PlayJazzGuitar.com Forum

[Diggar]

Hi I am wording if someone can help me. I am playing again and am
trying to learn fill in chords.

Take for instance the simple sone All of Me. The chords are simple but
they are held for 8 beats at a time.

When I listen to jazz players, ie Bucky Pizzarelli, Russel Malone and
many others, they add so many other chords that it adds a richness to
the song.

What are the rules for this? How do I add a chord or two from CMaj7 to
E7 or A7 to Dm?

How can I learn the process to go from one chord to another adding
interesting chords on the way?

Thanks

[Gorecki]

The most simplistic ways are embelishment and chromatic movement.

Easiest example, any Dom7 can be moved up or down chromatically and create a nice flavor. Moving yourself to either a half step or a minor third away from your destination will still feel right most of the time.

Experiment a bit with the tones, you'll find things work often when you think they might not work.
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Do you know where all of your F'n B flats are?

[jazzerchick]

You can try some ii-v movement, such as;

lCM7/// l C6/// l E7/// l Bm7/E7/ l A7/// l Em7/ A13-9 A+ l Dm7/ A+/ l

Dm7/// l......

While the melody is being played, pay attention to where the melody notes are, so you don't clash. During solos you have more freedom.

[mr. beaumont]

another idea would be using different inversions over the static chords...i can of course do this when i back up a soloist, but you can do it with a singer...you just gotta be aware of the melody...

so a Cmaj7 is this, of course x3545x

but also this xx5557

and as long as your inversions stay "major," you can get away with 6's, 9's, 13's-- again, just be very aware of the melody

so you can use this xx10 12 10 12 (the 6th sound)

or xx7788 (6/9)

heck, even a big chord like 8 7 9 9 10 10 (maj 13 sound)

experiment...
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[sunflower]

Try this for bars 5 and 6
ie for the A7 (pointing to Dm)

2 beats A7 at fifth pos
2 beats B min 7 at 7th pos
2 beats Cdim 7th pos
2 beats A note and E note above it with a C#bass note 7th pos

into bar 7 Dmin 7 at the 10th pos etc etc

ie 'walking' up from the 5th fret

Is that the kind of thing you mean ?

cool

Jem

[trotsky]

All great advice above!
I particularly like the ideas suggested by Mr. Beaumont.
When I am playing melody or improvising over changes I can't stand hearing too much going on behind me. They should be reacting to you and not caging you in.
Less is definately more in that case.
In say a duet situation You might want to fill some space for sure.
Hope this helps..
Here are some roughed out chords that might give you an idea of what I would do.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-7081030736917084860

Be kind I had just got done cutting the grass and my hands were like hamburger.

l CM7/Am7/ l F#m7b5/F7/ l Bm7b5/E7/ l Bm7b5/E7/ l

l A7/Bb7#11/ l A7/Eb9/ l Dm7/A7+/ l Dm7/Dm/C / l

lBm7b5#11 l E7F7E7/ l Am7/ Bb7/ l AmMa7/ Am7 l

l D7 l Am7/D7/ l Dm7/G7/ l Abm7/Db7/ l

(repeat line #1)--------------------------------------

l A7/ Em7/B / l Co/ C#o l Dm7/A7+/ l Dm7 l

l FM7 l Fm7/ Bb7/ l Em7/ Bb7#11/ l A7 l

lDm7/ Eb7/ l Dm7/G7/ l CM7/A7 l Dm7/ G7/l

I hope that is what I played...

Gene

[jazzplease]

Perhaps this has been covered, but try subbing voicings from the upper structure of the chord. (ie 7ths, 9ths, 11ths)

ie

Dm11 - D F A C E G

So as you can see, there are a total of 4 triads in there. Dm, F, Am and C.

Cmaj9 - C E G B D

Three triads here. C, Em and G. So use those triads as passing chords. The chord G, for example, will have a lot of colour as its formed from the 5th, 7th and 9th of the C. (Note: You can also add A to this chord as it is the 6th of Cmaj and Am7 is the relative minor of Cmaj)

So if you use chords from the upper structure of the chord AND use inversions, then you have some real possabilities. So try this as a progression and see how it sounds.

Cmaj9 - x32430
Am7 - x02213
G - x55433
E7 - x76757

I havent tried this particular progression myself. Im sitting at my computer in work. Also this is the first time Ive offered help rather than recieved it from this site. But there u r!
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[Jazzy]

As previously said, learn your inversions. Thats really important.
Another thing, I always try to think melodically when comping. So that it`s not sounding "randomly". And most, importantly, rhytmically. Don`t get in the way of the melodist/soloist. I think guitarists often tend to comp way too much.
And also, try smaller voicings on the three top strings. If the bassplayer is playing the root, you don`t have to spell out the whole chord. The third and the seventh is the most important ones. And then add tensions if it sounds right.