DominantVoicingsWorksheetRootinthemelody:MyFoolishHeart

Inthe2ndbarwehaveaG7withtherootinthemelody.- Firsttryjust3rdand7th- Nextaddinthe13- Nowlet’stestthedifferentalterations–b9,#9,#11&#5- WhenIseearootinthemelodyIoftevoicethedominantchordwithasuspension.Sus

chordsarebasicallydominantinnature.- Thenicethingwithsusvoicingsisthatyoucanthenresolvethesuspensionandaddan

alteration.- Onfinaloptionavailabletoyouisthetritonesub.Animportantrelationshipto

understandisthatwhenyouhavetherootinthemelodyoveradominantchord.Ifyouplaythetritonesub,therootthenbecomesthe#11.

- Youcanalsomovefromthesuspendeddominantchordtothealteredtritonesub.

b9inthemelody:Youdon’tknowwhatLoveIs

Inthe5thbarwehaveaC7withtheb9inthemelody.-theb9,#9,#11and#5areallpresentinthealteredmode.Thismeansthatwhenyouhaveanalteredchord,intheoryyoucansubstituteormovebetweenthesedifferentalterations.-Thekeypointisthatifyouseeab9inthechordsymbolormelody,chancesarethatthe#9and#5willalsoworkwell.Thisalsoworkstheotherwayaroundtoo,soifanyoftheseextensionsareinthemelodyofthechordsymbol,I’drecommendyouexperimenttoseehowtheotheralterationssound.-Ifwelookatthemelodywecanseethatboththeb9and#9arepresent.-Startoffbyjustvoicingsthemindividually-ThentrysomeupperstructuresC13b9/C7#5#9-Thenexperimentwiththetritonesub(F#13#11)

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Natural9thinthemelody:AutumnInNewYork

Inthe2ndbarwehaveaC7withthe9thinthemelody.-WhenIseethe9inthemelodyoveradomiantchord,thefirstplaceIgoisusuallythe13#11upperstructure.Thisisamajortriadoffthe9.-Ilikethisupperstructurebecauseithasveryrichsoundwiththe9and13extensionsandthefloatynessofthe#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…thetwocanworkwelltogether.

- Voicingthesuspensionthenallowsyoutodroptothe3rdandalsoaddinanalterationwhichcreatesinterestandinnermovementwithinthechord.

Natural4inthemelody:TheNearnessofYou

- Whenyouhavethe4thinthemelodyoveradominantchordit’susuallyindicatingthat

susvoicingshouldbeplayed.- Thesuschordisasuspensionthatistypicalyresolvestothemajor3rd.- Inthe3rdbarwehaveanF7withthe4thinthemelody.Oftenifyoulookfurtherinthe

melodyyouwillseethatthesuspensionresolvesitself.- Inthepreviousexamplesinthislessonwelookedatresolvingthesuspensionintoan

altereddominantchordbutthistimeIdon’tthinkthatisnecessary.- Wecoveredareharmonisationinthelesson.WeaddedinanF#13asapassingchord

whichdropsdownhalfastepintoF7(thisisadominantpassingchordahalfstepabove)andwethengotoB9whichisthetritone.Checkoutthelessonformoreinfo.

#11inthemelody–Tenderly

Inbar2wehaveanAb7andinbar6wehaveaDb7–bothwiththe#11inthemelody.- WhenIseethistoneinthemelodythefirstplaceIgotoisusuallythe13#11upper

structure.ThisisoneofmyfavouriteupperstructuressoIuseitquitefrequently.- FortheAb7,themelodynotisprettyhighupthekeyboard,andsoIlikethesoundofa

biggerspreadvoicinglikethis.WearestillplayingtheUSTandalsoaddingthe3rd.- Rememberthatthe13#11USTisamajortriadoffthe9th.ForAb7thiswouldbeaBb

Majortriad.Togetthe#11inthemelodywewouldhavetoputitintoit’ssecondinversionsoputthetopnoteonthebottom.RememberUSTsoundstrongestinthe2nd.

- MovingontotheDb7now,themelodynoteisclosertomiddleCandsolet’stryamorecompactvoicing.BeawarethatthevoicingweusedforAb7wouldalsoworkhere.Againwebuildamajortriadoffthe9th.ForDb7thiswouldbeanEbMajortriad.

- Arpeggiatinguporcascadingdowntheupperstructureisalwaysanicetouch.5thinthemelody–TheseFoolishThings

Inbar2wehaveaBb7,bar5anEb7,Bar6aC7andbar7anF7–allwiththe5thinmelody- Let’sstartwiththeBb7.Wearecomingfromthe13,soIwouldstartwitha13b9upper

structure…majortriadoffthe13.- Thenjustdropthetopnotedown.Thisistechnicallystillanupperstructurebutwitha

diminishedtriadofftheb9.Itworksnicewhenthe5thisinthemelody.- NextupwehavetheEb7.Wecouldjustplayaverysimpledominantvoicingbutsince

wearesittingontheEbchordforawholebar,let’saddinasustoaltereddominantmovement.

- NextfortheC7wecouldplaythe5thandnatural9,the5thandb9…maybeevenboth….whateveryoulikethesoundof.Rememberthatyoucanalwaysfillinwithalterationswithyouthumbandit’snicetoaddinnermovementtothechord.

- FinallyfortheF7Ijustlikeasimpleshell…remembersimplevoicingscansometimesbethemosteffective.

#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)thatwehavealreadycoveredmanytimesinthistutorial.Thisisamajortriadoffthe9.-thenextisthe13b9or(alsoknownasUS6).ThisisanicesubtleUSwiththeb9astheonlyalteration.-Let’sseehowtheybothsound.-anicesubstitutionyoucanuseistoturnthedominant13#11intoamajor13#11,simplyraisetheb7tothemajor7.-therearesomeotherinterestingdominantvoicingsinthistune…checkoutthejazzstandardlessononthisformoreinformation.

b7inthemelody:WhatAreYouDoingTheRestOfYourLife

Everydominantchordinthebridgehastheb7inthemelody.-US4shouldspringtomindwhenyouhavetheb7inthemelody.Thisgivesyoub9,#11,b7-IpersonallypreferthesoundofotherUSTthanthisonebutIstillusethisifIneedtoharmoniseab7inthemelody.Rememberthatyouarenotrequiredtolikethesoundofalltheupperstructures.Ireallylikethe13b9and13#11USandsoIusethesemoreoften.-Justbecauseyouseemeplaysomethingdoesn’tmeanyoushouldorhavetolikethesoundofit.Rememberweplayforourselvesfirstandotherssecond.-Anotherthingwelookatinthisjazzstandardtutorialisthesustoaltereddominantmovement…thisworksparticularlywellhere.-Wemovefromsus9todominantb9oneachchord.