DominantVoicingsWorksheet
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Rootinthemelody:MyFoolishHeart
Inthe2ndbarwehaveaG7withtherootinthemelody.
- Firsttryjust3rdand7th
- Nextaddinthe13
- Nowlet’stestthedifferentalterations–b9,#9,#11&#5
- WhenIseearootinthemelodyIoftevoicethedominantchordwithasuspension.Sus
chordsarebasicallydominantinnature.
- Thenicethingwithsusvoicingsisthatyoucanthenresolvethesuspensionandaddan
alteration.
- Onfinaloptionavailabletoyouisthetritonesub.Animportantrelationshipto
understandisthatwhenyouhavetherootinthemelodyoveradominantchord.Ifyou
playthetritonesub,therootthenbecomesthe#11.
- Youcanalsomovefromthesuspendeddominantchordtothealteredtritonesub.
b9inthemelody:Youdon’tknowwhatLoveIs
Inthe5thbarwehaveaC7withtheb9inthemelody.
-theb9,#9,#11and#5areallpresentinthealteredmode.Thismeansthatwhenyouhave
analteredchord,intheoryyoucansubstituteormovebetweenthesedifferentalterations.
-Thekeypointisthatifyouseeab9inthechordsymbolormelody,chancesarethatthe#9
and#5willalsoworkwell.Thisalsoworkstheotherwayaroundtoo,soifanyofthese
extensionsareinthemelodyofthechordsymbol,I’drecommendyouexperimenttosee
howtheotheralterationssound.
-Ifwelookatthemelodywecanseethatboththeb9and#9arepresent.
-Startoffbyjustvoicingsthemindividually
-ThentrysomeupperstructuresC13b9/C7#5#9
-Thenexperimentwiththetritonesub(F#13#11)
Natural9thinthemelody:AutumnInNewYork
Inthe2ndbarwehaveaC7withthe9thinthemelody.
-WhenIseethe9inthemelodyoveradomiantchord,thefirstplaceIgoisusuallythe13
#11upperstructure.Thisisamajortriadoffthe9.
-Ilikethisupperstructurebecauseithasveryrichsoundwiththe9and13extensionsand
thefloatynessofthe#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…thetwocanwork
welltogether.
- Voicingthesuspensionthenallowsyoutodroptothe3rdandalsoaddinanalteration
whichcreatesinterestandinnermovementwithinthechord.
Natural4inthemelody:TheNearnessofYou
-
Whenyouhavethe4thinthemelodyoveradominantchordit’susuallyindicatingthat
susvoicingshouldbeplayed.
Thesuschordisasuspensionthatistypicalyresolvestothemajor3rd.
Inthe3rdbarwehaveanF7withthe4thinthemelody.Oftenifyoulookfurtherinthe
melodyyouwillseethatthesuspensionresolvesitself.
Inthepreviousexamplesinthislessonwelookedatresolvingthesuspensionintoan
altereddominantchordbutthistimeIdon’tthinkthatisnecessary.
Wecoveredareharmonisationinthelesson.WeaddedinanF#13asapassingchord
whichdropsdownhalfastepintoF7(thisisadominantpassingchordahalfstep
above)andwethengotoB9whichisthetritone.Checkoutthelessonformoreinfo.
#11inthemelody–Tenderly
Inbar2wehaveanAb7andinbar6wehaveaDb7–bothwiththe#11inthemelody.
- WhenIseethistoneinthemelodythefirstplaceIgotoisusuallythe13#11upper
structure.ThisisoneofmyfavouriteupperstructuressoIuseitquitefrequently.
- FortheAb7,themelodynotisprettyhighupthekeyboard,andsoIlikethesoundofa
biggerspreadvoicinglikethis.WearestillplayingtheUSTandalsoaddingthe3rd.
- Rememberthatthe13#11USTisamajortriadoffthe9th.ForAb7thiswouldbeaBb
Majortriad.Togetthe#11inthemelodywewouldhavetoputitintoit’ssecond
inversionsoputthetopnoteonthebottom.RememberUSTsoundstrongestinthe2nd.
- MovingontotheDb7now,themelodynoteisclosertomiddleCandsolet’stryamore
compactvoicing.BeawarethatthevoicingweusedforAb7wouldalsoworkhere.
Againwebuildamajortriadoffthe9th.ForDb7thiswouldbeanEbMajortriad.
- Arpeggiatinguporcascadingdowntheupperstructureisalwaysanicetouch.
5thinthemelody–TheseFoolishThings
Inbar2wehaveaBb7,bar5anEb7,Bar6aC7andbar7anF7–allwiththe5thinmelody
- Let’sstartwiththeBb7.Wearecomingfromthe13,soIwouldstartwitha13b9upper
structure…majortriadoffthe13.
- Thenjustdropthetopnotedown.Thisistechnicallystillanupperstructurebutwitha
diminishedtriadofftheb9.Itworksnicewhenthe5thisinthemelody.
- NextupwehavetheEb7.Wecouldjustplayaverysimpledominantvoicingbutsince
wearesittingontheEbchordforawholebar,let’saddinasustoaltereddominant
movement.
- NextfortheC7wecouldplaythe5thandnatural9,the5thandb9…maybeevenboth….
whateveryoulikethesoundof.Rememberthatyoucanalwaysfillinwithalterations
withyouthumbandit’snicetoaddinnermovementtothechord.
- FinallyfortheF7Ijustlikeasimpleshell…remembersimplevoicingscansometimesbe
themosteffective.
#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)thatwehavealreadycoveredmanytimesinthis
tutorial.Thisisamajortriadoffthe9.
-thenextisthe13b9or(alsoknownasUS6).ThisisanicesubtleUSwiththeb9astheonly
alteration.
-Let’sseehowtheybothsound.
-anicesubstitutionyoucanuseistoturnthedominant13#11intoamajor13#11,simply
raisetheb7tothemajor7.
-therearesomeotherinterestingdominantvoicingsinthistune…checkoutthejazz
standardlessononthisformoreinformation.
b7inthemelody:WhatAreYouDoingTheRestOfYourLife
Everydominantchordinthebridgehastheb7inthemelody.
-US4shouldspringtomindwhenyouhavetheb7inthemelody.Thisgivesyoub9,#11,b7
-IpersonallypreferthesoundofotherUSTthanthisonebutIstillusethisifIneedto
harmoniseab7inthemelody.Rememberthatyouarenotrequiredtolikethesoundofall
theupperstructures.Ireallylikethe13b9and13#11USandsoIusethesemoreoften.
-Justbecauseyouseemeplaysomethingdoesn’tmeanyoushouldorhavetolikethesound
ofit.Rememberweplayforourselvesfirstandotherssecond.
-Anotherthingwelookatinthisjazzstandardtutorialisthesustoaltereddominant
movement…thisworksparticularlywellhere.
-Wemovefromsus9todominantb9oneachchord.