Basic jazz theory

[nuffink]

The basic harmonic unit of jazz is the four note 7th chord.

I'll be using the following shorthand...

Diminished 7... °7
Half Diminished 7... ø
Minor 7... -7
Minor Major 7... -Δ
Dominant 7... 7
Major 7... Δ
Augmented 7... +7
Augmented Major 7... +Δ

Capitalised romans = chord has major third
Lower case romans = chord has minor third

Key of C.

Diatonic Major Chords
CΔ, D-7, E-7, FΔ, G7, A-7, Bø
IΔ, ii-7, iii-7, IVΔ, V7, vi-7, viiø

Substitute Dominant Chords
Db7, Eb7, Gb7, Ab7, Bb7
bII7, bIII7, bV7, bVI7, bVII7
Function... SV7/I, SV7/ii, SV7/VI, SV7/V, SV7/VI

Secondary Dominant Chords
C7, D7, E7, A7, B7
I7, II7, III7, VI7, VII7
Function... V7/IV, V7/V, V7/vi, V7/ii, V7/iii

Modal Interchange from parallel scales and modes
Harmonic Minor Scale
C-Δ, Dø, Eb+Δ, F-7 & Fø, G7, AbΔ, B°7
i-Δ, iiø, bIII+Δ, iv-7 & ivø, V7, bVIΔ, vii°7

Melodic Minor Scale
C-Δ, D-7, Eb+Δ, F7, G+7 & G7, Aø, Bø & B+7(alt)
i-Δ, ii-7, bIII+Δ, IV7, V+ & V7, viø, viø & vii+7(alt)

Dorian Mode
C-7, D-7, EbΔ, F7, G-7, Aø, BbΔ
i-7, ii-7, bIIIΔ, IV7, v-7, viø, bVIIΔ

Phrygian Mode
C-7, DbΔ, Eb7, F-7, Gø, AbΔ, Bb-7
i-7, bIIΔ, bIII7, iv-7, vø, bVIΔ, bvii-7

Lydian Mode
CΔ, D7, E-7, F#ø, GΔ, A-7, B-7
IΔ, II7, iii-7, #ivø, VΔ, vi-7, vii-7

Mixolydian Mode
C7, D-7, Eø, FΔ, G-7, A-7, BbΔ
I7, ii-7, iiiø, IVΔ, v-7, vi-7, bVIIΔ

Aolian Mode (Natural Minor Scale)
C-7, Dø, EbΔ, F-7, G-7, AbΔ, Bb7
i-7, iiø, bIIIΔ, iv-7, v-7, bVIΔ, bVII7

Locrian Mode
C-7, DbΔ, Eb-7, F-7, GbΔ, Ab7, Bb-7
I-7, bIIΔ, biii-7, iv-7, bVΔ, bVI7, bvii-7

Special Function Dominants
The following regularly get used as cadential to the tonic (I) chord.
F7 (IV7)
D7 (II7)
Ab7 (bVI7)
Bb7 (bVII7)
B7 (VII7)


Diminished Chords Shamelessly lifted from http://a-no-ne.com/music/theory/
Diatonic functioning
C°7 resolves to CΔ7 (i°7 resolves to IΔ)
C#°7 resolves to D-7 (#i°7 resolves to ii-7)
Eb°7 resolves to D-7 (biii°7 resolves to ii-7)
D#°7 resolves to E-7 (#ii°7 resolves to iii-7)
F#°7 resolves to G7 (#iv°7 resolves to V7)
G°7 resolves to G7 (v°7 resolves to V7)
G#°7 resolves to F-7 (#v°7 resolves to vi-7)
Ab°7 resolves to G7 (bvi°7 resolves to V7)

Non-Diatonic functioning
Db°7 goes to CΔ7 (bii°7 goes to IΔ)
Gb°7 goes to FΔ7 (bv°7 goes to IVΔ)
Ab°7 goes to G7 (bvi°7 goes to V7)
Bb°7 goes to A-7 (bvii°7 goes to vi-7)
A#°7 goes to B7 (#vi°7 goes to viiø)

Chord Scales Unceremoniously plundered from http://www.outsideshore.com/school/musi ... /index.htm
Diminished 7 (°7)
C WH diminished

Half Diminished 7 (ø)
C locrian
C locrian #2
Bb harmonic minor
Db major bebop
Ab dominant bebop

Minor 7 (-7)
C dorian
C natural minor
C minor pentatonic
Eb major bebop
F dominant bebop
Bb major bebop
C melodic minor
C blues
C phrygian
C sus pentatonic
F major pentatonic
Ab major pentatonic
C phrygian #6
C Spanish phrygian
C in sen

Minor Major 7 (-Δ)
C melodic minor
C harmonic minor
Eb major bebop
D in sen

Dominant 7 (7)
C mixolydian
C dominant bebop
C blues
C sus pentatonic
C major pentatonic
F major bebop
F major pentatonic
C lydian dominant
C HW diminished
F harmonic minor
Ab Spanish phrygian
C altered

Dominant 7 suspended 2 (7sus)
Ab major bebop
F harmonic minor
C phrygian #6
C phrygian
C Spanish phrygian
C in sen

Major 7 (Δ)
C major
C lydian
C major bebop
C major pentatonic
G dominant bebop
G major pentatonic
B Spanish phrygian
C lydian
B in sen

Augmented 7 (+7)
C whole tone
F melodic minor

Augmented Major 7 (+Δ)
C lydian augmented
C major bebop

[nuffink]

oops: quoted instead of edited

[Gregjazz]

Thanks for the handy information!

