (the three stable tones). These would be the dominant seventh chord (GBDF) and the leading tone triad (BDF). Since they have three notes in common let’s consider them the same as they are considered the same in actual practice. The I (tonic), iii (mediant), and vi (submediant) triads all share two stable tones and as a result are inactive and are considered to be slight variants of the tonic chord. Let’s consider these three chords as equivalents. That leaves the ii (supertonic) and IV (subdominant) triads. They are more active than the I, iii, and vi chords but less active than the V7 and vii chords. In practice they are used as a way of preparing the dominant (V7) chord so you tend to see them just before the V7 chord. These two also have two notes in common and are interchangeable in usage. In summary then we have three chord types: Tonic (I, iii and vi) Subdominant or Dominant preparation (ii and IV) and Dominant (V7 and vii). This may help us understand why certain chords sound as if they want to move to another and it makes sense that the most common chord progressions in music are IV-V7-I and ii-V7-I.</p>
<p>Introducing accidentals to create half-step relationships that do not exist in the diatonic scale should and does produce more tension. If we raise the second degree D to D# the ear will hear this as a high tension tone that has a strong pull toward E. If we lower the D to Db the ear will now want to resolve that tone to C. This is what is acting behind the scenes in the altered dominant chords in jazz. Take for example the G7 chord. We know that this chord already wants to resolve to tonic because it contains two very active tones (B and F). When we add the D# to this chord creating a G7#5 we now have an even stronger pull to tonic since the added note D# has a strong pull up to E (third of the tonic chord). What if we add the b9 to the G7 chord? The new note Ab is the lowered sixth scale degree and will want to resolve down to the note G (fifth of the tonic chord), again creating even greater tension. Adding the #9 (A#) to the G7 chord is an interesting case since the raised sixth degree (A#) will want to move by half-step up or down resolving to the B or A natural which would be the major seventh or sixth of the tonic C major chord. Adding the b5 (Db) to the G7 chord will create additional tension with the Db wanting to resolve to C (root of tonic) but in actual practice dominant seventh b5 chords are usually treated as tritone substitutions and will resolve in an entirely different way (down by half-step) which has to do with the duality of the tritone discussed earlier. I will take up that topic in greater detail in the future.</p>
<p>One other cosmic force to consider is the interval of a descending fifth. This force is also very strong. In tonal music it is realized through the dominant to tonic or the V-I progression which is considered to be the strongest of all harmonic progressions and the most important way to establish a key. It is also the basis for most chord progressions in jazz. Please see earlier article on harmonic progression for a more detailed explanation.</p>
<p>Of course these are general rules and music would be awfully dull if there weren’t many exceptions. Harmonic relationships that surprise are what really make things interesting! </p>
<p> </p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277222010-11-12T00:00:00-05:002020-01-14T09:40:21-05:00Secondary Dominants<p>Understanding the secondary dominant is essential to understanding how most jazz tunes work harmonically as well as understanding how to choose the proper scale with which to successfully improvise melodically. The concept itself is straight forward. Since we know that the dominant to tonic progression is essential to establishing key areas in tonal music it is just a matter of extending the relationship to other chords within the key. The effect is to temporarily shift the tonal center from tonic to some other key area usually related to the home key. For example in the key of C major we might want to temporarily move into G major or A minor or any other related key for variety. The closely related key areas correspond to the diatonic triads derived from the scale. In the key of C major the related keys would be D minor, E minor, F Major, G Major and A minor. We know that G7 is the dominant seventh chord in the key and has a strong pull back to tonic (C). All we have to do to create a secondary dominant is figure out what is the dominant seventh chord of any other chord in the key and precede that chord with its dominant. This will become clearer as we look at some examples.</p>
