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Rootless Chord Voicings

1/28/2015

  There are two main types of piano playing, solo piano (playing by yourself) and group playing (playing in a band). When playing piano in a group, the bass player is already covering the roots of the chords in his/her part. If you also play the roots in your chord voicings, you may clash with the bass part and hinder him/her from being free to play. This is one of the main reasons why piano players use rootless chord voicings. I even use rootless voicings in my solo piano playing as a way to provide variety to my arrangements. If I have already played the melody (head) once accompanied by full voicings (including the root), and then played another pass on the chords while soloing, a section of rootless voicings will help to add a change of style and texture. Another advantage to this technique is that it frees your fingers to add more upper extensions and color tones. Plus, using rootless voicings can be a great tool for beginning players who want to learn how to implement added color tones. The natural voicing leading of rootless voicings helps to reveal the best color tones to add in the pursuit of good voice leading.

                Rootless voicings can either be formed as left hand close voicings or two handed open voicings. Left hand close rootless voicings are used to accompany yourself while either soloing or playing the melody in your right hand. The two handed open voicings are used to comp background chords while accompanying a soloist (usually in full group playing that includes a bass player). Coming back to the concepts of shell voicings and guide tones, we remember that the 3rd and the 7th are the most important intervals in major 7th, minor 7th and dominant 7th chords (beside the root). Since all of these chords contain a perfect 5th, the 3rd and 7th help to define the quality and color of the chord.

Rootless voicings are derived from using either the 3rd or 7th of the chord as a starting point. We will start by discussing the left handed close voicings, and then expand to the two handed open voicings. They can be played in either an A or B form. The A form is created by starting with the 3rd of the chord and stacking the other intervals above it in a close voicing. The B form is created by starting with the 7th of the chord and stacking the other intervals above it in a close voicing. The reason for the two forms of voicing is to help maintain an appropriate register on the keyboard while performing. Voicing the chord too low will cause it to sound muddy, and voicing it too high will encroach on the playing of the right hand. Musicians use their ear and common sense to regulate this. For those who have trouble distinguishing the proper range, a good general rule is to try to keep your left hand pinky between middle C and the C one octave below middle.

When voicing major, minor and dominant seventh chords, the fourth pitch usually used (since the root is not present) is the ninth. In addition, when voicing dominant seventh chords the 13th is often used to replace the fifth. This allows for better voice leading especially in II-V-I progressions.

Two handed open rootless voicings can be formed by applying a simple modification to the left handed close voicings. Number the four pitches being played from bottom to top with the lowest pitch being labeled as the first one. Keep the 1st and 3rd pitch from the bottom in your left hand. Play the 4th pitch in your right hand. Transpose the 2nd pitch up one octave (so that it is now above the 4th pitch) and play it also in your right hand. This method easily converts any left handed close rootless voicing into a two handed open rootless voicing.

All of these voicing should be practiced to a point where the player is comfortable performing them in any key signature. One can practice A and B forms of the chords while cycling through the circle of fifths (forwards or backwards) or transposing chromatically (either up or down). These key cycling practice techniques can also be applied to the II-V-I progressions. In addition, one can practice by applying these voicings to the current songs in their practice repertoire.

This Learning Music With Ray video discusses rootless piano chord voicings both in a close left hand voicing and a two hand open chord voicing. In the video, I explain why piano players would want to voice their chords without a root. I provide visual examples of major, minor and dominant seventh chords written on a musical staff in both close left hand and open two hand voicings. I explain the strategies for obtaining these voicings, and how they can be applied to the II-V-I chord progression. Finally, I demonstrate all of these examples on the piano keyboard.

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Blues Scales

1/21/2015

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  As we discussed in the lesson on pentatonic scales, there are many differences between Western Music and other musical traditions. One such difference was the development of equal temperament in order to balance out the tuning of keyboard instruments. This Western tuning system does not account for the semitones used for melodic expression in other cultural styles of music. Many of these diverse cultural styles played influential rolls in the creation of the American styles of spirituals, blues and jazz (which later led to the creation of gospel, rock and other styles).

                To account for this slightly bent pitch in melodic expression while being confined to an equal tempered scale, we created the concept of a blue note. This concept allows the 3rd, 5th and 7th intervals of the scale to be lowered by half a step. Instruments that can play semitones often bend this note resulting in a pitch that is not perfectly accurate to the scale. Fixed instruments such as the piano often slide between the lowered and regular versions of these pitches, allowing the two sounds to blend in the listener’s ear.

