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Lesson Plans
Click here for a direct link to the Lesson Plans Blog PostAnatomy of a Melody, Part 1
Last modified on 2009-06-12 22:26:34 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Part 1: Using balance to create a successful melodic line
by Javier Arau © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
Scroll through the lesson below, or download the lesson as a printable PDF
Introduction
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You are given a chord and a matching scale and told, “Now go improvise!” You begin to play and just cannot seem to express anything remotely satisfying. You figure maybe your ear is no good, or maybe you just don’t have what it takes to be a good improviser. Sound familiar? Don’t lose hope just yet! Improvising using chords and scales gets easier if you take some time to examine what really makes a solid melody. The key to crafting a successful melody lies in understanding one simple concept: balance.
Tension and release
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When dealing with a scale, not all notes are created equal. Finding the right balance between tension and release within a scale will get you significantly closer to your goal of rich melody-making. For any major or natural minor scale, scale notes 1, 3, and 5 function as points of release, or resolution, as they outline the scale’s tonic harmony (Example 1) (Assume a tonic harmony of G minor for all examples.). All the other notes in the scale, 2, 4, 6, and 7, are passing tones, and they tend to evoke points of tension (Ex. 1). Just as every inhale we take is balanced with an exhale, tension is always balanced with resolution in any effective melody. Each passing tone possesses a tendency to resolve downward or upward to the nearest chord tone (Ex. 2). Becoming familiar with the sound and physical feel of passing tone tensions and chord tone resolutions will help you gain control of your musical line. The rubs produced between dissonances can be felt as vibrations, and each has a distinct feel. Get to know how 6 feels as it rubs against the 5 in a tonic harmony (Ex. 3, m. 1). Feel what a monumental release there is when a prolonged 2 finally resolves to 1 on a tonic harmony (Ex. 3, mm. 3-4).
Example 1:
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Example 2:
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Example 3:
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Balancing Oppositions
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Nearly every great melody balances musical oppositions that together give musical lines a natural coherence and logic. Perhaps the most common of these oppositions is tension-release. Listed below are other oppositions that can be balanced in an effort to create an effective melody:
fast-slow
short-long
down-up
question-answer
repetition-variation
loud-soft
play-rest
leap-step
high-lowBelow is an example of a G minor melody that successfully explores leap-step and fast-slow oppositions (Ex. 4). Other famous examples of leap-step/fast-slow oppositions include Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5,” “Autumn Leaves,” and “All the Things You Are.”
Example 4:
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The improviser need not provide a completely even balance of opposites to make a great melody. Some melodies consist predominantly of fast notes with only the occasional slow note to balance this. “Autumn Leaves” is composed nearly exclusively of legato phrases, and there is no need to balance this out with the occasional staccato passage. As long as the improviser retains an awareness of oppositions, the melody will remain deeply purposeful.
Keeping the big picture
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A melody can gain musical purpose and direction by centering around tonic chord tones and gradually moving from one central tone to another. A common movement for a melody includes an initial focus on 5 followed by a gradual descent to 1 (Ex. 5). Also common is an initial movement from 1 up to 5 followed by a gradual descent back to 1 (Ex. 6). A melody centered around 3 before an inevitable descent to 1 is also common (Ex. 7). Inexperienced improvisers often begin their solos on 1, but melodies very often initially withhold 1 as a central note, saving it for later in the melody. This is because 1 provides the ultimate resolution, and beginning with it may give too much resolution, too soon: a bit similar to beginning a joke with the punchline.
Example 5:
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Example 6:
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Example 7:
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Centering around 5 does not necessarily mean that 5 needs to be stressed repeatedly. In fact, repetition of 5 may not provide enough dissonance at all. Here are two examples of melodies that center around 5 before descending gradually to 1. The first example is more consonant than the second, as it focuses more directly on 5 (Ex. 8). The second example focuses more on the dissonance between 6 and 5 (Ex. 9). Even though 6 is used more than 5, the central idea is a focus on 5 and the way 6 rubs against it.
