the theory of harmony in this text

So what is the sequence of discussions for the harmonic theory in this text? Well, first a glimpse into the historical and theoretical aspects of equal temper, the system of tonal organization and tuning that allows all of our harmony or chords to happen. Next, in thinking that the major tonality, as created by the Ionian / major scale group of pitches on a well tuned piano, is the "organic center" of the musical universe, basing this idea simply on comparing the number of songs written in a major versus minor tonality. That the major and minor triads created from the major scale provide the initial concepts of tonal center and chord progressions. Once we have a sense of how the harmony within major tonality works, we use this foundation to explore the minor tonality and the blues environments, both of which contain a wider assortment of unique theoretical variables than the major scale. Expanding the major and minor triads to include the 7th opens the theory that potentially allows any given chord as being a member of one of three possible families of chords, all of which are diatonically created within the major scale. 

Viewing the harmony by families, we venture into the upper structure and the color tones. With this additional coloring of the basic triads, we begin to examine the various lines of tonal convergence and attempt to correlate certain color tones with the popular styles of American music. Further ascension into the arpeggios the color tones and exploring possible non diatonic color tones, we begin to potentially enter the polytonal universe, creating it's unique sense of tonal gravity. The theory of the harmony within this text culminates with the examination of what is created by simply using consistent cycles of intervals and how these loops of pitches are used to create a potentially exciting new way of viewing the available resources of equal temper for the creative musician.

So does viewing the theory from the perspective of the major scale in any way diminish the importance of the minor colors or the blues in American music? Of course not, but my task in presenting the artistic resources is made that much easier by viewing the theory from the perspective of the major scale / Ionian mode. Accepting that the major scale is at the center of the theoretical musical universe of the equal tempered system is a concept I have struggled with for a long time. I came to accept this idea based on the simple pedagogical question of "what tunes did American musical legends such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane learn as kids?" Perhaps they are similar to the ones we learned as kids eh, the majority of which are created from within the major tonality?

So while the researching of the early public school music curriculums of these and other American musical legends continues, I browsed the Charlie Parker "Omni Book" looking for an answer. Of the 55 compositions written by Mr. Parker in the collection, 3 are written in the minor tonality. Personally believing that Charlie Parker was one of the "founders of modern American music", helped me to accept the idea that the major scale and resulting major tonality were at the theoretical center of the equal tempered system, thus, I felt I could confidently create the theoretical layout of tonal organization within this text from this perspective of the major tonality. Cool with this?

So how can the concept of chord type benefit the emerging creative artist? Understanding the concepts of chord type can help the emerging artist in initially three ways. First, it can facilitate the absorption of theoretical ideas by placing the theory in the realm of abstract thought, allowing the artist to project theoretical ideas and possibilities without regard to a key center. This encourages the artist to think in terms of projecting the theory equally from all of pitches available within equal temper, potentially broadening one's perspective towards a chromatic perspective of the resource. Secondly, that when composing or improvising with the more complex non-diatonic colors in diatonically created environments, which happens at some point in nearly all American music styles, knowledge of chord type gives the artist a way to quickly create possible parent scale choices for non-diatonic elements, potentially enhancing one's ability to combine non-diatonic elements into the traditional diatonic environment, potentially broadening the initial diatonic palette of colors for the emerging, creative artist. Third, in that when exploring the resource for different ways to substitute one chord for another, our initial forays into this artistic area are generally defined by using chords that have a similar intervalic construction, i.e., chord type. The common jazz "tritone substitution" perhaps being the best example of substituting one chord for another, both chords initially being the same chord type providing the same function.

So where do these ideas potentially get us artistically? Well, in sharing ideas with other players, I am occasionally asked to provide some sort of new idea, perhaps a new chord change or shape for a guitarist, some bit of theory to open up a new area for an emerging artist, for a rhythmic idea to help an emerging jazz player conquer their own swing thing. I can remember hipping a "dyed in the wool" delta blues player to the Two / Five possibilities in their blues lines, huge breakthrough for the cat. Another time, hipping a rather "bored with what I'm doing" but technically proficient heavy metal guitar player with the basic theory of the pentatonic, major scale and minor scale relationships and the most basic of the interval studies, almost instantaneously no longer bored. Another time when explaining to an emerging "theorist" the idea that there is an "upper structure" to the harmony which potentially extends and evolves onward to include all of the major and minor keys, talk about excited! One time when a folk player who simply removed her index finger from her cherished open C major chord and discovered the major 7th color, her artistic concept kinda went a little kaboom. The coolness of simply sharing ideas with one another eh?

So what does it all mean? Well simply that a little bit of theory can go a long way to opening up new artistic colors for the curious learner, regardless of one's musical interests or career aspirations. That this theory knowledge will help players bring their existing ideas to fruition as well as creating new pathways of artistic exploration, encouraging the artist to explore and experiment with different stylistic combinations perhaps outside their musical vocabulary, potentially expanding their range of expression.

It is also the sincerest hope of the author, that in formatting the theory in this text as described above, that the "breakthroughs" that I have discovered in the theory are illuminated for all players of all of the styles of American music to discover, and that gradually each learner begins to ask their own "what if" questions. To explore this marvelous system of music on their terms. That the simple joy of creating music and sharing these creations with those we love will continue to simply make our world a better place to hang. God bless.

Where to next?

review new ideas

People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes. Abigail Van Buren