Substitutions Down/Up Thirds
©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 1 12.3.2012 Chapter 17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds • 15 pages • 38 examples Do you want to go beyond what is in the chorusbook, hymnbook, or Internet? Then this chapter is for you! We'll learn about chords that go down/up in thirds. Our task is to substitute (replace) a single given chord with another. We'll be working with chord replacement, not chord progressions, though progressions could be a secondary result. Substitutions up/down a third can add smoothness, warmth, and richness to your songs. OUTLINE Descending Third Substitutions Substitute a Descending Third Ascending Third Substitutions Thinking Down Several Thirds Developing Good Continuation A Series of Descending Thirds Walking the Bass Down Looking Ahead REPERTOIRE Great is Thy Faithfulness Holy, Holy, Holy Jesus Draw Me Close Come Thou Fount Cry of My Heart Refiner's Fire Emmanuel Angels We Have Heard on High Be Thou My Vision Descending Third Substitutions A typical chord substitution involves thirds—substituting the given chord with one a third higher or lower. For instance, a C chord could be substituted with an A minor chord (a descending third) or with an E minor chord (an ascending third). Descending thirds. The example below demonstrates substitutions a third below—descending replacements are more frequent than ascending ones. We're in the key of C (below). Focus on the common tones, the solid (filled in) note heads. Example 17.1 Common Tones (solid note heads) between Chords a Third Apart C Am F Dm I vi IV ii G V Em Am iii vi F IV How many common tones are there? Two in each measure. If you have a melody with the notes C or E (black notes in m.1), the chords C or A minor could likely be interchanged. The same idea applies to measures two through four. In other words, the concept can be extended to different scale degrees. ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 2 Below, the first measure of Holy Holy Holy uses a C chord (I), whereas the next two variations substitute (SUB) an A minor chord (vi). Example 17.2 I Substituted with a vi C G C C Am V I C Am SUB Ho-ly, h o - l y , ho - ly I G I vi G C V I SUB V I vi Notice (m.5 above), it's possible even to begin the phrase with a vi chord. Opportunities for using thirds are usually available. Below, an F chord (IV) in the second half of the opening phrase of Holy Holy Holy is substituted with a D minor seventh chord (ii7). Notice, we are dealing with single substitutions, not a series of them. Example 17.3 IV Substituted with a ii F F G Dm F G C C SUB Original IV IV/5 I ii V I Minor sevenths especially project a warm feeling useful in expressing intimate words like "love," "adore," "Father." Below, an A minor, D minor, and F minor seventh is included. Example 17.4 Common Tones (solid note heads) C I A m7 vi7 F IV Dm 7 ii7 G V E m7 iii7 Am vi F maj7 IV7 How many common tones do you see this time? Yes, three solid note heads instead of the two above. When you use a seventh chord (or any chord extensions) you are creating ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 3 more chord substitution opportunities. Let's add a seventh to the Am chords this time. But one more point first. Incredibly easy! When you substitute a vi for a I or a ii for a IV chord on a keyboard, your task is incredibly easy—hold onto the notes in your right hand and lower the bass note a third. It's that easy. Let's us show you what we mean. Example 17.5 Great is Thy Faithfulness Note the vi7 substitution in measure three, beat three. The right hand chord stays the same, only the left hand changes. That makes it easy! Original Great Reharmonization A m7 C Dm F C is thy faith - f u l - n e s s I ii Great is I thy vi7 Dm F faith - ful -ness ii We call the chord in measure two (above) a Dm/F because the E in the melody acts as a struck 7-6 suspension. More precisely, the Roman numeral would be a two-six (ii/6). Alternatively, we could think of it as an F major seventh. Let's look at another example. Example 17.6 Seventh Chord in a Substitution C G C C Original I A m7 G C C SUB V I I vi7 A m7 SUB V I I vi7 Observe, again, the chord quality in the right hand does not change in measure three and six when substituting a vi for a I. Note, the Am7 projects a softer, more tender feeling. ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 4 Substitute a Descending Third Cross out two or three of the chord symbols below. Substitute a descending third. Write the new bass part, redo the chord symbols, and indicate the Roman numerals. Use taste. Test the new sounds. Focus on single substitutions, not a continuous series of them. Example 17.7 Jesus Draw Me Close F Dm7 C Je - sus draw B meclose, F clos - e r , L o r d C to You Example 17.8 Cry of My Heart D G It is the D cry A of my heart G It is the cry G to fol A of my heart - low You. G to be close D to You. Example 17.9 Refiner's Fire E A Re -fin-er's fire: B E A my heart'sonede-sire B E is to be B ho-ly ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 5 Ascending Third Substitutions A I chord in the key of C major can be substituted with a iii, a ii chord with a IV, and a IV with a vi, or a vi with a I chord. The solid notes below indicate common tones. Example 17.10 Ascending Third Relations (common tones) C Em Dm I iii ii F F IV IV Am Am C vi vi I Ascending third relations are more rare than descending ones. Below an Em7 is substituted for a C chord (m.2). Example 17.11 Substitutions Using Scale Degree Three (Holy Holy Holy) E m7 C F ma7 F G C SUB I iii7 Notice, the presence of the seventh (m.2, beat 1) warms up the sound. Three exercises. Revise the three examples (below) substituting two or three ascending third relations. Cross out the pop symbols (as needed) and provide your substitutes. Write the bass line. Indicate the Roman numerals. Test your result; avoid strong clashes. Example 17.12 Lamb of God C F O Lambof God, F G sweet Lamb of C God, F G I l o v ethe ho - ly Lambof God! ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 6 Example 17.13 Doxology G G Praise God C from whom all D bless - ings G flow; praise D A D Example 17.14 Come Thou Fount D A D A Comethou fount of ev-ery D D bless-ing, tunemy heart to sing thy praise. General Principle. As extensions (7ths, 9ths) are added to chords, more common tones become available and thus more chord substitution possibilities. Importance. Why are these third relation options so important? It's one way to accent the text and prevent harmonic boredom. For instance, the tune of the first four measures of Holy Holy Holy is repeated at measure nine (as below). Therefore we might want to vary measure nine harmonically in order to express more clearly the meaning of the words, or to introduce a new nuance of feeling. Look at m.1 and then m.9. Example 17.15 Phrase Repeated at Measure Nine 1 C 2 3 F 9 C 10 11 ETC. Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly! Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly! Lord All H o - l y , ho - l y , ho - ly! m e r Cher-u-bim and ser-a-phim f a l l - Below we're jumping to measure seven of Holy Holy Holy. Whereas the hymnbook version harmonized measure nine (above) with a C chord, measure nine (below) is reharmonized with a third relation Am chord (vi), which then passes through the F chord (IV) on the way to a ii chord. A minor, F major, and D minor are all third relations. ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 7 Example 17.16 7 8 earth and sky and 9 sea; Am F On - ly vi IV Dm 9 10 Thou art C E ho - ly ii9 Notice that measure three above begins with a third relation substitute (Am is substituted for C major), but then the chords descend by thirds (F, and then Dm9). The use of a series of descending thirds harmonically is our next idea. Thinking Down Several Thirds So far we have stressed substitutions up or down one third, that is, substituting a C chord with an A minor chord or an E minor Chord. Now we'll extend that concept by including substitutions down a series of thirds to an F chord and a D minor chord. Visually the concept looks like this. The first measure below represents what we've been focusing on, the second measure, the new extension. Example 17.17 Thirds Down from C Major (A minor, F major, D minor) I vi IV ii I vi IV ii Example 17.18 Series of Descending Thirds for Scale Degrees 1-5 The descending thirds chords could be simple triads or possess the seventh (as below). Vocals C A m7 F Dm7 Dm B ø7 G 7 E m7 E m C ma7A m7 F ma7 F Dm7B ø7F G G E m7C ma7A m7 ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 8 Let's use descending thirds in the hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy. Example 17.19 Observe Am7, F, and Dm7 Substitutions for the C major Chord A m7 C I vi7 Dm7 F IV ii7 You won't find the above substitutions (Am, F, and Dm7) in the hymnbook. But they could be effective for the second or third stanza, or in the middle of the hymn where the melody repeats (m.9), as below. Think up something appropriate after the substitution. Example 17.20 Dm7 Substituted for C major 7 8 earth and sky and 9 sea; Dm 7 Dm 9 On - ly Thou art ii7 ii9 10 C E ho - ly ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 9 Example17.21 Amazed By You (Lincoln Brewster recording, beginning at 4:47) E A how deep IV E C B how V wide vi E F B how B great V ii V Above, scale degree 4 (IV) in the bass is substituted with a 6 (vi) and a 2 (ii). Example 17.22 Thirds Down from C2 and C2Q C2 C 2Q Descending thirds also work with added seconds and quartal chords. Example 17.23 Quartals with Descending Thirds (Emmanuel) The first chord in each excerpt descends in thirds (C, A, F, D respectively). The C chord remains fixed the right hands. C2Q A C 2Q E - man - u - el C 2Q F E - m a n - u - el E - man - u - el C2Q D E - man - u - el ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 10 Some harmonic adjustments were made after the first chord in each case. When you change one chord, then for consistency's sake you often need to change another. Which alternative do you like best? The C2Q/A is attractive, isn't it? A I chord is typically used for the last phrase of Be Thou