                The introduction of blue notes at the 3rd, 5th and 7th intervals lead to the development of a blues scale which incorporated these pitches. There are three versions of the blues scale which are based off of three different approaches to adding these blues notes. The hexatonic blues scale is a six pitch blues scale. In this version, people realized that the minor pentatonic scale already contained the desired b3 and b7 blue notes. They merely added the b5 (or #4) to the scale to create a six pitched altered version of the minor pentatonic which contained all three blue notes.

                The heptatonic blues scale is an approach in which the major scale is altered. In this approach, the 3rd, 5th and 7th intervals of the major scale are lowered. This results in a seven pitch scale that contains a minor third, diminished fifth and minor seventh.

                The octatonic blues scale is an approach which also alters the major scale, but in a different way. In this approach, the b3 and b7 are added to the seven pitches of the major scale. This results in a nine pitch scale that contains both a minor and major third and seventh. Quick sliding between these chromatic pitches is utilized to create the blue note inflection. The b5 (or #4) is not used in this version of the scale.

  All three of these scale are used in blues and jazz (and other styles) composition and improvisation. However, the pentatonic scale is a popular scale among improvising musicians (especially guitarists due to the way it lays on the neck of the guitar). The ease of use and popularity of the pentatonic scale has caused the hexatonic blues scale to be the version that most people memorize and apply in their improvisation.

                When improvising in the blues style, one can apply the hexatonic blues scale as a key signature over the entire 12 bar form. As mentioned last week, the blues style allows for chromatic alterations that are not common in other styles of music. For example, every chord within the form can be played as a dominant seventh chord (contrasting typical diatonic music where only the V chord is a dominant seventh chord). This sonic nature of the blues style allows the hexatonic blues scale to be applied as a “one size fits all” improvisation scale.

                When using the blues scale for jazz and other forms of improvisation, it is often beneficial to apply more care. Styles like rock and pop contain very little chromaticism. Even in jazz, chromaticism is applied in a very different way (through V of V’s and temporary key centers – look at my lesson on connecting chord progressions). Because of this, many people use the hexatonic blues scale applying both a minor and major tonality.

                In these applications, the hexatonic blues scale that we have been studying so far is considered to be a minor blues scale. It is used to improvise over minor seventh chords since it contains many of the minor seventh chord tones. When using this scale in this fashion, one should attempt to end phrases on the chord tones. This brings a sense of closure to the melodic line. The other pitches in the blues scale can be used as approach notes leading to the chord tones.

When improvising over dominant seventh chords, the minor blues scale is not always the best option. The minor third and diminished fifth (or augmented fourth) of this scale tend to clash too much with the major third and perfect fifth of the dominant seventh chord. Of course this is a matter of taste since the dominant seventh chord does allow for increased dissonance. However, in an attempt to stay true to the musical style being played (instead of straying too far into the blues style) people often use a major blues scale over this chord.

The rules between relative major and minor apply the same way when it comes to blues scales. Therefore, a major blues scale will contain the same pitches as the minor blues scale three half steps below it. For example, a C major blues scale will contain the same pitches as an A minor blues scale. We are merely considering a different pitch to be the tonic within the sequence. This creates a scale with a root, 2nd, flat 3rd, 3rd, 5th and 6th. The existence of the major third and perfect fifth in this scale cause it to be more consonant with the chord tones of the dominant seventh chord. The flat third can be used as a quick slide or passing tone to create that blue note affect.

When improvising over a major seventh chord, the blues scale is not the best option. Major seventh chords do not allow for the same level of dissonance as dominant (or even minor) seventh chords. In these instances, use of the Ionian modal scale is still the best option.

In this Learning Music With Ray video I discuss the definition and composition of blues scales. I cover a brief description of the three types of blues scales and how their pitches relate to the scales we have already studied. I then go into a more detailed discussion on the hexatonic blues scale in both its minor and major tonality. Finally I cover tips on how to use these scales in both blues and jazz improvisation.

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12 Bar Blues Form

1/15/2015

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  The 12 bar blues form is a simple harmonic progression that is played across 12 measures (or bars) of music. This harmonic progression consists mainly of the I, IV and V chords. The chords can exist as either simple triads or seventh chords, but the seventh chord version does not follow the normal structure of diatonic seventh chords. In a normal diatonic chord progression there is only one dominant seventh chord (the V7 chord). However, blues music lends itself to dominant seventh harmony. Therefore, all three chords (I, IV and V) can be played as dominant seventh chords even though this introduces pitches that are chromatic to the key.

