Week 8 / Scale time!

By now you have most certainly committed the 12 bar blues to memory.  If not, here it is in its most basic, bare bones iteration

A bit blurry...but that doesn't matter, because you have it memorized, and it is crystal clear in your mind!

We see that each measure has a corresponding chord symbol, C7, F7 or G7. 

For Bb instruments the chords are D7, G7, A7 -- one whole step up from the "C Concert" chord changes.

As discussed, C7 is shorthand for C Dominant 7 meaning in this measure, play a C Dominant 7 chord and C dominant material in this space.

Who remembers putting material through progressions?

Our progression is a 12 bar blues.  But what is the material?

Last week, we discussed the use of chord tones as material, i.e., soloists play the notes C, E, G, Bb while a piano (or guitar, or organ, etc...) plays the notes C, E, G, Bb all at once, though not necessarily in that order.  Sometimes they play inversions of the chord:

Root position:           C, E, G, Bb
First Inversion:         E, G, Bb, C
Second Inversion:     G, Bb, C, E
Third Inversion:       Bb, C, E, G

Soloists can also use inversions as material.  For example, the first chord of the C Blues is a C7.  A soloist can play any of the above four inversions sequentially. 

Instead of playing C - E - G - Bb in measure one of the C blues, soloists (and bassists) can play E, G, Bb, C or G, Bb, C, E, etc...

Soloists can also play Dominant scales over a rhythm section playing Dominant chords.

It's measure 1 in the C blues.  The chord is C7
     The piano plays a C7 chord
     The bass plays a C7 chord
     The soloist plays a C Dominant scale in eighth notes:  C D E F G A Bb C (one measure of 8th notes in 4/4 time)

and in so doing, arrives at the next chord, an F7. 
       The soloist plays the F Dominant scale in 8th notes: F G A Bb C D Eb F

Then, measure 3 and 4, back to the C7 chord.
       The soloist plays the C7 Dominant sale in 8th notes, up and down:  C D E F G A Bb C | C Bb A G F E D C.

This approach to doing things is carried out over the next 8 bars over the chords F7, C7 and G7.

This approach to doing things is called "outlining the chord".  It is not called music, though it may sound musical...at first.

Soon it will sound tedious.

What to do?  More importantly (in the Fish / Fishing pole way) how does one find out what to do?

I'll tell you.  One consults books.  These books are often written using notes.  IF they aren't (like this blog) they probably aren't worth reading.

One of the great pedagogues in Jazz is also one of the great saxophonists -- Jerry Bergonzi.  He wrote a few books.  We are going to, for educational purposes, take a look at some strategies for decorating a 7th chord played by a rhythm section from his book Inside Improvisation Series, Vol. 3 <<Jazz Line>> put out by the Advance Music company. 

ok...take two. 

Bar one of the C blues.  A C7 Chord.  Piano and bass (the rhythm section) are playing C7 material, either by "chording" (piano) or by "walking" bass.

Where as before the soloist played a C Dominant scale [C D E F G A Bb C] the soloist now plays a Dominant Bob scale: C D E F G A Bb B | C

TO FORM A BOP SCALE ADD THE EXTRA NOTE BETWEEN THE ROOT AND THE DOMINANT SEVENTH.  

hold up!  that's 9 notes...and you can only fit 8 in a measure!

TRUE!  AND look what note you land on in the next measure.  You land on a C !  Which also happens to be a chord tone in an F7 scale!  It's the 5th!

Do you know what else? You can start playing a Dominant Scale on the 5th!  And so:

Measure 1:   C7    -->  C  E  G  Bb  --->  C D E F G A Bb B | C
Measure 2:   F7    -->  F  A  C  Eb  --->   C D Eb E F G A Bb | C
Measure 3:   C7   -->   C  E  G  Bb  --->  C D E F G A Bb B | C
Measure 4:   C7   -->  C  E  G  Bb   --->  C B Bb A G F E D |  C  (backwards that time)

the magic of the Bop scale is it "set's you up" for the next measure when moving by 4ths, as one often does in a 12 bar blues.

To make sure:  A Dominant Bop scale is a Dominant Scale (mixolydian) with the ADDITION of a natural 7.  And if you look really carefully, THE LAST FOUR NOTES IN THE BOP SCALE ARE ALL A HALF STEP APART.

C D E F G A Bb B C
D E F# G A B C C# D

and so forth

Dominant Bop Scales, as well as Dominant Scales, as well as all material can (and should) be played going from high to low.  I have not done a thorough statistical inquiry, but from what I've heard a huge part of the Jazz Language, a key factor in sounding convincing when speaking the language of Jazz through your instrument is "phrasing backwards"...starting up high and going down low.

