Adding to Chords: 7ths

Let's review what we've covered so far. We started with the basic element of improv which is rhythm and the five different methods used to create rhythmic diversity. Next, we began understanding a chord change starting with the letter that is written. This is the "root" of the chord. And from the root, we counted to the 5th pitch above the root to give some ideas for different pitches. Then, we learned that to make a true chord, we need to add the 3rd note above the root. There are two types of 3rds which changes whether we have a major chord versus a minor chord. Whew! Time to move on.

In orchestral music, the three note chord was the standard chord for many years. As we got to the 20th century, composers started to experiment more often with four note chords. This practice became standard in the jazz world and we haven't looked back. In fact, it is very rare that you will find a jazz composition that has a three note chord designated.

So what is the next most common pitch added? Well, let's again go back to our original chord:

Usually in other posts, I've said to remove all the numbers and symbols. This time, we're going to remove all but one number:

We've kept the number 7. The 7th is the most common pitch used to make a 3-note chord into a 4-note chord. So, how do we figure out what pitch would be the 7th? Let's go back to our alphabet:

Now, the muscial alphabet is really more like a circle than a straight line, so I can take the "A" and "B" and move them from the left side to the far right side, like this:

Hopefully, you can figure out at this point which pitch is going to be the 7th. "B" is the 7th of a "C" chord. Now, before I continue, there is something I must try and explain concerning 7ths. There are actually two types of 7ths. The type of 7th is again determined by the how the chord is written in the music.

The first type of 7th is know as a major 7th, and the second type is the minor 7th, more commonly known as a dominant 7th. Before I go any further, I want to make sure you don't confuse major and minor chords with major and dominant 7ths. They are two distinct concepts even though they use the same words.

Major 7ths and dominant 7ths are intervals. Intervals refer to the number of half steps between two pitches. Major and minor chords are specific combinations of at least 3 pitches.

The major 7th is the 7th that occurs naturally within the root's key signature. Again, since there are no sharps or flats in the key of "C", "C" to "B" is a major 7th. So, a C major chord with a major 7th would have the following pitches:

And the chord symbol would look like this:

If you look closely, though, you'll notice that to get the major 7th, we needed to have the "MAJ" included in the chord. We don't have that in the original chord. We have just the "C" and the number 7. So, since we don't have the necessary symbols to have the major 7th, that must mean that the chord we've been using calls for the dominant 7th.

To get the dominant, or minor, 7th, we need to take the 7th that occurs naturally and lower it by a 1/2 step. This usually means adding a flat, but as we progress, you'll find that is not always the case. So the notes of a C major chord with the dominant 7th looks like:

Now, this is a lot of information to take in, especially if you're new to improvisation. So, I want you to take your time. And if you have questions, leave a comment and I will make sure I answer as clearly as possible. Alright, have fun.

Chords: Major vs. Minor

Okay,

Now that you have a grasp of what the large letter in a chord symbol means and how you can use that pitch and the 5th pitch above it, let's add some more.

Here's our original chord:





Again, let's strip away the numbers and other symbols, we get:




Now, let's say, for instance, we make a small, insignificant looking change to the chord:




Doesn't look like much, does it? How can it have any effect? Well, if you're only using "C" and "G", it doesn't affect you. (And if you're not sure where I can up with "G", look to the "Understanding Chord Changes" post for reference.) But, if you want to sound like a pro, you need to heed that small letter "M."

There are two types of chords, major and minor. The way we get chords is by adding another letter to the two we already know.

Let's go back to our musical alphabet:

We already use the first letter ("C") and the 5th letter ("G") for our improvised melodies. But to make a chord, we need to add the third letter in line, in this case "E". So a chord built on C as the first pitch or "root" would look like this:

Now here is where it gets tricky. When you have a chord that just has the root written:


This is a "major" chord and it produces a particular sound when all three notes are played simultaneously. The major chord occurs when you play the root(pitch 1), 3rd and 5th note above that naturally occur based on the root's scale. In other words, since the key of "C" has no flats or sharps, if we play "C" "E" & "G" together the result will be a "C major chord".

Once we add that small "M":

The chord has become a "C minor chord". The root ("C") and the 5th ("G") stay the same, but the note in between, the 3rd ("E"), is different. In a minor chord, the 3rd is lowered by a 1/2 step. If you look at a keyboard, two consecutive keys is a 1/2 step. In this case, to make "E" 1/2 step lower, we add a flat. So a "C minor chord" looks like:

As you progress, you'll will find that to make a minor chord, instead of adding a flat, you might end up taking a away a sharp or even adding a second flat to one that is already in existence, but that requires deep knowledge of keys and key signatures.

For now, just remember that a major chord uses the 1st, 3rd, and 5th pitches based on the root's scale, and a minor chord takes the 3rd pitch and lowers it 1/2 step.

