6. Harmonizing Extensions in Tune

a. Step 1 - Using our flowchart now with RH extensions

harmonization.

After our extension lesson we can now begin to combine our flow

chart and extensions together to systematically arrange jazz standards.

This no longer becomes a guessing game as we’ve grown to known in

the past, but more of a pick your color paint book. (You remember

those?) We are allowed to pick the option we like the BEST, then

simply fill in the rest of the building blocks that go with that option.

Extremely fun and easy!

Top Bass Note Selected (Option 1 - The Third F up on the piano)

1. LH Root and third– Your RH doesn’t have too many options here to

harmonize again to the space limitations. After we add our 7 in we

will have a number of cluster voicing options that contain a mixture

of our F-7 extensions, 9, 11 & 13 and the addition of our root and 5th

if that’s what you wish to add. (Remember there are still more

combinations that can be played. These are a few examples to give

you some ideas.

Example 1 - Adding the 9

Example 2 - Adding the 9 & 5

Example 3 - Adding the 9 & 11

Example 4 - Adding the 9, 11 & 13

2. Root and 7th – If your LH plays 1+7, will still be playing more of a

cluster voicing because of how close the 1+7 is to the melody on

top. These voicings are thinner sounding but are also very beautiful.

Example 1 - Adding the 9

Example 2 - Adding the 11

Example 3 - Adding the 9 & 5

Example 4 - Adding the 11,13 and Root

Middle Bass Note Selected (Option 2 - The Second F from the bottom of

the piano)

1. Root and 7th - Now that we have a lower bass note we obviously

have more room for different arrangements of the harmonization we

select.

Example 1 - Adding the 9 below 3rd

Example 2 - Adding the 5,13 & 9

Example 3 - Adding the 11, 5, & 13

2. Root, 7 & 3 – This LH component is more useful in harmonization

when the top melody note isn’t the 3rd so that we free our RH up to

harmonize as we please. In this case adding the 3rd in our LH is

simply doubling the melody which is also effective and can be an

added texture, but also not necessary.

Example 1 - Adding the 9, 5, & 13

Example 2 – Adding 9, 11

Example 3 - Adding the 11, 13, & 1

3. Just the bass note – When our LH plays the bass note by itself, our

RH is responsible for doing everything. As always we need to add

the shells first. In situations like these, where the melody is the 3rd of

the chord, we can add the 7th in, then we’re free to harmonize

however we please.

Example 1 - Adding the 5, 9, 11

Example 2 – Adding 5, 9, 13

4. Bass note to shells – When using this option for our LH component I

recommend playing your harmonization with your shells. Although

both are possible, personally, this is what I believe sounds best. Also

remember, there may be able to pick either of the two shell

arrangements to jump to as in this case.

Example 1 (Shells 7 & 3) RH = 5, 13

Example 2 (Shells 7 & 3) RH = 5, 9

5. Bass note to rootless voicing or inversion- This option isn’t much of

an arranging option since your LH is providing everything. You can

however create a double handed voicing option with your LH that

will allow for more extensions / colors. In this case your LH can

play any sort of voicing as long as it contains the shells.

Example 1 – LH = 7, 9, 3, 11 RH = 13, 7

Example 2 – LH = 3, 11, 13, 7 RH = 9

Bottom Bass Note Selected (Option 3 - The First F on the piano) – This

bass note is so low that we can’t play 1 +7 or 1+3 (tenth apart) because it

would sound so muddy.

1. Bass Note alone – With the bass note being so low in this option, we would

voice all of the harmonizations we selected underneath the melody in our

RH.

Example 1 - Adding the 5, 9, 13

Example 2 – Adding 5, 13

Example 3 - Adding the 9, 11,

2. Bass alone then jumps to shells - This option is the same as the previous

bass note then shells but we are playing a lower bass note to start out with.

Example 1 (Shells 7 & 3) –RH = 5 & 13

Example 2 (Shells 7 & 3) –RH = 5 & 9

3. Bass note alone, then chord – This method also stays the same as before.

Example 1 - RH = 13

Example 2 – RH = Root & 13

b. Step 2 – Non Shell Melody Note Harmonization

When harmonizing non shell notes are same general harmonization rules

apply with a couple of situations to take note of.

1. Melody is root or 5th - In this situation the only decision you have to make

is whether or not you’ll want to double the root or 5th in the melody in your

harmonization. Sometimes this can be too many chord tones for one

arrangement. But if you like the sound of it…go for it!

2. The melody is an extension – When the melody is an extension you want

to be careful of not putting in another extension that would conflict. For

example, if the melody is a natural 9, you would not want to add the b9 as

a harmonization note.

3. My Romance Example - We used the first measure of the jazz standard,

“All The Things You Are” to initially exemplify the JPS Solo Piano

arranging process. The melody note in that measure was a part of the shells

to the harmony. Meaning it was one of the notes that was the 3rd or 7th of

the chord F-7. In this case the melody is an Ab, meaning it was 3rd of the

F-7 chord.

In this section I’m going to walk you through how to use the system when

the melody is a non-chord tone using the first measure of “My Romance”.

