LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Chords on leadsheets

superjames -- 03/15/2007, 04:26:40 -- #33793

This might be a dumb question for a lot of people, but it is something that is really bugging me. When you're comping over a head by reading chords off a leadsheet, where there's chords with particular alterations eg a g7#9 or g7alt, when playing the head is it necessary to stick exactly to the alteration given or can you change it? For example, if a chord is a g7#9 can you change this to a g7alt and vice versa? If you do this too much then it seems you run the risk of clashing with the melody. However it also seems a lot of these leadsheets going around have alterations on them that clash with the melody anyway. For example, on my real book copy of Stella by Starlight the first chord is a em7 when it really should be a e7halfdim to avoid clashing with the Bb in the melody. Also it gives a G7#9 at the halfway point, and it seems this should really be a G7alt to avoid clashing with the e flat in the melody. So whats the deal here, should you basically just stick to whats given on the leadsheet when playing the head, and then follow the soloist in the solos? But then whats the point if the chords on the leadsheets are wrong anyway?

7 -- 03/15/2007, 10:03:44 -- #33793

That chord in the middle is supposed to be a G7#5 (or G9#5). One extremely easy way to deal with altered 7th chords is to simply play the 3rd and the b7th, and leave the rest of the crew to deal with the alterations. While that's kind of a cop out, you can never go wrong with it. You'll find that the vast majority of altered 7ths can be dealt with by simply using the rootless tritone substitute chord. Also many times, you'll see a chord with an "alteration" that doesn't even need to be there. For example, in the bridge section of "My Funny Valentine" there is chord listed as an A7(#11). In this case, the #11 is simply the melody note that is held over from the previous chord. There is absolutely no need for the accompanist to double the singer's note in either hand. In fact, you will probably annoy the singer and possibly clutter the arrangement if you put that melody note in. The correct course of action in cases like this is to completely ignore the #11 in your voicing. There are many decisions that need to be made when putting together your arrangement of any given song, when in doubt always try err on the side of too few notes rather than too many.

jazzwee -- 03/15/2007, 10:41:15 -- #33793

Very solid advice from 7 here.

Scot -- 03/15/2007, 11:32:12 -- #33793

Here's my take on altered 7th chords, or any chords in a lead sheet actually. If you see a C7 and the melody has a Gb in it, then in my mind it's a C7b5.  I try to utilize melodic interest in how I color my chords.  In my mind, the melody IS the song, and chords just support it, so if I'm supporting the melody (of the tune or of a soloist) I also try very  hard to support the altered tones I'm hearing. Doesn't mean I have to play every single altered tone that comes out in my chord, but I do like to keep it in mind so that when I'm transitioning to another chord, maybe I can use some of those altered to tones to not only beef up the harmonic idea of what's going on, but also to slip into the next harmonic idea in a musical way by visiting something important that has happened in the melody/solo.

Brotherdavies -- 03/16/2007, 05:54:05 -- #33793

"You'll find that the vast majority of altered 7ths can be dealt with by simply using the rootless tritone substitute chord" 7: Can you expand on this a little bit. I am a bit confused about how to play altered chords - I can use a mode of the melodic minor scale or I can play triads over a tri-tone or I can play the rootless tritone substitute? I play lots of tri-tone substitute chords - but if you leave the root out isn't it the same chord as the Dom7th you are substituting? Cheers Bro'

7 -- 03/16/2007, 09:17:01 -- #33793

7: Can you expand on this a little bit. OK, sure. We'll take the alterations on G7. G7's tritone substitute is Db7 The typical rootless voicing for a D13(no 11) (from bottom to top) is F  Bb  Cb/B Eb 3 6/13  b7  9 Which in the case of G7alt translates to b7 #9 3 #5 If you see G7b9#5, voice it thusly: F Ab B D# The astute observer will note that this is the standard voicing for a rootless Db9. A G7b9b5 will be voiced thusly (I just love the word "thusly"): F Ab B Db Note that the above voicing is simply a Db7 chord in first inversion. Etc, etc, etc.

Brotherdavies -- 03/22/2007, 10:07:18 -- #33793

THANK YOU (this message got burried!) Bro'

7 -- 03/23/2007, 10:19:16 -- #33793

:)

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