Understanding Chord Changes

After you have a solid grasp of rhythmic diversity, now it's time to start on those pesky letters, numbers, and symbols above a solo section.

I like to start with the simplest elements first and get comfortable with that element before adding more. So, let's start at the beginning.

Let's look at a potentially complicated chord:

Ok, first things first, I picked the letter C since there are no sharps or flats in the key of C we have to worry about.

Now, before you freak out, the first step is to eliminate all numbers and symbols. We're stripping the chord down to its most basic component. So the above chord with no decoration looks like this:

So, bye-bye to the 7, b9, and #11, we'll look at those later. Whatever letter is written is known as the root of the chord. You can use this pitch on your instrument to make a melody. Now, most people can handle a single pitch and tire of doing only that quickly.

There is a formula to devise another usable pitch along with the printed letter. The steps to the formula are:

1. Write the musical alphabet out. (A B C D E F G)


2. Whatever letter is written as the root, give it the number 1.
   
   



3. Now, assign numbers to the other letters as you go forward until you get to the number 5.
   
   



4. For now, the only numbers you can use, again until you get more comforatble, is 1 and 5.
   

So, for a beginner improvising on a C chord, you can use C and G and you'll never sound like you're playing a wrong note. The next step will be covered in a later post.

Suggested Listening

I received recently a request for a list of suggested listening for jazz. When it comes to playing jazz, the best thing to do is have an idea of what you want to sound like before you play a single note. For instance, every time I play my tenor sax, my goal is to sound like Sonny Rollins is in the room. How close I get is up to the listener. So this list is my own selection not only for sound concept but also melodic ideas as well. Jazz is an aural art and the best way to learn this music is to immerse yourself in it through listening. Also, don't limit yourself to artists who play your particular instrument. There are many things a saxophone player can learn from a trumpet player.

Suggested Listening

Alto Sax

• Charlie Parker
• Sonny Stitt
• Cannonball Adderly (very good model for sound)
• Johnny Hodges

Tenor Sax

• Sonny Rollins (personal favorite for sound)
• John Coltrane (Great melodic ideas and a true pioneer, I just can't stand his sound)
• Benny Golson
• Dexter Gordon
• Coleman Hawkins
• Lester Young
• Ben Webster
• Sonny Stitt

Trumpet

• Dizzy Gillespie
• Lee Morgan
• Clifford Brown
• Miles Davis (a true pioneer in composition, but in my opinion a somewhat sloppy improviser)
• Chet Baker (great model for flowing melodic lines)

Piano

• Count Basie
• Duke Ellington
• Thelonious Monk
• Fats Waller

Drums

• Art Blakey
• Buddy Rich
• Gene Krupa
• Max Roach

Bass

• Charles Mingus
• Jaco Pastorius

Obviously, there are some intstruments not listed, but that does not mean there is not an artist that has brought that instrument into the public light in a jazz sense. Also, these short lists are so far from comprehensive it's not even funny. There are so many great names, I would run out space trying to list them all. Take these few names I've listed and go from there. Find your own favorites. Let your ears be your guide.

Improvisation Lesson 1: Elements of Rhythm

Improve your Improv

When it comes to improvisation, before you assume the playing position, I believe there is one rule you have to adopt to be successful: Let go. Don't worry about playing the right notes 100% of the time. As you go along and as these blog posts will demonstrate, the concept of a "wrong" note is inaccurate. There is no such thing as a wrong note, but there is such a thing as a wrong line. Before we get to that, let's start with the most basic component of improvisation.

With improv, the most critical element is rhythm. Having a wealth of fresh rhythmic ideas is more important than how many scales you know. Anyone can craft an interesting solo using only a handful of pitches as long as their rhythmic diversity is vast. How do you get this diversity? What we have to do is first breakdown rhythm. There are 5 different ways to create rhythmic diversity. They are:

1. Duration
   
2. Silence
   
3. Volume
   
4. Texture
   
5. Accents

I'll spend a few seconds explaining each quickly.

Duration - This basically means using combinations of various sound durations; half notes mixed with quarter notes and eighth notes.

Silence - Don't feel like you have to use every bit of solo space. Give your brain and the listener's ear short breaks throughout your solo with silences.

Volume - Surprise your listener with a phrase consisting of whispers of notes.

These last two elements can be grouped as "Articulation," however, one deals with the beginning of the note while the other focuses on the end of the note.

Texture - Create diversity by mixing notes that blend with notes that are separated with minute spaces.

Accents - Give extra emphasis to the beginning of certain notes and see how much a difference it makes in your playing.

Well, that's about it. All of these ideas I've gotten from a book entitled The Improvised Melodic Line by Michael Longo. Future posts will be a mixture of my own ideas as well as concepts from Longo's book. If you have questions or would like to comment, please feel free.