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Jazz harmony
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<h2 id="chord-symbols">Chord symbols</h2> <p>Analytic practice in Jazz recognizes four basic chord types, plus diminished seventh chords. The four basic chord types are <i><a href="/facts/Major_seventh_chord/Ccp3dbgC">major</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Minor_seventh_chord/j09sWIhH">minor</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Minor/major_seventh_chord/P3UGGh7Q">minor-major</a></i>, and <i><a href="/facts/Dominant_seventh_chord/E4EIVqmN">dominant</a></i>. When written in a jazz <i>chart</i>, these chords may have <i>alterations</i> specified in parentheses after the chord symbol. An altered note is a note which is a deviation from the canonical chord tone. </p><p>There is variety in the chord symbols used in jazz notation. A jazz musician must have facility in the alternate notation styles which are used. The following chord symbol examples use C as a root tone for example purposes. </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Equivalent symbols</th><th></th><th>Chord tones in example key</th><th></th><th>Name</th><th>Audio</th></tr><tr><td>CΔ, CM7, Cmaj7</td><td></td><td>C E G B</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Major_seventh_chord/Ccp3dbgC">major seventh chord</a></td><td>Playⓘ</td></tr><tr><td>C7</td><td></td><td>C E G B♭</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Dominant_seventh_chord/E4EIVqmN">dominant seventh chord</a></td><td>Playⓘ</td></tr><tr><td>C-7, Cm7</td><td></td><td>C E♭ G B♭</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Minor_seventh_chord/j09sWIhH">minor seventh chord</a></td><td>Playⓘ</td></tr><tr><td>C-Δ7, CmM7, C⑦</td><td></td><td>C E♭ G B</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Minor/major_seventh_chord/P3UGGh7Q">minor/major seventh chord</a></td><td>Playⓘ</td></tr><tr><td>C∅, Cm7♭5, C-7♭5</td><td></td><td>C E♭ G♭ B♭</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Half-diminished_seventh_chord/3Eg1DHqb">half-diminished seventh chord</a></td><td>Playⓘ</td></tr><tr><td>Co7, Cdim7</td><td></td><td>C E♭ G♭ B</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Diminished_seventh_chord/BsyETryS">fully diminished 7th chord</a></td><td>Playⓘ</td></tr><tr><td>C7sus</td><td></td><td>C F G B♭</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Suspended_chord/mCRcYorI">dominant or minor suspended 4th chord</a></td><td>Playⓘ</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Most <a href="/facts/Jazz_chord/fTphTCjy">jazz chord</a> symbols designate four notes. Each typically has a "role" as <i><a href="/facts/Root_(chord)/BzI7uzCG">root</a></i>, <i>third</i>, <i><a href="/facts/Fifth_(chord)/NmPCvUuM">fifth</a></i>, or <i>seventh</i>, although they may be severely altered and possibly use an enharmonic spelling which masks this underlying identity. For example, jazz harmony theoretician Jim Knapp has suggested that the ♭9 and even the ♯9 alterations are functioning in the root role. </p><p>The jazz chord naming system is as deterministic as the composer wishes it to be. A rule of thumb is that chord alterations are included in a chart only when the alteration appears in the melody or is crucial to essence of the composition. Skilled improvisers are able to supply an idiomatic, highly altered harmonic vocabulary even when written chord symbols contain no alterations. </p><p>It is possible to specify chords with more than four notes. For example, the chord C-Δ9 contains the notes (C E♭ G B D). </p> <h2 id="melodic-minor-scale">Melodic Minor Scale</h2> <p>Much of jazz harmony is based on the <a href="/facts/Minor_scale/MedkQtlE">melodic minor scale</a> (using only the "ascending" scale as defined in classical harmony). The modes of this scale are the basis for much jazz improvisation and are variously named as below, using the key of C-minor as an example: </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Melodic minor scale tone</th><th></th><th>Characteristic chord in C-minor</th><th></th><th>Scale tones (chord tones in bold)</th><th></th><th>Scale name(s)</th></tr><tr><td>I - C</td><td></td><td>Cm(∆)</td><td></td><td>C D E♭ F G A B</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Minor_scale/MedkQtlE">Melodic Minor</a></td></tr><tr><td>II - D</td><td></td><td>Dm7</td><td></td><td>D E♭ F G A B C</td><td></td><td>Phrygian ♯6 or Dorian ♭2</td></tr><tr><td>III - E♭</td><td></td><td>E♭∆(♯5)</td><td></td><td>E♭ F G A B C D</td><td></td><td>Lydian ♯5 or <a href="/facts/Lydian_augmented_scale/5m4kYHGQ">Lydian Augmented</a></td></tr><tr><td>IV - F</td><td></td><td>F7</td><td></td><td>F G A B C D E♭</td><td></td><td>Mixolydian ♯4 or <a href="/facts/Lydian_dominant_scale/q9YUw8Eb">Lydian Dominant</a></td></tr><tr><td>V - G</td><td></td><td>G7</td><td></td><td>G A B C D E♭ F</td><td></td><td>Mixolydian ♭6 or "Hindu"</td></tr><tr><td>VI - A</td><td></td><td>A∅</td><td></td><td>A B C D E♭ F G</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Half_diminished_scale/wl7CM6nx">Locrian ♯2</a></td></tr><tr><td>VII - B</td><td></td><td>B7alt</td><td></td><td>B C D E♭ F G A</td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Altered_scale/jbfCIuQe">Altered</a>, <a