Just being picky:

Half Diminished 7... ø7

You don't need to say "ø7" but instead just "ø", since the half-diminished chord assumes the 7th. Without the 7th it'd just be a diminished chord.

Minor Major 7... -Δ7
Major 7... Δ7
Augmented Major 7... +Δ7

The symbol "Δ" means "major 7". By saying "Δ7" that's being redundant.


Sorry for being picky, it bothered me, no offense intended.

[nuffink]

Both true.

I thought about changing it and decided that it reinforces the seventhness of the whole thing to newbies.
I'll mull it over and probably change it.

[Gregjazz]

Both true.

I thought about changing it and decided that it reinforces the seventhness of the whole thing to newbies.
I'll mull it over and probably change it.

Ah okay, I see what you mean. Hmmm, that's a tough choice then.

[nuffink]

Changed. It looks better now. It was worrying me too.

[duncanparsons]

tbh, I've always put the 7 with the triangle, just to help me remember the voicing, especially if there are 9ths and 11ths tacked on top..

This ones a printer!



DSP

[Toxikator]

Holy shit, that's a brainful!

I will be taking all of this down.

[tee boy]

Have a look at this:

http://www.petethomas.co.uk/jazz-substitute-chords.html

It discusses the substitutions for V, including the tritone substitution which Nuffink mentioned in his list. Thats an important chord to become familiar with.

TB

[cheul]

Could someone experimented with forum editing make a sticky of a thread with all articles gathered and index them with hypertext links ? There are already quite a few well written articles about different topics. In the end it would make a nice starter manual.

[the_nihilist]

A bunch of increadibly enlightening stuff to a person who only knows diatonic classical harmony.

[VicDiesel]

Diminished 7... °7
Half Diminished 7... ø
Minor 7... -7
Minor Major 7... -?
Dominant 7... 7
Major 7... ?
Augmented 7... +7
Augmented Major 7... +?

What do you call C-E-Gb-Bb? I learned that in another language as "hard diminished". Refering to triad only.

Victor.

[nuffink]

Diminished 7... °7
Half Diminished 7... ø
Minor 7... -7
Minor Major 7... -?
Dominant 7... 7
Major 7... ?
Augmented 7... +7
Augmented Major 7... +?

What do you call C-E-Gb-Bb? I learned that in another language as "hard diminished". Refering to triad only.

Victor.

Dominant flat 5? I'd spell it C7b5.

[VicDiesel]

Diatonic Major Chords
C?, D-7, E-7, F?, G7, A-7, Bø
I?, ii-7, iii-7, IV?, V7, vi-7, viiø

"D-7" is a Major Chord?

Substitute Dominant Chords
Db7, Eb7, Gb7, Ab7, Bb7
bII7, bIII7, bV7, bVI7, bVII7
Function... SV7/I, SV7/ii, SV7/VI, SV7/V, SV7/VI

I think I know about substitutes. Db is a substitute for G, so it resolves where G would resolve, meaning that Db -> C is a legal progression.

So "SV7 / I" means: "the substitute for V resolves to I" ?

But then what does "SV7 / ii" mean? I think you want it to mean that Eb, being substitute for A minor, resolves to ii. But why do you use the same designation "SV7" for two different chords?

Victor.

[nuffink]

Diatonic Major Chords
C?, D-7, E-7, F?, G7, A-7, Bø
I?, ii-7, iii-7, IV?, V7, vi-7, viiø

"D-7" is a Major Chord?

Hardly. Those are the tertian 7th chords formed on each degree of the diatonic major scale.

Substitute Dominant Chords
Db7, Eb7, Gb7, Ab7, Bb7
bII7, bIII7, bV7, bVI7, bVII7
Function... SV7/I, SV7/ii, SV7/VI, SV7/V, SV7/VI

I think I know about substitutes. Db is a substitute for G, so it resolves where G would resolve, meaning that Db -> C is a legal progression.

So "SV7 / I" means: "the substitute for V resolves to I" ?

But then what does "SV7 / ii" mean? I think you want it to mean that Eb, being substitute for A minor, resolves to ii. But why do you use the same designation "SV7" for two different chords?

Victor.

Substitute dominants are defined as dominant chords whose root is non-diatonic and whose implied resolution is a semitone down to a diatonic chord. Hence (in C) Db->C, Eb->D, Gb->F, Ab->G and Bb->A.