minor 7th chord / minor tonality
cyber text for the theory of American music

In the minor tonality, the majority of styles of American music recognize the minor 7th chord type as a potential tonic / one chord, containing the essential intervals of the natural minor environment to create a sense of stability and tonal center. As tonic, around which all of the other musical elements gravitate towards, common harmonic strategies in the minor tonality are very much the same as in the major environment. As so often happens in the music we love, artists simply establish one pitch as the tonal center, creatively move away from this center creating a sense of tonal gravity, then simply resolve the tension by moving back and sounding the tonic. Oftentimes we place this gravitational motion within a set format or musical form, and by using the minor 7th chord type as the tonic, create coolness in the minor tonal environment. Lets first examine the tonic minor 7th chord in a tonic capacity and then explore the resource for additional colorings of the tonic function minor chord. Need to examine the minor triad first?

This first idea uses the minor 7 chord color for each of the principle harmonies in this 12 bar blues in based on the tonic pitch C, thus a 12 bar blues in C minor. Example 1.

Sound familiar? Known commonly as a "minor blues", the 12 bar form goes way back into the history and evolution of American music. The brighter tempo can really excite things up in a hurry in the minor environment n'set pas?

The structure of the three chords used to create the 12 bar blues of example 1 are identical. The makeup of these chords and their extensions follows a consistent cycling of a minor third / major third / minor third / major third pattern. Using our intervalic building blocks, examine the minor 7th structure. Example 1a.

We can continuously repeat this cycle and spell all the potential pitches of the tonic minor 7th arpeggio from the pitches of the natural minor scale. Here is a chord spelling chart. O.K. with spelling the pitches of chords? Example 1a.

Using the minor third / major third cycle, let's spell out the three minor 7th chords used in the 12 bars minor blues from example 1. Example 1b.

Cool with the spelling of these chords? So, are there three diatonic positions within the minor tonality upon which we can build the minor 7 chord type? Exactly. The One / Four and / Five chords are all intervalically created from within the natural minor scale. So very cool. But you knew that right? Extracting the motion of the One / Four / Five from the above idea to create a four bar phrase. Example 2.

Cycling these chords into a vamp, by simply repeating the phrase, quickly brings out the earthy essence of the minor 7th colors.

Extracting just the tonic minor 9 chord is potentially a rather important coloring. Creating it's own unique environment, the minor nine is found just about everywhere in American music. Even folk music? Well... So is creating the minor 9th chord simply a matter of extending the minor 7th to include the next pitch in the arpeggio? Yep. Example 3.

In modern times, i.e., today, the minor 9 harmonic color enjoys great popularity in the Latin / samba grooves so cherished by players and dancers alike. Example 3a.

Cool huh? Maybe wear this minor 9 out for a bit to internalize the emotional character of your interpretation of the color. A fairly common addition to the minor 9th color is the 6th scale degree or the 13th from the arpeggio. In this situation, common practice would raise the 6th degree by half step, creating a more Dorian mode environment than natural minor. Combining the 6th and 9th degrees together also gets us into quartile harmony, as we combine major and minor 3rds with perfect 4th's in creating our tonic color. Here are the pitches. Example 4.

Here is the tonic 6 / 9 in action. Example 4a.

Plaintive sounding? Very much so to my ears. Tis a reasonably dark emotional environment yes? Is the minor 6 / 9 as dark as the major 6 / 9 is bright? Compare the two. Example 4b.

Wow, that's a shift in colors eh? Dig the sounds? Anyway to use these colors in the music you are creating these days? These are two of the colors we hear a lot from the modernists of today. Simply extending any minor tonic harmony up into it's upper structure to create an emotionally charged environment. Oftentimes longer segments of these colors are used for individual improvisation. Click jam loops for some ideas.

Is there a way to use the 6th / 13th from the natural minor color? Of course, we do it all here. Here are the pitches. Example 5.

Here is the sound of the above "minor 6" configuration supporting a rather brief melodic sequence. Example 5a.

Not all that common as a tonic color, we often hear and use this chord as a passing chord somewhat approaching the tonic. Example 5b.

The jazz classic "My Funny Valentine" by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart uses the above motion to dramatic effect.

Other important shades of the minor environment? Highlighting the 11th degree of the arpeggio of the tonic harmonic mix brings forth the ultra cool "minor 11 tonic environment. Here are the pitches. Example 6.

Here are few voicings of the tonic minor 11 chord, creating it's own unique creative environment. Example 6a.

Cool huh, sort of floats along yes? What happened to the tonal gravity?

Have a sense of how the different colorings of the basic minor 7th chord type can shape our emotional creative environments? The idea that folk players use the triads, blues and rockers add the 7th and 9th, while jazz players extend into the 11th and 13th, and often use the quartile 6 / 9 voicings. Comments? Questions?

Where to next?

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Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work. Booker T. Washington