NEW: Functional Harmony 101
Want a check-list of the most important devices found in ‘functional’ harmony? Check out the Functional Harmony 101 PDF Download below for a quick and informative guide!
Here for the first time?
Then check out the levels below for detailed video/PDF lessons to help you to learn the fundamentals. 👇
Level 1
If you’re new to jazz harmony, then this is the place to start!
Understanding the major scale, how it works and learning about how often it is used in jazz music is an essential set of knowledge.
Want to dig deeper?
Here’s an introduction to some common chord voicings and the concept of guide tone lines. A way of looking horizontally through a chord progression, rather than up and down the chord tones!
Happy with the Major scale?
Then let’s move onto the most important Major chord/scale relationships! The Major ii V I is the most common chord progression in jazz music and a must know for any aspiring musician!
Another approach…..
Pentatonic scales are a great way to cut to the core of a sound. They miss out the semitones and drop two of the more subtle notes. They are a great way to paint bold colours and present a different way of looking at harmony. Check out the Introduction to Pentatonic Scales in the PDF lesson below and learn:
What a pentatonic scale is
The two most common pentatonic scales
Several great options to highlight the chords in a Major ii V I progression
Level 2
Got the Major ii V I under your belt?
It’s time to take what we’ve learnt about the Major scale and apply it to the minor. Once you know both of your Major and minor ii V I progressions, there’ll be no stopping you - you’ll start to see them in almost every jazz standard!
Want to dig deeper?
Here’s an introductory video, outlining some common chord voicings and the concept of guide tone lines. A way of looking horizontally through a chord progression, rather than up and down the chord tones!
If you want to get further into your guide tone line approach on a minor ii V I, then there’s a PDF lesson you can download below! It takes you through the normal guide tones, and introduces the important upper extension guide tone lines that will help you to make the chords really sing!
If you want to develop your approach to the 7b9b13 (chord V), this PDF lesson looks at alternative scale choices to help you develop a wider range of colours and approaches!
Do you want to see how somebody else approaches the minor ii V I? If so, then download the PDF of Sonny Clark Trio (1957) and check out his interpretation of the melody for Softly As In A Morning Sunrise. One PDF is annotated, the other is just how it is!
Level 3
Ready to look beyond the ii V I’s?
Secondary dominants can be seen popping up all over the place, it’s another important harmonic device to learn. Once you know what they are, you will never stop seeing them!
MORE ii V I’s? They’re already EVERYWHERE!?!?!?
That is true, but there is one more type you need to know! These cheeky little things rise to the home key and are a great way of modulating.
Are you comfortable with the most common chord substitution in jazz?
The tritone substitution is a very important bit of knowledge. You do need to be comfortable with your ii V I’s to tackle it though, so don’t rush to this lesson without some prior knowledge.