Post on 05-Feb-2018
transcript
6. Harmonizing Extensions in Tune
a. Step 1 - Using our flowchart now with RH extensions
harmonization.
After our extension lesson we can now begin to combine our flow
chart and extensions together to systematically arrange jazz standards.
This no longer becomes a guessing game as we’ve grown to known in
the past, but more of a pick your color paint book. (You remember
those?) We are allowed to pick the option we like the BEST, then
simply fill in the rest of the building blocks that go with that option.
Extremely fun and easy!
Top Bass Note Selected (Option 1 - The Third F up on the piano)
1. LH Root and third– Your RH doesn’t have too many options here to
harmonize again to the space limitations. After we add our 7 in we
will have a number of cluster voicing options that contain a mixture
of our F-7 extensions, 9, 11 & 13 and the addition of our root and 5th
if that’s what you wish to add. (Remember there are still more
combinations that can be played. These are a few examples to give
you some ideas.
Example 1 - Adding the 9
Example 2 - Adding the 9 & 5
Example 3 - Adding the 9 & 11
Example 4 - Adding the 9, 11 & 13
2. Root and 7th – If your LH plays 1+7, will still be playing more of a
cluster voicing because of how close the 1+7 is to the melody on
top. These voicings are thinner sounding but are also very beautiful.
Example 1 - Adding the 9
Example 2 - Adding the 11
Example 3 - Adding the 9 & 5
Example 4 - Adding the 11,13 and Root
Middle Bass Note Selected (Option 2 - The Second F from the bottom of
the piano)
1. Root and 7th - Now that we have a lower bass note we obviously
have more room for different arrangements of the harmonization we
select.
Example 1 - Adding the 9 below 3rd
Example 2 - Adding the 5,13 & 9
Example 3 - Adding the 11, 5, & 13
2. Root, 7 & 3 – This LH component is more useful in harmonization
when the top melody note isn’t the 3rd so that we free our RH up to
harmonize as we please. In this case adding the 3rd in our LH is
simply doubling the melody which is also effective and can be an
added texture, but also not necessary.
Example 1 - Adding the 9, 5, & 13
Example 2 – Adding 9, 11
Example 3 - Adding the 11, 13, & 1
3. Just the bass note – When our LH plays the bass note by itself, our
RH is responsible for doing everything. As always we need to add
the shells first. In situations like these, where the melody is the 3rd of
the chord, we can add the 7th in, then we’re free to harmonize
however we please.
Example 1 - Adding the 5, 9, 11
Example 2 – Adding 5, 9, 13
4. Bass note to shells – When using this option for our LH component I
recommend playing your harmonization with your shells. Although
both are possible, personally, this is what I believe sounds best. Also
remember, there may be able to pick either of the two shell
arrangements to jump to as in this case.
Example 1 (Shells 7 & 3) RH = 5, 13
Example 2 (Shells 7 & 3) RH = 5, 9
5. Bass note to rootless voicing or inversion- This option isn’t much of
an arranging option since your LH is providing everything. You can
however create a double handed voicing option with your LH that
will allow for more extensions / colors. In this case your LH can
play any sort of voicing as long as it contains the shells.
Example 1 – LH = 7, 9, 3, 11 RH = 13, 7
Example 2 – LH = 3, 11, 13, 7 RH = 9
Bottom Bass Note Selected (Option 3 - The First F on the piano) – This
bass note is so low that we can’t play 1 +7 or 1+3 (tenth apart) because it
would sound so muddy.
1. Bass Note alone – With the bass note being so low in this option, we would
voice all of the harmonizations we selected underneath the melody in our
RH.
Example 1 - Adding the 5, 9, 13
Example 2 – Adding 5, 13
Example 3 - Adding the 9, 11,
2. Bass alone then jumps to shells - This option is the same as the previous
bass note then shells but we are playing a lower bass note to start out with.
Example 1 (Shells 7 & 3) –RH = 5 & 13
Example 2 (Shells 7 & 3) –RH = 5 & 9
3. Bass note alone, then chord – This method also stays the same as before.
Example 1 - RH = 13
Example 2 – RH = Root & 13
b. Step 2 – Non Shell Melody Note Harmonization
When harmonizing non shell notes are same general harmonization rules
apply with a couple of situations to take note of.
1. Melody is root or 5th - In this situation the only decision you have to make
is whether or not you’ll want to double the root or 5th in the melody in your
harmonization. Sometimes this can be too many chord tones for one
arrangement. But if you like the sound of it…go for it!
2. The melody is an extension – When the melody is an extension you want
to be careful of not putting in another extension that would conflict. For
example, if the melody is a natural 9, you would not want to add the b9 as
a harmonization note.
3. My Romance Example - We used the first measure of the jazz standard,
“All The Things You Are” to initially exemplify the JPS Solo Piano
arranging process. The melody note in that measure was a part of the shells
to the harmony. Meaning it was one of the notes that was the 3rd or 7th of
the chord F-7. In this case the melody is an Ab, meaning it was 3rd of the
F-7 chord.
In this section I’m going to walk you through how to use the system when
the melody is a non-chord tone using the first measure of “My Romance”.
