diminished chord / major tonality

So, where can we diminished the perfect intervals within the chords of the major tonality to spice up our chord progressions in the major tonal environment? Well, in lots of places and in a couple of ways. The following ideas simply examine each pitch of the chromatic scale to locate possible positions where the various types of diminished colors are commonly blended into the major tonality, as created by the major scale. Along the way we'll encounter the fully diminished seventh chord as a passing chord, use this same fully diminished seventh chord configuration as contained within the dominant seventh flat nine chord ( V 7 b9 ) and substitute the half diminished color into various locations. In all of the following ideas, we'll use the pitch C as the tonic of our tonal center and the Two / Five One cadential motion to motor the examples, unless otherwise noted. If you find a harmonic motion you dig, try to run it through all 12 major keys, perhaps using the cycle of fourths to organize your musical explorations.

So why does the information on this page potentially contain the most important concepts within this text for the evolving, creative musician? Basically in that the following ideas lay a potential groundwork or "series of bridges" into the polytonal universe. The big question is of course, "are one's artistic energies pointed in this direction?" Fortunately, we really do not have to answer this question now, or perhaps really ever. It's all about the tonal evolution of the player, how each of us individually defines the elements we need to create the art in our hearts at any given point in our spiritual evolution, coupled with the continual redefining of these same elements as we spiritually evolve and mature with the passage of time. The coolness is in how this potentially ever evolving maturity is reflected in the artistic creations we create during the span of our careers, and how we share these insights with those we love.

So, depending on the readers aspirations, it may be cool to have a sense of what may lie ahead, as one's favorite colors today become cliché and tired tomorrow, initiating the search for new possible coolness. Why the diminished color potentially lays the groundwork for creating bridges to polytonality is based on the myriad of different ways and places that we can "insert" this color into basic, diatonic chord progressions, gradually reshaping the forces of tonal gravity within these basic harmonic motions. This ability to reshape and eventually control tonal gravity frees us from the "musical mundane" if you will. In this text, we initiate this quest to understand tonal gravity a number of ways, one of which is to use the diminished color to initially interrupt, delay or accelerate the pull of one element towards another, using the "known quantity" of tonal gravity of common harmonic motions as a reference. As we tire of this diminished color, we can gradually soften it's color into similar but different hues, while retaining all of the diminished colors theoretical properties and possible placements within the major tonality. Minor tonality too? But of course. These softer "hues" of the diminished color oftentimes contain the polytonal elements, with which we can continue to fine tune our abilities to regulate the forces of tonal gravity, while dramatically expanding the tonal resources of our own artistic palettes.

With this in mind, let's get back to the starting point and examine the possibilities of building a diminished color on each of the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale and how we can insert them into common, diatonic chord progressions.

First scale degree. Do we ever build a fully diminished seventh chord on the first scale degree of the major scale? Sounds a bit unconventional I know, what with tonal gravity, tonal stability, key center etc., and all that these concepts imply. But fear not, coloring the tonic with diminished colors creates a very cool, somewhat deceptive "last second delay" of the resolution of really any of the common cadential motions. And although rarely actually written into the music, it's not uncommon for advanced players to substitute this color into their improvisations. Using the common cadential motion of Two / Five / One, let's sub in this last second, diminished color delay. Example 1.

Well, what cha think? Maybe it's down the road a bit. Players often term this kind of an idea a "common tone diminished." Read through A. C. Jobim's "Corcovado" to hear it really work. The bebop classic "Donna Lee" by Charlie Parker also contains a brief reference to this tonic diminished color.

Another cool way to employ the diminished color on the first scale degree is to simply alter our tonic major seventh chord by diminishing it's fifth, creating a One major 7 b5 tonic color. Although somewhat rare, the color is cool, advanced, relatively hard to set up and control. Just another challenge eh? Example 1a.

Nice huh? Pianist Bill Evans seemed to dig this motion. A slight delay in the resolution caused by the diminished 5th to perfect 5th motion in the lead.

Sharp One / flat Two. Perhaps the most common position to find a root position fully diminished seventh chord within the major tonality is between the tonic One chord and Two, which then quite often moves to Five. Players usually call this placement of the diminished color within the diatonic steps of the major scale the "sharp One diminished." Example 2.

The prebop "Have You Met Miss Jones" by Rogers and Hart, the cool "Webb City" by bebop pianist Bud Powell and A. C. Jobim's unique "Desafinado" employ this above motion to accelerate the tonal gravity between the chords. This sharp one diminished motion is an integral part of the modern version of rhythm changes, a typically American jazz harmonic vehicle of choice.

Another possible use of the diminished color on the #1 / b2 scale degree is with the dominant seventh flat nine ( V 7 b9 ) chord built from b2 of the major scale. Commonly known as the tritone substitute, our diminished structure is contained within the upper structure of the chord. Example 2a.