Example 8:
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Example 9:
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Conclusion
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A successful melody stems largely from an awareness of balance. Take some time to study and play through the preceding melodic examples, noticing how many oppositions are balanced throughout. While tension-release, leap-step, and fast-slow oppositions were all previously addressed in some detail, these melodies explore many other oppositions, including repetition-variation, play-rest, up-down, and high-low. Careful examination of each line will help develop a greater understanding for the significant role balance plays in melodic improvisation and how it may be explored in your own improvisations.
Next time: Learning chordal dependence over a II-V-I chord progression
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One fundamental mistake that inexperienced improvisers make when soloing over a II-V-I progression is to focus only on chord tones over each chord. The end result tends to be an academic, wholly consonant, and often uninspiring melody. Adding a II chord and a V chord into the mix presents new challenges for the improviser, but by keeping in mind a few tips about tension and release, your melody can begin to sound fresh and purposeful. Next time, we will take a close look at how to better balance chord tones and passing tones in an effort to free the melody from its underlying chord progression.
Bonus: 3 minute play-a-long track. Practice making your own melodies, using the G natural minor scale.
Play-a-long for C instruments:
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Play-a-long for B-flat instruments:
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Play-a-long for E-flat instruments:
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4-Step Practice Guide
Last modified on 2009-05-31 09:20:20 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Step 1: Divide the song into smaller sections.
Step 2: Practice and learn each section, one at a time.
3 Practicing Goals for each section:
1. Learn the Letters.
2. Learn the Fingerings.
3. Learn the Rhythms.As you learn each section, you must Identify Problem Spots.
3 Fix-it Tips:
1. Slow down.
2. Zoom in.
3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat! (Only repeat if you are playing the section correctly.)Step 3: Combine sections, two at a time.
If new problems come up, go back to Step 2 and use the 3 Fix-it Tips.
Practice the transitions between the sections.
Tip: 1 measure + 1 note.
Step 4: Practice the whole song.
Slow Down right away.
If problems come up, go back to Step 2 and fix the problems.
How to Practice: A Summary
Last modified on 2009-05-31 09:21:37 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
DECIDE which parts you play well and which parts still need work.
PRACTICE the PROBLEM SPOTS the most.
Work on ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME.
Practice smaller PHRASES, one at a time.
SLOW DOWN.
Decide on the BEAT before you start playing.
COUNT THE BEAT out loud.
Keep a STEADY BEAT. Pretend you are in a parade.
ZOOM IN and fix problem spots.
Work on CONNECTING the phrases.
Work on practicing ONE MEASURE + ONE NOTE.
When you have learned a section, REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT!
TEACH your fingers! TEACH THEM WELL!
Fingers need PRACTICE, PATIENCE, and ENCOURAGEMENT.
SLOW DOWN even more.
Work on EVEN SMALLER SECTIONS.
Play with CONFIDENCE.
Practice EVERY DAY.
Always be very PATIENT.
ENJOY the music!Practicing DON’Ts:
Don’t just play from the beginning of the song all the time.
Don’t practice the whole song all at once.
Don’t skip over the problem spots.
Don’t just practice the parts you can already play well.
Don’t pause the rhythm in between measures.
Don’t rush the rhythms.How to Practice Effectively and Learn That Song!
Last modified on 2009-05-31 09:22:11 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
The time you spend with your piano teacher can be really fun and exciting. You get to learn new songs and a whole lot of other details about music making. The time you spend away from your teacher — your practice time — can be just as inspiring. Practicing gives you a chance to learn your assignments and to have fun on your own with your piano. I think it is exciting to approach each new song in the same way that you would approach a crossword puzzle or word search: approach it as a challenge. The great thing about learning the piano is that each new song you learn can make you an even better piano player. Your goal with every piece you practice should be to perform the piece confidently, correctly, and with feeling. The song should be played with accurate rhythms, correct fingerings, and not only the right notes, but with a clear knowledge and recognition of what letter each note on the page receives.
