This is a worthwhile topic, so here are some more thoughts continuing the discussion of tension and release. Actually, I found this text file sitting around (I wrote it but seemingly never posted it).
read more of more on tension and release
To borrow 7notemode’s term, this is an encyclopedia of reharmonizations for the well-known standard. It’s presented in video form.
read more of video: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
More recycled material here, this is a discussion of upper structure chord voicings.
read more of upper structures
Okay, this should do everyone some good, but it may be difficult for me to convey to guitarists. Apologies in advance for my lack of guitar skills. If you are habitually playing voicings with the root in them (especially in the middle or at the bottom), this article is for you.
read more of chord voicings
What the heck is this guy talking about now? Mental lever? Like a crowbar for your brain?
read more of abstraction is a mental lever
I transcribed the John Lewis composition Django several years ago because I never saw a lead sheet for it that accounted for the different changes that they solo over. All the fake books I’ve seen just list the 20-bar head. So here’s my chart in case you want to play the tune the way MJQ does.
read more of analysis: Django
The circle of fifths is a fundamental construct in music theory. There’s a damn good article about it on Wikipedia, so I intend here to explain several of the ways that it is useful to those who study music. I hope to make it relevant to a working musician (or one who aspires to be).
read more of circle of fifths
This is a sort of a basic theory topic compared to my usual discussions, but it’s an interesting question asked on one of the theory baords on Orkut, and I decided to repost my reply here for those interested.
The question, paraphrased, is:
Is there an explanation to why the tones are named major second, major third, perfect fifth etc with respect to the ratio of frequencies?
11/10, 10/9, 9/8, 8/7 have all been described as the interval of a major second.
How do we tell a major second from a minor third? When does a major second stop and a minor third begin? Is there something about the ratios or their cent values that I’m missing?
Another case of transcription with a bonus analysis at no extra charge. Warm Valley is a marvelous Duke Ellington composition. It doesn’t get played enough, probably because it’s in very few fakebooks. When it does appear it’s hideously disfigured (at least the chart I finally found turned out to be grievously flawed).
read more of transcription: Warm Valley
The dominant chord is the most important chord. Hence the name. But you may be wondering:
what’s so important about it?
read more of dominant chords