In the case of the Dominant bop scale, that's 4 notes separated by a half step.  4 chromatic notes.  High to low.  So in C you play C, B, Bb A. 

EASY AND SIMPLE!

C Concert musicians--have C, F and G dominant scales totally under control

Bb instruments, the same, but for D, G and A.

Lastly, why not spend the week listening to Sunny Stitt?

Week 7 / bass lines / piano voicings / voice leading

First and foremost, if you are anything like me, you spend 10 to 17 hours a "day" in your pajamas, watching YOUTUBE videos of and about MUSIC!

Let's be honest here, you are all doing so well and advancing so fast, that the Pianists and to a lesser degree, the Bassists are racing past my skill set with regards to the nuances of your tasks in the ensemble.

If you find that you aren't getting totally and exactly what you need from me, YOUTUBE is the answer.  So are the many websites by dedicated (and skilled) teachers, well larded with valuable and paradoxically, free pedagogy.

 While I don't endorse any of them, here are some (vocal) stand outs

an interesting visualization!

the first 3 minutes of this video are of crucial importance!

Basses and Pianos--were you to master these techniques in 2020, you would have spent the year well

 from an "outsiders" perspective...I feel a binge watch coming on...

A great name, a thorough video

No matter your instrument, no matter the style or kind of music you (want to) do, the above bits of information are all skills shared by musicians of a certain ability, regardless of primary instrument.


Please do watch these videos.

Please do become playing the three scales from last week in all 12 keys

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8
1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8


please stare at this image and commit the letters and their sequence to memory......





...or it's THE SHAME FLUTE!

Welcome Back / Week 6 / number time

Now that we got that "welcome back" stuff out of the way, repeat after me and memorize:

W  W  H  W  W  W  H

Also known as Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half.

Also known as Whole Step Whole Step Half Step Whole Step Whole Step Whole Step Half Step.

Also known as the Major Scale, which is also known as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (1).

Take any note -- C for example -- And call it "1"

C  = 1. 

Now...up a (the first) Whole Step -- C to D. Because D is the second note in our sequence, let's call it "2"

C = 1, D = 2.

Now, from D, up another (the second) Whole Step -- D to E.  Because E is the third note in our sequence, let's call it 3.

C = 1, D = 2, E = 3.

So far we have done "W W" in the "W W H W W W H" sequence.  As such, let us go up a (the first) Half Step -- E to F.  Because F is the fourth note in our sequence, let's call it "4"

C = 1, D = 3, E = 3, F = 4.

Now we have three whole step jumps in a row

F up a Whole step to G

G = 5

G up a Whole Step to A

A = 6

A up a Whole Step to B

So far we have gone W W H W W W.  Now, we do the final movement, a half step, and in so doing, complete our W W H W W W H sequence, and form a Major Scale

B up a Half step to C -- the same note with which we began.

OF COURSE this sequence works with all (12) starting notes.  W W H W W W H is the "formula" for a Major Scale, and the numeric name for a Major Scale is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 -- regardless of starting note.

      W         W        H      W       W        W             H
    /    \        /   \       / \      /  \      /  \       /  \            /  \
F#       G#        A#      B       C#      D#       E# (F)     F#



One of the reasons why we love the Key of C is because the Major Scale (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ) is visually unified on the piano...it's all the white keys.  Further, in this instance, the black keys on the piano represent "alterations" to the Major Scale.  You can see the above F# major scale is graphically, visually more complex than C major.  That said qualitatively (harmonically) they are the same.

As mentioned, in the key of C, the black keys neatly reveal themselves as alterations to the major scale.  They are called either by their "b" or "#" name.

In the key of C, the "3" is "E", the "b3" is "Eb"
In the key of C, can you guess which note the #4 is? [F#]
How about Ab?  What is it's numeric equvalent?  [b6]

This way of looking at note names as numbers is really handy.  DO NOT RESIST!  It is how we are going to speak about notes and harmony going forward.  Starting now--for not only can we speak of scales numerically, but we can speak of that which is made from scales, i.e., chords and melodies, using numbers.

That we now, going forward speak of scales and chords and melodies in terms of numbers ipso facto understands that everything is always transposed to and practiced in all twelve keys.

Thus, "1 3 5" equals CEG / CE#G# / DF#A / EbGBb / etc...  and since for the last five weeks you have been actively transposing every single bit of material through all 12 keys, via various patterns, you shall neither fear nor resent this numeric system nor the responsibility of being a 12 key musician.

Speaking of "1 3 5", what do you think that is "in the key of C" or "with C as the 1?"
C = 1,  D = 2,  E = 3, F = 4, G = 5.
What do you think it is in the key of F?  The key of G? And the other 9 keys or starting points, or 1?

