Colourful Sounds or Black & White?
(More thought-provoking goodies from Bruce Clarke)
It occasionally over-simplifies (or complicates) things when we single-mindedly attach one particular scale to each and every chord.  Joseph Schillinger, one of the greatest of all teachers, in his 'Kaleidophone' - a series of lessons he devised for George Gershwin - demonstrated that it is possible to use thirty three different scales over a dominant seventh chord. (Ranging from the 'most far in' - the conventional Mixilydian mode - to the most 'far out').  In many cases, the directionality of the chosen harmonic densities and the 'systems of convergence' that they generate may over-ride those basic, much talked about, chord-scale relationships that each fledgling improvisor must learn to negotiate.

It must be emphasised, that the over-use of the 'see that chord play that scale' system is responsible for much of the sameness of sound and badly controlled tension flow that permeates so much present day music.

Once we realise that there are many ways to decorate, or move through, the basic tonal centres of a jazz standard, we are opening a door onto a whole new world of colourful sound.  Of course this is nothing new but this area of the sound world is a lonely place -- a pleasure dome reserved for the truly creative.

In this area of the Guitar Workshop study program, the student is confronted by a many reharmonisations of a popular standard - in this case, George Gershwin's 'Summertime'.  The teacher sets up a maze of ideas and places obstacles in the most unexpected places.  The student using his accumulated knowledge must find solutions the best ways to voice each progression upon the fingerboard and decide; if or when to use scales, when to move into arpeggios, ride the Guide Tone Line (or whatever).

We create the obstacles - he must overcome them!

HOME

The basic tonal centres for the first eight measures of 'Summertime' in the key of A minor are:-
Aminor (4 measures), Dminor (2 measures) and E7th (2 measures).

Here are twelve different harmonisations of those eight measures. Work on each until it is thoroughly internalised and you are able to sing the melody and lyrics over the changes.

1

Am7

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/

Bbm7

Am7

/

/

/

Am7

/

/

Bbm7

Am7

/

A7

/

Dm7

/

Em7

/

Dm7

/

Fmaj7

/

Bm7b5

/

/

/

E7#9

/

/

/

0

2

Am6

/

Bm6

/

Am6

/

Bm6

/

Am6

/

Bm6

/

Am6

/

A7

/

Dm6

/

Em6

/

Dm6

/

Cm6

/

Bm6

/

F7

/

E7

/

/

/

0

3

Am

/

Am/G#

/

Am/G

/

Am/F#

/

Am

/

Am/G#

/

Am/G

/

Am/F#

/

F

/

F/E

/

F/D

/

F/C

/

Bm7b5

/

F7

/

E7#9

/

/

/

0

4

Am7

/

D7

/

Am7

/

D7

/

Am7

/

D7

/

Am7

/

A7

/

Dm7

/

G7

/

Cm7

/

F7

/

Bm7

/

E7

/

Fm7

/

Bb7

 
0

5

Am7

/

Bm7

/

Cmaj7

/

Bm7

/

Am7

/

Bm7

/

Cmaj7

/

C#m7

/

Dm7

/

Em7

/

Fmaj7

Em7

Dm7

Cm7

Bm7

/

F7

E7

/

/

/

/

0

6

Am(maj7)

/

Am6

/

Bm7b5

/

E7

/

Am(maj7)

/

Am6

/

Bm7b5

/

E7

A7

Dm

Dm/C

G7/B

G7/G

Cm

Cm/Bb

F7/A

F7/F

Bm7b5

/

Bb13b9

/

E7

/

/

/

0

7

Am

Am+

Am6

Am+

Am

Am+

Am6

Am+

Am

Am+

Am6

Am

A7

Em7/B

Cdim

A7/C#

Dm

Dm+

Dm6

Dm

Cm

Cm+

Cm6

Cm

Bmb5

Bm

Bm+

Bm6

Bm7b5

/

E7#9

/

0

8

Am

/

Am+

/

Am6

/

Am+

/

Am

/

Am+

/

Am7

/

A7

/

Dm

/

Dm+

/

Dm6

/

Dm7

/

Bm7

C#7

D7

D#7

E7

/

/

/

0

9

Am

/

Am/G#

/

Am/G

/

Am/F#

/

Am

/

Am/G#

/

Am/G

/

Am/F#

/

Dm

/

Dm/C#

/

Dm/C

/

Dm/B

/

Bm

/

Bm/Bb

/

Bm/A

/

Bm/G

/

0

10

Am7

/

/

Eb9

D9

/

/

/

Am7

/

/

Eb9

D9

/

/

/

Dm7

/

/

Ab9

G9

/

/

Cm7

Bm7

/

/

F9

E9

/

/

/

0
11

Am7

/

D

/

Am7

/

D

/

Am7

/

D

/

Am7

Bm7

Cm7

C#m7

Dm7

/

G

/

Dm7

/

G

/

Bm7

/

E

/

D

/

E7

/

0

12

D

/

Am7

/

D

/

Am7

/

D

/

Am7

/

D

Eb

E

F

G

/

Dm7

/

G

/

Dm7

Cm7

Bm7

/

F9

/

E9

/

/

/

0

If you can come up with some more, please email them to us --
if we like 'em, we'll include them!

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