Chord melody for guitar

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Bill Swick’s

Guitar Class

Supplementary Materials

CHORD MELODY METHOD

Volume One

For Intermediate Students

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Harmonizing Simple Melodies

In the Key of G

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Spelled G-B-D-F#

D7 (V7)

Spelled D-F# A-C

Notes in the G Scale found on the first string of a guitar. D7-3rd

GMaj7-7th G-1st D7-5th G-3rd D7-7th

D7-1st G-5th

Bill Swick's Harmonizing Method for Chord Solos

CMaj7-IV Spelled C-E-G-B C-3rd C-5th C-7th C-1st C-3rd D7-3rd GMaj7-7th G-1st D7-5th G-3rd D7-7th D7-1st G-5th classroomguitar@2004 -1-2

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Bill Swick’s

Guitar Class

Supplementary Materials

CHORD MELODY METHOD

Volume TWO

For Advanced Students

More Steps Towards Chord Melody Playing

Melodies on the Second String

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Chord Inversions with Melody on Second String

Drop 2 Chord Voicings on Strings 2,3,4,&5

Bill Swick's Harmonizing Method for Chord Solos

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Chord Melody is when you play the melody notes of a song with as much of the chords as you can play at the same time. The chord harmony is always lower in pitch than the melody note. This is because the higher pitched notes are always the dominate sound in multiple note playing.

When we as Banjo players think about playing Chord Melody, most of us invariably think of it as something that only the best players can do. In fact, that thought is not correct. My point of view is that it is something that is relatively simple to do, and anyone can do it with some of the ideas that I’ll discuss here in this article.

First things first, There are a couple of pre-requisites to playing Chord Melody.

1. You need to be able to read single notes with some facility.

You don’t have much time to think about the note you are playing. You need to be able to recognize and execute the musical note you see on your sheet music very quickly, and most importantly, accurately. Your time will be spent thinking about the chord first and how to add in the melody note second. Staying in time!

When you are playing a song from the sheet music, several things are happening at the same time. You have tempo to contend with. The correct way to practice playing single notes from music is to start slowly. You should use a metronome or some other mechanical devise (drum machine) to set an audible tempo for you to work from. If you have trouble keeping up with the beat, then slow your tempo down to a point that you can keep up with.

Slowly increase the tempo each time you work on the song until you get the tempo up to the speed that the band plays the song at. Once you can consistently play the song at band speed, and play it accurately, then you are ready for the next step in playing Chord Melody.

2. The second pre-requisite is to know how to play the chords from the sheet music for the songs you are working on.

(HINT) Record the melody and use this to practice your chords with. Play the tape and follow along by playing the chords in the first position. The first position chords are the most important ones for playing Chord Melody. Then play the song again and practice using the chords from the next position. These chords are also important for use in Chord Melody.

Now, once you have accomplished these two things, 1. Single string note reading and 2. Chord playing, You are ready to start putting the two together to play Chord Melody.

Start out by going slowly. Remember to keep the melody note on top, in other words keep the melody note as the highest pitched tone at all times. All of the other notes you play in Chord Melody have to be from the chord being used at that point in the melody. and they have to be lower in pitch than the melody note is. Keep this one single rule in mind at all times and you can’t go wrong.

The first note of a song on beat number one can be a full chord (all four strings) Example: “Four Leaf Clover” The first note is a “C” Look at the chord and you will see that the chord is also a “C”. Play a first position “C” chord instead of the single note “C” and there you have the start of playing Chord Melody. (see Example)

At first, play only notes of long duration with as much of the chord under it. This will allow you to develop the thinking processes needed to play Chord Melody. By using the longer notes, for now, you give yourself time to think about what part of the chord you need to use at any particular note in the song. If the chord is a D7 and the melody is “E” which is also a four beat note, You can play the “E” on the “A” string at the 7th fret and you can use as much of the D7 chord as you can get on the d, g and c strings. The notes will be F# on the “D” string, the “C” note on the “G” string and either the “F#” or the open “C” on the “C” string. Try this now so you can see what I mean.

(HINT) Think of the chord first and then add in the melody note!

Try this , the chord is “F” the melody note is “C”. Try to work it out now and here is the explanation. BUT try it first!

The Basics of Playing Chord Melody

by Steve Caddick

EXAMPLES :

C chord with

C Melody D7 chord with_{E melody} F chord with _{C melody}

E note C note C note

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Play a first position “F” chord and now play the “C” note on the third fret on the “A” string. BINGO you got it!