My Vision on the word "waking." The G and Em chords create melodic extensions harmonically (9th, 11th). Example 17.24 Extensions Resulting from Change in Bass D Bm 3 1 Wak - ing 5 or I (Hymnbook) Em G 5 3 Wak - ing 7 or vi (Down a 3rd) 5 7 Wak - i n g 9 or IV (Down a 5th) 9 7 Wak - ing 11 or ii (Down a 7th) In the exercises below you'll substitute a vi, IV, and a ii chord for the I chord. Developing Good Continuation Your challenge is to continue the chord changes in a craftsmanship-like way to the end of the line. Use no more than one chord change per measure. Indicate the pop symbols, the Roman numerals, and write the bass part. Example 17.25 Try it! B minor chord Substituted for D major Bm Wak - ing or sleep - ing, Thy pres - ence Example 17.26 Try it! G major chord Substituted for D major G my light. ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 11 Example 17.27 Try it! Em7 chord Substituted for D major E m7 For the exercises above a D2 or D2Q could have substituted for the D major triad. Example 17.28 Jesus Paid It All Below, your task is to provide good continuation. The bass, in the harmonic variations of lines 2, 3, and 4 of measure two, descends in thirds to B, G, and E. Provide a secure harmonic progression that links measure two to measure four. Write the bass notes and furnish Pop symbols. Play your result in order to test its effectiveness. D D D all, All A Vocals Je - sus paid it to him I owe 1 D Bm A D G ma7 A D E m7 A 2 3 4 Example 17.29 Ways to Space Your Chord Substitutions Bm Je - sus paid it G ma9 E m11 all all all vi IV ii E m11 all ii Above are some chord spacings for measure two (above) to help create some atmosphere. ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 12 You'll get a nice effect if you roll the tenths in the bass so that the tenth (3rd of chord) sounds flush with the right hand (as in m.5). Apply the pedal at the onset of the lowest note. A Series of Descending Thirds Example 17.30 Model of Descending Thirds (Be Thou My Vision) D G maj7 Bm Be Thoumy vis-ion I E m9 O L o r dof vi IVmaj7 life. Naught be all Etc. else to me iim9 Do some tweaking, and create a series of thirds for the melodies below. Indicate the Pop symbols, the Roman numerals, and write the bass notes. Example 17.31 Descending Thirds (Be Thou My Vision) Wak - ing or sleep - ing Thy pres - ence my light. Example 17.32 Descending Thirds (Great is Thy Faithfulness) Great is Thy faith - ful - n e s s O God my fa - ther ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 13 Walking the Bass Down The bass can walk down the scale and fill in the space between the third relationships. Example 17.33 Stepwise Movement Down the Scale (Be Thou My Vision) B m7 D Be thou my Vis - ion G maj7 O Lord E m9 of my heart. Example 17.34 Chord Reinforcement of the Stepwise Movement D Be thou A2 C B m7 Bm A my Vis - ion O G maj7 Lord F m7 of my E m11 heart. Now it is your turn. Do something similar with the examples below. Example 17.35 Great is Thy Faithfulness Great is Thy faith - ful - ness O God my fath - er ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 14 Example 17.36 Come Thou Fount Come Thou fount of ev - ry bless - ing Looking Ahead So far we have been working mostly within traditional tertian harmonythat is, harmonies comprised of thirds. Hopefully you have learned to play major, minor, major sevenths, and minor seventh (probably in that order) up and down the neck of the guitar or across the keyboard. The next several chapters focus on sus chordschords that have a fourth instead of a third above the root noteand added second chords and quartals (inversions of added seconds) which contain an added second above the root. Think of these two entities not as departures from but as extensions or developments to basic traditional music theory. Example 17.37 All Three Versions Can Resolve C sus4 1 4 5 C2 C 1 2 5 C 2Q C 2 5 C 1 In measures one (above), the fourth would likely fall (resolve) to the third of the C chord, in traditional music theory. In measure two, the second can rise (resolve) to a third (as in much Rock and Country music), but would likely fall in traditional theory and practice. In measure three, the second of the quartal can also rise to the third of the C chord. These sounds (C2 and C2Q) are not found or discussed in classical music theory. As mentioned, in traditional theory, the interval of a second in measures two and three would likely fall to the root (C) whereas in contemporary music it may risethat's one of the differences. ©2012 Barry Liesch ch17 Substitutions Down/Up Thirds 15 Example 17.38 Unresolved Csus4, C2, and C2Q C sus4 C2 C 2Q Alternatively, in contemporary music the Csus4 , C2, and the C2Q may not resolve. They can be considered chords (entities) in their own right. This is a a little preview of what we will get into in more detail in the next few chapters. Thought. When we improvise in public we reveal what we have mastered in private. Ideally we should be able to render every phrase a dozen different ways. This implies a deep need in our part to discover what is possible.
© Copyright 2024