Here's a nice tutorial showing how to embellish a Standard Jazz tune using secondary dominant and subVs chords using Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro
Tonal Harmony in Jazz, Tutorial
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- KVRer
- 8 posts since 18 May, 2010
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- KVRist
- 211 posts since 28 Apr, 2009 from Ft. Lauderdale, FL
I'm sure the creators of this product put a lot of work into this and have good intentions but I really do not like it at all. This is a terribly unnecessary and complicated way to think about and create jazz.
Drugs and alcohol have never helped me creatively, but for others it seems to be an essential part of the process. 
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 8 posts since 18 May, 2010
Hi psenior, I hear you... this is not a tool to "create Jazz" but to understand harmonic progressions.
I must agree with you and, I know that playing and improvising in Jazz is more about "doing it" than anything else but, if you listen to Bill Evans or John Coltrane, or any great Jazz player for that matter, it is obvious the degree of theoretical knowledge they had (have).
I actually think Mapping Tonal Harmony makes it so much easier to grasp concepts such as harmonic functions, secondary dominants, substitutions, chord-scales, etc. In fact, I know so, since we've been using this techniques, based on a harmonic map, to teach our students for more than a decade and now with an interactive map students can learn so much faster and intuitively.
You might be right that it looks complicated at first, but remember that it covers 7 levels of complexity from the beginner to the complete map with all harmonic functions. The video is a tutorial for intermediate to advanced players.
Maybe some people need an introductory tutorial to understand the power of this app.
Here is one:
I must agree with you and, I know that playing and improvising in Jazz is more about "doing it" than anything else but, if you listen to Bill Evans or John Coltrane, or any great Jazz player for that matter, it is obvious the degree of theoretical knowledge they had (have).
I actually think Mapping Tonal Harmony makes it so much easier to grasp concepts such as harmonic functions, secondary dominants, substitutions, chord-scales, etc. In fact, I know so, since we've been using this techniques, based on a harmonic map, to teach our students for more than a decade and now with an interactive map students can learn so much faster and intuitively.
You might be right that it looks complicated at first, but remember that it covers 7 levels of complexity from the beginner to the complete map with all harmonic functions. The video is a tutorial for intermediate to advanced players.
Maybe some people need an introductory tutorial to understand the power of this app.
Here is one:
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- KVRist
- 211 posts since 28 Apr, 2009 from Ft. Lauderdale, FL
If this approach works for you and others, fine. This method may appeal to many of the musicians here on KVR Forum because they are into using computer software to create music.
For a traditional musician, it's extremely complicated. If I thought about music this way I'd never be able to improvise harmonies and melodies off the top of my head in real time.
For a traditional musician, it's extremely complicated. If I thought about music this way I'd never be able to improvise harmonies and melodies off the top of my head in real time.
Drugs and alcohol have never helped me creatively, but for others it seems to be an essential part of the process.
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- KVRAF
- 7839 posts since 20 Jan, 2008
I agree with ajrdileva.
The reason it may be confusing to some is that they simply aren't willing to work through the process for themselves. At the price you won't find a better educational product for the study of jazz.
The reason it may be confusing to some is that they simply aren't willing to work through the process for themselves. At the price you won't find a better educational product for the study of jazz.
Dell Vostro i9 64GB Ram Windows 11 Pro, Cubase, Bitwig, Mixcraft Guitar Pod Go, Linntrument Nektar P1, Novation Launchpad
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
I don't agree that it is. The things he does are complicated, I mean the thought is complicated and he shows, albeit rather quickly, what the thought is. He's interested in what is quite typical, creating drive to the regular harmonies through secondary ii-V to a given chord, and often a flat-five substitution of that secondary dominant before the landing. I think it's genius software. I'm not known as a great fan of software for such a thing - I'm the opposite of the KVRist that's "into using software" before the process - but I think this is something unique.psenior wrote: This is a terribly unnecessary and complicated way to think about and create jazz.
"If I thought about music this way I wouldn't be able..." - Well, this is a totally common way to think about Jazz Reharmonization, so your problem is only your own. I would make other choices than the guy, being me, but this is not overcomplicated, it is showing completely typical thinking.