DominantVoicingsWorksheetRootinthemelody:MyFoolishHeart
Inthe2ndbarwehaveaG7withtherootinthemelody.- Firsttryjust3rdand7th- Nextaddinthe13- Nowlet’stestthedifferentalterations–b9,#9,#11- WhenIseearootinthemelodyIoftevoicethedominantchordwithasuspension.Sus
chordsarebasicallydominantinnature.- Thenicethingwithsusvoicingsisthatyoucanthenresolvethesuspensionandaddan
alteration.- Onfinaloptionavailabletoyouisthetritonesub.Animportantrelationshipto
understandisthatwhenyouhavetherootinthemelodyoveradominantchord.Ifyouplaythetritonesub,therootthenbecomesthe#11.
- Youcanalsomovefromthesuspendeddominantchordtothealteredtritonesub.
b9inthemelody:Youdon’tknowwhatLoveIs
Inthe5thbarwehaveaC7withtheb9inthemelody.-theb9,#9,#11and#5areallpresentinthealteredmode.Thismeansthatwhenyouhaveanalteredchord,intheoryyoucansubstituteormovebetweenthesedifferentalterations.-Thekeypointisthatifyouseeab9inthechordsymbolormelody,chancesarethatthe#9and#5willalsoworkwell.Thisalsoworkstheotherwayaroundtoo,soifanyoftheseextensionsareinthemelodyofthechordsymbol,I’drecommendyouexperimenttoseehowtheotheralterationssound.-Ifwelookatthemelodywecanseethatboththeb9and#9arepresent.-Startoffbyjustvoicingsthemindividually-ThentrysomeupperstructuresC13b9/C7#5#9-Thenexperimentwiththetritonesub(F#13#11)
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Natural9thinthemelody:AutumnInNewYork
Inthe2ndbarwehaveaC7withthe9thinthemelody.-WhenIseethe9inthemelodyoveradomiantchord,thefirstplaceIgoisusuallythe13#11upperstructure.Thisisamajortriadoffthe9.-Ilikethisupperstructurebecauseithasveryrichsoundwiththe9and13extensionsandthefloatynessofthe#11.-Rememberyoucanalwaysdoublethetopandbottomnoteintheupperstructure.-Alsorememberthatyoudon’thavetoplayupperstructuresforthechordtosoundgood.Sometimesthenicestthingyoucanplayistheunalteredtones.-Stacked4thsisalsonicedownfromthe9andthatalsogivesyouthe13inthere.#9inthemelody–BlueinGreen
Inbar2wehaveanA7withthe#9inthemelody.- Anice2handedvoicingtostartoffwithistheRootandb7inourleft-handandthen
major3,#5and#9inourrighthand.Youcanalsodoubletheb7.- Thisvoicingworksinanykey.- AverycommonUSTisthemajortriadofthe#5andthatgivesus#5,rootand#9.- ForA7thatwouldbeanFMajortriad.- YoucanplaythisrootlessorhittherootandthentheUST- Anicerelationshiptounderstandisthatforany#5#9UST,yousimplychangetheroot
tothetritoneandthenlikemagicyouarethenplayinga13#11UST.- SobasicallyA7#5#9andEb13#11containthesamenotes,theonlydifferenceistheroot- Thisworksinanykeyandgivesyouanicechromaticbassmovementintothe1chord.
3rdinthemelody–MyRomance
Inbar4wehaveaG7withthe3rdinthemelody.- Asaprimarychordtone,the3rdisaverycommontonetohaveinthemelodyofthe
dominantchord.- UsuallywhenIhavetovoiceadominantchordwith3rdatthetopIamlookingatthe
insideofthechordtoaddmoreinterest.- Tryaddinginthe13,9orbothintothemiddleofthechord.- Thenyouhaveachoiceofalterations,b9and#5and#11areusuallythemostsubtle.
The#9cansoundjarringsobeawareofthat.- Youcanalsovoicethesuspensionunderneaththe3rd.Youmayhearthatthesuspension
replacesthe3rdinadominantchordbutthisisn’talwaysthecase…thetwocanworkwelltogether.
- Voicingthesuspensionthenallowsyoutodroptothe3rdandalsoaddinanalterationwhichcreatesinterestandinnermovementwithinthechord.
Natural4inthemelody:TheNearnessofYou
- Whenyouhavethe4thinthemelodyoveradominantchordit’susuallyindicatingthat
susvoicingshouldbeplayed.- Thesuschordisasuspensionthatistypicalyresolvestothemajor3rd.- Inthe3rdbarwehaveanF7withthe4thinthemelody.Oftenifyoulookfurtherinthe
melodyyouwillseethatthesuspensionresolvesitself.- Inthepreviousexamplesinthislessonwelookedatresolvingthesuspensionintoan
altereddominantchordbutthistimeIdon’tthinkthatisnecessary.- Wecoveredareharmonisationinthelesson.WeaddedinanF#13asapassingchord
whichdropsdownhalfastepintoF7(thisisadominantpassingchordahalfstepabove)andwethengotoB9whichisthetritone.Checkoutthelessonformoreinfo.