Everyone needs a brain, fingers, and a heart to play the piano. Without your heart, you cannot play the piece with feeling and expression. Of course, you need your brain to think about which letter in the alphabet goes with each note. You also use your brain to help you count the beats that go with each note, ensuring that each note is played with its proper rhythm. Without your fingers, you would not be able to play any songs on the piano at all (unless you play with your toes or your nose!). If you ever tried playing a song you thought you knew, and your fingers all of a sudden messed up, then think of this: Our fingers have no brains! They are stupid. All they have is muscles. Your ten, stupid little fingers are your very own precious little students, and you must teach them. Muscles have memory, so the best way to get your students to learn is by repeating, repeating, and repeating. Your fingers will only learn through repetition. Only repeat music that you are playing correctly. If you play music incorrectly over and over again, your fingers will only learn how to play it the wrong way. And fingers are so dumb that it will be hard to teach them how to play it correctly at that point. Also, your little students will learn best if you teach them by playing only a little section of music at a time and if you play very slowly.
Here are my three suggested steps to learning any song:
First step: Know the letter names. Make sure you know the letter names of each note you are playing. Eventually, you should be able to recognize every note and its letter name on the treble and bass clef staves without much thought or effort. The sooner you can get to this stage, the better, as knowing the letter names of all the notes makes learning each song easier and even more fun. To learn the letter names of each song, try a few methods:
- See if there is any note anywhere in the song that you can name. Use that note as a starting point and count lines and spaces up or down to determine what letters go with the other notes in the song (see an introduction to note reading).
- Review the notes and letter names from other songs you have learned. This will help you learn the notes for the new song. Very often the new song will include notes you have already learned in old songs. Look for these common notes.
- Use a reference map that shows you the letter name of each note as well as its corresponding key on the keyboard.
Second step: Play using the correct fingerings. Many songs indicate fingering numbers (1,2,3,4,5) for notes in the song. Pay attention to these and make sure you are playing using the correct fingers.
Third step: Play using the correct rhythms. Playing the correct letters for each note is only a small part of the music. Playing with a steady beat and counting correctly is just as important.
These three practicing steps are very important to keep in mind. But do not just jump right in and try to learn the entire song just by using these three steps and nothing else. No matter what song you are learning you should always break the song up into small sections, called phrases. Then learn each phrase, one at a time. Very often, a phrase will end with a longer note, like a whole, dotted half or half note. Phrases also tend to be between two and four measures long. Let’s try practicing this song:
First, divide the song into phrases. Look for where the longest notes are in the song. Longer notes often mark the ends of phrases. You should recognize half notes, getting two beats each, in measures 3, 5, and 8. These half notes each mark the end of a phrase. You can begin practicing any of the three phrases. I will choose phrase 1 to begin practicing, because it is my favorite.
Then, learn the notes and their letters. This might take some time. Be patient and careful. Pick a note you remember and use that as a starting place to figuring out the other notes, think of other songs you have played, or use a map. Try not to write the letters next to each note on the page. You will have a tough time really memorizing the note names this way. You should try your hardest to keep the note names in your head. Because you have broken the song down into three separate sections, you only have to learn five notes to begin with: A A C D E. Now try playing the phrase. Make sure you are playing with the correct hand and the correct fingers.
If you can now play the notes on the piano, now make sure you can play the rhythms correctly. The main goal to playing rhythms correctly is to keep a steady beat as you play. In each measure of the song, there are two beats. This means that you should count Ïone, twoÓ for every measure. Do not pause in between the measures. Pretend that you are in a parade, playing with a band. Even get up and march, calling out, “One, two! one, two! one, two! one, two…” over and over again. If you try playing phrase one with such a steady beat, you will eventually learn it correctly. When you first try this, though, you might find yourself pausing and the beat slowing…way…dowwwnnnn… This might be happening for a couple reasons: (1) You do not know the letters as well as you thought you did. If this is the case, then study the letters some more. (2) Your brainless fingers are having trouble playing the section. If this happens, then you are probably playing the section too fast. Slow down your beat. Count “one, two…” more slowly as you play.