Certainly you remember C E G as a major third with a minor third on top, and if you remember that, you remember that is the same as a MAJOR TRIAD.

Thus a MAJOR TRIAD can be thought of as "the 1 3 5" (first note, third note, fifth note) of any major scale

If an AUGMENTED TRIAD is the "same" as a MAJOR TRIAD with a "raised 5th", how do you "spell" a C Aug triad?

Augmented triad = 1 3 #5.  In the key of C, the "1" is C, the "3" is E and the "5" is G.  If you raise the 5th in the key of C, you raise the note "G" one half step...to G#

Thus, and AUGMENTED TRIAD in the key of C = C E G#.  We know this is right, as we know that an AUGMENTED TRIAD is the same as two major thirds on top of one another.  We know C to E is a major third, and we know that E to G# is a major third.

How about a minor triad?  We know that to be a minor third with a major third on top.  Let's check it out in the key of...C!

C (up a minor third) Eb (up a major third) G.

How would YOU write C, Eb, G numerically?  If you said 1 b3  5, you are correct, and a good person.

Can you guess how a diminished triad is numerically spelled?

Remember our friend C Eb Gb?

Now if C E G = 1 3 5      and C Eb G = 1 b3 5   

how do you think C Eb Gb is numerically spelled?

1 b3 b5?

YES!  GREAT JOB!  BOOM BOOM CLAP 2020!


Thus far we have established

Major Scale:           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8
Augmented Triad:  1      3     #5
Major Triad:           1      3      5
Minor Triad:           1    b3      5
Diminished Triad:  1    b3     b5

Before we quit, two more scales--the Dorian scale (a minor scale) and the Mixolydian scale (a Dominant scale)

Perhaps you have heard of "the modes" and their exotic greek names, and WORST OF ALL that modes "derive" from the major scale.

While it is true that the modes do derive from the major scale, that very thought is simple clutter for our applications.

For our purposes, the Dorian Scale is a mode of nothing.  It is the Dorian Scale, and it is numerically spelled   1   2   b3  4  5   6  b7   (8)

and so, in the key of C, it is   C  D  Eb  F  G  A  Bb  (c)

transpose that into all twelve keys.  practice in all twelve keys until I tell you to stop, in the form of a telegram.



Similarly, the Mixolydian scale is also a mode of nothing, because at this juncture we don't care about the theory behind the modes.  I personally haven't cared about modes and their harmonic underpinnings for at least 2 decades, maybe more.

The Mixolydian scale is numerically spelled   1  2  3  4  5  6  b7  (8)

In the key of C we have C D E F G A Bb C

transpose that into all 12 keys, practice until you levitate off the ground.


Perhaps you've noticed I have not given the "W" and "H" equivalent to the dorian and mixolydian scales.  I don't think it is a bad thing to know what they are, though if were to choose, I ask you to choose this numerical system one which takes the Major Scale as the "starting point" and alters from there.



Before I go, let's begin to look at the 7th chord.  True, you can stack either a minor or Major third atop the 5th in the various triads, but let's look at these chords numerically instead.

If we take the 1, 3 5 and 7 of a C MAJOR scale, we get the notes C, E, G and B--the 7th note in the C Major scale.  Logically, C E G B (the 1 3 5 7 from a C major scale) is called a C MAJOR 7TH CHORD if played all at once, or ARPEGGIO if played one after another.

So....F Major 7th arpeggio...can you guess the notes?
   w   w  h      w    w   w  h
F   G   A   Bb   C   D   E   F
1    2   3    4      5    6    7   8





Did you guess F A C E?  if so, FACE it, you're doing great!



Now, what happens if we take the first, third, fifth and seventh note from a Dorian scale?

1  2   b3  4   5   6   b7  8
C  D  Eb  F  G  A  Bb  C

C  Eb  G  Bb.

Sort of looks like a C minor triad (1  b3   5) with a b7 (Bb) on top...perhaps because that is exactly what it is!

And so, let us conclude that a MINOR SEVENTH chord or arpeggio is the 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 of any major scale





Lastly, the mixolydian scale.  Can you do the rest?


1   2   3    4    5    6    b7   8
C  D  E    F    G   A    Bb  C


1  -  3   - 5  - b7
 C   E   G    Bb

and so, let us conclude that the DOMINANT 7th (not the mixolydian seventh, sadly) chord or arpeggio is built upon the 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 of the Major Scale.





and so, in sum:

Major Scale         1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8         (MAJOR)
Mixolydian          1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8      (DOMINANT)
Dorian                  1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8    (minor)

Major 7th               1  3  5  7
Dom 7th                 1  3  5  b7
min 7th                  1  b3  5  b7


IN ALL TWELVE KEYS PLEASE

THANK YOU!