1.1 Tensions............................................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Secondary Dominants and chordscales................................................................................. 3
1.4 Chords, scales and tensions on Standards (SOTW)................................................................. 4
Lesson 3 (week 12) Harmonizing 'Everything happens to me’.......................................................... 5
Weeknumbers and corresponding dates
Lesson 1/2 (week 10/11) Tensions, Secondary Dominants, Tonicazation
This semester you will need 2 books (available at the front desk):
- Harmony 2 Workbook by Barry Nettles
- Study supplement for Harmony 1&2 by Barbara London
The first week of the new semester we will talk about Secondary dominants, chordscale relationship and tensions. We will listen to music in different styles and try to hear the Secondary Dominants in context.
1.1 Tensions
Read the following chapter about Tensions
A quick fact sheet about Tensions:
1.2 Secondary Dominants (theory and listening)
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Read page 1 - 5, Secondary Dominants (Harmony 2 Workbook) Homework: page 69 - 73 (Study Supplement Harmony 1 & 2) |
If you want to understand music you have to understand the function of chords and where they come from. The usage of chords differs from style to style.
For instance:
- Blues and Rock &Roll are based pretty much on 3 Chords, I IV and V
- Inversions are used a lot in classical music and Pop music, less in Jazz
- In Jazz most chords are in root position
- A common use of chords in any style is the movement of the bass of the chords a 5th down, the so-called dominant chain
- Cadences in jazz are mostly II-V-I, in Classical music IV-V-I or II6 (II6/5)-V-I, sometimes II-V-I
Discover them in the standard of the week!
- Jazz is based on the II-V-I movement in different variations
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Definition: the Secondary Dominant is a dominant 7 chord that has the intention to resolve to every diatonic step in the key except I (primary dominant) and VII (too unstable to land on, due to the tritone)
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Tunes with secondary dominants. Discover them.
Abide with me, harmonization. Basic functions, inversions, the use of sec. dom.
Simple Reharmonisation of a Pop song with a II-V by Bill Withers
A chapter that is about secondary dominants in Classical music is Tonicazation
Read and study! chapter 1 and 2 about secondary dominants from 'Jazzharmony at the piano' by Frans Elsen.
1.3 Secondary Dominants and chordscales
This file is about Chordscales
Classexercises: make chordscales!
Chordscales on all Secondary Dominants:
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1.4 Chords, scales and tensions on Standards (SOTW)
- Look for diatonic chords
- Look for other chords
- Did you find any Secondary Dominants?
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Things you should know after this lesson: · What are tensions? · What are avoid notes? · Can you name all the tensions on Secondary dominant chords? |
Lesson 3 (week 12) Harmonizing 'Everything happens to me’
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Deadline homework lesson 1 and 2! Bring and Show in class for questions and feedback of fellow students and favourite teachers. Homework: Harmonize ‘Everything happens to me with 5 part voicings
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In semester 1 we talked about 3 and 4 part pianovoicings. We made voicings with random melody notes that were moving in steps, but we were not harmonizing an existing melody. When harmonizing a fixed melody, the melody rules. That means, we have to voice down that melody.
Recap Lesson 9, semester 1 about 3 part and 4 part close voicings before going any further. (check voicing exercises Jazz standards)
Alles paletti?
Let’s try with everything we now about voicings to harmonize a well known standard.
In our case: ‘Everything happens to me’
3.1 the Four part open voicing
Let’s start with a 4 part voicing.
Here is the file we will be working with in class:
4 note shell voicing exercise (pdf)
Some voiceleading tips from Frans Elsen that can help you by connecting the chords in a logical way.
3.2 The Five part open voicing
Let’s continue with the same song but let’s add an extra note in the right hand to make it sound richer. We use the same file. There are different possibilities for the extra note.
5 note shell voicing exercise (pdf)
3.3 The Passing chord
Some songs (specifically ballads) give the possibillity of embellished chords. Mostly, these are chords that are not basic chords you will be find in leadsheets but embellishments that are the choice of the pianist or arranger. They glue the chords together, so to say.
Let’s try and do this with the same tune
Passing chords on 'Everything happens to you
Watching this video will help you understand the technique of using passing chords.
