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Woodshed 2
Chords Practice

  1. Introduction
  2. Practice Format
    Midifile Chord Progression
  3. Seventh Chords Practice Routines
    Routine 1 - 2 -3 - 4 - 5
  4. Quiz and Quiz Answers
  5. Downloading Bay

    Jazclass Links - Circle of Fifths

    Seventh Chords in all keys



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WS 2.1 - Introduction

Most improvisation is based on the chords and scales that underly each song.
It is therefore essential that you spend some serious time on memorising and practising these two.

This is most important for musicians on all instruments, not just for keyboard and guitar players.

This Lesson provides you with some good routines for the practice of the five qualities of 7th chords in all 12 keys.
There is also a Quiz to improve your knowledge and memory of chords.


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WS 2.2 - Practice Format

This Lesson includes a Play-a-Long Chord Practice Midifile (in the Downloading Bay) which you may use for practice.

The track plays 4 bars in each of the five chord qualities (see Jazz Theory - Lesson 1) for each of the 12 keys.

The track starts with 4 bars of the C major 7th chord - then 4 bars of C7 - 4 bars of Cm7 - 4 bars of Cø - and 4 bars of Co7.
Then it continues with the five qualities of F chords, 4 bars for each quality, then the Bb chords, and so on.

The successive chord roots follow the Circle of 5ths in anti-clockwise direction.

To hear the chord changes easily I have alternated the bass style :

  • On each major chord the bass plays in 2

  • On each dominant chord the bass plays in 4 ('walking bass')

  • On each minor chord the bass goes back to 2 in the bar

  • On the half diminished and diminished chords the bass plays again in 4 ( 8 bars total)
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This Table shows an overview of the whole chord sequence :

Play-a-Long Midifile
Maj.7th
(bass in 2)
Dom.7th
(bass in 4)
Min.7th
(bass in 2)
Half Dim.
(bass in 4)
Dim.7th
(bass in 4)
C maj.7C7Cm7Co7
Fmaj.7F7Fm7Fo7
Bbmaj.7Bb7Bbm7BbøBbo7
Ebmaj.7Eb7Ebm7EbøEbo7
Abmaj.7Ab7Abm7AbøAbo7
Dbmaj.7Db7Dbm7DbøDbo7
Gbmaj.7Gb7Gbm7GbøGbo7
Bmaj.7B7Bm7Bo7
Emaj.7E7Em7Eo7
Amaj.7 *A7Am7Ao7
Dmaj.7 **D7Dm7Do7
Gmaj.7G7Gm7Go7


On the Play-a-Long track :
Eb instruments (alto- and baritone-sax) start from the Amaj.7 Chord (*).
When you reach the bottom of the Table go to the top (Cmaj.7) and continue from there.

Bb instruments (clarinet, trumpet, tenor- and soprano-sax) start from the Dmaj.7 Chord (**).
When you reach the bottom of the Table go to the top (Cmaj.7) and continue from there.


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WS 2.3 - Chord Practice

Here are five routines you can use with the Play-a-Long track.

Routine 1
Play each chord in crotchets (notes of 1 beat) up and down over 1 octave.
Like this :

Audio 1
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Routine 2
Play each chord in quavers (notes of half a beat) up and down over 1 octave.
Like this :

Audio 2
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Routine 3
Play each chord in quavers (notes of half a beat) up and down over 2 octaves.
Like this :

Audio 3
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Each of the above three Routines is exactly 4 bars long. So when you finish a Routine for one chord quality, go straight on to the next chord quality (using the same routine).

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Routine 4
Improvise using chord tones only.
You can play two 2 bar phrases or one 4 bar phrase over each chord. If you get lost : Use a simple rhythm pattern (of 2 or 4 bars) and repeat this throughout the exercise.

Here are four 2 bar rhythm patterns.
You can either repeat one of them for each chord, or combine two to make one 4 bar phrase. a. and b. for example, or c. and d.

