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1997 Padraig Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this article
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AN
APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF MUSIC
By Dr. Tim Lake
To begin this third article, in a series of four, concerning my
approach to exploring the vast field of music, I would like to briefly
restate the objective. These discussions attempt to create a method
by which a young musician might begin with bluegrass music and develop
the understanding and technique to perform any type of music. Since
I am a banjo player, my experience is relative to the banjo, but
I feel the approach is pertinent to any instrument. We began by
discussing how the study of Scruggs style playing can provide a
solid musical foundation concerning timing and tone. Secondly, we
examined the understanding of scales and how they allow us to perform
fiddle tunes. Once scale understanding is established, the student
can move into any musical genre including jazz and classical styles.
This article will suggest an approach to the study of jazz music
while the next will discuss classical. I want to mention that by
suggesting this approach I, in no way, mean to imply any musical
hierarchy as is sometimes assumed. As I have stated previously,
I view no form of music as "greater than" any other and quite to
the contrary view all music as being the same. These articles are
only a suggested approach to the study of music for a person who
comes from an acoustic musician's background.
While major and minor scales provide us with the melodic foundation
to perform fiddle tunes on the banjo, it is much more important
to realize that the knowledge of scales is the fundamental underpinning
of all music. Now that we are able to perform scales, we can move
on to genre that nowadays are not always associated with the banjo
such as jazz. On September 6, 1997, I had the great pleasure to
perform at the Kentucky Center For The Arts, Bomhard Theater as
a member of "The Blue Monday Chamber Ensemble," under conductor
Robert Bernhardt with piano soloist Leon Bates, to perform one of
the seminal pieces of American musical history; George Gershwin's
Rhapsody In Blue. Not only is this masterpiece viewed as
a wonderful integration of classical and jazz genre but guess what,
Ferde Grofe, the arranger, wrote a plectrum banjo part in the original
orchestration. The premiere of Rhapsody In Blue was performed
by Paul Whiteman's Orchestra in February, 1924, and a fellow named
Mike Pingitore played banjo in the band. Paul Whiteman's Orchestra
was a small chamber ensemble and not the huge symphony orchestra
that we associate with most present day performances of the piece.
In fact, of the many times that piano virtuoso Leon Bates has played
this piece, ours was his first performance with the banjo. I mention
the banjo not because I think its presence was revolutionary or
peculiar, but because I think it is important to realize that the
presence of a banjo in jazz music during the early part of the twentieth
century was quite commonplace. In fact, the banjo was an integral
part of almost every Big Band until the mid 1930's when it was replaced
by the electric guitar.
Today, Bela Fleck has brought the banjo back into the world of
jazz music. Many are quick to point out the obvious differences
between the 5-string banjo and the plectrum banjo, but I would just
as quickly mention that a single-note line on a 5-string and a single-note
line on a plectrum are both single-note lines on a banjo. I prefer
to adopt an overview of the banjo tradition in jazz music as one
that celebrates the artistry of a Mike Pingitore as it is so masterfully
carried on through the music of Bela Fleck. Mike Pingitore's part
in Rhapsody In Blue was a written one and would not allow
for the wonderful improvisations that are Bela Fleck's trademark.
However, some of the banjo lines in Rhapsody In Blue were quite
imaginative and perhaps allow us a glimpse into the scales and knowledge
required to even approach the vast and complex field of jazz improvisation.
Regarding improvisation, remember that you must be able to sing
the line in order to play it on your instrument so you must begin
by listening to the jazz masters. The list of jazz greats is far
too numerous, so I can only mention Duke Ellington, Count Basie,
Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, and Jim Hall as being some of my
favorites.
Begin by learning the standard songs associated with the genre
such as Satin Doll, All The Things You Are, and Autumn
Leaves, just to name a few. A list of great songs in this genre
would be as numerous as that of great players. It is sufficient
to say that some of the most beautiful songs ever written in the
history of mankind are now associated with the field of jazz, and
they will provide you with a lifetime full of wondrous melodies.
My father would often point out that the songs that I called 'jazz
songs' were old 'pop songs' to him. I have often thought how lucky
my parents were to have grown up listening to such masterful songwriters
as Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, and countless others. Begin by learning
the melodies to the songs, and work out 'chord melodies' on the
banjo. A 'chord melody' is created when we build a chord below the
melody notes of the song. This 'chord melody' approach comes from
the jazz tradition of Mike Pingitore and is still strongly represented
by the banjo style in Dixieland music. I play plectrum banjo in
a Dixieland band called The Colonel's Choice and have incorporated
'chord melodies' such Back Home In Indiana on the 5-string
banjo. I recorded a medley of 'chord melody' songs beginning with
Back Home In Indiana, One Note Samba, The
Shadow Of Your Smile, and How High The Moon on my
Only In The Movies album
(Padraig Records PAD35437CD). In order to learn chord melodies we
must first examine how chords are built by harmonizing major scales.
