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Jazz Theory and Practice

Module 6 a, b, c

Beyond Basic Blues; Counterpoint in Jazz;

The Bass Line

Beyond Basic Blues

A. Minor Blues and 8-bar blues: Probably at least 90% of the blues that

are played/sung in jazz are firmly rooted in the basic 12-bar structure

introduced in Module 4. There are two important variations on that

fundamental structure however: the minor blues and the 8-bar blues.

The relationships among the three patterns are shown in the figure

below:

6a1 © 2016 Peter J. Clements

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The “standard blues” is the basic harmonic pattern introduced in Module 4.

The 8-bar blues uses the same sequence of chords; the plagal and cadential

progressions are preserved, but abbreviated to 5 bars + 3 bars. The minor

blues typically maintains the 12-bar sequence with both the I and the IV

chords in their minor form; the V chord is usually major to produce a

stronger cadential progression.

As was shown for the “standard” blues in Module 4, neither the 8-bar blues

nor the minor blues would ever appear as the simple harmonic structure in

the previous example. Here is a more elaborate version of the 8-bar blues,

shown together with the basic harmonic formula. Notice the extended

cadential progression using a circle of fifths:

6a2

As was shown in Module 4, the dominant-7th chords (C7, F7) are used to

support the “blue notes”. At the end of the plagal progression the Fm7

chord passes chromatically back to C. The cadential progression is

extended with a circle of fifths: Am7 � Dm7 � G7 � C.

Here is an interesting harmonic variation of the minor blues progression,

based on Blue Trane by John Coltrane; it’s shown together with the basic

minor blues harmonic formula. A distinctive feature of this example is the

repeated use of the “modal cadential progression”: IV7 � VII7 � I. All of

the scales belonging to the minor scale family (Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian)

use the lowered 7th step (the subtonic, not the leading tone), and a minor V7

� I is often avoided; it is regarded as less “final” than VII7 � I (minor).

The “modal cadence” is common in folksongs and fiddle tunes, and is

frequently used in the Mixolydian scale.

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6a3

B. Harmonic development: integrating circles of fifths.

With the basic harmonic design of the blues well-established in our aural

memory, it’s easy to imagine anticipated harmonic goals in each part of

the form:

I ���� IV ���� I ���� V ���� I

Plagal Cadential

In the previous example (6a2) of an 8-bar blues the arrival of the

cadential progression (with G7) is anticipated and delayed by a short circle

of fifths: Am7 � Dm7 � G7.

The following shows the basic minor blues together with a more

complex version. It includes a circle of fifths before the arrival of the

cadential G7, but the circle leads to ¯VI, which then falls to V7 (like a tritone

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substitution). Within the plagal progression notice the two interpolations of

II � V � I (also circles of fifths) leading first to the IV, then back to I.

6a4

The next example is a “standard” 12-bar blues form that avoids the tonic

harmony and the plagal progression at the beginning, replacing the first 4

bars with a long chromatic circle of fifths leading to IV. After the arrival on

IV a descending chromatic sequence (B¯ � A � A¯) leads to the final II7 �

V7 � I7. Notice that the chords within the sequence do form a

“chromatically altered” circle of fifths, alternating perfect 4ths with

augmented 4ths

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6a5

6a5

C. Harmonic Development with Neighbour Chords

In traditional music theory “neighbour chords” are very common, and

have an important prolonging function. They are usually identified as part

of a three-chord sequence, where the first and third chords are identical or

almost identical, and the middle chord is connected by stepwise movement.

It is not really a chord progression; the stepwise movement diminishes the

importance of the middle chord, so the overall effect is one of prolonging the

initial harmony. The following examples show several examples of

prolongations using neighbour chords; notice the example where the first of

the three chords is missing: an incomplete neighbour chord.

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6a6

Example A (Killer Joe). Other than the bridge, this entire piece oscillates

between the tonic chord (C13) and the B¯13 (lower) neighbour chord.

Example B (Black Coffee). In this example the neighbour chord is up a half-

step. Upper neighbour chords are almost always a half-step, and lower-

neighbour chords are usually down a whole step.

