Lesson 6
Notes to Lesson 6
This lesson deals with creating short introductions using melody chords, most of whom are in Group C we discussed in Lesson 1. This will be a little more meaningful if you do a little outside work. That is, find some jazz groups' recordings, especially from the late 40's until recently, and listen to them for the introductions. Sometimes the intro's are from the ending measures of the tune, and quite often they are just a pretty chord progression that leads into the tune. Often, albums by jazz vocals have the most beautiful instrumental intro. One in particular is Julie London's "Cry Me a River", with jazz guitar genius Barney Kessel creating a haunting lead-in. One doesn't have to limit themselves to Jazz recordings. Listen to Chet Atkins with Homer and Jethro in their early recordings of Mainstreet Breakdown, Gallopin' Guitar, just to name two. We immediately identify "How High the Moon" from Les Paul's unforgettable intro.
I've transcribed another great Barney Kessel intro that you'll find in this lesson's TEF's. It's Barney's recording with the Great Guitars Live in 1974 of "Undecided". Barney just uses two of Mickey's melody chord forms, 23 and 32, different fingerings of a V13 chord- V13 to bVI13 (in the key of F.)
Mickey's intro's can be described as nothing more than pretty chord progressions. Try to determine the relationship of the chords to the keys. For example, Intro 1 is /ii-ii-V-V/ii-ii-V-V/I-I-V-V/I....... This will help in your understanding of how these were created, in case you are ever called upon to create an intro. Once you have a structure, it's a relatively simple matter to stuff it with chords so that the upper notes make a pleasing and interesting melody. Something that dawned on me is that these intro's are largely built out of "turn-arounds". Exercise 2 is a 2-measure turn-around that is repeated. Exercise 3 comprises 3 turn-arounds. The remaining intro's are based on chord progressions.
These "Group C Melody Chords" are chords that are mainly using notes from the 1st four strings of the guitar. If you are playing with a larger group, and with lots of rhythm instruments like a bass and a piano, you can use these melody chords to add and to cut through the "low end mud". One "trick" to building your bag of chords is to take a melody chord and try to play the note that was originally on the 1st string on the 6th string. It doesn't always work out, but if you discover 1 new form that way, it's 1 more than you had. And it also works in reverse- a rhythm chord can be converted to a melody chord by moving the 6th string note to the 1st string.
I've written 6 "Bonus" exercises that are commonly used turn-arounds and that you'll immediately recognize. All of these exercises except for 4 and 6 are 4 measures, but are really 2 measures and a repeat. Any of the two measure segments can be used as a tonic turn-around. Please note that I've given chord diagrams without names and below the TAB staff I show the chord in the Roman Numeral system. If you have the opportunity, please comment on this either by email to me or in the Forum on the website. Does it help? hurt? Not quite ready for it? pretty much old hat?
Bonus Exercise 1- Tonic to a #i dim7 used as a passing chord to a ii11 to a V7b5. Note that Mickey would call the Form 13 a V11 chord, but it can also be thought of as a ii11, ii7sus4, or a V7sus4. I chose to group it with ii chords because we can then say it's following the circle of 4ths. Please call it whatever is most comfortable for you.
Bonus Exercise 2- This progression was made famous during the Bossa Nova craze of the 1960's in Jobim's "The One-Note Samba". The iii7 chord is sub'ing for the Tonic. I'm still using the 4/4 "chunk" rhythm, instead of the more familiar Bossa Nova rhythm one normally associates with this progression.
Bonus Exercise 3- This progression shows that using Form 13 and 14 chords, we can rotate through the cycle of 4ths.
Bonus Exercise 4- In this progression we are modifying one of the first progressions that Mickey gave us. Instead of using the super colored chord, a V13b5b9, we are using Form 14, a V7b5. We also are not playing the 1st string on the Form 4 minor7 chords. A variation of this exercise that you might want to try is to play a G Maj7 on the first two beats instead of the B min7.
Bonus Exercise 5- This progression is re-visiting "The One-Note Samba", but an octave higher.
Bonus Exercise 6- Here is another well known progression based on the old standard "Moon Glow". Rather than make two exercises, I'm giving two different locations on the guitar in this one exercise. To play the actual Moon Glow turn-around, in the second measure of each phrase, play one beat of the ii11 chord, 1/2 beat of the bIII7 chord, and a 1/2 beat tied to two beats of the iii7 chord.
Try experimenting with the chords and if you come up with something that you like, send it to me and I'll add it as a bonus exercise.
Just keep it FUN!