Another great website about harmonizing standards is Dough Mckenzie’s site: Bushgrafs.com
Extra Classexercise: The end of a love affair, make 4 /5 exercise with passing chords
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Things you should know after this lesson: · How to harmonize a Jazz standard from 4 part to 5 part voicings? · Which possible tensions are available in the current harmonic situation? · What are passing chords, where can you use them and what are the tension possibilities on each passing chord |
Lesson 4 (week 13) Harmonic Rhythm
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Read page 6 - 11, Harmonic rhythm / extended dominants (Harmony 2 Workbook) Homework: Page 74 - 76 (Study Supplement Harmony 1 & 2) |
This week we will do an Auditory analysis of 'Sunrise', a great tune of Norah Jones.
We use the following guideline for analysis.
We will also look at the harmonic rhythm of other tunes like ‘Free as a bird’ (The Beatles) (PDF) , ‘Stay’ (Alison Krauss) ad ‘as’ (Stevie Wonder) (PDF)
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Things you should know after this lesson: · The difference between Secondary dominants and Extended dominants · The use of harmonic rhythm in songs? |
Lesson 5 (week 14) Reharmonisation (1)
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Read page 12- 14 Deceptive Resolution (Harmony 2 Workbook) Homework: page 77 - 79 (Study Supplement Harmony 1 & 2) |
Reharmonisation is a great and creative tool for changing the overall sound of a piece by changing the basic harmony. Good reharmonisations always sound logic. The logic comes from a good vertical and horizontal quality, in other words, the melody should fit with the harmony of the moment (vertical) and the new chords have to have a logical relationship (horizontal movement). A great picture that enlightens the possibilities in the world of reharmonisation is The 'Harmonic universe' by David Berkman. It comes from his great book ‘The Jazz Harmony book’
5.1 Modification of chord changes
Modification is reharmonisation but only by using diatonic chords (chords that come naturally from the scale)
Read the following file about modifying chord changesSongs that are very suitable for modification are songs with diatonic melodies.
Let’s look at the famous ‘Danny boy’ and a beautiful hymn called ‘Abide with me’.
First let’s look at the basic chords that the melody (the DNA of the song) practically shows us.
Use modifying chord changes to make your choices. Some. Here are some Variations on the I,IV,V,I cadences that explain the possibilities.
Here are some great reharmonisations of Danny Boy by great players.
Analyse:
Class exercise:
Building a Reharmonisation of Auld Lang syne, in steps
- Empty sheet without chords (handout in class)
- Make basic harmonization in triads, what does the melody tell you what chords to use?
- Make another one with seventh chords
- Use Diatonic subs (first make a sketch with harmonic options and play them!)
- Use Sec. dominants (first make a sketch with harmonic options and play them!)
- Place tensions on the secondary dominants (what are the available tensions)
- Put passing chords in
- Make pianovoicings with nice voiceleading (use ‘Everything happens to me’ as an example)
Lesson 6 (week 15) Reharmonisation (2)
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Deadline homework lesson 1-5 Read page 15 - 18, Related II Chords (Harmony 2 Workbook) Homework: page 80 - 84 (Study Supplement Harmony 1 & 2) Reharmonize Silent night in steps, use for every new reharmonization a new sheet.
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More examples:
- Danny Boy reharmonisations
- Abide (II-V-I possibilities, connection with sec. Dominants, Hank Jones version, showing colour on a choir version of Abide with mewith full analysis
Lesson 7 (week 16) Reharmonisation (3)
- Reharmonizing an Ed Sheeran song, check all the reharmonisation possibilities! (('extreme fusion reharmonization'), (PDF)
- Reharmonisation videoabout reh. Standards step by step. (PDF)
- Class: use reh. Tools in SOTW
- Listen to audio examples of Mark Levine ‘Basic Harmonisation’first, show leadsheet and also make a quick Harmonic analysis of all the standards, used in the pdf.
Lesson 8 (week 17) Guidetonelines (1)
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Deadline homework lesson 1-7 Read page 19 - 25, Harmonic Continuity, Guide Tone Lines (Harmony 2 Workbook) In class: page 89 - 91 (Study Supplement Harmony 1 & 2) |
A Guidetoneline is a (background) line that guides you through the harmony. Because of that, it is very suitable for using it as an arranging tool for backing up the melody. A background line can be a single line but it could also be harmonized for string- and brass sections.
- How to make guidetone lines.
- Listen to some great guidetone writing!
- Guidetone exercises.
- Analysis ofa Benny Golson arrangement of ‘Are you real?’ (pdf and audio)
Discover different motions between trp and tenor (Contrary/oblique, parallel).
