star spangled banner reharm

From Lead Sheet to Arrangement: Star Spangled Banner Practice Sessions

SUBJECT: ANCIENT HISTORY GRADE LEVEL: 6-8

PAGE 1 OF 13 DURATION: TWO CLASSROOM PERIODS

Practice Session 1

Four Techniques for ReharmonizationObjectiveTo learn to use four reharmonization techniques: 7th chords, cycle extension, functional substitution and messing with V chords.

TaskReharmonize “Red River Valley” using these four techniques.

Procedure1. Above the second staff of the lead sheet below (the piano right hand staff, treble clef), write the chord symbols for the tune as 7th

chords. Simply copy the chord symbol from the top staff and add a 7th to it following the rules below:

• major triads convert to major 7th chords (C becomes Cmaj7)

• minor triads convert to minor 7th chords (D- becomes D-7)

• dominant chords stay dominant

2. Reharmonize the 7th chords by extending ii-V-I progressions from single minor 7, dominant or major 7 chords.

• a lone dominant chord, A7 in this tune, can be preceded by a E-7, for example.

• a lone tonic chord, Dmaj7, can be preceded by a A7, for example.

• single minor chords can be preceded by their dominant chord, a fifth away, for example.

3. Add/Substitute chords with similar functions.

IMPROVISATION & LICKS REHARMONIZE STAR SPANGLED BANNER PRACTICE SESSIONS

PAGE 2 OF 13 JAZZPIANOONLINE.COM ©2012

• B-7 and F#-7 can be swapped for Dmaj7, for example. These chords all function as tonic chords in the key of D.

• Gmaj7 and E-7 are both subdominant functioning chords and can be substituted for one another.

• functional substitutes don’t always have to replace each other but can be played in addition to one another.

4. Don’t pass up an opportunity to mess with your V7 chords (C7, in this tune)

• change them into sus4 chords.

• resolve sus4 chords to 7b9 chords

• deceptively resolve V chords to bImaj7 (Ebmaj7) or bVImaj7 (Bbmaj7)

• deceptive resolutions make good endings.

5. Make sure any added chords work with the melody.

6. You don’t have to use all of these techniques. Make sure you use them musically.

7. Listeners appreciate repetition.



”Red River Valley”



”Red River Valley” continued



Self Assessment1. Compare your answers with the reharmonization of “Red River Valley” found at the end of the document.

2. It is difficult to perform a self-assessment on a task like this. There are infinite possibilities for reharmonizing a tune. The best way to improve your skill at this task is to practice using these techniques on many tunes. Eventually you should strive to be able to use these techniques “on the fly” when you are playing.



Next StepsOnce you have settled on your new chords, you can decide how to voice them. Choose spread voicings (check out the solo jazz piano lessons) if you are playing solo piano or rootless voicings (check out the rootless voicings series of lessons) if you are playing with a bass player.



http://www.jazzpianoonline.com/page6/page12/page181/page181.html






”Red River Valley” Reharmonization



“Red River Valley” continued



“Star Spangled Banner” Reharmonization from the lesson



star spangled banner reharm

Documents