Seminar at Huddeseld Jazz Guitar Society 4th September 2012

Id like to thank everyone for listening to me wafe on the other night. It was a very difcult thing to do. Im not new to standing in front of people and talking about the guitar, Ive taught guitar and music in colleges, schools and run workshops and summer schools. Ive never done it however in a back room of a pub to a group of people with a range of abilities from accomplished to expert about such a broad topic which could easy be a week long discussion. It was challenging, but fun and I hope some of you have gained some new knowledge. If I was covering old ground, as Im sure I was to some then I hope it made you think about things that you knew and maybe inspired you to revisit old ideas. I thought it would be worth putting my observations in writing as there were a lot of things I tried (some less successfully than others) to cover. I hope you nd these notes useful and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next meeting. So here goes.... An Introduction to accompanying. There are many things to consider when accompanying someone on the guitar, there are different techniques and challenges depending on which instruments (or voice) you are accompanying. As this is a jazz guitar society I think it would be most relevant to focus this discussion on accompanying other guitarists particularly in a duo format as adding bass adds a whole different dimension although, many of these techniques do still apply. When accompanying another guitarist who is soloing, probably the best starting point is to think how would you, yourself would like to be accompanied if you were soloing. There is no right way or wrong way to do this and it will ultimately come down to personal taste and preference. There are a few things worth considering. You are not only there to support but are equally part of the improvisation and your input will help shape the solo just as much as the soloist. The chords serve only as a guide in jazz and should be a starting point, a springboard if you like and although it probably wouldnt be wise to change the chords completely it is possible to adapt and manipulate the progression through chord substitutions, extensions and one or two harmonic tricks. Rhythm. The most fundamental and undoubtably important element to be aware of when accompanying is good timing. This will usually be played with a solid pulse but if the timing is looser it needs to be clear as to where the beat lies as this is the foundation of the music. This doesnt mean you have to play 4 to a bar rhythms it just needs to be clear. Many players have a different approach to how they feel the beat, particularly when soloing. Some (many) players push the beat and play slightly ahead of it. This is ok, it gives the song a strong forward momentum and drive and can be very exciting. As an accompanist this is something to be very aware of, if you follow suit and play ahead as well, (usually unintentionally) then the soloist will reciprocate and the effect snowballs and

the piece speeds, often un-noticed until the tune comes back in and you discover it is almost twice the speed of when it started. Never speed up and always aim to keep good time. Practice it with a metronome.

Sonority and Voicings One particular problem you may run into when accompanying another guitarist is sonority. The pitch of the instruments may clash. If the soloist plays a b5th and you play a regular 5th for example the sound might not be that agreeable. With instruments with a different sound this can be less noticeable but two guitars can potentially create some unwanted and very unpleasant clashes. Essentially you should aim, as an accompanist is to be able to offer harmonic and rhythmic support without getting in the way of the melodic invention. A solution is to strip the chords back to their most fundamental tones. The two most important notes out of any chord are the 3rd and the 7th, the third dictates tonality, whether the chord is major or minor, the 7th denes function, whether the chord needs to resolve or not. The root note names the chord and actually isnt as important as you might think and the 5th is really there to add a bit of padding, unless it is altered. It is possible to play a recognisable and fully functioning chord sequence using only the 3rd and the 7th.

The only problem with using only the third and the 7th to dictate the harmony is with a musical equivalent of a homonym, the same spelling but a different meaning. F and B for example are the 3rd and the 7th of a G7 chord but are also the 3rd and the 7th of a Db7 chord, in a blues the chord function is clear but in other sequences it may be less so. It would therefore be wise to include the root.

Interestingly it this reason as to why tritone chord substitutions work as these notes are shared between the two chords. The term tritone is exactly what it says it is, three tones. A tone on the guitar is the equivalent to two frets, a semitone which is the smallest recognised interval in western music is one fret. Starting on the note G, a tone above would give A, a tone above A is B and a tone above B is C#. This is a tritone.

Often the note a tritone above is referred to by its enharmonic equivalent of b5th rather than #4th. It is possible to replace a dominant chord with another dominant chord whose root lies a attened 5th above. We could replace a G7 chord with Db7 in a sequence and surprisingly it doesnt sound out of place or unusual.

For example.

Could be played as

Satin Doll.

