mikedodge

Harmonic Minor Connection:

Thanks to Shamus Pizzbutt for hooking me up with the backing track! Here it is, you might want to slow it down so you have time to play the lines over it...cause this track cooks.

http://test.mikedodge.com/mvdmusic/miked/softlyasinamorningsunrise.mp3

Here's a lesson to use with it:

Essentially the chords are:

||: Cm | Dm7b5 G7b9 | Cm | Fm | Cm | Dm7b5 G7b9 | Cm | Cm :|| for the verse.

You can make lines that alternate between Cm arps and Ddim7 arps over that progression. The Ddim7 arp could also be Fdim7 or Abdim7 or Bdim7 arps too, they each contain the same notes F Ab B D.

Before getting to playing through it with arps listen to how each of those dim7 chord can replace the Dm7b5->G7b9 and also the Fm.

Play the progression above swapping in dim7 chords every other measure, like so...

||: Cm | Fdim7 | Cm | Ddim7 | Cm | Bdim7 | Cm | Cm :||

Try these chord forms for the progression...

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  Cm  Fdim7  Cm   Ddim7   Cm    Bdim7    Cm    Cm

E--------------------------------------------------
B--8---9------8----6------4-----3---------4-----4--
G--8---7------8----4------5-----1---------5-----5--
D--8---9------8----6------5-----3---------5-----5---
A------8-----------5------3-----2---------3-----3--
E--8----------8-------------------------------------


Can you hear how that sounds? All the Cm's are "home" and all the dim7's are "unstable".

You can get this same by playing Cm arps for the Cm chord and any of the dim7 arps for the Dm7b5->G7b9 and Fm measures.

Try this using quarter notes for each measure, IOW just play on each beat of the measure (I'll just call the dim7 chord a Fdim7, but

it could be any of the four names)...

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   Cm              Fdim7       Cm               Fdim7
E--8------------|----------------|----------------|--------------|
B-----8---------|--9-------------|--8-------------|--6-----------|
G--------8------|-----10---------|-----8----------|-----7--------|
D-----------10--|---------12--9--|--------10------|--------9--6--|
A---------------|----------------|------------10--|--------------|
E---------------|----------------|----------------|--------------|

   Cm             Fdim7          Cm             Cm
E--------------|--------------|--------------|--------|
B--4-----------|--3-----------|--------------|--------|
G-----5--------|-----4--------|--------------|--------|
D--------5-----|--------6--3--|--5-----------|--------|
A-----------6--|--------------|-----6--3--2--|--3-----|
E--------------|--------------|--------------|--------|


See how that is NOTHING but Cm arps to Fdim7 arps?

Ok, here's another keeping it all in the same spot on the fretboard, again using quarter notes...

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   Cm              Fdim7       Cm             Fdim7
E------------8--|--10--7---------|--8------------|----------------|
B---------8-----|---------9------|-----8---------|-------------9--|
G------8--------|------------10--|--------8------|---------10-----|
D--10-----------|----------------|-----------10--|--9--12---------|
A---------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|
E---------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|

   Cm             Fdim7            Cm                Cm
E--------------|----------------|-----------------|--------|
B--8-----------|----------------|-----------------|--------|
G----8---------|---------7--10--|--8--------------|--------|
D------10------|------9---------|-----10----------|--------|
A----------10--|--11------------|---------10------|--------|
E--------------|----------------|-------------11--|--8-----|


In theory this is called a classic "Minor 2-5-1". The pogression would be written like so in Roman Numerals:

||: Im | IIm7b5 V7b9 | Im | IVm | Im | IIm7b5 V7b9 | Im | Im :||

The Minor 2-5-1 progresison is based from the Harmonic Minor scale of the Im chord. So, in this case the scale is C Harmonic Minor.

But, just because it's C Hamronic Minor you don't have to go all Yngwie over it! You can use the scale to navigate your way through

the progression giving your lines a sense of movement and tension and release.

Look what notes are happening witht he Cm arps: C Eb G (that's all)

Look what notes are happening over the IIm-V and IVm chords: D F Ab B

See what happens when we put all the notes together linearly starting with C: C D Eb F G Ab B

These notes together equal a C Harmonic Minor scale!

It's like over the Cm chord I'm using NOTHING but the Cm arp notes and for the other chords I'm using ALL the left over notes!

Pretty cool, huh?