Try the section again. If you still cannot play it, don’t panic. This is part of the practicing process. This means that your phrase is too big. Break the phrase down into even smaller sections. If you ever need to break down a phrase into smaller sections, think of this rule: one measure plus one note. This means play A A C. Then play C D E. A A are the notes from the first measure. C is the next note after that. Together they form “one measure plus one note.” Same with C D E.
Whether you are playing one phrase or one measure plus one note, make sure that once you have played it correctly, you repeat that section correctly again and again and again. Play nice and slowly every time. This is important training for your fingers. Their muscles must remember how to play the section correctly, and the only way they will learn is through repetition.
After you have learned one section, congratulations! You are well on your way to learning the entire song. The next challenge is to learn a second section. I suggest learning phrase two. This phrase is only two measures long and only has three notes: D D E. It might be a little easier to learn than phrase one. Follow the same steps you worked on while learning phrase one.
Now that you have learned both phrases, it is time to combine them. When you play both phrases, listen carefully. New little problems tend to come up when combining phrases, but none of them are so big that you cannot fix them through some thoughtful practicing. The first step is identifying the problems. Are you holding E in measure 3 for two beats, as you should? Are you holding it too long and pausing before you play the second phrase? Are you accidentally only holding it for one beat? Did you put a pause in between D and E in measures 4 and 5? You might try taking a pencil and marking where your mistakes are. To fix them, you must zoom in on each trouble spot. You are like a doctor fixing up a patient. Zooming in means that you practice and fix just the section that has the mistake. Pausing in between phrases is a common problem. Since pausing at the barline where one phrase ends is the problem, you must practice across the barline. To practice across the barline, pick a note or two on each side of the barline. In our example, the barline that separates phrase one and two is between measures 3 and 4. So the notes to pick are E from measure 3 and D from measure 4. Just practice these notes over and over again. You see, your fingers have learned each phrase separately, but they are having trouble combining the two phrases because they have no experience with the transition between the two.
Once you feel that you can very easily play E and D across the barline, zoom out just a little bit by adding one or two more notes to the section. Try starting on D from measure 2 and playing D E D D. Repeat this until you know it well. Then try from the beginning of measure 2 until the end of the second phrase (C D E D D E). Could you do it? If so, start at the beginning and try both phrases. If you could not do it, just remember, if there is ever a time that you cannot play something comfortably, do not just keep on trying to play it over and over again. You will most likely just keep on messing up. Imagine if you did not understand something in school, and instead of trying a different way to explain it to you, your teacher just kept telling you the same thing over and over again. You would probably get very frustrated and still not understand what in the world your teacher was talking about. Now you are the teacher, so if you screw up, donÌt worry. Just try playing the whole section more slowly or try zooming in again to the trouble spot. You can also try zooming in AND slowing down. Trust your fingers. Eventually they will get it right. They just need lots of practice, patience, and encouragement.
Eventually, you will be ready to learn phrase 3. Go through the same steps that you took to learn phrases 1 and 2. Then combine phrase 2 with phrase 3. You might have some new problems to work out, just like you did when you combined phrases 1 and 2.
One of the final steps is to combine all the phrases. My suggestion is that you try the whole song a little slower at first. New problems might come up, even at this stage. Whatever you do, do not ignore them. Zoom in and keep fixing the problems. If you have to go back to just combining phrases 1 and 2, do it. Eventually, you will have learned all the rhythms and notes, and your fingers will finally be able to play the whole song without much effort at all.
You might find, even after spending a day getting your fingers and mind to play all three phrases together really well, that when you go to practice the very next day, your fingers have forgotten much of what they have learned. This happens to everyone. This is why you must practice every day. The more you practice, if you practice with this much effort and thoughtfulness, the better you and your fingers will get at remembering, and you will be able to learn songs even faster.
The very last step is my favorite. This is where you get to know the song, not just as a bunch of notes, letters, numbers, and fingers, but as a great, fun piece of music! Play the song over and over again, until you can hum it in class, in the bathtub, or on the bus. Try playing it loudly. Try playing it softly. Try playing it really slowly or really quickly. You have put so much great effort into learning the song. Now is your chance to enjoy the music!