            In addition to this chromaticism, blues music also is known for having loose boundaries between major and the parallel minor. Chords are often played with a minor third that slides or bends into a major third. This technique adds to the blues flavor of the sonic texture.

            The 12 bar blues form is used primarily in the blues style of music, but is also found in many pop, rock and gospel songs. These styles can tend to be heavily influenced by the blues style. The form is popular among musicians, because the simple repeating harmonic pattern causes it to be easy to memorize. Musicians can play most 12 bar blues songs without a lead sheet. All they need to know is the key of the song.

            The basic pattern for the 12 bar blues can be broken into three groups of 4 measures each. The first four measures consist of the I chord. Then there are two measures of IV and two measures of I. Finally there are two measures of V and two measures of I.

  There are many variations on the basic 12 bar blues pattern. The most common variation is the “Quick to IV.” The basic blues is known for the fact that each chord lasts for at least two measures. In this variation, a IV chord is substituted into the 2nd and 10th measures. This causes two instances where the IV chord is played for only one measure. In addition, the V chord (in the 9th measure) only lasts for one measure.

            In any version of the 12 bar blues (basic or variation) a V chord can be substituted for the final I chord. This substitution is used to lead back to the top when repeating the form. When ending the form, the musicians play a I chord for the final measure.

            Another variation is the minor 12 bar blues. In this variation every I and IV chord become a minor i and iv chord. In addition, the last group of four measures consists of a bVI for one measure, a V7 for one measure and then a i for two measures.

There are many other variations on the 12 bar blues (Jazz Blues, Bebop Blues, etc.). I don’t have the time to list and discuss them all in this lesson. However, all of these variations are derived from the same basic 12 bar blues structure. They just add various transitional chords to different parts of the structure.

This Learning Music With Ray video discusses the 12 bar blues form. In it, I discuss the structure and musical elements typical of this form. I then play through the basic 12 bar blues (and some basic variations) with simple block chords in the key of C major. Finally, I demonstrate several piano playing techniques that help to enhance your performance of a 12 bar blues beyond basic block chords.

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Ternary Form

1/7/2015

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The word “ternary” is derived from the Latin root “ternarius” which means “composed of three items.” Therefore, ternary form is a musical form composed of three parts. There is an “A” section, then a “B” section and finally a repeat of the “A” section. Binary form also contains an “A” and “B” section, but in that form each section is only stated once. The restatement of the “A” section in ternary form distinguishes it from binary form. Another common name for this musical form is song form. This is due to the fact that many arias (operatic songs) are written in ternary form.

Rounded binary form is a slight variation on the simple binary that is often falsely identified as ternary form. The variation is found in the fact that the second section states a new musical idea "B" and then returns to the first idea "A." The diagram of this form would be A - (B A) as opposed to the typical A-B of a regular binary form.

            Some people may think of this as ternary (3 part) form (A-B-A), but there are several differences between a true ternary and a rounded binary form. First, the "B" section of a true ternary form dramatically contrasts the musical statement of the "A" section. In rounded binary, the "B" section can have similar musical attributes to the "A" section. Second, the return of "A" in rounded binary is usually abbreviated (half of the original statement). In true ternary form the return of "A" is a complete restatement of the section.

            This full restatement of the “A” section reinforces the fact that true ternary form consists of three complete sections. Each section contains its own separate and complete musical theme. In addition, each section contains its own separate and complete tonal center which ends in a full authentic cadence (final dominant to tonic resolution of harmonic motion). The separate identities of the “A” and “B” sections are usually highlighted by a distinct contrast in musical theme and tonal center. If the theme of the “A” section expresses the mood of a clam lullaby, the “B” section may be lively (either like a dance or march) or agitated. In addition, the new tonal center of the “B” section will relate to the original key in a contrasting way. The most common options are for the new key to be either a fifth above or the parallel minor/major.

            The restatement of the “A” section does not always have to be an exact restatement. Although it is usually the same length, the original them can sometimes be decorated with additional ornamentation in the second statement. In this case, the final section is usually labeled as A’ in order to indicate the slight difference due to ornamentation.

This Learning Music With Ray video discusses ternary form.  In it, I discuss the meaning and aspects of ternary form as they relate to musical form. I also point out the differences between ternary and rounded binary form.  I then analyze a piece of music that is written in ternary form.  In this stage of the lesson I review the components of this type of form, and the ways to identify them in the musical example.

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Ray Melograne received his BA and ME in music education from Queens College. He is currently teaching music in the NY public schools. He also teaches privately on the Zoen.com network.

Rootless Chord Voicings

Blues Scales

12 Bar Blues Form

Ternary Form

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