Using the tritone sub in the jazz literature is very common, coloring it as a V 7b9 on flat Two is not. So? Well, the flat Two position is a very popular candidate for "softened" hues of the diminished color as mentioned above. With using either the dominant or tonic chord types, the tritone sub creates lots of interesting possibilities.

Second scale degree. Perhaps the most common diminished coloring of the chord built on the second degree of the major tonality is to simply flat the fifth of the diatonic Two minor seven chord, creating the "half diminished" or minor seven flat five chord. Although diatonic to and thus perhaps more at home in the minor tonality, we hear and use this half diminished color quite a bit in the major tonality as well. Here we keep a common tone in the lead between the Two and Five chords, which then resolves by half step when the tonic is struck. Example 3.

A bit of a tonal surprise eh? Setting up the minor tonality then just simply not going there. Composer Cole Porter seems to have dug this coloring quite a bit. Check out his cool contribution of "Night And Day", which uses the above surprise. This tune was a big hit for Frank Sinatra, but then again when you can record with the Count Basie Orchestra, kinda hard to go wrong n'est pas?

Another way to add the diminished flavor to the second scale degree is to build a dominant seventh flat nine chord, a II 7b9, where the fully diminished color is in the upper structure of the chord. Here it becomes part of a "double" Two / Five, disguising the tonal intent or direction of the line. Example 3a.

Flat Three / sharp Two. Similar to using the fully diminished seventh color as a passing chord between the tonic / One chord and Two, we can adding a passing diminished chord between the Two and Three chords before perhaps cycling back to the tonic via the Three / Six / Two / Five cadential motion. Example 4.

Notice that the pitches of the D# diminished are identical to the tonic C diminished chord of example 1? ( D#, F#, A, C = Eb, Gb, A, C ) Simply the perfect symmetry of the diminished color at work. When time permits, read through the Rogers and Hart classic "My Romance" and "Bewitched" or "As Time Goes By" by Herman Hupfeld to hear the passing diminished colors as outlined in the example above in action.

Third scale degree. Here we encounter one cool diminished "modulator" to the relative minor key. We simply employ the diminished color as part of the V 7b9 chord built on Three. Example 5.

This is a reasonably common approach when changing between the relative major and relative minor tonalities.

Fourth scale degree. Finding the fourth scale degree hued diminished is rare, although we can color the subdominant chord as a diminished bearing V 7 b9 chord in compositions that modulate down by whole step. The following idea uses the b9 coolness to create a chromatic guide tone line between the changes. Example 6.

John Lewis's "Afternoon In Paris" uses the above harmonic idea with a nice melodic motif that is simply repeated downward in whole steps mirroring the harmony. "Tune Up" by Miles Davis, is written along the same lines and as the name implies, can make for a good "opener" for a live performance. Check them out when time permits.

Sharp Four / flat Five. On this most tritone of pitches, two cool harmonic motions using various hues of the diminished color are commonly found. We oftentimes find a fully diminished color built on sharp Fourth degree in the sixth bar of a common 12 bar blues progression. Thinking the second four bar phrase of a 12 bar blues. Example 7.

The chromatic motion of dominant chords in the last half of the above phrase sets up the motion to the last four bars of the chorus. Click here to experience the whole chorus. Can we use this motion in a non-blues environment? Of course, anything goes here. Oh, notice that the pitches of the F# diminished are enharmonically identical to the tonic C diminished chord of example 1? Now what's up with that?

An interesting harmonic phrase in the major tonality starts with the half diminished chord color built on sharp Four. Oftentimes found with the tonic as a common tone in the lead, we simply move chromatically down from sharp Four half diminished towards the tonic. Example 7a.

Look in the literature at "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" by Tom Wolf / Fran Landesman and the perennial closer "That's All" by Alan Brandt and Bob Haymes to hear the above harmonic motion within the body of two gorgeous tunes.

We can also use the half diminished coloring on sharp Four to help set up the modulation to to minor tonality based on Three within the major tonality. Although not all that common in the literature, it's very effective. Example 7b.

The classic ballad "My One And Only Love" by Wood / Mellin uses this motion to move to the contrasting theme of the "B" section or bridge.

Fifth scale degree. Perhaps tied with the sharp One diminished seventh chord for the title of "most common use" of the diminished color in the major tonality, this next idea simply involves using the fully diminished seventh chord within the colorful dominant seventh flat nine chord ( V 7b9 ). Commonly used as a dominant chord in both the major and minor tonalities, we find this dominant seventh flat nine color in oh so many places in the literature. Whether written into the music or subbed in by the player, getting comfortable with this color in this important diatonic positioning is oftentimes a big first step for the emerging jazz artist. Here we use this cool and potentially crucial color to create a nice chromatic melody line setting up the resolution to the tonic. Example 8.