This is starting to look a lot easier than you thought isn’t it.

The second note in “Four Leaf Clover” is a “G” you are still on the “C” chord. How would you execute it in Chord Melody? Ah-HA you quickly found out that a first position “C” chord doesn’t work very well! Try the second position “C” chord instead. (E on C, C on G, G on the D and E on the A string). You only play up to the G note on the D string. You are only using 3 notes! You will find that it is necessary to eliminate some notes as your melody drops onto the lower strings. You will never drop the melody note! It must always be played!

You will find that if you only play Chord Melody on the longer notes (half notes and longer) and use single string notes for the shorter ones, this will give you an excellent star t on Chord Melody. As your skill at recognition and execution increases, so will your ability to execute shorter length notes in Chord Melody.

Remember that it is more important to work at it a little every day than a lot on only one day a week. The more you do it the more you will recognize that there are similarities from chord to chord. and the easier it will get for you to do.

(HINT) Start off by trying it only on the “C” chord and get used to playing the melody note only after you have fingered the chord first. Then add a new chord. After you are comfortable with the “C” chord, try an “F” chord and then a “D7” and then an “A7” and so on. Keep adding in a new chord as you accomplish Chord Melody with the previous ones.

When you can’t find the right position for the chord and get the melody right, try spelling out the chord first and then get the melody note. Look for the alternative way to get as much of the chord as possible with the melody, even if you have to drop the melody note off the string you are used to playing it on. Try the note on the next string down but don’t drop it an octave use the same note but in the higher position on the lower string. Then use the chord from the next position up the neck. This will sometimes solve a problem for you.

Always play the chord first and then add in the melody note. If you do it this way, the harmony will be easier to get.

The best way to lear n to do this is to constantly work on it. Use songs you already know or the music from the bands book It really is not that difficult to do and it is a lot of fun. After you have worked out your first song in Chord Melody, I guarantee that you will have a feeling of accomplishment the likes of which you have never felt before!

Good Luck and keep at it! Steve Caddick

Here are a few examples to help get you started.

X

Don’t play X string

G note 5th fret

If you have questions, Contact me. Steve Caddick

[email protected]

C

F

D7

Example: “G” melody with a “C” chord. This is how it looks in music and how it is played on the tenor banjo.

D note on 5th fret

Example: “D” melody with an “F” chord. This is how it looks in music and how it is played on the tenor banjo.

Example: “A” melody with a “D7” chord. This is how it looks in music and how it is played on the tenor banjo.

A note on open string

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20/03/09 14:04 iBreatheMusic.com - An Introduction to Guitar Chord Melodies by Peter Simms

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An Introduction to Guitar Chord Melodies by Peter Simms (02 Sep 03)

Hello Guitar Students!

Since I'm the new guy on the block (here on ibreathemusic.com), I thought I would introduce you to what I teach: Guitar Chord Melodies.

A "Guitar Chord Melody" is a solo guitar arrangement similar to many classical guitar pieces. The term mainly applies to those who assemble songs with "idea" of using the melody and the chords together.

If you are able to play melodies on your guitar, have a good knowledge of chords, and can think "out of the box"... you can assemble your own chord melodies! My first chord melody was "Yesterday" by the Beatles. I knew the chords and could play the melody. Out of pure frustration of not having someone to play one of the parts with me, I tried to put them together myself. It worked! After that, well... I went crazy trying to put songs together. I ran into many obstacles, but I also had many breakthroughs. The end result has been a lot of songs I can play by myself... and a lot of fun!

When having a few chord melodies given to you (TAB and Notation), I found out

(through my students) that it becomes easier to understand how these arrangements are put together. Then, "the mystery" no longer is a mystery... and becomes a challenge. The actual basic approach to making chord melodies is melody+chord... keep it simple! Adding the extra stuff comes in later. Patience is the key to this art. It can take a while before your chord melody will sound good. This is where many guitar players give up. The price is high... and the pay off is high.

I prefer to play chord melodies fingerstyle. Thus the TAB and Notation will be presented in that format. You can use a pick... you will just have to re-arrange some of the music. This lesson is going to take you through an easy version of: "Afro Blue"

Miles Davis made this one popular..

Take a listen to a midi file playing it as written: "Click Here"

Now take a listen to me playing it with added improvisation: "Click Here" Below are:

A Melody

(lead sheet)

Chord Diagrams

(for every measure to help you understand how it is put together)

A Complete Guitar Arrangement

(Chord Melody)

Search for...

Username ••••••••

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Try to get the "as written" part down first. Then try adding your own embellishments to it.