<p>As we discussed earlier, chord progression based on root movements through descending fifths are frequently used in tonal music and are very common in jazz. This type of progression lends itself well to the use of secondary dominants. Let’s take a look at the ii-V-I progression (roots descending by fifth) as an example of how we can use a secondary dominant. The chords are Dm7 G7 CMaj7 in C. We know G7 is the dominant. What is the dominant of G? The answer is D7. Since D is a perfect fifth above G the D7 chord is the dominant of G. This relationship is known as V of V since G is V in C major and D7 is the V of the V. So we can change the Dm7 chord to a D7 chord in this progression to temporarily move us into the key of G major only to return to C major immediately after with the G7 chord. Let’s expand this again and figure out what is the V of D? The answer is A7 for the same reason as above. So we can precede the D7 with an A7 chord again moving us briefly into D minor or the area of the ii chord (supertonic). Remember that D7 cannot be a tonic chord because of its instability so the key we are moving into is D minor. So if for instance we have the basic vi-ii-V-I progression (Am7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7) this could now become A7 D7 G7 CMaj7 utilizing two secondary dominants. We would refer to the A7 chord as V of ii. Try playing the basic diatonic progression and then use the secondary dominants and listen for the interesting new colors that are introduced.</p>
<p>As a rule jazz tunes usually use this concept to enhance a basic progression and make it much more interesting to solo over. A good example is the turn-around progression (iii-vi-ii-V-I) or Em7 Am7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7. In actual practice the Am7 chord is usually altered to an A7 chord creating a secondary dominant of the ii chord Dm7. The new progression then would be Em7 A7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7 which is much more fun to solo over since every other chord is now a different quality. Another excellent example of secondary dominant usage would be the bridge section of “rhythm changes”. Take a look at “Oleo” for example. The bridge changes are D7 G7 C7 F7 which is the iii-vi-ii-V progression in Bb altered to create secondary dominant relationships.</p>
<p>To summarize, we can precede any chord, with the exception of m7b5 and diminished seventh chords since these are never tonics, with dominant seventh chords a perfect fifth above. If the chords are already in perfect fifth relationships we can change or alter these chords from their diatonic state to dominant sevenths creating secondary dominant relationships. This combined with the tritone substitution (see earlier article) gives us very powerful tools for enhancing basic chord progressions.</p>
<p>It is important to note that I have shown the dominant seventh chords in the most basic way. Jazz musicians understand that although the chord is written as a basic seventh chord it is almost never played as written. The dominant seventh chord should always be embellished by adding the 9<sup>th</sup>, 11<sup>th</sup> and 13<sup>th</sup> extensions (any or all) and any or all of the four possible altered tones: b9, #9, b5 and #5. Without these embellishments and alterations your chord changes will sound anemic. There are some fundamental rules for using these embellishments which I will discuss in the future. For now let your ear guide you; it is usually right.</p>
<p>Please see these musical examples for further explanation:</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="secondarydominants.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483025/secondarydominants.pdf" target="_blank">SecondaryDominants.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277212010-11-04T01:25:06-04:002011-05-03T04:55:53-04:00Harmonic Progression
<p>It is common knowledge that most jazz tunes tend to use harmonic progressions that are based on root movements of descending fifths. This progression is the strongest available in tonal music. We know that a tonal area can be defined most successfully through the use of the dominant-tonic or V-I progression which of course is based on a descending fifth root movement. If we precede the V chord with a diatonic chord whose root is a fifth above it we end up with the ii-V-I progression we all know and love. If we continue this pattern by preceding each chord with another a fifth above we end up with chord sequences that are very common in many jazz tunes. For example in the key of C Major:</p>
<p>G7 CMaj7 (V-I)</p>
<p>Dm7 G7 CMaj7 (ii-V-I). The fundamental building block of jazz standards.</p>
<p>Am7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7 (vi-ii-V-I). “All the Things You Are” uses this as its fundamental progression through various keys.</p>
<p>Em7 Am7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7 (iii-vi-ii-V-I) sometimes referred to as a “turnaround” because it usually appears at the end of the tune turning you around or sending you back to the beginning.</p>
<p>Bm7b5 Em7 Am7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7 (vii-iii-vi-ii-V-I). Less common as a stand-alone progression due to its rhythmic asymmetry.</p>
<p>FMaj7 Bm7b5 Em7 Am7 Dm7 G7 CMaj7 (IV-vii-iii-vi-ii-V-I). This is the complete cycle of fifths in the key of C. Notice that this contains one diminished fifth (F to B). The bridge to “Take Five” comes to mind as an example of this complete cycle progression.</p>
