Re: guide tones/analysis

walterstr@fau.campus.mci.net
Thu, 12 Dec 1996 22:40:23 -0500 (EST)

I agree with Bert, and to a certain extent with Reed on this. Guide tones
(and I enlarge the category to include other notes such as 9th, various
"flavors" of 11ths, altered tones) are essential for a solo to sound "in",
but that is not the whole story- one must play the guide tones in a way that
makes it clear you know they are important. They must sound like you mean
them to be harmonic tones. This, combined with rhythm choice and motivic
development, is, IMHO, the essence of creating a melody which is good and
"inside". To me, the keys to good "ouside" playing are the same, except
that your hierarchy of guide/goal tones is upended to a greater or lesser
extent, depending on how "out" you want to sound... as Bert said, soloists
often are playing in a diatonic manner while using various chromatic
embellishments; and most of the time the notes which are chromatically
embellished are guide/goal tones, the important tones for the chord of the
moment.

As an example, in the ii-V-I progression, commonly played using the major
scale of the I, the 3rd of the ii chord might be chromatically embellished,
and given added importance by such; this same note would seldom receive the
same treatment as the progression moved to the I, because the 3rd of the ii
chord is not usually a great landing place on the I chord.

At 09:47 AM 12/12/96 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>They are playing melodies and melodies are essentially diatonic,
>>with of course added chromatic embelishment using approach notes
>>and other such techniques.
>>
>
>RE: playing in the diatonic key vs. guide tones
>
>Take any tune (like Misty or Cherokee) that progresses to the IV chord. In
>F the progression might be:
>
>F ///| ////| Cm7 ///| F7///| Bb ...
>
>What is the difference between the two keys? The pitch Eb. All the rest of
>the notes are the same, so for a melody to actually makes the change, you
>would have to include the Eb, probably in a significant spot in your line.
>What is the guide tone note for the Cm7 chord? The pitch Eb. Same results
>from two points of reference.
>
>We can all hear the difference in a beginning player who would continue to
>play E naturals through the Cm7 F7 measures. I may suggest the theory of
>guide-tones or target notes to get them to hear the difference that one
>note can make, or I may suggest the concept of modulating briefly to the
>key of IV, which requires the Eb.
>
>
>
>_______________________________________
>Bert Ligon
>Director of Jazz Studies
>_______________________________________
>School of Music
>University of South Carolina
>Columbia, SC 29208
>Voice: (803) 777-6565
>Fax: (803) 777-6508
>bligon@mozart.sc.edu
>_______________________________________
>
>
>
>

Tim Walters @j
walterstr@fau.campus.mci.net
school:
Department of Music home:
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