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CHAPTER 2 HARMONIC CONSIDERATIONS

Tonal Harmony (Minor Key Orientation)

There are three forms of the minor scale: natural minor, melodic minor, and harmonicminor. Natural minor contains a diatonic sixth and seventh degree. Melodic minor contains a raised sixth and seventh degree, while harmonic minor contains the diatonicsixth degree and a raised seventh degree.

The following charts demonstrate (respectively) the harmonic universe of C naturalminor, C harmonic minor, and C melodic minor, and they show the diatonic seventhchords that are produced on each note of these respective C minor scales.

Harmonic Universe in C Natural Minor

Primary Secondary dominants, their substitutes, and related II–7sDominant

V7/I–7 V7/II–7( 5) V7/ IIIMaj7 V7/IV–7 V7/V–7 V7/ VIMaj7 V7/ VII7

A –7 D 7 B –7 E 7 B–7 E7 D –7 G 7 E –7 A 7 E–7 A7 F –7 B7

D–7( 5) G7( 9) E–7( 5) A7( 9) F–7( 5) B 7( 9) G–7( 5) C7( 9) A–7( 5) D7( 9) B –7( 5) E 7( 9) C–7( 5) F7( 9)

C–7 D–7( 5) E Maj7 F–7 G–7 A Maj7 B 7

I–7 II–7( 5) III Maj7 IV–7 V–7 VI Maj7 VII7

TONIC Subdominant Tonic SUBDOMINANT DOMINANT Subdominant SubdominantMinor Minor Minor Minor Minor 7th Minor Minor

Alias Alias Alias Alias

Harmonic Universe in C Harmonic Minor

Primary Secondary dominants, their substitutes, and related II–7sDominant

V7/I–(Maj7) V7/II–7( 5) V7/ III+(Maj7) V7/IV–7 V7/V7 V7/ VIMaj7 V7/VII 7

A –7 D 7 B –7 E 7 B–7 E7 D –7 G 7 E –7 A 7 E–7 A7 G–7 C7

D–7( 5) G7( 9) E–7( 5) A7( 9) F–7( 5) B 7( 9) G–7( 5) C7( 9) A–7( 5) D7( 9) B –7( 5) E 7( 9) F 7( 9)

C–(Maj7) D–7( 5) E +(Maj7) F–7 G7 A Maj7 B 7

I–(Maj7) II–7( 5) III+(Maj7) IV–7 V7 VI Maj7 VII 7

TONIC Subdominant Tonic SUBDOMINANT DOMINANT Subdominant DominantMinor Minor Minor Minor 7th Minor

Alias Alias AliasAlias

C –7( 5)

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The three forms of the minor scale are interchangeable, and you may notice that sometunes contain references to all three depending on the whim of the composer. In the following example, “Minor Differences,” you will find all three forms of the A minorscale being used. For reference, these scales are shown on the second staff (below themelody). Notice that some of them are built up from the root of the chord-of-the-moment, thereby indicating the correct chord scale for that chord (i.e., the mode of thedesignated minor scale).

Note: For a thorough discussion of chord-scale theory see Modern Jazz Voicings by TedPease and Ken Pullig.

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JAZZ COMPOSITION THEORY AND PRACTICE

Note: Primary and secondary dominant chords in a minor key tend to use %9 as a har-monic tension because it has a darker sound than $9. When %9 is used, the related II–7chord usually takes %5, because %5 and %9 of the dominant are the same pitch. The substitute dominants take $9, and their related II–7s take $5.

A –7

D–7( 5)

DominantPrimary

V7/I–(Maj7)

TONICMinor

I–(Maj7)

G7( 9)

C–(Maj7)

D 7 B –7

E–7( 5)

V7/II–7

Subdominant

II–7

D–7

Alias

A7( 9)

E 7

Harmonic Universe in C Melodic Minor

V7/ III+(Maj7)

F–7( 5)

Secondary dominants, their substitutes, and related II–7s

B–7

III+(Maj7)

TonicMinor

E +(Maj7)

Alias

B 7( 9)

E7

SUBDOMINANT

D –7

G–7( 5)

V7/IV7

7th

IV7

C7( 9)

F7

G 7 E –7

A–7( 5)

DOMINANT

V7/V7

7th

V7

G7

D7( 9)

A 7

B–7( 5)

V7/VI–7( 5)

F–7

VI–7( 5)

Tonic

A–7( 5)

E7( 9)

Alias

B 7 G–7

C –7( 5)

V7/VII–7( 5)

Dominant

VII–7( 5)

Alias

F 7( 9)

B–7( 5)

C7

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