LearnJazzPiano.com archives: learning fourth chords from major and melodic minor

mstore -- 10/16/2006, 07:50:31 -- #30491

hello... The music school i go to require that i learn the fourth chords derived from the melodic minor and major scale. Anyone have any tips on how to use these chords and how to learn them, how to practise them? This problem has been bugging me for a few weeks now. I need to find a reason for using theese and not just having them in my spine without context to music. any tips?

albetan -- 10/16/2006, 09:03:39 -- #30491

Hi Mstore: See my file Quartal Voicings  at "Albetan's Area". In melodic minor, the best quartal voicing is: b3, 6, 9. This is not a perfect quarta, but a modal quartal, defining the minor mode. Also: 2, 5, 8, a perfect quartal.

mstore -- 10/16/2006, 09:43:04 -- #30491

I was talking about 5 note quartal voicings ,,, for instance in c melodic minor :[ Eb A ][ D G C]

jwv76 -- 10/17/2006, 04:01:46 -- #30491

for instance in c melodic minor :[ Eb A ][ D G C] Use this voicing for C min6, F7, B7 alt, and A min7b5. Practice it as a i chord in  C minor, V7 chord in Bb major, V7 chord in E minor, bII7 in Bb minor or major, bII7 in E minor or major, ii-7b5 in G minor. Also works for a D phrygian sound, or F7/D (or like in the second to last bar of Dolphin Dance, C7+9/Eb). One voicing, many different applications, I can see why they want you to learn them.

mstore -- 10/17/2006, 08:18:50 -- #30491

yes... that one is not that hard to find usage for. what about these others from melodic minor. [F B] [Eb A D] [G C][F B Eb] [A D][G C F]   I know how to use this one... and every inversion of it too... [B Eb][A D G] [C F][B Eb A] [D G][C F B] These others are the tricky ones... in order for me to learn this structure in every key i have to have good reasons for it... thanx

jwv76 -- 10/18/2006, 00:59:14 -- #30491

I would say that, in theory, you could use any one of those voicings in any of the contexts I mentioned above. Kinda leaves things wide open, but it's a worthy study I'm sure.

Jazz+ -- 12/23/2006, 21:33:19 -- #30491

It's easy when I think of 4th voicings  from the top note down, voice down from the 5th of the chord being the top note or the root of the chord on top. The top note of a voicng gets a priority.

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