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"Guitar Chord Harmony
Secrets - Part 2"
Dear Advancing Guitarist,
Welcome to the fascinating world of guitar chords
and harmony! While this second report is not meant to replace any of the fine
harmony / theory books available that elaborate in greater detail, I think you
will find it contains more information that you can quickly and easily use to
enhance and expand your own guitar playing regardless of what style of music you
play. So let's get right into it!
Often you will see the symbols +5, b5, +9, or b9 following the chord name.
When
you see a C7+5 you would now sharp the 5th degree or G and use a G# in the
chord instead.
The C7+5 chord would consist of the 1st, 3rd, #5th, and b7th
degrees of the Major scale or C, E, G#, and Bb.
The same principle would apply to
the following examples:
C7b5 chord - consists of the 1st, 3rd, b5th, and b7th
degrees of the Major scale or C, E, Gb, and Bb.
C7+9 chord - consists of the
1st, 3rd, 5th, b7th, and #9th degrees of the Major scale or C, E, G, Bb, and D#.
C7b9 chord - consists of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, b7th, and b9th degrees of the
Major
scale or C, E, G, Bb, and Db.
The C Dim7th chord would consist of the 1st, b3rd, b5th, and bb7th degrees of the
Major scale or C, Eb, Gb, and Bbb (A).
Notice that this
Dim7th chord is unique in that
it repeats itself every 3 frets up or down the guitar neck.
The C minMaj7th chord would consist of the 1st, b3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees of
the Major scale or C, Eb, G, and B.
This chord is often
used to connect a C minor
to a C min7th. The chord passage is typically played C minor --> C minMaj
7th --> C min7th --> C min6th.
The C Augadd 9 chord would consists of the
1st, 3rd, #5th, and 9th degrees of the Major scale or C, E, G#, and D.
Notice that
this chord is unique in that it repeats itself every 5 frets up or down the
guitar neck.
As well as "embellishing" or "extending" chords you can also "substitute"
certain chords for other chords. This can really start to enhance your playing
because it affords you the ability to create more harmonic movement.
When you see a C Major chord you could substitute a minor chord based on the 3rd
degree (E) or 6th degree (A) of the Major scale.
So, instead of just playing a C
Maj7th you could now substitute an E min7th or an A min7th instead.
When you see a C7th chord you could substitute a minor chord based on the 5th
degree (G) of the Major scale.
So instead of just playing a C7th, you could now
substitute a G min7th instead.
When you see a C minor chord, you could substitute a Major chord based on the
b3rd (Eb) of the Major scale.
So, instead of playing a C minor 7th, you could
now substitute an Eb Maj7th.
Hopefully, this 2nd report has helped clarify in greater detail some of the
confusion and mystery surrounding guitar chords and harmony in general!
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Never B#, Never Bb, Just B Natural,
Steven Herron
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist,
performer and teacher
Joe Pass - Jazz Guitar Legend Extraordinaire!
Compiled & Edited By
Steven Herron
If Joe Pass had not been
sidelined with prescription drug dependency, he certainly would have joined the
terrific jazz guitar surge of the fifties. Throughout that golden era, when
guitarists like Barney Kessel, Johnny Smith, Kenny Burrell, Jimmy Raney, Tal
Farlow, Jim Hall, Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts, and Wes Montgomery rose to
notoriety, he would certainly have been among the category's leading pioneers.
As it was, destiny had other plans for Joe Pass. While perfecting the art of
bebop in New York City, he fell victim to the exact same practice of the period
that afflicted contemporary jazz artists like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and
John Coltrane. After knocking around in and out of jail for over 10 years from heroin
addiction, Joe got into Synanon in 1960. Exactly what
followed is among jazz guitar music's best success stories!
Joe Pass initially acquired public recognition with his jazz guitar playing as
part of the house band on 1961's "Sounds of Synanon". His first record album
"Catch Me", and its subsequent follow up "For Django", brought to
light Joe Pass's talent in no uncertain terms. By 1965, he was in demand as one
of the busiest jazz sidemen of that period, supporting musicians such as
George Shearing, Groove Holmes, Gerald Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Les McCann.
At
decade's end, Joe Pass had recorded a number of record albums on the
Pacific Jazz label (these are at long last readily available on CD in a must
have Mosaic Records' collection) and was a neighborhood living legend in the Los
Angeles jazz guitar scenario. Lee Ritenour once described him as "The President
Of Bebop" on the West Coast, a thought shared by a lot of up and coming jazz
guitar players of the day.
For about a year and a half, Joe Pass took official jazz guitar
lessons from
a neighborhood multi-instrumental performer. He found out how to read written
music, studied some Nick Lucas jazz guitar technique publications, and was shown
some basic fingerstyle acoustic guitar concepts from the Carcassi Classical
Guitar Method. At this point in his life, he studied and played roughly 6 hours
a day under the watchful eye and rigorous observation of his dad. By the time he
was twelve, Joe Pass was an outstanding improviser and was playing live gigs at regional restaurants with more mature artists. During this time
he also became familiar with jazz artists like saxophonist Ben Webster
and trumpeter Roy Eldridge.
In 1972, Joe Pass broke new ground with his "Virtuoso" record album.
The promise made by his Pacific Jazz recordings was met on "Virtuoso". This
record album highlighted Joe Pass playing unaccompanied, solo jazz guitar for a
whole program of twelve tunes! A collection that seems as fresh and remarkable
today, "Virtuoso" raised the bar in the jazz guitar world over night!
From that time on, "Virtuoso" came to be Joe's nickname. He dominated in the
solo jazz guitar universe and did this till his unfortunate demise in 1994. In
retrospection, Joe Pass is among the most crucial artists of the twentieth
century and continues to be the ultimate total jazz guitar player!
Stories from the Joe Pass era have it that Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy,
influenced a 9 year old by the name of Joseph Anthony Passalaqua to get started
with the acoustic guitar and turn into one of the world's most famous guitarists - an
idealized and enchanting image yet barely true. Joe Pass exposed that tale years
back. The truth be told, Joe didn't remember precisely what motivated him to
begin playing jazz guitar - he simply did. When he did, he participated in the
area music scene in Johnstown, New Jersey - merely
hanging out with various other guitar players, being exposed to Italian
sing-along tunes of the day, and listening closely. A lot of listening closely!
To finish reading this article about Joe Pass
and hear him play more guitar solos
click here
