Altered Chords

Altered chord on C with flat 5th, 7th, and 9th. About this sound Play ( help · info ) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here are some long over due altered chords to share with you. Thanks for requesting
them. You've got to know your basic chords because when you string them together,
you're playing chord progressions which make up a song!

Wikipedia says:

In music, an altered chord, an example of alteration, is a chord with one or more diatonic notes replaced by, or altered to, a neighboring pitch in the chromatic scale.

Altered chords are thus constructed using the following notes, some of which may be omitted:

• root
• 3
• ♭5 and/or ♯5
• ♭7
• ♭9 and/or ♯9

For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_chord

Altered Chords

Cmaj7 = C/GBE

C6 = C/GACE

C9 = C/EGBbD

Csus2 = C/GDE

Gmaj7 = G/GBDF#

G6 = G/GBDE

G7+5 = G/GBD#F

Fmaj7 = F/FACE

F6 = F/FACD

Fm6 = F/FAbCD

Fsus2 = F/ACF

Dmaj7 = D/F#AC#

D9 = D/F#ACE

D7-5 = D/AbCDF#

Amaj7 = A/G#C#E

A6 = A/F#C#E

A7+5 = A/GAC#F

Amsus2 = A/BCE

Bm7-5 = B/FABD

Gbmaj7 = Gb/GbBbDbG

Gb7-5 = Gb/GbBbCE

From Jermaine Griggs:

Here is a chord progression which utilizes a series of “altered” chords:
In the key of “Db major”:
“Fmin7 (b5) — Bb7 (b9) — Ebmin7 (b5)”
1)
Bass = F
Right hand = Ab + B + Eb
2)
Bass = Bb
Right hand = Ab + B + D
3)
Bass = Eb
Right hand = A + Db + Eb + Gb

 Altered chords are mentioned in a chapter or so in the 300pg Home Course Book

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"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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Passing Tones: Lee Evans

 I have learned music theory from one of my favorites, Lee Evans. He wrote an article in one of my Jazz Magazines about melodic embellishment and ornamentation in jazz. The content is divided into four categories. I wanted to share it with all of my many readers who have asked me about passing tones.

1. Weak beat ornaments


2. Strong or weak beat ornaments


3. Other ornamental devices


4. Combinations of devices from the above 3 categories

So, let's talk about weak beat ornaments. In the examples, I'm talking about single notes and the note highlighted in red is what I'm talking about.

Passing Tone - a chromatic tone between two adjacent scale tones. In traditional usage, half or whole step scale notes which, in a melody, pass between the tones of a triad or chord are sometimes referred to as passing tones. Only half-step tones occurring between adjacent scale notes will be called passing tones in this article.

Example: C to C# to D, then D, Db, C.

Anticipation Tone - an anticipation tone between two adjacent scale tones.

Example: C to D, D or E, D to D

Echappee - a tone occurring between two adjacent scale tones, the motion to the ornamenting tone being contrary to the motion between the scale tones.

Example: C, B to D then C, D, B

Cambiata - a tone occurring between two adjacent scale tones, the motion to the ornamenting tone being the same as the motion between the scale tones.

Example: C, A, B then C, E, D


Neighbor Tone (upper or lower) - a half or whole-step tone occurring between two of the same tones.

Example: C, C#, C and C, D, C. C, Bb, C then C, B, C

For the strong or weak beat ornament:

Jazz Appoggiatura - a leaping tone (an interval larger than a 3rd) which then moves a major or minor 2nd in the opposite direction. (Note that a jazz appoggiatura is a melodic embellishment that does not take into consideration the harmonic or rhythmic implications of the traditional appoggiatura.

Example: C, Gb, F then C, F#, G to C, G, F and C, F, G

Regarding ornamental devices:

Grace Note - an ornamental tone whose time value is not counted in the rhythm.

Example: B to C and D to C

Repeated Tone

Example: F to E (original motive) then F, F to E (repeated tone embellishment)

Tremelo - the rapid alternation of two tones.

Example: C to E, (tremelo) play C, E, C tremelo embellishment (in fragmentation)

Scale Tones - tones found in any scale other than the chromatic scale. (Chromatic  scale tones would be heard as passing tones.)

Example: C to G (original motive) then C, E, F, G (scale tone embellishment)


Chord Tones - tones outlining any chord, including altered chords.

Example: C to C (original motive) then, C, E, G, A, C c(chord tone embellishment)

Free Tone - an ornamental tone having no relationship to any chord being sounded.

Example: G (G7/D), to F# then C

I think that's tons of information for now. There's so many combination examples to write out that I'll skip the final part but you get the idea. Here are some more related former posts:

Passing-chords

Neighboring-tones

Passing-tones

Three-steps-to-passing-chords

Until next time, be sure and stop by and take a look at this music resource, Song Robot







"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Ear-Training Piano Lesson

Cover of B.B. KingEar training is especially important if you want to improvise, compose, or figure out melodies and chords to songs by ear. A good musical ear is an acquired skill, not a gift! and like other skills, it is acquired through practice!
  