An Introduction to The Grand Staff
Last modified on 2009-05-31 09:22:33 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
Piano players read notes on one big staff made up of ten lines. This is called a grand staff. Because we use two hands to play the piano, the grand staff is split into two staffs made up of five lines each. The upper staff is usually played by the right hand. It is usually seen with a treble clef in front of it. The lower staff is usually played by the left hand. It is usually seen with a bass clef in front of it.
Grand Staff:
You already know that musical notes are written as circles on the lines and spaces of these staffs. The musical alphabet that goes with these notes uses only seven letters: A B C D E F G. These seven notes on the treble clef staff are written beginning with A on the second space. B is the note on the third line, and so on (see example below). The bass clef alphabet begins with A on the bottom space. B follows on the second line, and so on.
You can see that there are many more lines and spaces above and below the ABCDEFG notes in the example above. The notes that go on these other lines and spaces also use letters from the alphabet. When you get to the end of the seven letter alphabet, you start back at A again. The seven letters just get repeated over and over again (ABCDEFGABCDEFGAB…). Now look at the grand staff and ALL of its notes. The bottom note on the bass clef staff is F. The next note up is G. Then the alphabet begins again with A. The bottom note on the treble clef staff is D. Then the notes move up to E, F, and G. Once again, the note after this is A.ove or below each staff.
Because middle C acts like a link between the bass and treble clef, it is a good place to begin when learning to read two-handed songs on the grand staff.
Giant Steps Exercises 1 – Augmented Scale Theory
Last modified on 2009-12-28 22:40:53 GMT. 1 comment. Top.
These exercises assume the reader has already checked the introductory paper on Augmented Scale Theory. If you have not read the paper, feel free to do so here. If you are ready to start with the exercises, go for it! I have also included this set of Giant Steps exercises as PDF downloads in F, C, and E-flat. Have you tried these other exercises, too? If AST is still confusing, I’m constantly working on getting more material online. Stay tuned, and feel free to join my free mailing list for updates. Fill out the form here. I also offer lessons, both in NYC and via webcam, if you would really like to pursue AST with me.
Download Giant Steps Exercises 1 in E-flat Major (concert key)
Download Giant Steps Exercises 1 in F Major (for B-flat instruments)
Download Giant Steps Exercises 1 in C Major (for E-flat instruments)
Augmented Scale Theory Exercises 1
Last modified on 2009-07-31 20:42:36 GMT. 7 comments. Top.
Thank you to all of you, worldwide, who have taken an interest in Augmented Scale Theory. The biggest request I get from people who contact me is for more applicable material. Here are some Augmented Scale Theory exercises, for those who are looking for more application and insight into Augmented Scale Theory. These exercises relate to linear development when using scale fragments based on fundamental concepts in Augmented Scale Theory. These are preliminary exercises, but they warrant some more explanation. Check back soon, as I plan on expanding this post to include some helpful suggestions regarding each exercise.
Major Triads Warmup Exercise
Last modified on 2009-06-15 02:25:44 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
by Javier Arau © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Scroll through the exercise below, or download the lesson as a printable PDF
Major Scale Tips and Tricks
Last modified on 2009-06-14 16:30:48 GMT. 4 comments. Top.
Learn a very fast way to master all 12 major scales.
Anatomy of a Melody, Part 3
Last modified on 2009-06-12 22:02:46 GMT. 6 comments. Top.
Part 3: Gaining melodic independence over a II-V-I progression
by Javier Arau © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Scroll through the lesson below, or download the lesson as a printable PDF
Introduction
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One of the challenges in improvising over a basic II-V-I chord progression is keeping a solo sounding unpredictable and engaging. Maintaining a focus only on chord tones can often lead to a very satisfying melody, but such an approach can begin to sound uninspired, predictable, and a bit tedious. Chord tone consonances within a melodic line can always be balanced with a focus on non-chord tone dissonances. Breaking free of chord tone dependency can be achieved by attaining a deeper understanding of tension and release within the II-V-I progression. The end result is a “melodic independence” and freedom to create a line as dissonant or consonant as you desire.