Over Cm just think of this as your scale, even though is an arp:

Cm
E-----------------------8--(11)-
B--------------------8----------
G-----------------8-------------
D-------------10----------------
A---------10--------------------
E--8--11------------------------

And over the other chords thing of this as your scale (using only the OTHER/LEFT OVER notes of C Hamronic Minor):

E--------------------------7--(10)-
B-----------------------9----------
G----------------7--10-------------
D-------------9--------------------
A------8--11-----------------------
E--10------------------------------

Throw it all together in one long 8th note line:

E-----------------------8--11--|--10--7----------------------|
B--------------------8---------|---------9-------------------|
G-----------------8------------|------------10--7------------|
D-------------10---------------|-------------------9---------|
A---------10-------------------|----------------------11--8--| etc...
E--8--11-----------------------|-----------------------------|

So, next time you run into a Minor 2-5-1,just think of nothing but dim7 over every chord that isn't the Im chord :)

Works like a charm!

A minute or so into that backing track we hear the piano hit another "find" in the Harmonic Minor scale...the Augmented chord.

In C Harmonic Minor there are three "aug" chords: Ebaug, Gaug, and Baug

Here's a lick/pattern/arp you can use for the aug chords:

E------------------------------------------10--|-----
B--------------------------------------12------|--13-
G----------------------------------12----------|-----
D-------------9--12--9/10--12--13-------------|-----
A---------10-----------------------------------|-----
E--8--11---------------------------------------|-----

That's essentially a Daug arp with a C note in it. But check out what happens on the D string, that's pretty much a Pat Martino type move.

Haha...

Why not COMBINE the Aug and Dim7 arps into one line moving back to Cm??? I'll use quarter notes for the Cm arp and 1/8th notes for aug/dim7 line:

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   Cm                Ebaug    Ddim7                  Cm
E-----------------|-------------------------------|-----
B-----------------|---------------------9--12--9--|--8--
G-----------------|-----------------10------------|-----
D--10-------------|----------9--12----------------|-----
A------10---------|------10-----------------------|-----
E----------11--8--|--11---------------------------|-----

Oor...

   Cm               Baug     Ddim7               Cm
E----------------|-----------7--10--7---------|-----
B--8-------------|--------8------------9------|--8--
G-----8----------|-----8------------------10--|-----
D--------10------|--9-------------------------|-----
A------------10--|----------------------------|-----
E----------------|----------------------------|-----


The main thing here is to create that Tension before resolving to Cm.

Also in Harmonic Minor we can find a m7b5 chord build from the 2nd note of the scale. In C Harmonic Minor it would a be a Dm7b5. Duh, this is the IIm7b5 in the Minor 2-5-1. You can use this arp over the Dm7b5 along with the C Harminoc Minor scale like so (using quarter notes for the Cm arp and 1/8th's for the second measure):

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   Cm             Dm7b5                       Cm
E--------------|---------------------------|------
B--4-----------|---------------------------|------
G-----5--------|-----------5--7--10--8-----|------
D--------5-----|--------6---------------9--|--10--
A-----------6--|--5--8---------------------|------
E--------------|---------------------------|------


Here's the same lick in one position:

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   Cm                Dm7b5             Cm
E-----------------|------------------------------|------
B-----------------|------------------------------|------
G--8--------------|-----------------7--10--8-----|------
D-----10----------|-------------10------------9--|--10--
A---------10------|------8--11-------------------|------
E-------------11--|--10--------------------------|------


Here's a GREAT lick that outlines the Dm7b5 and then the dim7 working it's way to the Cm (again, 1/4's then 1/8's):

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   Cm               Dm7b5        Bdim7               Cm
E-----------------|-------------------------------|----
B-----------------|----------------------------9--|--8-
G-----------------|------------------------10-----|----
D--10-------------|-------------10--9--12---------|----
A------10---------|------8--11--------------------|----
E----------11--8--|--10---------------------------|----


That Dm7b5 arps moving down then back up through the Bdim7 arp gives some of that side-stepping sound used in bebop.

Using those chords that I show at the beginning really sinks the sound in your head. After you get that it's becomes easy to hear when you're not using the tension side of things.

Here's a slowed down version of the backing:

http://test.mikedodge.com/mvdmusic/miked/softlyasinamorningsunriseslower.mp3

Of course there is plenty more you can do with this song, we haven't even touch the bridge yet, but it's a good lesson on how the IIm7b5->V7b9 (even the IVm) chords are really nothing more than chords glued around the diminished sound...not the Diminished Scale, but the diminished arps found in the Harmonic Minor scale.