The more we train our ear to recognize this connection, the more we enjoy playing music, because we learn to understand what we play.

Who needs ear training?

All musicians need to train their ear in order to know what they are playing and to anticipate what they are about to play!

Why do ear training?

Because understanding the sounds we hear will be necessary to:

    Jam with other musicians

   Compose music

    Sing in tune

There are 3 qualities that every good jazz musician must possess:

- a great ear, a strong sense of time, and a unique sound.

While there are many different ways to approach these skills, the first two always require a certain amount of drilling. The ear can be thought of as a muscle and to a certain degree must be trained like one. Improved ears will lead to better intonation, improvisation, ensemble playing and transcription skills. With that in mind, here are three great ways of dramatically improving your students' ears and, hopefully, their overall playing.

Associating a familiar melody with each interval is a quick way to learn an interval’s distinct sound. For example, a melodic interval can be ascending or descending. Either way, it’s still the same interval. Now, you don’t want to get confused with interval inversions because a minor third will is still a minor third no matter which note comes first.

Intervals can be classified can be classified as consonant or dissonant. I can tell you that it’s much easier to hear the consonance or dissonance of harmonic intervals than melodic ones.

Here’s a list showing you the relative stability (consonance) or instability (dissonance) of the octaves up to an octave.

Consonant: Perfect, unison, m3, P4, P5, m6, P octave.

Dissonant: m2, M2, +4. (05), m7, M7.

Another gentle approach is to describe Hollow Sounds, like austere and earthy, Indian drones and Scottish bagpipes or heavy metal rhythm- guitar.

Hallow: Perfect unison, P4, P5, P octave. This would be perfect intervals and their inversions.)

Sweet: m3, M3, m6, M6. (thirds and sixths)

Now there are active and passive methods for ear training. A passive drill would be to play two notes in succession and listen to that interval. Sometimes you will be asked to name the next note.

Harmonic intervals can be drilled the same way. These types of drills can be done with chords or chord progressions.

Are you familiar with the underlying scales and moveable "Do" solfege?


It's essential that you learn to sing a chromatic scale. As chromaticism is prevalent throughout modern jazz, this exercise will improve both intonation and students' understanding of the genre. When singing through the chromatic scale, remember to use sharps when ascending and flats when descending.


Chromatic Scale Ascending:


C,  C#,  D,   D#,  E,  F,   F#, G,  G#, A, A#, B, C
Do, Di,  Re, Ri,  Mi, Fa, Fi, Sol, Si, La, U, Ti, Do


Chromatic Scale Descending


C,   B,  Bb, A,  Ab, G,  Gb, F,  E,   Eb,  D,   Db, C
Do, Ti, Te, La, Le, Sol, Se, Fa, Mi, Me, Re, Ra, Do


Target Tones


Target tones are an essential part of any ear training regimen. They force students to hear not only chordd tones, but surrounding tones as well. Now, many students can correctly sing a major scale but they have some difficulty picking out specific intervals at random.


With respect to the scales and scale degrees, the best way to practice this is through the use of target tones. Here are a few exercises:


C, // C, D, C // E, D, C // F, E, D // C, G, A // B, C, A // B, C, B // C


Do you know the sound of these chords?

Major seventh, Major seventh b5, Major seventh +5, Sus major seventh

Minor seventh, Minor major seventh, Half diminished seventh (aka minor seven flat five), Fully diminished seventh

Dominant seventh, Dominant seventh b5, Dominant seventh +5, and Sus dominant seventh

You might be interested in these resources:


Jazz101


Jazz201


Pitch Ear Training Software


Pitch By Ear






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Warm Up Exercises

Exercises to warm up hands before piano playing was never meant to be boring!
I personally have Willie's dvd on warmups and highly recommend it. Have a listen:

Learn the piano - warmups and improvisation - jazz piano



Learn my warm-up and improvisation routine to build your independence and creativity at your instrument.

* 5 Finger Major Scales Exercises

* Major Scales- 2 octaves


* Harmonic minor scale- 2 octaves

* Quartal Exercise- play quartals with both hands one octave apart

* C7, D7 E7 F7 A7 & B7 arpeggio

* Chromatic scale exercise
Here's How to Add Maturity to Your Piano Playing Style!



* Contrary Motion Exercises

Easy Jazz Piano Lessons from JazzPianoLessons.com

Benefits- Improves the quality of piano playing

Piano-Yoga says, "When people just start to play the piano or don’t play regularly, their fingers remain weak. It takes years of regular practice to establish strength in the muscles that work fingers and hands."

http://www.piano-yoga.com/Book/Benefits.aspx

"Just as an athlete needs to warm up properly before more serious exertion, a musician needs to warm up before playing or singing all-out. Players of different instruments utilize different types of warm-ups and can learn a great deal from the way they are structured."
The Collaborative Piano Blog

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