04 September 2023

Jazz Theory Notes, Mark Levine

INTRO
Scales are Chords and Chords are Scales
The 5 scales you must learn for improvising are:
    The major scale and its modes
    The melodic minor scale and its modes
    The diminished scale
    The whole tone scale
    The blues scale
MAJOR
Major Scale (avoid note 4) - major 7th chords; Imaj7's usually work with an optional 6 or 69
Dorian - minor 7th chords
Phrygian - sus 9 chords; can replace sus chords, dominant 7ths, and ii-Vs
Lydian - major 7th 4 chords; IVmaj7's usually work with an optional 4
Mixolydian (avoid note 4) - dominant 7th chords, sus chords
Aeolian - minor6 chords
Locrain (avoid note 2) - half diminished chords

MINOR
Melodic Minor/ Minor Major - minor major chords
    Can replace ii7s if not part of a ii-V, unless melody note is the 7th
Phrygian-Dorian - sus 9 chords; can replace sus chords, dominant 7ths, and ii-Vs
    Phrygian-Dorian is less dissonant than Phrygian
Lydian Augmented - major 7th 5 chords (implied 4)
Lydian Dominant - dominant 7th 11 chords
Mixolydian6 - rarely used; tonic minor major chords with 5th in bass
Locrian 2/ Half Diminished - half diminished chords
    Locrian 2 is less dissonant than Locrian
Altered/ Diminished Whole Tone - dominant 7th altered chords (alt = 7991113)

MAJOR & MINOR
Chords in C major: CM7, Dm7, Esus9, FM74, G7, G sus, Am6, Bm75
Chords in C minor: CmM, Dsus9, EM5, F711, Am75, B7alt
In major keys, there are avoid notes; in minor keys there are none.
This means that patterns, motifs, phrases, etc will work with any of these chords.
However, while [ii V I] are all derived from one major scale,
    [ii75 Valt7 ImM7] are derived from three different melodic minor scales.
    Dm75 - F melodic minor; Galt7 - A melodic minor; CmM7 - C melodic minor

DIMINISHED
Octatonic Scales/Diminished Scales
    Half-whole scales - dominant 7th 9 chords
    Whole-half scales - diminished chords
Dominant 7th 9 chords/ dominant 7th 9 chords imply both  & 9ths as well as 11s.
Diminished chords replace dominant 7th 9 chords to create a chromatic bassline.
Diminished scales have no avoid notes.
Patterns, motifs, etc work with C79,  E79, G79, and A79.
Every time you play something from the diminished scale, you're playing in 4 tonalities.

WHOLE TONE
Whole Tone Scale - dominant 7th5 chords
Dominant 7th5 chords imply both 5s and 11s.
Dominant 7th13 chords imply dominant 7th alts, or 9, 9, 11, and 13.
Dominant 7th5 chords sometimes replace dominant 7th alts.
Whole tone scales have no avoid notes.
Patterns, motifs, etc work with:
    C75, D75, E75, F75, G75, and A75.
Every time you play something from the whole tone scale, you're playing in 6 tonalities.
Whole tone is used fairly sparingly, and in short doses.

SLASH CHORDS
Slash Chords
C/C - C major and C Lydian
D/C - C Phrygian and C Locrian
D/C - C Lydian
E/C - C Dorian
E/C - C Lydian augmented
F/C - F major
G/C - C altered and C half/whole diminished
G/C - C major
A/C - A major
A/C - C half-whole diminished
B/C - C Mixolydian
B/C - C whole/half diminished

BEBOP
Bebop Dominant (major, add 7) - V chords and ii V progressions
Bebop Dorian (dorian, add 3) - ii chords
Bebop Major (major, add 5) - I chords
Bebop Melodic Minor (melodic minor, add 5) - i chords

PENTATONIC
The standard pentatonic scale is the major (1 2 3 5 6).
The minor pentatonic scale is the 5th mode, or minor (1 3 4 5 7).

