Jazz Theory 17 IIø - V7 - Im Chord Progression The Natural minor scale The Harmonic minor scale The II ø - V7 - Im Progression Practice The Harmonic minor Scale Ruler Quiz - Quiz Answers Lesson Material - General files Jazz Theory lessons online

JT 17.1 - The Natural minor scale

We have learnt in Lesson 14 how the Ancient Greeks formed different modes from the same group of seven notes, simply by selecting a different note as the tonic note (1st note) of the scale.

Starting on the note C, the C Ionian mode is formed : C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C. This is what we now call the major scale. the D Dorian mode, D - E - F - G - A - B - C - D, is formed by starting on the 2nd note (D) of the major scale. the G Mixolydian mode, G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G, is formed by starting on the 5th note (G) of the major scale. by starting on the 6th note of the C major scale (A) yet another minor mode is formed : the A Aeolian mode, A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A. These modes still play a prominent role in Western music. Especially the major scale and the Aeolian mode which we now call the natural minor scale. This natural minor scale retains the key signature of the major scale it is related to, and represents the key signature for that minor key. The key of A minor has the same key signature as C major. C major and A minor are therefore said to be related keys.

The C natural minor scale is derived from the Eb major scale.

The key of C minor has therefore the same key signature as Eb major (three flats).
C minor is the related minor key to Eb major.

Audio 1

JT 17.2 - The Harmonic Minor scale

To allow for more interesting harmony (chord progressions) in the minor keys, a small alteration was made to the natural minor scale.

Audio 2
(I play the Natural minor scale first, then the Harmonic minor scale.)

By raising the 7th note from a minor 7th (m7) to a major 7th (M7) a dominant 7th chord is created on the 5th note of the scale.

Below is the C harmonic minor scale displayed in the major key signature (for C : no sharps nor flats).
This illustrates the difference between the harmonic minor scale and the major scale with the same tonic note.

It shows that you can think of the the harmonic minor scale (for the purpose of memorising the scale) as a major scale with a b3 and a b6.

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JT 17.3 - The II ø - V7 - Im Progression

We can build seven different scale-tone 7th chords for the harmonic minor scale (following the same process as we did in Lesson 12 for the major scale).

Audio 3

Two new chords emerge from this :

1. the minorMajor7th chord : 1 - b3 - 5 - 7
   
   
2. the Major 7th^#5 chord : 1 - 3 - #5 - 7

The diminished 7th chord is also present as a scale-tone chord (VIIo7) in the harmonic minor scale.

The important point from a chord harmony perspective is that the V chord is again a dominant chord.

This generates a very useful II-V-I chord progression for all minor keys (hence the name "harmonic" minor scale).

Audio 4

The minorMajor 7th chord is a very interesting chord (see Lesson 18), but is not suitable as the final chord in this progression. Used instead are the minor triad (Im), or the minor 7th chord (Im7).

Stacking an additional note (of the harmonic minor scale) on top of the V7 chord adds a ^b9 to the dominant chord.

Audio 5

In a Jazz ensemble the bass player always includes the chord root tones in his bass lines. The keyboard player can therefore play chords without the root present. The V7b9 chord is therefore often voiced as a diminished 7th chord with its root (or any other one of its chord tones) a semitone higher than the (absent) root of the dominant chord. The keyboard player plays then effectively II ø - IIo7 - Im7

Songs which use II ø - V7^(b9) segments in their chord progressions are :

• Jazz standards in minor keys
• Jazz standards that contain minor key modulations (Autumn Leaves)
• many Latin songs (A.C Jobin !)

In all these cases the harmonic minor scale is the appropriate scale to use for improvisation.

Some good examples
Alone Together - Stella by Starlight - Autumn Leaves - April in Paris - A Foggy Day - My Funny Valentine - There will never be another You - Black Orpheus - Desafinado - Once I Loved - How Insensitive - Summer Samba - Meditation - and many more.

A popular variation of the progression is II ø - V7^#9. In this case use for improvisation over the V7 chord the 8-note dominant scale or the Super Locrian scale (see Lesson 20).

Lonesome Bossa is a simple example of the use of a IIø - V7 - Im7 progression in Latin style music. For improvisation use the :

1. C harmonic minor scale over the Dø and G7 chords

2. C harmonic minor scale or C Dorian mode over the Cm chords

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JT 17.4 - Practice

It is clear from the above discussion that a good knowledge of the harmonic minor scale is essential for improvisation.
I recommend two ways of practice.

Routine 1
Play the harmonic minor scale over the entire II-V-I progression :

Start on the 2nd note of the scale for the IIø chord.
Start on the 5th note of the scale for the V7 chord.
Start on the 1st note (tonic) of the scale for the Im chord.

Audio 6

You are actually playing three different modes of the harmonic minor scale : the 'II mode', the 'V mode' and the 'I mode'.

Use Practice Cycle 1 and Practice Cycle 2 for Routine 1.

Routine 2
Use the progression :

IIø - V7 - Im7

Play the harmonic minor scale over IIø and V7 (^b9) and the appropriate Dorian mode over the Im7 chord.

Audio 7

Use Practice Cycle 1 and Practice Cycle 2 but play the Dorian mode over the Im7 chord (instead of the harmonic minor scale).

The Play-a-Long track provided uses all Im triads at the end of each progression. This enables you to practise both routines (with and without Dorian modes) with the same track.

Bb- and Eb- instruments : follow the same sequence as in Lesson 16 for the major II-V-I progression.

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JT 17.5 - The Harmonic minor Scale Ruler

You can find the notes of the Harmonic minor scale in all 12 keys with the Harmonic minor Scale Ruler.

Simply print, then cut out the two paper strips.

Align '1' on the Harmonic minor Scale Ruler strip with the tonic note for the desired scale on the Note Name strip.

The example below shows how this works for finding the D harmonic minor scale.

The tonic note of the related major scale aligns with b3 on the Scale Ruler.

To find the correct harmonic minor scale for isolated IIø - V7 and V7 segments : align the letter name of the half diminished chord with 2 For example E ø : align E with 2 ---> II mode or align the letter name of the dominant 7th chord with 5 For example A7b9 : align A with 5 ---> V mode

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JT 17.6 - Quiz

A.
Convert these major scales into natural minor scales by using the same notes but selecting a different tonic (1st note).
1. G A B C D E F# G

2. F G A Bb C D E F

3. A B C# D E F# G# A

4. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

5. D E F# G A B C# D

B.
Convert these natural minor scales into harmonic minor scales by altering one note.
1. F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F

2. A B C D E F G A

3. G A Bb C D Eb F G

4. D E F G A Bb C D

5. E F# G A B C D E

C.
Convert these major scales into harmonic minor scales by altering two notes in each scale.
1. C D E F G A B C

2. F G A Bb C D E F

3. A B C# D E F# G# A

4. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

5. B C# D# E F# G# A# B

D.
What are the relative minor keys of these major keys ?
1. D major

2. F major

3. Bb major

4. A major

5. G major

E.
What are the relative major keys of these minor keys ?
1. D minor

2. F minor

3. Bb minor

4. A minor

5. G minor

F.
Mark the harmonic minor scale in all keys on the Keyboard Diagrams.

Use the formula : - t - s - t - t - s - 3s - s -

Like this for the E harmonic minor scale :

G.
Write the harmonic minor scale in all keys on the Scale Letters Diagrams.

Use the note numbers : 1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - 7 - 1

JT 17.7 - Lesson Material