long chord durations

[yanksfanwhm]

hey! first of all thanks to everyone who posted in the thread i started a couple days ago i found some really neat ideas in their. for my next question, i was wondering what some interesting things you can do when you have a chord in a tune that spans more than one bar, like for example a maj 7 for 2 or 4 bars. I've tried using some drop 2 voicings but im looking for some other ideas. Thanks!

[Jakeweiser]

There are several options that you can have at your disposal.

One of my favorite methods of dealing with longer harmonic rhythm is based on reducing the 7th chord into 2 triads and moving between the two or even three triads, depending on where you want to go with it in terms of tension. I'm all for disonance, not everyone is.

CMa7 = G and C triads or example.

Or you could use any diatonic triad in the parent scale as long as you resolve them at the proper time.

CMa7 for 4 bars, why not add some ii V's in there. etc.

[engelbach]

Here's what I do with the beginning of All the Things You Are, instead of holding CMaj for two bars:
Fm7 | Bbm7 | Eb7 | AbMaj |
|DbMaj | Dm7 G7#5 | CMaj Dm7 | EbMaj Dm7 |
... with a C or G pedal under the last four chords.

Or you can treat a two-bar Maj chord like a turnaround or a transition, prepping for the next chord. In this tune it's a Cm7, so I-VI-II-V works fine:
CMaj A7 | D7 G7 |
or CMaj Eb7 | D7 Db7 |

[Phil Kelly]

There are several options that you can have at your disposal.

One of my favorite methods of dealing with longer harmonic rhythm is based on reducing the 7th chord into 2 triads and moving between the two or even three triads, depending on where you want to go with it in terms of tension. I'm all for disonance, not everyone is.

CMa7 = G and C triads or example.



Actually, a D triad thrown in adds a nice Lydian tinge as well. ( as do the triads based on the diminished
tones of the parent scale : Eb Gb A

[engelbach]

Actually, a D triad thrown in adds a nice Lydian tinge as well. ( as do the triads based on the diminished
tones of the parent scale : Eb Gb A

Nice!

[Egbert Souse]

Great question.

What this board needs is a thread on approaches to playing "Everytime We Say Goodbye". If i had the balls i'd start one, but i'm a not all that literate horn player...

[BWV 1080]

I usually do a
I - bIII - IV / I - bIII - bV - IV / I - bIII - IV -bIII - I
power chord sub

Either that or just speed up the tempo

[Jakeweiser]

indeed Phil ;) I use that one to much probably.

by the by, played one of your charts in the 2:00 today filling in for their regular guitarist. I never get tired of hearing your writing.

[thedwork]

... i was wondering what some interesting things you can do when you have a chord in a tune that spans more than one bar, like for example a maj 7 for 2 or 4 bars. I've tried using some drop 2 voicings but im looking for some other ideas. Thanks!


all the chord comping suggestions so far are cool.

when you get comfortable enough, maybe try playing some simple, supportive lines as accompaniment (comping...) as well. it's a very cool sound: counterpoint. it's very integrating.

maybe start by just playing half notes of diatonic tendency tones resolving naturally. or half notes outlining triads. after a while you get used to this as being an option for comping and can play simple melodies, in addition to chords, when supporting a soloist. i've done this a lot and most of the guys i've played with really dig it when it's done w/ taste. the music opens up. linear and harmonic at once.

[engelbach]

Great question.

What this board needs is a thread on approaches to playing "Everytime We Say Goodbye". If i had the balls i'd start one, but i'm a not all that literate horn player...

Sure, I'll create a thread for Every Time We Say Goodbye. I love that tune.

[philoxenos]

when you get comfortable enough, maybe try playing some simple, supportive lines as accompaniment (comping...) as well. it's a very cool sound: counterpoint. it's very integrating.

maybe start by just playing half notes of diatonic tendency tones resolving naturally. or half notes outlining triads. after a while you get used to this as being an option for comping and can play simple melodies, in addition to chords, when supporting a soloist. i've done this a lot and most of the guys i've played with really dig it when it's done w/ taste. the music opens up. linear and harmonic at once.

This makes sense because there is no real reason to complicate the harmony unnecessarily just because a chart tells you to play one chord. The tune doesn't always benefit. Rather play with intervals in the tonality of the chord and forget about inserting new chord functions, also let the rhythm guide this approach.

This is a stylistic decision maybe, or a matter of taste. For piano the pedal point suggestion (see above) is excellent, not sure how this works on guitar or other instruments though.

Listen to Bill Evans playing on Kind of Blue, what he does within the few chords contrapuntally and melodically, inverting and extending the lines, harmonizing his counter melodies - not thinking of chords, thinking linear...

[philoxenos]

Perhaps we're thinking more modally? One long chord duration implies this in my opinion, however others may have a different point of view.

[brokenpianist]

Here's what I do with the beginning of All the Things You Are, instead of holding CMaj for two bars:
Fm7 | Bbm7 | Eb7 | AbMaj |
|DbMaj | Dm7 G7#5 | CMaj Dm7 | EbMaj Dm7 |
... with a C or G pedal under the last four chords.


Yeah I like to do stuff like this too. You can also use just an Em7 instead of the EbMaj7.

[Phat Boi]

Learn to harmonize all kinds of scales. I'd start with triads. learn all triads in all inversions all up and down the neck on the top three and next 3 strings to start. Link stuff together with passing diminished chords. Viola. The next step would be to figure out some voicings in 4ths. The more voicings you know. The more you can harmonize these scales.


You can create lines using guide tones and chord tones. This is what I've been shedding this semester. This is where the chord scale stuff really comes in handy.


I know I might get flamed off the forum for saying chord scales are useful but hey it works for a lot of people.

check this out i just created it to help you.

All voicing's written from bottom to top!

THIS WILL WORK OVER A CMAJOR7.

E,F#,A, then, G,C,E,B then, E,B,C,G, then E,A,D,F#, then rest on a Eminor triad G,B,E

The top voice line is A,B,G,F#,E. So we are sometimes superimposing lydian over Cmajor.