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Getting started on understanding jazz - and a nice lesson on comping


JesperT

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Posted

First a nice lesson I just stumbled over on comping like a piano player on guitar:

http://www.jazzguitar.be/jazz_guitar_comping.html

 

I've recently started getting into jazz, and am loving it so far. Each day I play a new song from my realbook of standards, and I'm currently only at "A". I try to analyze each song, I practice inversions and different ways to fret each chord I learn, I try out different ways of comping for each song and I practice improvising over the chordtones or by just listening to what my inner ear is telling me fits. I also listen to many different versions of each song on YouTube which I find is a great way to get into a song.

 

Right now I'm playing "Autumn Leaves" and I have a question. I'm starting to learn harmonic analysis, and I tried using it and just wanted to check with you guys if I'm understanding it right?

 

I'm playing it in C, so the verse goes:

Dmi7 / G7 / Cmaj7 / Fmaj7

Bmi7(b5) / E7 / Ami / Ami

 

Now, I'm thinking: I should approach this as being in C major, not A minor, because then the cadences make sense. If approached this way, the first chord (Dmi7) becomes the ii7 of C major, leading to V7, then resolving on C (I), a classic 2-5-1. The Fmaj I don't really know what to think of.

 

Similarly (and to spot all the cadences), could the Bmi7(b5) then be seen as the ii7(b5)/V7/vi, as it sets up E7 (V7/vi), which then resolves into Ami (vi)?

 

Am I getting this all wrong, or? :lol:

 

Any comments much appreciated! :)

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Posted

First a nice lesson I just stumbled over on comping like a piano player on guitar:

http://www.jazzguitar.be/jazz_guitar_comping.html


I've recently started getting into jazz, and am loving it so far. Each day I play a new song from my realbook of standards, and I'm currently only at "A". I try to analyze each song, I practice inversions and different ways to fret each chord I learn, I try out different ways of comping for each song and I practice improvising over the chordtones or by just listening to what my inner ear is telling me fits. I also listen to many different versions of each song on YouTube which I find is a great way to get into a song.


Right now I'm playing "Autumn Leaves" and I have a question. I'm starting to learn harmonic analysis, and I tried using it and just wanted to check with you guys if I'm understanding it right?


I'm playing it in C, so the verse goes:

Dmi7 / G7 / Cmaj7 / Fmaj7

Bmi7(b5) / E7 / Ami / Ami


Now, I'm thinking: I should approach this as being in C major, not A minor, because then the cadences make sense. If approached this way, the first chord (Dmi7) becomes the ii7 of C major, leading to V7, then resolving on C (I), a classic 2-5-1. The Fmaj I don't really know what to think of.


Similarly (and to spot all the cadences), could the Bmi7(b5) then be seen as the ii7(b5)/V7/vi, as it sets up E7 (V7/vi), which then resolves into Ami (vi)?


Am I getting this all wrong, or?
:lol:

Any comments much appreciated!
:)

 

Yes, you would handle the first 3 bars, actually 4, as C Major (a IIm-V-I-IV). And the 2nd 4 bars as A Minor, a IIm7b5-V7-Im (even though it is still directly in C except for the E7). The second 4 bars are the relative minor of the first 3 bars, or the first 4.

 

Changing the Vm in a Minor Key to a V7 chord instead is a very common practice in jazz, it sets up a stronger cadence.

 

The Fmaj7 is the IV chord of C Major, but also the bVI chord of A Minor. You can relate it to the F Lydian scale if you want to tie a specific scale to the chords arpeggio.

 

Here's a couple of lessons that will help you...definitely read them in this order. They cover a lot of chording as well as how to play through the changes, not just over them:

 

Playing the Changes, the IIm-V-I: http://mikedodge.freeforums.org/ii-v-i-playing-over-the-changes-t19.html

 

I-VI-II-VPart 1: http://mikedodge.freeforums.org/substitutions-and-the-vim-iim-v-i-progression-part-1-of-2-t3.html

 

I-VI-II-V Part 2: http://mikedodge.freeforums.org/substitutions-and-the-vim-iim-v-i-progression-part-2-of-2-t4.html

 

Minor II-V-I: http://mikedodge.freeforums.org/autumn-leaves-some-concepts-t14.html

 

Autumn Leaves: http://mikedodge.freeforums.org/autumn-leaves-some-concepts-t14.html

 

Common Sounds Found in Jazz: http://lessons.mikedodge.com/lessons/Jazz1/Jazz1TOC.htm

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Posted

Wow. That's a ton of information, Mike. You could organize it into a book, but maybe you've already done/thought of that. Great stuff, all the same.

 

The only other thing I would add on Autumn Leaves would be to learn it in several keys, b/c:

 

a) The progression, as noted, comes up in many many tunes in different keys.

b) You get to practice major and minor 2-5s in many areas that way.

c) This particular tune is played in different keys depending on who you're playing with (and what part of the country/world). The aforementioned Bluesette is another tune like that; I've played it in both Bb and G.

 

If you need some voicings, I've been working on a series outlining the fundamental jazz voicings and how they are constructed.

 

Voicings Every Guitarist Should Know

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Posted

Thanks for the link, Ed, I'll check it out. :)

 

Great stuff you wrote, Mike, I'm not done yet, but consider my mind boggled already! :D

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Posted

Hi, I'm a jazz dude, as it were. However, my ideas are a little different than most theorist jazz or otherwise. I dig chord-scale theory, and I have brewed up some changes that make analysis and improv easier in real-time. See if you dig my style...

:eek: Dealing Major/Minor Key Confusion :eek:

When playing in a minor key in classical theory, the Roman numeral system gets reassigned so that the vi chord becomes the

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Posted

Trust me, I am well aware of that. ;) All I am saying is that playing in my real-time chord-scale style III7 means Phrygian Dominant; the V mode of HM. I like to see each chord-scale in a parent-scale/key picture. It is very unconventional, but it works if you try it and get used to it. The function is V7, but the scale is nowhere near a Mixolydian or sub variant, so then we have to say V7 of minor; more bits of info.

 

PS Nice chord site!

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Posted

Thanks, man. I like to see it both ways, from the POV of the chord of the moment, and within the general context of the parent key. I know burning players who think about it completely differently, but in the end I tend to think that once a certain level of proficiency is reached, the differences become superficial and semantic. Still, the psychological implications of the many processes by which we learn this stuff are pretty fascinating.

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Posted

All this Phrygian that, 5th Mode of oo-la-la that gets a bit complex doesn't it.

E7 has a G#. Thats all I need to know really, isn't it? Or am I missing something?

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