How Music Works
Diagram 1:
Harmonization Of Major Scales
I7 ii7
iii7 IV7 V7
vi7 vii°7 I7
Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7
Am7 Bdim7 Cmaj7
C#maj7 D#m7 E#m7 F#maj7 G#7 A#m7 B#dim7 C#maj7
Dbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Fm7 Gbmaj7 Ab7 Bbm7 Cdim7 Dbmaj7
Dmaj7 Em7 F#m7 Gmaj7 A7
Bm7 C#dim7 Dmaj7
Ebmaj7 Fm7 Gm7 Abmaj7 Bb7 Cm7
Ddim7 Ebmaj7
Emaj7 F#m7 G#m7 Amaj7 B7
C#m7 D#dim7 Emaj7
Fmaj7 Gm7 Am7 Bbmaj7 C7
Dm7 Edim7 Fmaj7
F#maj7 G#m7 A#m7 Bmaj7 C#7 D#m7 E#dim7
F#maj7
Gbmaj7 Abm7 Bbm7 Cbmaj7 Db7 Ebm7 Fdim7
Gbmaj7
Gmaj7 Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7
D7 Em7 F#dim7 Gmaj7
Abmaj7 Bbm7 Cm7 Dbmaj7 Eb7 Fm7
Gdim7 Abmaj7
Amaj7 Bm7 C#m7 Dmaj7 E7
F#m7 G#dim7 Amaj7
Bbmaj7 Cm7 Dm7 Ebmaj7 F7
Gm7 Adim7 Bbmaj7
Bmaj7 C#m7 D#m7 Emaj7 F#7 G#m7
A#dim7 Bmaj7
Cbmaj7 Dbm7 Ebm7 Fbmaj7 Gb7 Abm7 Bbdim7
Cbmaj7
* Diminished seven chords (vii°7) are derived from harmonic
and melodic minor scales. Diatonically, half-diminished seven chords
(viif7) harmonize the seventh scale degree in major keys.
However, I always explain diminished seven chords (vii°7) first
because we find these chords included in all basic chord books.
In order to better understand the
above chart, you should refer to the 'Major Scale' chart from the
October issue of Acoustic Musician. In this issue, we created the
notes that comprise all major scales. The above chart lists the
chords that are created when we harmonize each note of the major
scale to the seventh scale degree. In other words, these are the
chords that are found diatonically pursuant to each key. The term
'diatonic' refers to a designation for major and minor scales as
opposed to the chromatic scale and is often used to describe melodies
and harmonies that are confined to these scales, to the exclusion
of chromatic notes. For example, in the key of C major C, E, and
G are diatonic notes that create a C chord while a C# note is a
chromatic note that is not diatonic.
In order to create jazz solos, it
is imperative to know and understand the harmonization of each key
so we can isolate the proper key center and scale for melodic improvisation.
To further complicate matters, we often find more than one key center
within the same jazz song. Unlike folk and bluegrass songs that
often begin and end without changing key, it is not unusual for
a jazz song to change key centers within the context of every few
measures. When I started to play over jazz chord changes, it was
not unusual to begin by using a scale that sounded good only to
find that the same scale produced horrible sounds a few measures
later. To better understand this concept, we need to realize the
power of the V7 chord and its function in the establishment of a
key center.
As we look at the 'Diagram 1' chart
above, it is imperative to recognize chord function. Major seven
chords are found as either I7 chords or IV7 chords in a key so we
must recognize that this chord quality is not specific to one key
only. For example, a Dmaj7 chord is not only a I7 in the key of
D major but it is also a IV7 in the key of A major. Therefore, when
we see a Dmaj7 chord we can not be certain whether we are in the
key of D or A major. Minor seven chords are found as either ii7,
iii7, or vi7 chords in any major key. For example, a Dm7 chord is
a ii7 in the key of C major, a iii7 chord in the key of Bb major,
or a vi7 chord in the key of F major. Therefore, a Dm7 chord belongs
to three major keys and does not designate one specific key center.
Explaining diminished seven (1 b3
b5 bb7) and half-diminished seven (1 b3 b5 b7) chords can be a daunting
task for the best theory professors. Accordingly, these chords are
often misunderstood and misnamed in written music. Diatonically,
the seventh scale degree in a major key and the second scale degree
in a minor key are harmonized by half-diminished seven chords. A
diminished seven chord is created in a minor mode from melodic and
harmonic minor scales. Please make sure to take notice of the explanation
under the seventh scale degree in 'Diagram 1'. I am trying to condense
as much music theory as possible in four short articles, so I have
decided to introduce a diminished seven chord now with major keys
and explain the half-diminished seven chord in the next article
along with the harmonization of minor keys. It is quite common to
introduce diminished seven chords in this order. For example, every
beginning guitar player has puzzled over the diminished seven chord
page in their trusty Mel Bay chord book and wondered why only three
chord diagrams were provided, each given four names, and absolutely
no explanation. It is important to note that the Mel Bay chord book
introduces diminished seven chords but does even address the half-diminished
seven chord which occurs diatonically in major and minor key harmonization.
