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Friday, February 1, 2019

154. SWING JAZZ MELODIC RE-HARMONIZATION OF SONGS VERSUS THE HARMONIC RE-HARMONIZATION

(This post has not been written completely yet)

It is know that in Gypsy Jazz , it is  usual to  adopt lovely and well known songs to swing Gypsy jazz, usually by extending the major chords X to the X6 version of them (X+ lower relative minor of X), plus use a fast (sometimes 4 times faster than a calm beat ofthe heart) tempo , which gives its dancing swing character.


Now is it possible to have a rather simple rule for such re-harmonizations?  The answer is yes,and it is the melodic re-harmonization, which is most often interpolating chords X0 ,X1 X2  between the Chords X -> and Y if Y, X are apart by intervals of 4th or 5th of the original chord progression, so that X=X0->X1=Ybdim->X2=Y or X=X0->X1=Ybbdim->X2=Y , or X=X0->X1->X2=Y etc and X0 X1 (or also X1,X2 in the last case)  is  a  pair of  chords in a diatonic scale that their roots are apart by an interval of 3rd . Alternatively if the initial harmony is a scale of chords which is a connected arc in the wheel by 4ths then a rule is to substitute major chords with their lower (or sometimes upper) minor relative chords (thus are a minor 3rd apart therefore a melodic re-harmonization) resulting nevertheless again to a connected arc in the wheel by 4ths. Of course there is also a kind of opposite which is substituting a  minor chord with major chord with the same root. This also allows for easier solo improvisation fitting the new melodic re-harmonization of the original chord progression. Now because such chord-relations by intervals of 3rds are relative chords and is called melodic relation of chords we call this re-harmonization melodic re-harmonization. In this minor and major chords alternate with diminished chords as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ZlQ0iTY_g&ab_channel=CoenModder-PianoCouture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2WV80h3P04&ab_channel=MangoldProject

We may compare this re-harmonization with the chromatic re-harmonization of the post 153 andthe harmonic re-harmonization which is to interpolate between two chords X1->X2 a third chord  Y (X1->Y->X2) so that the Y is a 7nth chord in harmonic relation to X2 and resolving to X2 (e.g. if X1=C and X2=G then Y may be Dm7, in total C->Dm7->G . Other example is X1=Am X2=F and then Y=C7 , in total Am->C7->F)



Of course the best songs to modify so are those that their scale of chords is an harmonic one in the sense that is a connected arc of chords in the wheel by 4ths.


OTHER TYPES OF RE-HARMONIZATION HERE IN JAZZ HERE