href="/facts/Whole_tone_scale/cXjRAUGe">diminished whole tone</a>, or Locrian ♭4</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The VII chord in particular is rich with alterations. As it contains the notes and alterations (I, ♭9, m3/♯9, M3, ♭5/♯11, ♭13, m7), it is particularly important in the jazz harmonic idiom, notably as a V chord in a minor key. For our example key of C-minor, the V chord is G7, so the improviser would draw upon the G7 altered scale (mode VII of the A♭ melodic minor). A complete ii-V-i progression in C-minor7 extended 9 flattened fifth might suggest the following: </p> <table><tbody><tr><td>ii</td><td></td><td>D∅</td><td></td><td>D Locrian ♯2 (mode VI of the F melodic minor scale)</td></tr><tr><td>V</td><td></td><td>G7(alt)</td><td></td><td>G altered scale (mode VII of the A♭ melodic minor scale)</td></tr><tr><td>I</td><td></td><td>Cm(∆)</td><td></td><td>C melodic minor (mode I of the C melodic minor scale)</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Altered_chord/mrgwXrxw">Altered chord</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Bebop_scale/N6pW0Apg">Bebop scale</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Chord-scale_system/yEqXBpmR">Chord-scale system</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Modal_jazz/G09oNGph">Modal jazz</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Tritone_substitution/hb06rvQF">Tritone substitution</a></li></ul> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li><i>Harmonie et orchestration pour orchestra de danse,</i> Robert de Kers (de) (1906–1987), <a href="/facts/Brussels/tNzHrQYP">Brussels</a>: Éditions musicales Charles Bens (1944); <a href="/facts/OCLC_(identifier)/Yqad8waq">OCLC</a> <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35083146">35083146</a>, <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/930383216">930383216</a>, <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1456272">1456272</a> & <a href="/facts/OCLC_(identifier)/Yqad8waq">OCLC</a> <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/757363748">757363748</a>, <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/915601359">915601359</a></li> <li><i>The Chord Scale Theory & Jazz Harmony,</i> by Barrie L. Nettles (born 1942) & Richard Graf, Advance Music (1997); <a href="/facts/OCLC_(identifier)/Yqad8waq">OCLC</a> <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/39925889">39925889</a>, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 3-89221-056-X</li> <li><i>Popular and Jazz Harmony for Composers, Arrangers, and Performers</i> (revised ed.), Daniel Anthony Ricigliano, <a href="/facts/New_York_City/YlyvFmVC">New York</a>: Donato Music Publishing Company (1969); <a href="/facts/OCLC_(identifier)/Yqad8waq">OCLC</a> <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/24031">24031</a>, <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/756982208">756982208</a></li> <li><i>DOG EAR Tritone Substitution for Jazz Guitar</i>, by R. Ken, Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (2012); ASIN: B008FRWNIW</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Stacking Thirds". How To Play Blues Guitar. 2008-09-29. Archived from the original on 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2008-10-06. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081003022126/http://how-to-play-blues-guitar.com/jazz-theory/jazz-and-blues-stacking-3rds/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20081003022126/http://how-to-play-blues-guitar.com/jazz-theory/jazz-and-blues-stacking-3rds/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Robert Rawlins, Nor Eddine Bahha (2005). Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians, Hal Leonard, pps. 11, 13, 42; OCLC 82480053, ISBN 0-634-08678-2. <a href="/wiki/Hal_Leonard" target="_blank">/wiki/Hal_Leonard</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Robert Rawlins, Nor Eddine Bahha (2005). Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians, Hal Leonard, pps. 11, 13, 42; OCLC 82480053, ISBN 0-634-08678-2. <a href="/wiki/Hal_Leonard" target="_blank">/wiki/Hal_Leonard</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Jazz Theory & Pop Music Harmony : Learning Improvisation". 19 April 2012. Retrieved 2022-01-25. <a href="https://www.aboutmusictheory.com/jazz-harmony.html" target="_blank">https://www.aboutmusictheory.com/jazz-harmony.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Robert Rawlins, Nor Eddine Bahha (2005). Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians, Hal Leonard, pps. 11, 13, 42; OCLC 82480053, ISBN 0-634-08678-2. <a href="/wiki/Hal_Leonard" target="_blank">/wiki/Hal_Leonard</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Peter Spitzer (2001). Jazz Theory Handbook, Mel Bay Publications, pg. 30; ISBN 0-7866-5328-0. <a href="/wiki/Mel_Bay_Publications" target="_blank">/wiki/Mel_Bay_Publications</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Robert Rawlins, Nor Eddine Bahha (2005). Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians, Hal Leonard, pps. 11, 13, 42; OCLC 82480053, ISBN 0-634-08678-2. <a href="/wiki/Hal_Leonard" target="_blank">/wiki/Hal_Leonard</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>