Differing tension-release patterns: Big picture vs. small picture
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A “big picture” tension-release pattern occurs over the course of the entire chord progression. The big picture pattern of a four-measure II-V-I chord progression begins with 2 measures of release (tonic I) and alternates with 2 measures of tension (II and V) (Example 1a). Chordally dependent melodies reinforce this big picture pattern by focussing only on chord tones in the chord progression. A “small picture” tension-release pattern can occur within each individual chord in the II-V-I progression (Ex. 1b), but since the notes of a chordally dependent melody remain consonant within each chord and are not balanced by any focus on tension notes, small picture tension-release patterns do not occur in chordally dependent melodies. The only way to create melodic tension within an individual chord is to gain melodic independence from the chord progression.
Example 1a:
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Example 1b:
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Gaining melodic independenceAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
An occasional focus on a non-chord tone can add tension to any melody, thus providing balance to the small picture. In addition, such a focus helps the melody gain independence from its underlying chord progression. Examples 2 and 3 both offer melodies that are melodically independent. Example 2 centers mostly around non-chord tones—scale step 6 over the I chord, 5 over the II chord, and 3 over the V chord—all of which provide points of tension. The final measure offers a quick and direct resolution to scale step 1. Both melodies provide brief moments of release throughout, but the moments of tension are more heavily stressed. In example 3, measures 1 and 3 both stress non-chord tones on beat 3. Measures 2 and 4 both stress non-chord tones within the first beat.
Example 2:
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Example 3:
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Using chord tone suspensionsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
In a II-V-I progression, a pitch that is a point of resolution over one chord very often becomes a point of tension over the next chord. To become a point of resolution again, it usually must move up or down a step. In example 4, scale steps 4 and 2 are consonant with a V chord and must resolve down a step, to 3 and 1, to become consonant with the I chord in measure 2. If scale steps 4 and 2 are not resolved immediately to the I chord and instead rub against it, they are considered suspensions, momentarily hanging “suspended,” as if in mid-air, over the new chord (Ex. 5). A suspension usually eventually resolves to the new chord, but it arrives at this resolution a little late. Examples 6 and 7 illustrate the use of suspensions. Using suspensions can help make an otherwise chordally dependent melody sound melodically independent.
Example 4:
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Example 5:
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Example 6:
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Example 7:
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Superimposing chordsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
A melody can imply more chords than just the ones in the underlying chord progression. Melodic independence can also be achieved by superimposing extra chords in a melody. Examples 8 and 9 illustrate melodic independence using superimposed harmonies. The melody in example 8 implies a V chord in the second half of measure 1 and the first half of measure 2. A tonic I chord is implied at the start of measure 4. The superimposed harmonies in example 9 all use notes from the tonic I scale, with an occasional raised-7th added.
Example 8:
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Example 9:
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ConclusionAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
On the road to melodic independence, you should take significant time and energy to become fluent with handling chord tones and non-chord tones within each chord of a II-V-I chord progression. Also, get to know your own tension and release preferences. A well-crafted melody can evoke a complete spectrum of complex emotions. Like life, melody need not fit into simple compartments of complete consonance or dissonance. Emotional nuance is valuable for artistic expression, and it may be attained only through mastery of both big picture and small picture tension-release patterns. When attained, your own voice is likely to emerge, stronger than ever.
Next time: Using sequences and thematic development over a II-V-I progression
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Sequences and thematic development also help to achieve melodic independence. They give purpose and direction to any line and contribute to an engaging melody. Next time, we will explore how to develop successful sequences and melodic themes over a II-V-I progression.
Bonus: 6 minute play-a-long track. Practice making your own melodies, using the G natural minor scale, with an added F#.
Play-a-long for C instruments:
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Play-a-long for B-flat instruments:
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Play-a-long for E-flat instruments:
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Anatomy of a Melody, Part 2
Last modified on 2009-06-12 22:10:27 GMT. 3 comments. Top.
