Thank you for your input and great ideas.
>
>How bout this:
>/ Bbmaj7 F7+/ Gm7 E7b9 / Am7b5 /
>I thought about replacing the F7+ with a D7b9 but I liked the deceptive
>cadence the F7 provides.
I like this too. The Gm7 E7b9 is a logical choice. E7b9 resolves well to Am7b5.
Another variation could be /Bbmaj7 F7+? / Gm7 Em7b5 / Am7b5...........
>>/ Bbmaj7 F7+ / Bb6 G7b9 / Am7b5 / D7#9 to D7b9/
>I'd rather use a B U.S. (upper struc.) triad over the D7, just the tritone
>F# and C. The #9 (F) in the D7#9 really conflicts with the melody note, F#.
Now, see, to my ears, the dissonance doesn't bother me because it is
somewhat relieved by the ensuing Eb of the b9 chord. I see that not as
conflict but as tension.
I don't know what B U S means but if you say an upper structure triad, I
imagine you are talking polytonal ie: Ab triad over a D7. The D7 contains
the A natural where as in the upper structure (if I understand you
correctly) the Ab acts as a flat five to the D7. The clash between A
natural in the lower voicing and Ab in the upper part of the chord creates
an interesting polychord.
>>on the fifth bar an Em7b5 subs for the Gm7
>>
>>/ Bbmaj7 F7+/ Bb6 G7b9 / Am7b5/ D7#9 to D7b9 /
>>/ Em7b5 / (relative minor to G)
>>
>>and it sets up the next sub A7b9 (A being the rel min. to C) and it
>>establishes a II-V to the D.
>>
>>/ Bbmaj7 F7+/ Bb6 G7b9 / Am7b5/ D7#9 D7b9 /
>>/ Em7b5 / A7b9 /
>
>I like this, I'm not sure I would do it but it sounds interesting. Your
>analysis is a bit shakey though. Am7 is the rel. min. to C but an A7b9
>would function as the V of III.
True. I meant to show the relationship of the two chords, obviously, A7b9
is not a minor chord, hence relative minor is the wrong term, perhaps, but a
sub a minor third below the stock chord change I feel is usable. I meant it
of course to function as the V of III. (Dm in the key of Bb).
The relative minor is not applicable in
>this case as we are in Bb anyway. Em7b5 is the related IIm7b5 of the A7b9.
This is correct. That's what I had in mind. But the thinking was to derive
a substitution a minor third below the stock chord. It's interesting but
there is a polytonal relationship between Em7b5 over G7. It has the
function of a G13#9 chord. Then maybe you see where I'm coming from.
>
>>Then sneak a Dm7 on the first two beats to complete the cadence and jump
>>to the rel. maj. for Fm7.
>
>Same criticism applies as to analysis.
Yes, technically, rel. min. may be the wrong term but the same polychordal
relationship would apply. Try Fm(maj7) over D minor. There is a clash
between the A natural in the lower part of the chord and the Ab in the upper
four note chord, but this doesn't bother me. I like strong tensions in chords.
>
>
>>/ Bbmaj7 F7+/ Bb6 G7b9 / Am7b5/ D7#9 D7b9 /
>>/ Em7b5 / A7b9 / Dm7, Fm7 /
>>
>>Tri-tone relationship to Bb, an E7. (bII7=V7b5b9)
>>
>>/ Bbmaj7 F7+/ Bb6 G7b9 / Am7b5/ D7#9 D7b9 /
>>/ Em7b5 / A7b9 / Dm7, Fm7 / E7 /
>hmmm, why not make the Fm7 dominant.
John, my ears tell me different, here. If we were to use Fm9 to an E7#9, the
Eb to the D would be complimented by the common tone G in the Fm9 and the
raised nine of the E7. I also like the common tone of Ab in the Fm9 to the
G# in the E7#9.
>>
>>The G7#9b13 is just an alteration of a iii-vi-ii-V turnaround progression.
>
>How bout for a turnaround:
>/ Ab7 / G7 / F#7 / F7 / with upper structure triads built on the II on
>each chord.
This is very effective. With upper structure chords do you mean something
like this, / Bb/Ab13 (Ab13#11) / F+/G7 (G9#11) / etc. If I don't have this
right, could you please label each chord for me as you include the upper
structure?
>
>/ Bbmaj7 F7+/ Gm7 E7b9 / Am7b5 / D7 usVI
Or Bbmaj7 F7+ / Gm7 E7b9/ Gb7#11 Am7b5 / D7 (and do you mean by "us" mean
upper structure, D7 being the VI of Bb?)
>/ Em7b5 / A7b9 / Dm7, F7 / E7 /
Or how about / Em7b5 / A7b9 / Dm7, Eb7 / E7 /
>/ Ebmaj7 / Eb6 / Ebm7 / D7 /
>/ Dbmaj7 / Db6 / Dbm7 / C7#9 C7b9 /
>/ Cbmaj7 / Cb6 / Cm7 / F7 usII /
I like this chromatic bass movement a lot.
>/ Ab7 usII/ G7 usII/ F#7 usII/ F7 usII/
>
>wheww, this is time consuming and I petered out at the IV chord. I think my
>approach to reharm is a little different. I'm a piano player and I have my
>favorite devices. Voicings, drop 2, fourths etc. So I analyze the melody
>and take what it gives me and reharm so that I can use certain voicings
>(upper structure especially). This is one way to develop a style, find the
>sounds you like and look for places to apply them.
That's pretty much what I have to do since I hear this stuff in my head and
am trying to find it on the keyboard.
>
>So in this melody, in the scalar parts in bars 1-2, 9-10 and 17-18 I would
>use the drop 2 George Shearing type voices on the melody. I still have'nt
>really assimilated the tune but where the melody jumps I would look for the
>upper structure type chords that I just live for :-) I show those by the us
>and the roman numeral showing the root of the triad in relation to the
>chord. The Jazz Piano book by Mark Levine is a good text for this technique.
I'll have to check this out.The Shearing block chords in the scalar parts of
the song I would assume contain lots of passing chords.
Anyway, thank you so much for your time and ideas. Very informative.
Frank