#11inthemelody–Tenderly
Inbar2wehaveanAb7andinbar6wehaveaDb7–bothwiththe#11inthemelody.- WhenIseethistoneinthemelodythefirstplaceIgotoisusuallythe13#11upper
structure.ThisisoneofmyfavouriteupperstructuressoIuseitquitefrequently.- FortheAb7,themelodynotisprettyhighupthekeyboard,andsoIlikethesoundofa
biggerspreadvoicinglikethis.WearestillplayingtheUSTandalsoaddingthe3rd.- Rememberthatthe13#11USTisamajortriadoffthe9th.ForAb7thiswouldbeaBb
Majortriad.Togetthe#11inthemelodywewouldhavetoputitintoit’ssecondinversionsoputthetopnoteonthebottom.RememberUSTsoundstrongestinthe2nd.
- MovingontotheDb7now,themelodynoteisclosertomiddleCandsolet’stryamorecompactvoicing.BeawarethatthevoicingweusedforAb7wouldalsoworkhere.Againwebuildamajortriadoffthe9th.ForDb7thiswouldbeanEbMajortriad.
- Arpeggiatinguporcascadingdowntheupperstructureisalwaysanicetouch.5thinthemelody–TheseFoolishThings
Inbar2wehaveaBb7,bar5anEb7,Bar6aC7andbar7anF7–allwiththe5thinmelody- Let’sstartwiththeBb7.Wearecomingfromthe13,soIwouldstartwitha13b9upper
structure…majortriadoffthe13.- Thenjustdropthetopnotedown.Thisistechnicallystillanupperstructurebutwitha
diminishedtriadofftheb9.Itworksnicewhenthe5thisinthemelody.- NextupwehavetheEb7.Wecouldjustplayaverysimpledominantvoicingbutsince
wearesittingontheEbchordforawholebar,let’saddinasustoaltereddominantmovement.
- NextfortheC7wecouldplaythe5thandnatural9,the5thandb9…maybeevenboth….whateveryoulikethesoundof.Rememberthatyoucanalwaysfillinwithalterationswithyouthumbandit’snicetoaddinnermovementtothechord.
- FinallyfortheF7Ijustlikeasimpleshell…remembersimplevoicingscansometimesbethemosteffective.
#5–WhenIFallInLove
Inthe1stand3rdbarswithhaveaC7withthe#5inthemelody.- The#5willalsosoundgoodifyoualsoaddineithertheb9or#9.Rememberthatthe#5
comesfromthealteredmodeandtheb9and#9arealsointhealteredmode.- Themostimportantisnottoaddthenatural9whichisnotinthealteredmode.This
createsanothertritoneinterval.2tritonesinthesamechordisverydissonant!- Youhavetoaddintheseadditionaltones,sometimesthe#5onit’sowncanbeenough…- Let’sseehowthesevariationssound- Theb9hasasoftersoundsandthe#9soundsslightlymoredissonantandangular.13thinthemelody:EasyToLove
Inbar6wehaveanF7withthe13inthemelody.-WhenIseethe13,twoimportantupperstructuresspringtomind.-Wehavethe13#11(alsoknownasUS2)thatwehavealreadycoveredmanytimesinthistutorial.Thisisamajortriadoffthe9.-thenextisthe13b9or(alsoknownasUS6).ThisisanicesubtleUSwiththeb9astheonlyalteration.-Let’sseehowtheybothsound.-anicesubstitutionyoucanuseistoturnthedominant13#11intoamajor13#11,simplyraisetheb7tothemajor7.-therearesomeotherinterestingdominantvoicingsinthistune…checkoutthejazzstandardlessononthisformoreinformation.
b7inthemelody:WhatAreYouDoingTheRestOfYourLife
Everydominantchordinthebridgehastheb7inthemelody.-US4shouldspringtomindwhenyouhavetheb7inthemelody.Thisgivesyoub9,#11,b7-IpersonallypreferthesoundofotherUSTthanthisonebutIstillusethisifIneedtoharmoniseab7inthemelody.Rememberthatyouarenotrequiredtolikethesoundofalltheupperstructures.Ireallylikethe13b9and13#11USandsoIusethesemoreoften.-Justbecauseyouseemeplaysomethingdoesn’tmeanyoushouldorhavetolikethesoundofit.Rememberweplayforourselvesfirstandotherssecond.-Anotherthingwelookatinthisjazzstandardtutorialisthesustoaltereddominantmovement…thisworksparticularlywellhere.-Wemovefromsus9todominantb9oneachchord.