Looking at the familiar standard Satin Doll. It is possible to strip the chords back so they include the root, 3rd and the 7th. Here they add everything they need as regards the essentials of the harmony but they dont create as much potential threat of clashes.

Adding ii V chords One thing you can do to help give a chord progression a clearer, stronger harmonic drive is to prex any signicant chord with its ii and V. If you had a major chord its chord ii would be m7 a tone higher and chord V a dominant 7th played a 5th above. If the chord was minor then chord ii could either m7b5 or m7 again a tone higher and chord V dominant.

An excellent example of this technique used to extreme is in Blues For Alice by Charlie Parker.

A blues progression in F it begins with the customary 4 bars of F, in this case Fma7 before moving onto Bb7. Parker applies a ii V before the Bb giving us Cm7 F7 Bb7. He then does the same to the Cm7 giving us Dm7 G7 Cm7 F7 Bb. He then does the same to the Dm7 to arrive at Em7 A7, Dm7 G7, Cm7 F7 to Bb7. This technique is often referred to as back cycling

There are a number of opportunities for this in Satin Doll. At the end of the A section for the rst time we can approach the Dm7 with Em7b5 and A7, its ii and V. In the B section we have two bars of Fma7. We can approach the Am7 with Bm7b5 and E7 to smooth out the transition.

Walking Bass. Another thing you can do is to create a walking bass gure behind the solo. This can generate an interesting musical effect although its effectiveness is determined by what other things are happening. Lets create one over a common sequence: Cma7 Am7 Dm7 and G7. Taking the root note of each of our chords sequence we arrive at a pattern which looks like this.

We can approach each of these notes from either one fret above or one fret below, this is known as a chromatic approach note and gives the line much more movement and direction.

We can now add the chords in. Try to create a feeling of independence between the bass line and the chord to help achieve the illusion of two things happening at once. The chord can be played short or held longer to create different effects.

Essentially much of the harmony is now implied by a single line and this technique is at its most effective when the chords are moving two to a bar and the bass line moves between roots using chromatic passing notes, a note a semitone above or below the target note. Chords are added to create an impression of independence and to further the illusion of a number of things going on at once as well as to reinforce the harmony. If you cant get a chord in dont worry as the harmony has been implied already. If the chords arent moving two to a bar then its possible to play over the whole bar but it would be worth considering chord substitutions. Dangers with this technique are it can become a little tiresome to the listener if overused, there is a danger of stiing some of the creativity as the focus becomes more on maintaining a bass line rather than what the soloist is doing and most importantly it depends on the kind of thing you are accompanying. We are now bordering on the technique of counterpoint with essentially two independent lines that weave together and if one of them is not following the changes or is playing really outside and chromatically then the technique is less effective as a lot of dissonance is created without being sufciently resolved. The next step with this technique is two independent solo lines. This is an effective technique as with care it can still maintain a sense of harmony but it also creates a vagueness and a feeling of chaos which when it returns back to the more familiar roles of accompanist and soloist can offer a feeling of resolve. Chord Substitutions and Chord Voicings. Using chord substitutions while accompanying can an effective way of maintaining interest and help kick start some fresh ideas. I touched on the tritone substitution earlier but there are many more worth exploring. Also adding extensions to chords can be effective, adding a b9 to a dominant 7th chord can create a completely different colour whilst maintaining the original harmonic intention of the progression. One thing to consider is to think about the notes of the chords you choose rather than off the peg shapes. Certain notes of chords lead into other chord tones more effectively than others. Been aware of the notes you are playing allows you to chose more effective chord voicings. For example.

The second two shapes are better as the Eb in the Am7b5 resolves more effectively onto D7.

In Conclusion So in conclusion, always look at the over all chord progression and always keep a clear view of the harmonic direction of the sequence. Use substitutions to embellish this. Think about the voicings and shapes you use. Rhythm and timing. Most importantly you are are there to to offer harmonic support and colour as well as to contribute to the solos so never just strum away and a wait your moment of glory, as an accompanist you can make anyone sound good. There are millions of great soloists but how many of them are great accompanists, probably not enough. Hope this was useful. Feel free to contact me if any of its unclear, rubbish or whatever. my email is info@darrendutsonbromley.com If youve made it this far, well done and thanks for reading. Darren.