Enjoy!

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About the Author

Peter has been a professional musician in the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area for the last 20 years. He played for Recording Studios, Big Bands, Top Forty Bands, Blues Bands, R&B Bands, Jazz Bands, Rock Bands, and Solo Guitar Instrumental Jazz. Now that he lives in Florida, he has concentrated on Solo Instrumental Guitar, and Guitar Education. For more about Peter check out his website at www.petersimms.com

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Lessons: Lesson #3828: Chord-Melody 101:part 1:Getting A Grip

by Robert Strait(6432) About This Lesson

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Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Suggested Tempo: 120

This lesson is for intermediate to advanced skill levels.

Chord-Melody is a style of guitar playing in which the melody and the underlying harmony (chords) are played together, simultaneously, to create a complete orchestration. It is usually done in a solo guitar context, although it can also be appropriate in a group setting. Fingerstyle playing is recommended, although plectrum (pick) style playing is also perfectly acceptable, and the concepts outlined in this lesson are also valid in that context. This lesson will attempt to clarify some of the questions regarding the style, which can seem quite advanced and intimidating to some. Hopefully, it will help you get a "grip" on the techniques involved, both literally and figuratively. Over the course of these pages, I will arrange a piece of music, step-by-step, until we arrive at a well constructed (I hope!), performance level chord-melody arrangement. Along the way, we will pause to discuss various theory, harmony, chord voicing, and arranging concepts.

Fear not!! Arranging songs into a chord-melody need only be as simple or as complex as you choose, and it can be easier than you think!

If you are already familiar with intermediate to advanced level harmony and theory, you will be adequately prepared for chord-melody playing. If you are an absolute beginner, feel free to explore the lesson, but be aware that there may be subjects and concepts that will be unfamiliar to you. This lesson can be approached "buffet" style - you can take what you like and leave the rest - but you may be better served by learning some basic theory and harmony concepts before you attempt this lesson. Search the lesson directory...there is a whole bunch of great info there!

As a primer for this lesson (and for a complete music education), I would strongly suggest that you check out any or all of these excellent lessons:

Key Centers and Common Tones Part 1 by Steve Cass

Modes of the Major Scale by Christopher Sung

The Seven Modes by Chris Bond

Comparing Modes by Stone Dragon

Applying Modes Part 1 by Stone Dragon

Applying Modes Part 2: The Sequel by Stone Dragon

The Guitarists Handbook by Chris Bond

Triads by Frederick Burton

Constructing Chords from Modes by Chris Bond

Basic Chord Forms and Voice Leading by Christopher Sung

Rhythm Guitar:Part 1:Learning to Count by Robert Strait

Accompianment Elements of Rhythm Guitar by Christopher Sung

Chord Substitution by Robert Denman

Substitution Rules by Frederick Burton

Accompianment Elements of Rhythm Guitar by Jody Fisher

Walking Bass Lines w/ Chords by Christopher Sung

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Gmaj7 Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7 D7 Em7 F#m7b5

Gmaj7

Cmaj7 Dmin7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7

Bm7b5 Cmaj7

Fmaj7 Gm7 Am7 Bbmaj7 C7

Dm7 Em7b5 Fmaj7

Cmaj7

Harmonic Minor Scale Basics by Christopher Sung

Applying The Melodic Minor Scale by Frederick Burton

The Lydian b7 Scale by Christopher Sung

Quartal Harmony by Frederick Burton As well as this great article:

C hord Progressions 101 by Josh Graves

For sake of clarity, the type of chord-melody playing that I will talk about in this lesson will pertain primarily to arranging an existing piece of music (but all the concepts are equally suited for original compositions as well). Now, on to the lesson!

The first thing we need to do is outline some basic rules and review the harmonized major scale.

The number one rule in chord-melody arranging is that the melody is always the main focus...anything we do harmonically or rhythmically is to support the melody.

Having said this, melody notes will always be the upper most note (also called a voice) in your chord voicings. This will require that you transpose most written melodies up an octave to put them in a range that will allow you to play full or partial chords beneath them. Under certain circumstances, you may even find the need to change the original key.

As I just mentioned, the notes of a chord are often referred to as voices (hence the term, "chord voicing"). Your typical four-note chord therefore contains four voices. The lowest note or voice is referred to as the bass note and is often the root of the chord (although they can be other chord tones as well). Many people prefer to label the voices as in the classical school of thought. From low to high, they are the bass, tenor, alto, and soprano, respectively. I tend to not use those terms exclusively, and in this lesson you will find I will refer to the chord tones as the lowest voice, the middle voices, and the top voice (which will be your melody note).