Audio 4
(First a andb played twice, then c and d twice.)
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Routine 5
Improvise using chord tones only. But this time specify in your mind which chord tone you are going to start on !
There are four variations :

  1. Start each phrase on the root of each chord.
    Start on the C for all C chords, start on the f for all F chords, etc.
    Keep rigorously to this principle. Do not start a phrase on any other note

  2. Start each phrase on the 3rd of each chord.
    Start on the E for the C major 7th and C7 chords, start on the Eb for the other C chords.
    Start on the A for the F major 7th and F7 chords, start on the Ab for the other F chords.
    Do not start a phrase on any other note

  3. Start each phrase on the 5th of each chord.
    Start on the G for the Cmaj7, C7 and Cm7 chords, start on the Gb for Cø and Co7.
    Start on the C for the Fmaj7, F7 and Fm7 chords, start on the B for for Fø and Fo7.
    Do not start a phrase on any other note

  4. Start each phrase on the 7th of each chord.
    Start on the B for the Cmaj7 chord, start on the Bb for C7 , Cm7 and Cø, start on the A for Co7.
    Start on the E for the Fmaj7 chord, start on the Eb for F7 , Fm7 and Fø, start on the D for Co7.
    Do not start a phrase on any other note

Here is an example for the 3rd chord tone of the C chord (using rhythm patterns a. and b. from above).

Audio 5
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Put some effort into these exercises, they will do wonders for your working knowledge of chord tones. Pay special attention to the 3rd and 7th of each chord, for these are the strong and quality defining chord tones.

Michael Wish to learn more ?
Then get your copy of the new Jazz Theory Course on CD-ROM
I promise you : it is a great course !

Don't forget, if you have any questions please ask me.
Happy woodshedding !

Michael




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WS 2.4 - Quiz

I strongly recommend that you try to complete the Quiz before you look up the answers. The more you have to think about and play around with music elements like chords and scales, the better you will get to know and understand them.

A.
Unscramble and identify these chords:
1.F# C D AB E D GC F E AAb Bb F Db
2.Bb Eb C GA# D# B F#Ab C F DbEb F C A
3.F Eb B AbF Gb Db BbBb E D GF B D A
4.D G B F#E Db G BC Ab F DEb F C Ab
5.C# D A F#B C G EEb C A GBb Eb Db Gb
6.A E C# GA F C DG Bb C EA F# E C#


B.
Which 7th chords consist only of white notes on the
keyboard ?


C.
Which 7th chord consists of only black notes on the keyboard ?


D.
How many 7th chords contain one white note only, and which are they ?


E.
Identify the missing chord tone(s) :
1.C7 = C E G ?Dmaj.7 = D ? A C#Eb7 = Eb Gb ? Db
2.Bbø = Bb Db ? Ab Ao7 = A C Eb ?F#m7 = F# ? C# E
3.Bm7 = B ? F# AAb7 = Ab C ? GbEbmaj.7 = Eb G Bb ?
4.Cø = C Eb ? ?Fmaj.7 = F A ? ?D7 = D F# ? ?
5.Dbm7 = Db ? Ab ?Bmaj.7 = B ? F# ?Gm7 = G ? D ?
6.Dm7 = D ? ? CBb.7 = Bb ? ? AbAmaj.7 = A ? ? G


F.
Write out on manuscript paper or in letter names all major 7th chords in Circle of Fifths Order (Cmaj.7 - Fmaj.7 - Bbmaj.7 - etc.)


G.
Write out on manuscript paper or in letter names all dominant 7th chords in Circle of Fifths Order (C7 - F7 - Bb7 - etc.)


H.
Write out on manuscript paper or in letter names all minor 7th chords in Circle of Fifths Order (Cm7 - Fm7 - Bbm7 - etc.)


Quiz Answers



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WS 2.5 - Downloading Bay


File Name

Contents

Size

ws2fac.gif

Woodshed 2 - Facts sheet

10K

ws2ch1.mid

Play-a-Long Midi file

40K



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Copyright © 2002 Michael Furstner. All rights reserved.