Example C (Born to Be Blue). This is an 8-bar minor blues. The tonic chord

(C7) moves up a half-step to D¯7 neighbour chord, then the IV chord (F7) is

approached from an upper neighbour (G¯7). Following the model from

classical harmony, we can call this an incomplete neighbour (IN) because

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there is no F7 preceding. The C-G¯ progression is also, of course, a tritone

substitution.

Example D (All Blues – last 4 bars) uses an upper neighbour chord with the

dominant in the cadential progression, and Example E (Equinox – last 4

bars) uses an incomplete neighbour before the dominant.

A common feature of all these examples is that the neighbour chord

could be omitted in every case, and the basic harmonic sense doesn’t

change. The same principle can be applied to a blues progression by

interpolating neighbour chords. In practice these are usually chords with a

root either a whole-step below, or a half-step above. In traditional

harmony the neighbour function is often created in the bass with an inverted

chord; not so in jazz harmony where inversions are usually not specifically

identified. They tend to occur according to the voicing.

D. Parallel Harmonic Progressions: “passing chords”

In Module 4 downward stepwise chord sequences were introduced as (1) a

common turnaround, and (2) as a variation of the “rhythm changes”:

(1)

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(2)

6a7/6a8

Just as single neighbour chords can be inserted (interpolated) in the

middle of a harmonic structure, so can a group of “passing chords”

moving from one important harmony to another. Just as with the

neighbour chords, these short parallel progressions could be omitted

without changing the essential harmonic progression. Here is an

example that is often used before the cadential progression in a blues:

6a9

In this example (key: C major) the harmony moves from I to VI,

setting up the II – V – I cadential progression. The two middle chords

set up a descending chromatic parallel progression, but they could be

easily omitted.. Parallel harmonic progressions typically are:

a. Descending

b. All of the same chord type

c. Metrically weak…leading to the “arrival chord” on a strong beat.

E. Extended Chromatic Harmony

This final example, from Blue After Two by John Fedchock, shows two

harmonizations of a standard 12-bar blues form, one written above the

other. The bottom version, in lead-sheet format, is the simplified

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version in 7th chords, and the upper version, with chord symbols and

keyboard voicing, is an expanded chromatic version:

6a10

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This example also appears in the Play/Sing section following. Listen

to it in Finale, and try playing the piano voicing at the keyboard

(watch the accidentals carefully!). Some chords may sound harsh to

your ear; test the sound with different voicings. Some harmonic

analysis:

In the simplified version, notice the A¯7 added to the plagal

progression, leading back to the tonic (¯VII7 � I7). The tonic chord is

avoided at the end; the last two bars are really a turnaround, with B7

used as a tritone substitution for F7.

In the chromatic version a “comping rhythm” is suggested; much of it

matches similar rhythms in the horn parts. Comparing the two

harmonizations provides a wonderful lesson in advanced jazz

harmony:

Bar Chord(s) Chromatic Variation

1 I7 F - B¯ with extensions (V7 – I7)

2 IV7 E9(TT sub for I) – E¯9sus (I7 – IV7)

3-4 I7 (all with extensions)

F (IN) – F# - B – E (circle of 5ths leading to E¯)

5-6 IV7 – ¯VII7 B¯ - E¯ with ext. (I7 – IV7 like bar 2)

7 I7 B¯ - Am (P) with ext. passing down to G

8 VI7 G13 (#11) (VI7)

9-10 II7 – V7 C - D¯ (TT) - G - G¯ - F (II7 – then P down to F)

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II7-V7-#I7- II7-V7

Chords are extended. #I7 (TT for V) avoids tonic, and initiates turnaround.

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Something to listen to:

Equinox. Minor blues – straight ahead. Look for the Coltrane version.

Blue Trane. Minor Blues; listen for modal cadences (VII – I; IV – V).

-- Look for the Coltrane single (not the album)

Black Coffee (N). Standard 12-bar blues, with prominent N chords.

-- Find the version by Peggy Lee.

Mr. PC. Minor blues with prominent N chords. Find the version by

John Scofield and McCoy Tyner

Born to be Blue. 8-bar blues with bridge; both upper- and lower- N

chords. Look for the Mel Torme (also the composer) version.