Bass Note Option – The process of your bass note selection will not

change depending upon the melody being a shell note or non-shell note.

Here are the three Bb bass notes we have available.

One quick note to point out is that the 4th Bb up is not an option because

there is not enough room to fit everything between the melody on top and

the bass note.

Choose LH Component

The main difference when choosing our LH component when our RH

has a non-shell note is we must be sure we have both the 3 & 7 in our

arrangement somewhere. Our melody note was the 3rd before so we

only had to be conscious of getting the 7 in. Now that our melody note

is a non-shell note, we need to make sure we get both the 3 & 7 in.

Top Bass Note Selected (Option 1 - The Third Bb up on the piano)

There are a couple of options that aren’t best with this bass note and melody.

Those being, root and 3rd, root and 3rd a tenth apart, and bass note by itself.

1. Root and 7th – This is a great option to use to spread the voicing out.

With this LH component your RH will take the 3rd , then can add the

9.

2. Root and 3rd Tenth Apart– This doesn’t make sense here because we

still need to add the 7th in somewhere. If our LH is going to play root

and 3rd a tenth apart, we might as well play the bass note then jump

to the shells.

3. Root 7, 3 – This is an option if you’re able to reach or roll quickly.

The average person will not be able to reach the tenths from a black

note to a white note

4. Root to shells – This option can work in this instance but the shells

are very close to the melody so you should put any extensions you

want with your left hand shells as one chord. This doesn’t make

much sense though unless we’re improvising because our RH can

help out with the shells and extensions to play one full chord.

5. Root to chord – This option works as well but still doesn’t make

much sense unless we are playing stride or improvising as our RH is

totally free to help out playing the shells underneath the melody.

6. Bass note alone – This is a good option for simplicity. Our RH plays

the shells below the melody and can add one harmonization in as

well while the LH plays the root.

Middle Bass Note Selected (Option 2 - The Second Bb from the bottom of

the piano)

This bass note gives us most options but more importantly a richer and lower

end texture to fill the balance of our solo piano arrangement.

1. Bass note alone – This is a nice option for a richer low end texture. Our RH

will take the shells underneath the melody.

2. Bass note to shells – With a slow tune like “My Romance”, unless you’re

playing a stride style or improvising I wouldn’t recommend this only

because it is easier physically to play the melody and harmonize the shells

underneath with your RH. Why let your LH do all the work.

3. Bass note to chord – Same thing applies here as above.

4. Root and 7th – Our bass note is below C2, so I would not recommend using

this LH component as the 7th interval is too muddy at this low end register.

5. Root and 3rd – As in the above example, the bass note is too low to utilize

this LH component.

6. Root and 3rd Tenth apart – This is a nice choice if you can reach or roll.

We’d then put the 7th under the melody in our RH, then add harmonization

options.

7. Root, 7, 3 – This is another choice for rolling which would allow for more

harmonization options in the RH.

Bottom Bass Note Selected (Option 3 - The First Bb on the piano)

With this bass note being so low we obviously cannot play 1 & 3 , 1 & 7 or

1,7,3 . All of our other options available.

1. Bass Note alone – LH plays the bass note alone, RH voices the

shells underneath the melody. (see figure 19.25)

2. Bass note to shells - In this example our LH plays the shells and

adds the 9 extensions since it is so close to the melody.

3. Bass note to chord – In this example our LH harmonizes the chord

with extensions however we please.

c. Step 3 - Where to harmonize extensions

Chords with No Melody – Any chord changes with no melody attached to

them are perfect spots to harmonize with extensions. We can create any sort

of color we would like without worrying that it’s effecting the melody.

Long Holds - As with anything in life, we can certainly over use our

harmonization system. The best way to harmonize is going to be with a

balance between chords and melody. If we harmonize too much of the

melody, it will be lost. The best parts of a melody to harmonize are going to

be on the longer duration notes such as half notes and whole notes.

Watch the Melody - When choosing the extension to harmonize we have to

be careful of the melody note because we don’t want any clashes to happen.

Take a look at the no no’s below.

Ex. Half Step Rub with melody and extension.

Ex. Melody notes that are extensions using natural 9’s with

b9 or #9

Careful of progression - This is a much more advanced topic that cannot

be completely covered here but you should still be conscious of.

Here are some examples of how some extensions should be

used best in progressions. These are just general rule of

thumb. Always feel free to experiment and play what you

like best.

Ex. 1 – b9 to minor 7th

Ex 2. Natural 9 on dominant 2 chord

Ex 3. Flat 9 or #9 on V7 chord

Again, these are very general, but the more you pay attention to how

extensions sound in progressions the better you will get with them.

d. Step 4 - Harmonization with Melody vs. Melody then

comp.

Two approaches can be taken when harmonizing extensions into tunes.

Not even just extensions but any sort of harmonization with the melody.

The two approaches are very self-explanatory.

Harmonizing with the melody is the approach we’ve been using

thus far. We take the melody and harmonize underneath of it.

The next approach is to play the melody in a simple form then

comp however you wish after you have stated the melody. This

allows for a lot of possibilities since you can essentially comp

anything you wish after you’ve stated the melody.