The major pentatonic scale is present on the I, IV, and V of every major key.
Each pentatonic scale belongs to 3 different keys.
The I, IV, and V major pentatonic scales have no avoid notes over a ii chord.
The I and V pentatonic scales have no avoid notes over a I chord.
The V pentatonic scale has no avoid note over a V chord.
So the V pentatonic scale can be played over ii V I.
Also, the G pentatonic scale can be played over:
    CM7, Dm7, Esus9, FM4, G7, Gsus, and B half dim.
The II pentatonic scale can be played over a Imaj4.
In melodic minor, there is only one naturally occurring pentatonic scale.
It is the major pentatonic scale starting on the IV (F pentatonic over C melodic minor).
The altered chord can be improvised on with the pentatonic scale starting a tritone away.
Pentatonic scales do not occur in diminished or whole-tone scales.

A different 5-note (pentatonic) scale is called "in-sen."
The intervals for this are shown in this example (E F A B D).
It is built off of the III of the C major scale or the II of the D melodic minor.
Another 5-note (pentatonic) scale is called the "altered pentatonic."
The intervals for this are shown in this example (E F A B C)
Both the in-sen and the altered pentatonic are played over sus9 chords.

BLUES
Jazz evolved from African-American, European, Latin-American sources, and the blues.
The blues are a form, a sound, a feeling, and an attitude.
The main elements of the blues are the changes and the blues scale.
Original Blues
    I7, I7, I7, I7
    IV7, IV7, I7, I7
    V7, IV7, I7, I7

1930's Blues
    I7, IV7, I7, I7
    IV7, IV7, I7, I7
    V7, IV7, I7, V7

Bebop Blues
    I7, IV7, I7, IIm7 IV7
    IV7, IVm7 VII7, IIIm7 VIm7, IIIm7 VIm7
    IIm7, V7, I7 VI7, IIm7 V7

Minor Blues
    Im, Im, Im, I7alt
    IVm, IVm, Im, Im
    VI7, V7, Im, V7alt

Blues Waltz
    V7, V7, V7, V7
    V7, V7, V7, V7
    Isus, Isus, Isus, Isus
    V7, V7, V7, V7
    II79, II79, III79, II79
    V7, V7, V7, V7

The minor pentatonic scale is largely interchangeable with the blues scale.
Minor pentatonic (A C D E G); blues (A C D D E G).
Major, melodic minor, diminished, and whole-tone scales can be played on the blues.
The blues scale can be played outside of the blues.
It is mostly played over V7 and m7 chords.
The blues scale can be played over all three chords I7, IV7, and V7.

PENTATONIC & BLUES SUMMARY
Play pentatonic scales on all major and melodic scale chords.
Play blues scales starting a m3 down from the root of the pentatonic scale.
II chords: I, IV, and V pentatonics; VI, II, and III blues/minor pentatonics
V chords: V pentatonic; III blues/minor pentatonic
I chords: I and V pentatonics; VI and III blues/minor pentatonics
II V I: V pentatonic; III blues/minor pentatonic

RHYTHM CHANGES
The blues changes are most famous.
The second are "I've Got Rhythm," but they're not easy.
AABA.

Original:
BGm7Cm7F7
BGm7Cm7F7
BB7EEm
BGm7Cm7F7
BGm7Cm7F7
BGm7Cm7F7
BB7EEm
BF7BB
D7D7D7D7
G7G7G7G7
C7C7C7C7
F7F7F7F7
BGm7Cm7F7
BGm7Cm7F7
BB7EEm
BF7BB

1930's:
BB°7Cm7C°7
Dm7G7Cm7F7
BB7/DEE°7
B/FG75Cm7F7
BB°7Cm7C°7
Dm7G7Cm7F7
BB7/DEE°7
F7F75B6B6
D7D7D7D7
G7G7G7G7
C7C7C7C7
F7F7F7F75
BB°7Cm7C°7
BG7Cm7F7
BB7/DEE°7
F7F75B6B6

Bebop:
BG79/G7altCm7F79/F7alt
Dm7G79/G7altCm7F79/F7alt
Fm7B79/B7altE7MA711
Dm7G79/G7altCm7F79/F7alt
BG79/G7altCm7F79/F7alt
Dm7G79/G7altCm7F79/F7alt
Fm7B79/B7altE7MA711
Cm7F79/F7altBB
Am7Am7D79/D7altD79/D7alt
Dm7Dm7G79/G7altG79/G7alt
Gm7Gm7C79/C7altC79/C7alt
Cm7Cm7F79/F7altF79/F7alt
BG79/G7altCm7F79/F7alt
Dm7G79/G7altCm7F79/F7alt
Fm7B79/B7altE7MA711
Cm7F79/F7altBB