Let's take a look at the harmonized major scale. Using standard four-note, 7th chord voicings, here is the harmonized major scale, in the key of G, with all chord roots lying on the 6th string:

Here it is again, this time in the key of C, with the roots of each chord on the 5th string:

And again, in the key of F, with the roots of each chord on the 4th string:

Every guitar player needs to be familiar with these chords, and if you haven't already comitted these to memory, you will need to! Fortunately, there is no shortcut! Practice playing up and down the major scale in every key using these voicings. While you do this, observe the following:

1) That every voice in the chords moves in stepwise, scalewise motion from chord to chord. Notice how each voice creates an independant, melodic line.

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E, the 3rd, is the upper most voice.

My very first guitar teacher once told me that I need to be able to play the same chord at least three different ways on the fretboard. Boy, was he right! This is going to be extremely useful when we begin arranging, so don't sell yourself short by not taking the time to absorb these chord voicings! Playing them up and down the scale is very musical, so practicing them is not that boring. In fact, once you can play these smoothly from chord to chord, you will already be playing chord-melody! Also, once you consider that these chords are valid for all seven modes of the major scale, you will already have the knowledge to harmonize any diatonic or modal melody!

That's alot to use already!

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Lessons: Lesson #3828: Chord-Melody 101:part 1:Getting A Grip

by Robert Strait(6432) About This Lesson

• Email this Lesson to a Friend • Bookmark this lesson page

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• Send Feedback to this member about this lesson • Rate this lesson (5 is best): 5 4 3 2 1

Related Resources

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Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Suggested Tempo: 60

Although most of this lesson will deal with arranging popular music, the next two pages are designed to demonstrate some uses for the harmonized major scale that you can begin to use immediately.

To illustrate how important and flexable the harmonized major scale can be, I've written the very simple, 2-bar melody below. The melody is in the key of C. In bars 3 and 4, I've added chord shapes from the C harmonized major scale below each melody note. With nothing more to go on than a C major melody, I've taken the voicings I know from the C harmonized major scale and arbitrarily chosen the ones which happen to have the correct melody notes as the top voice.

See how musical this sounds already?

The point is: you can make a very simple, musical sounding chord melody with this knowledge alone. Each chord in the major scale does have a specific function, and there are chords which are related (I will talk about these concepts in subsequent pages), but generally they are all from the same key and tonality. This is why it sounds pleasant and musical, no matter which chords you choose from the scale.

It is important to note, however, that we are working in a solo context here. In other words, there are no other instruments present to influence the sound of our chord choices, therefore we can choose any chords we wish to harmonize our melody. There are also no "indicated" chord changes as there would be with a previously composed piece of music, which allows complete freedom for harmonic interpretation of the melody. The example melody below contains notes which are all in the C major scale, so I chose to use a Cmaj7 chord to harmonize my first melody note, and immediately that implies a C major tonality. The ear tends to reference percieved notes against the lowest tone, or bass note, and the first chord it hears can often sound like "home"...therefore the ear can hear the first chord of a tune as the parent "key", or "tonality, of the song (especially if all the notes of the melody belong to a single parent key). If I had chosen Amin7 as my first chord, the implied tonality would have been A Aeolian. Of course, any harmony beyond the first chord of a tune can steer the song toward other keys and tonalities. I chose to harmonize all the melody notes with chords diatonic to C major, so the overall key still implies C major.

To demonstrate my point, try sustaining each note of the C major scale, one by one, over the entire example below. Begin with holding just a C bass note for the entire duration of the example. Next, play a D note, and so on and so forth. Hear how the tonality changes drastically with each bass note? Hear how some bass notes sound better than others? Do you hear how a C bass note sounds the best? That is partly because the melody itself implies a C major sound, but also because the first chord of the harmony is a C major chord.

Experiment by creating simple, major scale melodies and harmonizing them with the harmonized major scale voicing from the previous page. You can also experiment with harmonizing modal melodies, which I will demonstrate on the next page.

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1 Starting a Basic Chord-Melody Vocabulary.

Chord-melody playing is about solving problems: how to find the best (or hippest, or most challenging, or simplest, or most swinging-est) way of playing the chords in a tune while making sure the correct melody note is on top. Often, all you’ll need is a basic inversion of the chord, though you’ll have to be equally prepared to use substitutions, alterations, and a host of reharmonization tricks to come up with a cool arrangement. Though many players put the melody note in the middle register or bass, when beginning chord-melody, it’s best to think of the top E and B strings as your melody strings, and the bottom E and A strings as your bass.