<p>We can, through permutation, start and end our progression anywhere within the cycle. For example, the progression Dm7 G7 CMaj7 FMaj7 Bm7b5 Em7 Am7 is very common in many tunes and is extremely common if we make one small modification: changing the Em7 to E7. This change from a minor seventh to a dominant seventh effectively moves the key area from C major to A minor (relative minor). “Autumn Leaves” is the best example of this as the entire tune is basically this progression. We can also refer to this new E7 chord as a secondary dominant. Since the true dominant in C major is G7, any other dominant that briefly moves use into a new key area is considered secondary. This concept is extremely important in all tonal music and is very important in jazz. I will discuss this in the next installment so please stay tuned!</p>
johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277202010-10-29T00:00:00-04:002020-01-14T09:21:19-05:00Concepts in Jazz - Passing Diminished Seventh Chords<p>When harmonizing a melody we often come across notes that pass between two chord tones in a melodic line. We know that we can harmonize the chord tones easily enough with whatever the indicated harmony happens to be, but what about those notes in between? If we decide we want to harmonize these passing tones the easiest and most effective way is through the use of the diminished seventh chord. For example let’s use the A minor scale and say our melody is the ascending form of this scale (a b c d e f g a) and the indicated harmony is the A minor seventh chord. Notice how the first, third, fifth and seventh tones of the scale are members of the Am7 chord (a c e g). The notes in between are the passing tones. We will make a slight adjustment to the scale by including the leading tone G-sharp. This gives us a nice eight tone scale which works perfectly for this example. The new scale is now (a b c d e f g g# a). Now you can see that the passing tones spell the G-sharp diminished seventh chord (b d f g#). Since this particular chord has a symmetrical structure consisting of consecutive minor thirds we can name the chord using any of the four tones and easily invert it by moving the same voicing up the fingerboard at intervals of three frets or minor thirds. I chose to call it G#dim.7 to better indicate its leading tone or dominant function. So let’s try this for practice. Start with the A on the first string fifth fret and harmonize it with any voicing you like of an Am7 chord. Next, move to the B at the seventh fret first string and harmonize it with a G-sharp diminished seventh chord. Continue this pattern of Am7 to G# dim.7 through the complete eight tone scale (see examples below) and you will hear a familiar sound found in many jazz chord/melody arrangements. Harmonically, the G#dim.7 simply functions as a dominant to the tonic Am7, so in essence we are just moving from I to V and back again. The concept works equally well in major keys as long as you remember to use the eight tone scale as shown above derived from the relative minor key. For example in A major the scale would be (a b c# d e f f# g# a). The tonic chord will be AMaj7/6 and the passing chord will continue to be G#dim.7. Understanding this concept will give your arrangements a more authentic jazz sound. So the next time you come across a passing tone in a melody line try harmonizing it with a diminished seventh chord, you will be glad you did.</p>
<p><a data-imported="1" data-link-label="passingdim7chords.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/483033/passingdim7chords.pdf" target="_blank">PassingDim7Chords.pdf</a></p>johnhallguitar.comtag:johnhallguitar.com,2005:Post/60277192010-10-22T07:00:06-04:002011-05-03T04:55:53-04:00Tritone Substitution
<p>Many people have asked "John, what is a tritone substitution and how will it improve my life as a jazz musician?" Tritone (meaning "three tones" or three whole steps) substitution is a simple way of enhancing a basic chord progression that involves the dominant seventh chord. We all know the ii-V-I progression is the most fundamental harmonic building block of a standard jazz tune, i.e., Dm7-G7-CMaj7 in the key of C major or Dm7b5-G7-Cm7 in C minor. The tritone sub simply involves replacing the dominant seventh chord (the G7 in this case) with another dominant seventh chord with a root that has an intervallic relationship with the original of a tritone or three whole steps. For example Dm7-G7-CMaj7 becomes Dm7-Db7-CMaj7. If we examine the chord tones of the tritone sub we find that the all important leading-tone (B) and seventh (f) of the original G7 are still there but with the addition of two new tension tones (Db and Ab). These additional tones can be considered as the b5 and b9 respectively of the original G7 creating the "altered dominant" harmony which is so important to an authentic jazz sound. Try out this concept in any tune with dominant seventh chords that resolve down by fifth, the traditional and most common resolution. If the dominant seventh resolves down by a minor second or half-step it is most likely already a tri-tone sub that was written into the tune. In this case try using the original dominant as an alternate.</p>
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