Depending on its enharmonic spelling,
a diminished seven can be viewed as a viio7 chord in any one of
four keys. Hence, Mel Bay's basic chord book had only three diminished
seven chord diagrams because each chord position could belong to
any of four keys and four divided into twelve possible keys equals
three. For example, the definition of a diminished seven chord is
1, b3, b5, and bb7. Therefore, the notes that it takes to make a
Bdim7 chord are 1=B, b3=D, b5=F, and bb7=Ab. A Ddim7 chord is made
up of 1=D, b3=F, b5=Ab, and bb7=Cb. A Fdim7 chord is comprised of
1=F, b3=Ab, b5=Cb, and bb7=Ebb. Finally, a G#dim7 chord is 1=G#,
b3=B, b5=D, and bb7=F. Each of these chords is made up of the same
notes enharmonically named. These chords are not tonally specific
to key considering that they can belong to any of four keys. Each
diminished seven chord resolves up by half-step to the I chord (viio7-I).
For example, Bdim7 resolves to C, Ddim7 resolves to Eb, Fdim7 to
Gb, and G#dim7 to A.
The chord quality that is found only
once for each major key and therefore is specific to only one key
is the V7 chord. In other words, a G7 chord can only be found in
the key of C major, B7 is only found as the V7 in the key of E major,
and so on. A helpful hint to singers can be found through this understanding.
All lead singers, including myself, have at one time or another
had trouble finding the pitch at which to begin a song. Most of
the time we strum the I chord of the song in order to remedy this
situation. However, the I chord is not specific to key because we
have three major chords in every key (I, IV, & V). For example
a G chord is a I in G major, a IV in D major , and a V in C major.
A better solution is to play the V7 chord in the key you need and
resolve it to the I chord (V7-I). The tonally specific V7 chord
will always resolve to the I chord of the key we need and provide
the proper pitch for the song.
If the V7 chord is specific to only
one key, then it makes sense to look for this chord when creating
solos over jazz songs with multi-key centers. Once I have identified
the key, I can play notes from that major scale to create my solo.
On my Only In The Movies compact disc, I recorded a Jimmy
Giuffre tune called Four Brothers.
This song is written in the key of Ab but the first chord is Bb7.
Please refer to Diagram 2 for the chord changes.
Diagram 2:
Four Brothers
Ab
Bb7 Bbm7
Eb7 Abmaj7 F7 Bbm7 Cm7 F7
Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7
V7
ii7 V7
I7 V7 i7
ii7 V7
ii7 V7 I7
\ /
\
/
\ /
\ /
\
/
Key center: Eb _____
Ab______ _Bbm_
__Bb__
_____Ab______
The first chord Bb7 belongs to the
key of Eb major so I can play an Eb scale over this chord when working
out a solo. The next three chords Bbm7, Eb7, and Abmaj7 are actually
the ii7, V7, and the I7 in the key of Ab major, so an Ab scale will
work nicely for this passage. The F7 and Bbm7 are V7 and i7 in the
key of Bb minor. We will harmonize minor keys in the next article.
The Cm7 and F7 chords are ii7 and V7 in the key of Bb major, while
the last three changes bring us back to the key of Ab major. For
banjo players with instruments tuned to a G major chord, this Four
Brothers tune is a challenge indeed. I should mention that
I tune my 5th string up a half-step to Ab in order to play this
song with a roll.
We banjo players use a variety of
tunings and are all united by a common fact that when we play single-note
lines with a pick on a banjo, we usually achieve a staccato sound
that is quite unique. On a 5-string banjo we can play the same notes
with a roll and achieve a smoother legato line. One of my constant
struggles involves the lack of sustain associated with banjo sound
and the effect that this characteristic has on interpretation. We
usually create more sustain through tremolo effects and amplification.
To play in keys such as the key of Ab, we can not avoid the necessity
to play single note lines in a plectrum manner in order the accommodate
for the fact that our banjo is tuned to an open G chord. For this
reason, it is very important to practice scales in a plectrum manner
as well as with a roll. I have found that keys such as Ab major
are particularly difficult because we do not have a D note in the
key, and our first string is tuned to D. The Db note in the key
of Ab makes the use of our first string in a roll tonally non-diatonic.
Therefore, we can approach these keys in a plectrum manner. However,
the keys of Eb and Bb major sound very good when played with a roll
or in a plectrum style. Begin by learning the chords in each key,
and then add a roll to discover new harmonic possibilities. The
fifth string will need to be adjusted to accommodate key centers
that do not have a G note in the key.
Of course it is possible to learn
to be a great improviser without beginning with an intense study
of music theory as your guide, but as I always tell my students,
knowledge and understanding can only strengthen your position and
quicken your course. I am quite sure that after a while great jazz
artists such as Charlie Parker could have cared less about what
V7 chord they were playing over. I am also sure that players such
as Charlie Parker stopped reading helpful articles such as this
soon after they entered the improvisational stratosphere. For all
of us mere mortals, the understanding of music will open doors to
rooms full of wonderful music that we probably never imagined we
would play when we began. Thus the majority of musicians who were
not graced with the divine gift of a Charlie Parker can none-the-less
aspire to great heights of musical achievement through the oldest
of all human means; hope and hard work.
