Quartal Permutations over ii-V7-I Progressions

with Melodic Ideas and Comping Suggestions

By 7
b3 = min 3rd interval above root
Minor quality voicings:
1 11 b7 (m11)
9 5 1 (m9)
11 b7 b3 (m11)
5 8 11 (m11)
6 9 5 (m13)

b7 = min 7th interval above root

#7 = Maj 7th interval above root

Dominant 7 quality voicings:

9 5 1 (9th)
3 6 9 (13th)
6 9 5 (13th)

Major quality voicings:

9 5 1 (Maj9)
3 6 9 (Maj6/9)
6 9 5 (Maj6/9)
#7 3 6 (Maj13no11)

ii-V7-I progressions:

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) descend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) same
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) same
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) descend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) descend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) same
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#min 1 11 b7 ( C# F# B ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) same
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) descend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) descend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) same
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) descend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) same
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) same
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) same
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) same
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) same
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) same
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#min 9 5 1 ( D# G# C# ) same
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) descend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) same
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 11 b7 b3 ( F# B E ) ascend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) same
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) same
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) descend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) same
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) same
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# D# F# ) descend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) same
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# D# F# ) same
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# D# F# ) ascend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) same
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) descend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) same
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) ascend
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) same
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) same
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) descend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) same
F#7 3 6 9 ( A# D# G# ) same
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) same
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) same
Bmaj 3 6 9 ( D# G# C# )

C#m 5 8 11 ( G# C# F# ) descend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) ascend
Bmaj 6 9 5 ( G# C# F# )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) descend
F#7 9 5 1 ( G# D# F# ) ascend
Bmaj 9 5 1 ( C# F# B )

C#m 6 9 5 ( A# D# G# ) ascend
F#7 6 9 5 ( D# G# C# ) descend
Bmaj #7 3 6 ( A# D# G# )

Some melodic ideas for quartals!

1. Simple arpeggiation can sound terrific (especially when each chord only gets two beats)
2. Play the following very rapidly in succession over Cm7
Bb F C
CGD
Eb Bb F
FCG
GDA
Bb F C
GDA
FCG
Eb Bb F
CGD
Bb F C
Immediately obvious to any casual observer is the fact
that all of the above notes fall into C dorian.
3. Another way to use quartals in a melodic sense is to utilize the "mega-scale" concept
(for those of you unfamiliar with this, please see the "Bopology 101" lesson).
What if we had a scale that was all made up of perfect 4ths???
How about this one:
EADGC
But HEY! Do you notice what I notice? If you rearrange those notes,
it's the pentatonic scale! ( C D E G A ).
And as all musicians know, YOU CAN USE THE PENTATONIC SCALE OVER ALMOST
EVERYTHING!

Here are some great comping ideas for quartals (mostly for keyboard):
1. Play different quartals in the right and left hands (using contrary motion when possible).
This gives a fuller chord texture and provides more harmonic interest.
example (in C):
Dm (ii minor) LH: 9 5 1 ( E A D ) RH: 11 b7 b3 ( G C F ) = 1 b3 5 b7 9 11
G7 (V7 domin) LH: 3 6 9 ( B E A ) RH: 9 5 1 ( A D G ) = 1 3 5 9 13
CMaj7 (Major7) LH: 6 9 5 ( A D G ) RH: 9 5 1 ( D G C ) = 1 5 6 9
2. Rootless chords in one hand - quartals in the other. Mix and match.
3. Subsitute quartals in the left hand instead of rootless chords.
4. If you don't have a bass player, play your standard walking bass in the left hand
and the appropriate quartals in the right.
(Above recreated with permission from www.jeffreebrent.com; 7s lesson Quartals)