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NEVER PLAY CHORDS Thoughts on Linear Melodic Voicings © 2011, Bert Ligon bligon@mozart.sc.edu "Never play chords when comping." This usually gets the attention of my guitar and piano students. I'll say this after hearing them comp using learned voicings that have no real sense of direction. "Play melodies." I want them to hear and think about where those chords came from and where they might lead, and make choices based on musical phrases that rise and fall. We hear music in time, which is linear. I want them to consider every chord they play as part of a larger melodic shape. Like planning any trip: decide the destination, then
decide the route. . (It isn't where you came from, it's where you're going that counts. -Ella Fitzgerald) Find a chord that leads logically to each destination chord.
Four good choices for chords to precede the primary chords: 1. Any chord may be preceded by its dominant (V7). E7 — Am 2. Any chord may be preceding by its leading tone chord (vii°7). G#°7 — Am 3. A dominant a tritone from the any other dominant may substitute for the primary dominant. These tritone substitute dominants share the same 3rd & 7th, and resolve down a step into the destination chord. Bb7 (substitute for E7) — Am 4. Resolve chromatically parallel from above or below. Consider the rise and fall of a melody line. Descending steps are typically calming. Rising steps can create tension. Leaps can create more tension, but be careful not to distract from or over power that which you are accompanying. Try to sense when a line might need to rise and when it might need to fall depending on placement in a phrase or related to the soloist that you might be accompanying. Some common, static Am chords are shown below and then shown with G#°7 passing chords which create more of a melodic shape to the phrase. Play them and bring out the top line.
E7 or Bb7 as tritone substitute pointing back to Am:
The dominant of D is A7. Eb7 is the tritone substitute for A7. Eb7 could also be considered a chord that resolves chromatically down to D7. Chords with (*) could be viewed as A7 chords or Eb7 chords. If viewed as an A7, then the alterations include a b9 (Bb) or #9 (C) and a b13 (F). If viewed as an Eb7, then the alterations would be a n9 (F) or b13 (C).
Contrary motion of the resolution can prove to be the most interesting and disguises the parallel resolution.
Begin with a common progression like the one shown below (ii7 – V7 – I – vi7, and consider basic substitutions like using the iii7 (Bm7) in place of the I). Find comfortable and simple voicings for the primary destinations. Make yourself aware of the melodic implications of the top voice of each chord. Then consider the possibilities that may precede each chord. The destination is the important consideration. The primary chords land on the strong beats. All of the connecting chords will land on the weak beats. The resolution from the weak beat to the strong beat must be logical and is often step wise.
The idea is put into practice in the following measures. It might be helpful to just play the top voice to hear the melody. As you play the chords, make sure that the melody is brought out. An E7 sets up the first Am7. This first line is based on an ascending chromatic line which creates some dramatic tension. From the Eb7 to the D7 and from the Ab7 to the G, the outer voices are moving in contrary motion.
Notice how some of that tension from the ascending line is resolved as the line move back down in steps.
The top melody line starts incorporating more leaps. The leaps happen from the primary destinations (beats 1 & 3), but there is always smooth motion from the weaker beats to the downbeats.
A compound melody (two or more independent melodies combined into one melody) is suggested in the next few measures. Both lines work independently. Both are simple by themselves. Added together, they create an interesting angular, but clear melody. Here is the simple shape:
And the results harmonized.
Take care to hear the inner parts as lines themselves, not just parts of a chord. With good voice leading, the inner parts create lines that are just as interesting as the top line. The whole point of this exercise is to create linear melodic ideas, so consider the inner voices when making decisions. Here is an example. The first harmonization below fits the hands nicely and is musically satisfying. The second version takes into consideration the colorful inner voice. Instead of repeating the G and always moving parallel with the top voice, the second version has some independence in that second voice, it does not repeat the G, and approaches the F# from above and below. This works: This has a more interesting 2nd voice
Compare the alto voices. The second one is more independent and interesting and that will make a difference in a musical passage.
Invent your own cycles. The cycle below is a common turnaround progression: I – vi7 – ii7 – V7. Em7 can substitute for C and A7 can substitute for Am7. Begin with a set of simple voicings as the primary destination. Some larger leaps below were deliberately chosen, making some of the chords sound unprepared or out of context.
Smooth melodic shapes are created by choosing logical chords that resolve (most often by steps) to the primary destinations. Leaps resolve and then continue down the scale.
More leaps are added, but every leap resolves smoothly.
Big gaps between the primary destination chords can be smoothed out with passing chords creating a step line.
All of these principles should be applied to playing standard tunes. Here is the last phrase of a Mancini tune with traditional treatment.
Here is the same passage with tritone substitution chords preceding the primary chords.
The possibilities are endless. Practice simple cycles slowly and then play with more imaginative rhythmic content. When applying these ideas in real musical situations, do not feel compelled to play all the time. Make accompaniment decisions for the situation and don't be afraid to leave a rest or two. When you do play, don't play chords — play melodic lines.
Bert Ligon bligon@mozart.sc.edu |
