Jazz Guitar 4 Beginners: Chords & Scales TCC~ GG Preparata

…& Onto our Path to Improvisation SCALES & MODES And Chords… …& Onto our Path to Improvisation

SCALES MAJOR DIATONIC SCALE: That of C, par excellence, in that it is composed by 8 notes, the eighth being the repetition of the first (“an octave apart”)

DEGREES OF THE SCALE 1st: Tonic: The most important degree; from the Greek tonós, which means “tension of a string, sound” ~ gravitational center of the tonality 5th: Dominant: After the Tonic, this is the most important degree of the scale; in brief, it is said to be “dominant” because of its centrality and of its “dominating” presence 4th: Subdominant: as implied by the name, this degree is of minor importance; “lies below” the dominating 5th…

DEGREES OF THE SCALE II 3rd: Characteristic, Modal, or Mediant: “Mediant” as in a median position between tomic and dominant; “modal” in that it defines the mode, the “mood” of the scale/tonality: major or minor (or absence therof) 7th: Leading tone, of “sensitive”(sensibile): the function of this degree is to “guide” the tonic, which lies half-a-tone above it. Thanks to the sensitive, the scale acquires a completeness that allows it to “conclude” (rersolve) onto the eighth note), which the 7th attractes to itself “irresistibly,” in order to reieterate the scale an octave higher.

DEGREES OF THE SCALE III 6th: Submediant, Superdominant (lying above the dominant): This degree is valued by some for its central function, between the Subdominant (4th) and the Tonic (1st); others appreciate its importance for generating the first relative minor of the Tonic 2nd: Supertonic: This is the least important degree of the scale (yet not irrelevant for it has its God-given place in the sequence), which derives from its position (a tone higher than the Tonic)

TONALITY Very, very briefly

…”In the Key of…” Each Major Tonality has a relative Minor tonality associated with it (the relative minor) & vice versa (relative major) E.g., C major A minor (6th, “Natural”) Consequently: the tonic of the realtive major of a Natural Minor Scale is the 3rd degree of the NMS In the long evolution of Harmony from the Greeks to our times, by way of the Middle Ages, these two “modes’ were the two essential patterns retained to define what is known as the “Bimodal/Dual Tonality” These 2 modes contained, in synthesis, all the principal characteristics of the 7 modes.

Poly-modal Tonality In the 1960s, the publication George Russell’s The Lydian Concept of Tonal Organization for Improvisation marks the end of bimodal tonality and a return to medieval tonality, in which each of the seven modes forms a “pole” (a gravitational center of the Diatonic Major Scale…

The Greek Modes & Guitar fingerings F Ionian Fingering 2: G Dorian Fingering 3: A Phrygian Fingering 4: Bb Lydian

The Greek Modes & Guitar fingerings II C Mixolydian Fingering 6: D Eolian (Natural Minor) Fingering 7: E Locrian

The Greek Modes & SIMPLER Guitar fingerings I F Ionian

The Greek Modes & SIMPLER Guitar fingerings II G Dorian A Phrygian: Start at the 5th fret(A) Bb Lydian: same fingering, starting on the second note of the Phrygian Mode (Bb) FIFTH FRET

The Greek Modes & SIMPLER Guitar fingerings III D Aeolian E Locrian

CHORDS Minor 7, Maj 7, 7th, Augmented, diminished, etc. Several positions, forms

MINOR 7TH FORMS Bass: Or with index playing 3rd on the 5th string, 2 frets back . Intermediate: Generally, with a barre High Other form: E.g., Cm7

DOMINANT 7TH FORMS Bass: “Full” & Intermediate: E.g., G7 E.g., G7 . High & other forms

MAJOR 7TH FORMS Intermediate: High Variation on the Intermediate Bass: . Other important form:

SYNOPSES

13th, Minor b5th (Semi-Dim.)

C Diminished

Augmented Chords

The Intervals in the 7 Modes Ionian: Maj7, 9… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (9) (11) (13) . Dorian: m7, m9, m11 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (9) (11) (13) Phrygian: Maj7/b5 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (b9) (11) (b13) Lydian: Maj7#11 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 (9) (#11) (13) . Myxolydian: Dominant chords, 7, 9, 13… 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 (9) (11) (13) Aeolian: m7#5, m11#5 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (9) (11) (b13) Locrian: m7b5 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 (b9) (11) (b13) .