Duke Ellington's lovely "In A Sentimental Mood" uses this color with dramatic effect. Reading through Charlie Parker's contribution "Scrapple From The Apple" may help "locate" this color on your palette as well as awaken your world to the sounds and excitement of Bebop.

Sharp Five / Flat Six. Here we can build a fully diminished seventh chord from the augmented fifth scale degree, but perhaps in theoretical reality we simply have a fourth inversion / dominant ninth chord. However viewed theoretically, this position of the diminished color is a potentially useful harmonic component as we begin to use various inversions of the chords. Here we use the half step lead in to the 2nd inversion tonic. Example 9.

Sixth scale degree. The most commonly encountered diminished coloring on the sixth scale degree within the major tonality is to build the diminished color within a dominant seventh flat nine chord. Here we use it to set up a four bar cycle often used as an intro in performance situations. Example 10.

As part of the indispensable Three / Six / Two / Five, we so often find this dominant diminished coloring used to enhance this common harmonic cadence. Example 10a.

Viewing this as simply a "double" Two / Five creates some interesting possibilities.

Flat Seven. This next idea is a bit of a theoretical "stretch." The motion from tonic to flat Seven is pretty common, especially in the blues environment. Using the diminished color on flat seven is perhaps better viewed as a second inversion, incomplete dominant seventh flat nine chord. Incomplete in that there is no Bb root within the dominant chord present in the voicing. Bb in the bass line yes, Bb in the chord, no. Here's the line. Example 11.

So why include this rarity? Well for a couple of reasons. First in that the flat nine in the above chord is the leading tone in our tonic key, so a perhaps an "unusual" way to harmonically support this essential pitch of the major tonality. Secondly, that the gist of this text is about exploring the theoretical possibilities, and this is one of them. Third, in that when improvising, thinking from the root Bb might prompt some cool pathways for our lines. Perhaps to think about the jazz artform as an interpretive medium, whereby everything to be potentially played is not always written out, thus, theoretical perspectives prompt exploration of the resources, exploration discovers our own insight and perceptions of the colors, from which we choose which elements to create the art in our hearts. Cool with this?

Seventh scale degree. On the "leading tone" pitch in the major tonality we can diatonically create the half diminished chord, which oftentimes finds itself in a couple of common situations in American jazz music. As a diatonic Seven half diminished chord, we can use this chord as part of root motion, cycling of fourths towards the subdominant of Four chord.  Example 12.

Check out Charlie Parker's bebop masterpiece "Confirmation" to experience the coolness of the above harmonic possibility. As a first inversion, incomplete dominant seventh chord, the diatonic half diminished seventh chord built on Seven places the leading tone in the bass. Example 12a.

A common variation of the above idea is to evolve the above half diminished chord to fully diminished. In doing this, we in theory create a first inversion, incomplete dominant seventh flat nine chord, which finds itself at the top of the list in terms of use of the diminished color in the major tonality. Example 12b.

Sound familiar? Pretty common in the jazz style. Note use of the second inversion, diatonic Two chord, creating a nice diatonic stepwise resolving motion in the bass.

So all in all, we can utilize the various hues of the diminished colors in many places within the major tonality. Again the idea that although not always in the written music, common practice often finds these colors emerging in the realization of the art. These possible diminished positionings within the major tonality illuminated above can also provide a theoretical pathway to the polytonal universe, while remaining in the diatonic realm. How? 

Well, as we exhaust and potentially tire of the diminished hues over a period of years (?), we may begin to gradually soften this color while retaining the theoretical positionings and multiple resolving properties the diminished color contains. Oftentimes this softening of the diminished color creates chords that can be theoretically viewed as either very non-diatonic, or simply as polytonal harmonic configurations. If viewed as polytonal chords, we potentially create a wider vista of the harmonic resources, as we expand within the diatonic parameters of a key center to include any of the 12 tonal centers as created by the division of the octave into 12 "equal" parts. Actually, the polytonal universe contains 24 key centers, as we must include the 12 key centers of the minor tonality yes? However we each decide to view the resources, ya got to admit they represent a rather vast, creative domain. And we haven't even figured in the blues into the equation yet!

Review. Here is a chart placing the various hues of the diminished color creating chords on each of the pitch of the chromatic scale, as they would meld into the major tonality. Perhaps print this chart and put it up in your woodshed, to help visualize the possibilities as well as organizing your shedding. Here is the chart, split in half to ease it's readability. For the pitches C up to F. Example 13.

For the pitches F# up to B.

What's next? Perhaps using the diminished color in the minor tonality? Curious about the softening process? How about creating melodic lines over the various hues of the diminished chordal colors?

A wise person will make more opportunities than they find. Francis Bacon