The Absolute Basics

1. Play the chord that is written in the chart, finding an inversion of that chord that has the melody note on the B or E string. It is preferable (though not essential) to have the root of the chord as the lowest note in the inversion.

2. If the melody note is not a note in the basic chord, then add an extension: 9, 11, or 13. (If there’s suddenly too many notes in your chord, the note first to drop is usually the 5th – see the “Note on Extensions”).

3. If the melody note is not diatonic to the basic chord at all, then make the chord an alteration: b5, #5, b9, #9, #11th, b13th etc.

4. If you just can’t seem to make the melody note fit with the chord, or else it just sounds pony, then consider using one of the many reharmonizations --

substituting the written chord and putting another in its place. Things to Consider

• Ballads are best to start with as you can play them in free time and it sounds romantic instead of just off-tempo.

• You don’t need to find a chord for each individual melody note. Usually an

arrangement sounds better as a combination of single and chordal playing. Relentlessly using chords can sound a bit clunking.

• Listen to the bass line you’re making as well as the melody. Does it follow its

own logic? Could reharmonization make the bass line stronger? Once you’ve grasped the basics of chord-melody playing, adding walking bass lines is the next big challenge.

• Don't be a slave to the chart. If you don't like what's on it, change it. Your ears are the ultimate arbiter of what sounds good.

What follows is a series of basic chords that will work when playing chord melodies, arranged according to chord type and function within a diatonic scale. All are four-note chords whose melody note is on the top E or B strings, and whose root is in the bass (though some chords don’t have a root, at all).

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2 To use the chords, simply work out what the tune requires of you. Let’s take the first four bars of “Fly Me to the Moon” as an example. The chord in the first bar is Am7, with a C in the melody. Looking at p.12 – “Amin with C on top” – gives me three choices. I’ll choose the middle one, then play the next three notes (b, a, g) as single notes. The next bar has Dmin7 with an F on top. There’s two options on the bottom of p.5, and I’m going to choose the first, then play the next three notes singly (g, a, c), before moving into the next bar, a G7 with a B on top, examples of which can be found on p.12 (I’d go for the first option again, thus keeping it all in the same octave range.) There are three more notes in this bar (a, g, f), resolving to Cmajor7 in the fourth bar with an E in the melody. Examples of this type of chord can be found on p.3. I’d go for the first one.

There are of course a ton of limitations to this chord-finder. First, all the examples are in C, and if you can’t transpose, you’ll find it tricky. Second, I haven’t tackled diminished chords, or provided examples of altered chords when the melody isn’t being obligingly diatonic. If there’s even the slightest bit of interest, I’ll include them in part 2.

That said, simply using it a couple times and seeing how it works should provide fairly clear examples of what you need to do and how to do it. All of the chords are easily

reached – no impossible or macho stretches – and most are simple inversions of 7th

chords, or the more frequently used extensions (9th, 11th, 13th). Some chords (like the minor7b5’s) will be chords you rarely use. Many require barres, but I haven’t drawn them on, so you’ll have to work out the fingerings for those ones yourself (it shouldn’t tax you too much.) At the bottom of each section is a note on the most commonly used

substitutions, with the omission of the flat-five (or “tritone”) substitution, which can be used on any chord in whatever situation.

A Note on Extensions.

Adding extensions to chords can leave you with way too many notes in the chord. Here are some rules for dropping some of them:

• When playing a 9th, you can lose the 1. • When playing a 13th, you can lose the 5th. • When playing a #11th, you can lose the 5th. • When playing a 6th, you can lose the 7th.

• When playing an 11th, you can lose either the 5ths or the 3rd.

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3

I Chord

C major with C on top

Cmaj7 Cmaj7 C6 C6/9

C major with D on top

Cmaj9 C6/9 Cmaj9 Cmaj9 (no 3rd)

C major with E on top

Cmaj7 Cmaj7 C6 C6

C major with F on top

Cmaj7add11 C6add11 Cmaj7add11

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4 C major with G on top

Cmaj7 C6 C6/9 Cmaj7

C major with A on top

C6 Cmaj6/9 C6

C major with B on top

Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Cmaj7

Common Substitutions for the I Chord

Chords I, iii, and VI can be used interchangeably. Use V#9 in place of I

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5

ii Chord

D minor with C on top

Dmin7 Dmin7 Dmin7 Dmin7

D minor with D on top

Dmin7 Dmin7 Dmin7

D minor with E on top

Dmin9 Dmin9 (no root) Dmin9 (no root) Dmin9

D minor with F on top

Dmin7 Dmin7

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6 D minor 7 with G on top

Dmin11 Dmin9add11 Dmin11 Dmin11

D minor with A on top

Dmin7 Dmin7 Dmin9 (no root) Dmin7add11 (no root)

D minor with B on top

Dmin6 Dmin6add11 Dmin6

Common Substitutions for the ii Chord

Use ii and IV interchangeably (ie. replace Dmin7 with Fmaj7).