Bass Note Option – The process of your bass note selection will not
change depending upon the melody being a shell note or non-shell note.
Here are the three Bb bass notes we have available.
One quick note to point out is that the 4th Bb up is not an option because
there is not enough room to fit everything between the melody on top and
the bass note.
Choose LH Component
The main difference when choosing our LH component when our RH
has a non-shell note is we must be sure we have both the 3 & 7 in our
arrangement somewhere. Our melody note was the 3rd before so we
only had to be conscious of getting the 7 in. Now that our melody note
is a non-shell note, we need to make sure we get both the 3 & 7 in.
Top Bass Note Selected (Option 1 - The Third Bb up on the piano)
There are a couple of options that aren’t best with this bass note and melody.
Those being, root and 3rd, root and 3rd a tenth apart, and bass note by itself.
1. Root and 7th – This is a great option to use to spread the voicing out.
With this LH component your RH will take the 3rd , then can add the
9.
2. Root and 3rd Tenth Apart– This doesn’t make sense here because we
still need to add the 7th in somewhere. If our LH is going to play root
and 3rd a tenth apart, we might as well play the bass note then jump
to the shells.
3. Root 7, 3 – This is an option if you’re able to reach or roll quickly.
The average person will not be able to reach the tenths from a black
note to a white note
4. Root to shells – This option can work in this instance but the shells
are very close to the melody so you should put any extensions you
want with your left hand shells as one chord. This doesn’t make
much sense though unless we’re improvising because our RH can
help out with the shells and extensions to play one full chord.
5. Root to chord – This option works as well but still doesn’t make
much sense unless we are playing stride or improvising as our RH is
totally free to help out playing the shells underneath the melody.
6. Bass note alone – This is a good option for simplicity. Our RH plays
the shells below the melody and can add one harmonization in as
well while the LH plays the root.
Middle Bass Note Selected (Option 2 - The Second Bb from the bottom of
the piano)
This bass note gives us most options but more importantly a richer and lower
end texture to fill the balance of our solo piano arrangement.
1. Bass note alone – This is a nice option for a richer low end texture. Our RH
will take the shells underneath the melody.
2. Bass note to shells – With a slow tune like “My Romance”, unless you’re
playing a stride style or improvising I wouldn’t recommend this only
because it is easier physically to play the melody and harmonize the shells
underneath with your RH. Why let your LH do all the work.
3. Bass note to chord – Same thing applies here as above.
4. Root and 7th – Our bass note is below C2, so I would not recommend using
this LH component as the 7th interval is too muddy at this low end register.
5. Root and 3rd – As in the above example, the bass note is too low to utilize
this LH component.
6. Root and 3rd Tenth apart – This is a nice choice if you can reach or roll.
We’d then put the 7th under the melody in our RH, then add harmonization
options.
7. Root, 7, 3 – This is another choice for rolling which would allow for more
harmonization options in the RH.
Bottom Bass Note Selected (Option 3 - The First Bb on the piano)
With this bass note being so low we obviously cannot play 1 & 3 , 1 & 7 or
1,7,3 . All of our other options available.
1. Bass Note alone – LH plays the bass note alone, RH voices the
shells underneath the melody. (see figure 19.25)
2. Bass note to shells - In this example our LH plays the shells and
adds the 9 extensions since it is so close to the melody.
3. Bass note to chord – In this example our LH harmonizes the chord
with extensions however we please.
c. Step 3 - Where to harmonize extensions
Chords with No Melody – Any chord changes with no melody attached to
them are perfect spots to harmonize with extensions. We can create any sort
of color we would like without worrying that it’s effecting the melody.
Long Holds - As with anything in life, we can certainly over use our
harmonization system. The best way to harmonize is going to be with a
balance between chords and melody. If we harmonize too much of the
melody, it will be lost. The best parts of a melody to harmonize are going to
be on the longer duration notes such as half notes and whole notes.
Watch the Melody - When choosing the extension to harmonize we have to
be careful of the melody note because we don’t want any clashes to happen.
Take a look at the no no’s below.
Ex. Half Step Rub with melody and extension.
Ex. Melody notes that are extensions using natural 9’s with
b9 or #9
Careful of progression - This is a much more advanced topic that cannot
be completely covered here but you should still be conscious of.
Here are some examples of how some extensions should be
used best in progressions. These are just general rule of
thumb. Always feel free to experiment and play what you
like best.
Ex. 1 – b9 to minor 7th
Ex 2. Natural 9 on dominant 2 chord
Ex 3. Flat 9 or #9 on V7 chord
Again, these are very general, but the more you pay attention to how
extensions sound in progressions the better you will get with them.
d. Step 4 - Harmonization with Melody vs. Melody then
comp.
Two approaches can be taken when harmonizing extensions into tunes.
Not even just extensions but any sort of harmonization with the melody.
The two approaches are very self-explanatory.
Harmonizing with the melody is the approach we’ve been using
thus far. We take the melody and harmonize underneath of it.
The next approach is to play the melody in a simple form then
comp however you wish after you have stated the melody. This
allows for a lot of possibilities since you can essentially comp
anything you wish after you’ve stated the melody.