Part 2: Learning chordal dependence over a II-V-I chord progression
by Javier Arau © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Scroll through the lesson below, or download the lesson as a printable PDF
Introduction
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One of the fundamental challenges of improvising over a basic II-V-I chord progression is knowing how to move smoothly from one chord to another, matching each new chord in the cycle. This may be achieved by maintaining a steady focus on chord tones, which tend to change with each new chord. This focus on chord tones is called “chordal dependence,” and the resulting melody can be quite consonant and strikingly beautiful.
Understanding basic II-V-I chord triads
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Before you get to improvising over a II-V-I progression, you should first understand a bit about the origins of II-V-I chord triads. The I, II, and V chords are all based on the tonic I scale (Examples 1a-b). This scale can be played over all three chords of the II-V-I progression. The tonic I chord triad uses scale steps 1, 3, 5; the II chord triad uses scale steps 2, 4, 6; the V chord triad uses scale steps 5, #7, 2 (Ex. 2). The II-V-I progression is very often a 4-measure pattern, with 2 measures of tonic I, 1 measure of II, and 1 measure of V (Ex. 2).
Example 1a:
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Example 1b:
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Example 2:
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Understanding basic II-V chord extensions
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To play an effective, chordally dependent solo, knowing simple triads is often not enough. You must also get to know the upper extensions of the II chord and the V chord. Example 3 illustrates every chord tone within the II and V chords, including common chord tone extensions. The chord tones presented here greatly increase the melodic possibilities, but the sheer number of tones can be a bit overwhelming at first.
Example 3:
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Limiting the melodic focus (to 1, 3, 5 and 2, 4, 6)
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Instead of handling so many chord tones and extensions at once, and to keep things concise, try limiting the chord tones to 1, 3, 5 over the I chord and 2, 4, 6 over the II and V chords (Ex. 4). Most new improvisers tend to approach each new chord with a focus on the tonic of each new chord: centering on G for G minor, A for A minor, and D for D7. A melody can sound really choppy and predictable if you jump so abruptly from one chord center to another, particularly over the V chord, whose basic triad is really far away from both the I and II chords (see Ex. 2). The subtle shift up from 1, 3, 5 to 2, 4, 6 will not only ease your improvising experience, it will also help keep the voice-leading between notes clear, strong, and not at all choppy. Examples 5 and 6 both illustrate melodic, chordal dependence, focusing on 1, 3, 5 (over the I chord) and 2, 4, 6 (over the II and V chords).
Example 4:
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Example 5:
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Example 6:
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Broadening the melodic focus to include all chord tonesAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Now that you have become familiar with the basic melodic movement from 1, 3, 5, to 2, 4, 6, you can broaden your options by including all available chord tones, as introduced in example 3. Among the remaining chord tones to be explored, scale step 1 functions as a point of resolution over the II7 chord, and scale steps 5 and #7 function as points of resolution over the V7 chord. Example 7 illustrates use of the raised-7 on the V7 chord. Example 8 illustrates a brief use of 1 over the minor II7 chord and the use of the raised-7 and 5 on the V7 chord.
Example 7:
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Example 8:
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Becoming familiar with the top and bottom parts of the tonic scale is essential to gaining a strong sense of chordal dependence. Focusing on scale steps 1, 3, 5 and 2, 4, 6 develops the bottom and middle of the scale; including all the chord tones helps develop an understanding of the entire tonic scale. To become fully in control of your melodic line, continue to work on shifting to and from a tonic 1, 3, 5, as the chords dictate. The resulting melodies can be inspiring and beautiful, to say the least.
Next time: Gaining melodic independence over a II-V-I progression
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While relying on the pattern of tension and release inherent in the chord progression can often lead to a very satisfying melody, if you center only on chord tones, you are not maximizing your melodic potential. By increasing levels of tension and release within each chord, you will gain melodic independence, which will bring you one step closer to artistic freedom.
Bonus: 6 minute play-a-long track. Practice making your own melodies, using the G natural minor scale, with an added F#.Play-a-long for C instruments:
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Play-a-long for B-flat instruments:
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Play-a-long for E-flat instruments:
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