In a ii-V progression, change the ii chord to a dominant chord (ie, Dmin7-G7 becomes D7-G7). This creates a “V of V” as D7 would be the V chord in the key of G.

In a ii-V progression, the ii chord can become a min7b5 chord (ie, Dmin7-G7 becomes Dmin7b5-G7). As long as the 5th (A) is not the top note, you may flat the 5 in any of the above D minor chords.

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7

iii Chord

E minor with C on top

Emin7#5 (play bottom E open) Emin7#5 Emin7#5add11 Emin7#5

E minor with D on top

Emin7 Emin7 Emin7 Emin7

E minor with E on top

Emin7 Emin7 Emin7 Emin7 (play top E open)

E minor with F on top

Emin7b9 Emin7b9 Emin7b9

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8 E minor with G on top

Emin7 Emin7 Emin7

E minor with A on top

Emin11 Emin9add11 Emin11 Emin11

E minor with B on top

Emin7 Emin7 Emin9 (no root) Emin7add11(no root)

Common Substitutions for the iii Chord

I, iii, and vi can be used interchangeably (eg, all Emin7s with C on top are in effect C majors).

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9

IV Chord

F major with C on top

Fmaj7 F 6/9 (no root) F6 Fmaj9

F major with D on top

F6 Fmaj 9/6 (no root) F6

F major with E on top

Fmaj7 Fmaj7 Fmaj7 Fmaj7

F major with F on top

Fmaj7 Fmaj F6 Fmaj7

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10 F major with G on top

Fmaj9 Fmaj9 Fmaj9 (no 3rd) F 6/9

F major with A on top

Fmaj7 Fmaj7 Fmaj7

F major with B on top

Fmaj7b5 Fmaj7b5 Fmaj7b5 (play top B open) Fmaj7b5

Common Substitutions for the IV Chord ii and IV can be used interchangeably.

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11

V Chord

G Dominant with C on top

G11 G11

G Dominant with D on top

G7 G7 G9 G7

G Dominant with E on top

G13 G9add13 G13 (play top E open)

G Dominant with F on top

G7 (play middle 3 strings open) G7 G7

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12 G Dominant with G on top

G7 G13 G7 G6

G Dominant with A on top

G9 G7#5add9 G6/9 (no root) G9 (no root)

G Dominant with B on top

G7 G7 G7

Common Substitutions for the V chord V and vii can be used interchangeably.

As a diminished chord is similar to a V chord with a flat nine, play diminished whose root a one step higher than the V chord, ie play G#diminished for G7.

Add colour tones and alterations such as, b5, #5, b9, #9, #11, sus., sus.b9, etc.

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13

vi Chord

A minor with C on top

Amin Amin7 Amin7

A minor with D on top

Amin11 Amin11 (no root) Amin11

A minor with E on top

Amin7 Amin7 Amin7 (play top E open)

A minor with F on top

Amin7#5 Amin7#5

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14 A minor with G on top

Amin7 Amin7 Amin7 Amin7

A minor with A on top

Amin7 Amin7

A minor with B on top

Amin9 Amin9 Amin9 (no root, or play A open)

Common Substitutions for the vi Chord I, iii and vi can be used interchangeably.

vi chords may be converted to Dominant 7th chords, adding colour tones and alterations.

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15

vii Chord

B minor7b5 with C on top

Bmin7b5b9 Bmin7b5b9

B minor7b5 with D on top

Bmin7b5 Bmin7b5

B minor7b5 with E on top

Bmin7b5add11 (play top E open) Bmin11b5(play top E open) Bmin11b5 (play bottom A open) Bmin11b5 B minor7b5 with F on top

Bmin7b5 Bmin7b5 Bmin7b5

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16 B minor7b5 with G on top

Bmin7b5addG Bminb5addG

B minor7b5 with A on top

Bmin7b5 Bmin7b5

B minor7b5 with B on top

Common Substitutions for the vii Chord Substitute vii for V.