Investigate balance in the texture of the voices (background, two part, unison, octaves).
Are there any voiceleading remarks from the berklee book you discovered in this arrangement? 3rd and 7 as important guidetones, 7th anticipated by the root, the 5 th as a guidetone, other remarks?
Week 18 Holiday
Feedback on Homework in your private folder.
Lesson 9 (week 19) Guidetonelines (2)
9.1 Guidetone assignment :
Classexercise: making a guideline on Blue Bossa
Homework assignment: ‘I could write a book’ or free choice (full arrangement)
I could write a book workfile (pdf and Sibelius), XML
Arrangement Procedure:
- Choose style (Swing, Bossa, Afrocuban, Reggae, Funk, Partito Alto)
- Choose time signature (odd meters allowed)
- Use anticipation and delay
- Decide style, make bassline groove sketch (Look at Latin bass book, Brazilian rhythm section), look at Jazz basslines videos Paul Berner
- Decide Harmony and maybe use some reharmonisation. Check the beautiful arrangement of Yeonju yoo! (Yeonju Yoo's reharmonisation of 'I could write a book' audio and score. Notice that reharmonisation changes the guidetone possibilities.
- Write basic guidetone, no rhythm (whole or half notes)
Experiment with ascending and descending lines (Play them on the piano!)
- Write embellished guidetone, here’s the procedure. From basic guidetone to Embellished guidetone
- Write pianovoicings (use your knowledge of voicings and voiceleading)
When choosing a Latin style look at Piano grooves in different latin Styles.
Some general remarks about arranging
- When melody is active, use an inactive guidetoneline and vice versa
- Use mainly 3 and 7 but also experiment with tensions as guidetones, , respect scale tendencies
- Try question and answer with melody and guidetone (check Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan on ‘All the things you are”)
- Try repeating rhythmic motives
- Make pianovoicings that match the style and have proper voiceleading (example: Assignment on everything happens to me)
- After writing the backgroundline, write rhythmic ideas such as stops, accents in the rhythm section. Sometimes ideas about the rhythm section appear while writing the backgroundline. Don’t wait but write the idea down. Life is short:)
- Don’t forget to think aboutand write dynamics and articulation. Record it on your phone and send it to your favourite teacher. No audio, no grade.
Style knowledge for arranging:
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Lesson 10 (week 20) Modal Interchange
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Deadline guidetone line assignment Format: Sibelius or pdf with audio. (arrangements should be played and recorded)
Read page 26 - 32, Modal Interchange, Subdominant minor, (Harmony 2 Workbook) Homework: page 92 - 94 (Study Supplement Harmony 1 & 2) |
Lesson 11 (week 21) Minor keys / Line cliches
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Read page 33 - 38, Minor Keys (Harmony 2 Workbook) Homework: page 95 - 96 (Study Supplement Harmony 1 & 2) |
Lesson 12 (week 22)
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Important:The deadline for the homework of semester 2 is wednesday 11 june! If you miss the deadline, you cannot participate in the exam.
Homework Lesson 1-11:
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Some important hints on the homework of semester 2
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· When labeling chordsymbols, use chord root and quality · When labeling inversions, use chord quality and bass. D7/f# · Only label a chord as II when it’s II in the tonality, for other situations don’t label the related II’s only when they are diatonic in the key (in Em7-A7 in C, the Em7 is III in C and at the same time the related II of the secondary dominant that goes to II). The bracket shows the II-V combination anyway. 🥸 · When Reharmonising Silent night, don’t forget to harmonize it with pianovoicings and check the voiceleading. Remember the Everything happens to me assignment. · When harmonizing a song, the melody should always permit the chord you are using, in other words: melody rules. The melody is either a chord tone or an available tension. · A harmonic analysis should contain arrows for dom. 7 chords that resolve a perfect 5th down and brackets between the II and the V of every II-V · Interpolated chords have the same root as the the previous chord (….D7|Dm7-G7| · When harmonising the chord voicing exercises of the supplement, use open voicings, not closed voicings. Don’t go too low with the melody, stay in the upper part of the treble clef. · The spacing rule you learned in classical voiceleading also applies to chord progressions in Jazz. · Dominant chords on strong beats are never Secondary dominants · Extended dominants have no label, only arrows to indicate the bass motion a 5th down. · Don’t forget that the placement of chords in reharmonisation is just as important as the melody/harmony relationship. · Balance in harmonic rhythm and variety in chords shape your reharmonisation or composition. |