pauldil Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 I had posted this on another forum a while ago and thought I'd share it here too. I had been fooling around with minor ii-V-i progressions while keeping a common tone on top (the higest note). The last chord in each set just acts as a turnaround. All the examples are in Cminor (Dm7b5/G7/Cm7/A7) . You can mix these up as well. If you follow the patterns diagonally instead of straight accross, then the top line ascends or descends depending on which direction you follow. For example, play the Dm7b5 of example 1 followed by the G7 of example 2 followed by the C minor of example 3, and the Eb9 of example 4 to get an ascending top line. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/pauldil1/minorii-v-iwithcommontones.jpg I put this next set of examples together yesterday as I was playing around with more common tone ideas. Here Im using the song Autumn Leaves to show some of the mileage you can get out of a few simple chord shapes. Examples 1 & 2 keep a common tone on top. But when you mix & match them as in Examples 3 & 4, you get a repeating minor 3rd interval on top. If you were to come up with voicings for all 7 scale tones (like on the minor ii-V-i example above), you could mix and match and come up with some nice melodic chord lines that can be used for accompaniment, chord/melody playing, or even soloing. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/pauldil1/AutumnLeaves.jpg Anyway, I hope this was of use to someone. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Very cool indeed! I use allot of those all the time and some I don't, but I recognize them, I will have to sit down with those and work some into my songs, a few are abbreviated and work out great! Thanks a bunch Paul! http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 23, 2006 Author Share Posted November 23, 2006 Thanks ellwood. In trying to keep a common tone, I came up with a ton of cool chords that I may not have otherwise found. I'm starting to be able to put a lot of chordal lines together using these types of ideas, which has really changed the way I comp. Maybe I'll record some examples of how they can be used. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 A great idea Paul! I wish you would do that. You know it's funny I just posted a tune we did the other night, I think it was last Saturday of a Sammy Davis Jr. thing ..What Kind of Fool Am I, and I'm using some of those voicings picked and muted within the vocal crescendos, in fact it's on my SoundClick the file is called Fool... if you take a listen you will hear how I was using some of those..it's neat that you posted those voicing just now! http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 23, 2006 Author Share Posted November 23, 2006 Cool stuff ellwood! You're right, those are the same types of voicings. When you get 2,3 or more voings for the same chord type, string them together and you'll get some nice movements happening. I just put these clips together in a hurry. They're the examples to the "Autumn Leaves" chords I posted above. In each example I play just the chords first followed by the chord & melody together. Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Ellwood Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Yes sir Paul! very very nice indeed!! your use of them are more pronounced in those examples though, and they should be because they are not used within a whole band context. Ya know I was just thinking about when I learned them.. it was in my piano playing! and so moved the use of them over to guitar. I just thought of another tune I use those in is Ain't No Sunshine and Under The Board Walk too... yeah most excellent voicings! http://www.thestringnetwork.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 23, 2006 Author Share Posted November 23, 2006 Yes, you have to be more careful when in a band situation, especially with a piano player so that you don't clash with his voicings. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A String Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Great stuff Paul, thanks! Man, I really missed your playing around here, you need to start posting more songs for us! Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Cool Stuff. I don't often bookmark a thread but I'm doing so with this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gifthorse Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Thanks alot Paul you rock. I still play around over that one page you posted with all the accompaniment. http://flagshipmile.dmusic.com/ http://www.myspace.com/gifthorse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billster Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I like the voice leading idea of working diagnoally through the voicing chart Buy my CD on CD Baby! Bill Hartzell - the website MySpace?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 24, 2006 Author Share Posted November 24, 2006 Thanks for checking these out guys. Originally posted by Billster: I like the voice leading idea of working diagnoally through the voicing chart Bill, on the minor ii-V-i sheet you can also come up with little motifs by selecting individual chords form any of the 7 examples to come up with patterns. Say 1,3,4,1 (1st chord from ex1, 2nd from ex3, 3rd from ex4, 4th from ex1) and you get a little melody going with your comping. If you can get the same motif going throughout an entire chorus of a song, it can lend continuity to an accompaniment. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fumblyfingers Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Nice Paul....some cool voicings. What program are you using for the chord block diagrams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 25, 2006 Author Share Posted November 25, 2006 Thanks. I used Microsoft Paint to make the diagrams. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fumblyfingers Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Paul, I have been listening to the examples and running through these voicings. I love the way everything sounds but I am having difficulty with the naming of some of these chords. Can you check it out. The F#m7b5 in Ex1 has a B on top and no m3rd stated, so it is more like a m11b5 to me. Playing the A on top gives it a much stronger m7b5 sound to me. The B7 next to it is actually a B7#5 voicing. The Am7 voicing in Ex 2 has a D on top...again an 11th not so?.... also the m3rd missing. With that m3rd not there it almost has a Sus vibe to it. The Gmaj7 has no Root and has an E and an A in it. If the root is G, then I would call that a G6/9 chord. The D7 in Ex 4, 3rd chord in has the notes B, D#,F#,C in it. I don't see D7 at all. I would not know what to call it.... B add Flat9 ? I dunno, I am tired but it has been great blowing out the cobwebs, majorly rusty on all of this. I am not just trying to call you out on this, perhaps you are illustrating less about the chord name and more about the melody notes or something. Let me know. BTW, I use a similar shape to that m7b5 voicing you have, I just wrap my thumb around, grab the root and call it a 7#5#9. http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d42/Gypsyfingers/Picture7.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 25, 2006 Author Share Posted November 25, 2006 Yep, you're absolutely right, the names are not accurate and I really should have pointed that out. That was done purposely. I didn't want to put the actual resulting chord names because in this particular case I'm more concerned with their function rather than what they're called. On the Autumn Leaves examples, I kept the chord names from the song throughout. So yes, the F#m7b5 is missing the b3, but in context, it works. I sometime play a minor ii-V-i using that same shape for all 3 chords, ending up on a m6 chord as the I. The B7 is actually a B7#5, the Am7 voicing can be looked at as a sus, but again, in context, it works as a m7. On the D7, if it had a D in the bass, you'd have a D13b9. Some of these can have multiple names depending on their use or what note is played on the bass. I stayed away from bass notes here and stayed on the top 4 strings. The A7#5#9 you show is a cool voicing and I've used it as well. Sometimes I use my thumb as you describe and sometimes I barre with the 1st finger. Put a Bb on the bass instead of the A and you've got a Bbm6add9. Man, chords are great, aren't they? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A String Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Wow! There is always more to learn. Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 you should get something other than ms paint, will save you lotttttssss of time....im checkin these out now though, and im slow so it takes awhile to digest cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 25, 2006 Author Share Posted November 25, 2006 EOY, what other programs are available for chord diagrams? At this point I've got MS-Paint down to a science and can produce these diagrams pretty quickly. I've also used a free program found here: http://www.david-anna.com/JazzGuitar/ (Just download the program chords.exe) What else is available for these types of chord diagrams? Thanks, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicalhair Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Those are some delicious chords. Seeing ways of putting those kinds of chords together for whatever kind of voice leading you're going for or what ever texture you want is my favorite thing about playing eletric guitar, by far. Not just for chord-melody arranging, or jazz standards, but for funk and almost any two-guitar situation. These kinds of chord voicings are the most fertile ground on guitar for creativity and personal expression for me. check out some comedy I've done: http://louhasspoken.tumblr.com/ My Unitarian Jihad Name: Brother Broadsword of Enlightened Compassion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillydor Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Sounds nice fingerpicked on my nylon string. Looks like everyone's in agreement for once! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fumblyfingers Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Originally posted by pauldil: On the D7, if it had a D in the bass, you'd have a D13b9. Man, chords are great, aren't they?Yeah, I missed that in my tired state, calling that an Eb rather than a D# which would have pointed in a Flat 9,no Root direction. Yes, and hip voicings are the ultimate good time. I am using Sibelius 4 for the chord diagrams....I had to take a "snapshot" of it though on my desktop. Nice one Paul! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtail Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Hey Paul, I got this book a few months ago: Mel Bay\'s Complete Book of Harmony, Theory & Voicing I'm working with it at a leisurely pace. This subject will take me awhile to understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted November 25, 2006 Author Share Posted November 25, 2006 Looks like a good book, Hardtail. I see from the samples that it actually gives you assignments. Are you going through it as a method book from start to finish or do you use it more as a reference book? One other thing to point out with the chord shapes - you can use those same shapes in your single line soloing as well. Outlining the chords (especially some of the more colorful altered ones) gives you a nice, melodic device to use when soloing over standard changes like ii-V-I. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.