Alternate beginnings:
F7B7E7A7
D7G7C7F7

B7A7G7F7
B7A7G7F7

Alternate B sections:
D7D7D7D7
D7D7D7D7
C7C7C7C7
B7B7B7B7

E7E7E7E7
E7E7E7E7
D7D7D7D7
C7C7B7B7

BASIC REHARMONIZATION
1.  Replace a V with II-V (Dm7 G7 instead of G7))
2.  Tritone substitution for a dominant 7 (C7 instead of G7)
    (Try in the 4th bar of the blues)
    Can create chromatic bass lines or change melody lines
3.  Do both (Gm7 C7 instead of G7)
4.  Replace a Im7 with Im6 or a ImM7 (Cm6 or CmM7 instead of Cm7)
5.  When a Im chord lasts for 2 bars or more, the bass line can descend chromatically.
    (Cm, CmM7, Cm7, Cm6, (G) instead of Cm)
    Or the fifth of the chord can ascend chromatically.
    (Cm, Cm6, Cm6, Cm7 instead of Cm)
6.  Replace a IIm7 V with II half dim V (Dm75 G instead of Dm7 G)
7.  If the melody of a tonic minor chord is on the 3rd or 7th scale degree,
    Replace Im with VII/I (B/C instead of Cm).
8.  Replace a IIm7 V with a V7/V V (D7 G instead of Dm G)
9.  Replacing V7 chords:
    Options are V79, V79, Valt, V11, V75, Vsus, and Vsus9.
    V9 (from the half-step/whole-step diminished scale) often resolves down a 5th.
        Doesn't work when the melody is 9th or the 13, which are not from that scale.
    V7alt and V711 are tritone substitutions from the same melodic minor scale.
        There are no avoid chords in melodic minor.
        All melodic minor chords are interchangeable.
        So these chords are treated the same way and resolve to the same chords.
        (In C minor, these are B7alt or F711).
        Strongest resolutions for V7alts are down a fifth, up a half step, or down a major third.
        Strongest resolutions for V711s are down a half step, down a 4th, or up a whole step.
        Alt won't work if the melody is a 9th or 13th, which aren't from the altered scale.
        V711 won't work if melody is a 9, 9, 13, or 11; which aren't Lydian dominant.
        V11 is also a good replacement for a V/V resolving to a IIm7.
        (D11 to Dm7 instead of D7 to Dm7 in the key of C)
    V75 (from the whole tone scale) , like V79s and V7alts, resolve down a fifth.
    V79 chords often function as a type of I chord.
        These are sometimes played as the first chord in a blues progression.
        They don't resolve anywhere in particular.
    Replacing VI chords:
        In a I-VI-II-V or a III-VI-II-V, replace VIm7 with a VI7 (A7 instead of Am7).
        Dominant seventh chords have more reharmonization options.
        In a I-VI-II-V or a II-VI-II-V, replace VIm7 with II° (C#°7 instead of Am7).
    Replacing a IM7 with I6, I9/6, or I#4 (C6, C9/6, or C#4 instead of CM7).
        IM#4 chords (from the Lydian mode) can almost always replace a IM7.
        This sounds really bad if the melody uses the natural fourth scale degree (avoid note).
    Replace a IM7 with a IIM7 if the melody is on the first or fifth scale degree.
    Replace a IM7 with a VII/I (B/C instead of CM7), but know this is adventurous.
10.  Sus and sus ♭9 chords are used to replace II chords, V chords, and II-V progressions.
    Replace with the same root as the V chord.

BASIC MUSICAL CONCEPTS
Contrary Motion & Parallelism
Chromatic Motion & Building a Chord with Melody on Any Root
Tonicize Any Chord with its Dominant
Diminished Chords & Augmented Sixths
Common Tones & Pedal Points
John Coltrane is credited with popularizing progression movement in major thirds.
McCoy Tyner is credited with using a Locrian scale over a dominant chord.


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