‘out of SpaCe’
The ‘Coltrane’ chords are a c∑lock set of resolutions going around the o1f0key9s in10a d9es1ce0nding pa8ttern o8f
long∑II-V-I major 3rds, usually in place of a and taking the form8 o1f1three key centres a major 3rd apart. So, in Bb we may begin as we might usually expect with Dm7, but before we hit F7 we’ll go via the key of Gb (in this case with V7
d©oÈ an¼ to I: Db13 to Gbmaj7), then down a major 3rd to D (again via a V7 to I: A7 to D) anEd finally wn otShweirnmgajor 3rd to BbC,bmu7t naturally by our intenBded but now rather late F7.
vaÏ originallyjÏoä th&e riaÏ tÏhis eXABmpLe 4b i vi ii v wiTh A tion n ideaAGis ‘Tritone’ I-VI-II-V idea. We substitute all the chords bar the I with a major 7th six frets away, so that our initial Bbmaj7-G7-Cm7-F7 becomes BbmEaj7-Dbmaj7-Gbmaj7-Bmaj7 before usually resolving down a semitone to Bb. Major Tetrachords are four-note structures (R-2-3-5) closely related to Pentatonic scales but given the eighth-note nature of jazz lines, often with four notes per chord, these can be used to spell a chord our more explicitly. HereGwe see them in their most basic form.7 eXADmpLe 4C hALf-whoLe sCALe w1i0Th jAzz CLiChés: Half-Wh7ole8 symmetrical diminished scale (1 fret, 2 frets, 1 fret, 2 etc) is a great choice against a dom1in0ant 7th when you’re lookingBtomcareja7te a10sound9tha1t
those important chord tones (R-3-5-b7, along w10ith na6tural 6) and colours this with some slightly dissonant extensions (b2-#2-b5). Its symmetrical nature means you can cycle a line up or down in both b3rd (three frets) and b5th intervals (seven frets). The scale and phrases here are derived from the Bb Half-whole tone against a 13b9 tonality anBdmca6n/7bCemu6s/e7d in both non-functioning (static) and functioning (V7 to I) scenarios. eXAmpLe 4D ALTereD sCALe in ConTeXT: We look to mode VII of Melodic minor for this idea, giving us the ÏSupÏerlnoÏ crian mode, otherwise known as the ‘Altered’ scale (R-b2-#2-3-b5-#5-b7). This sound is usually used over a V7 to I resolution, where each of these additional tension notes (b2/#2, b5/#5) attaches itself to one of the notes in the destination home chord. In this instance we initially see just the intended scales, forming a pattern of inside (or non-altered), outside (altered) and finally inside again for C Dorian, F Altered and Bb Ionian or Major scale respectively. The following line shows this transition from scale to scale in a musical scenario. Take note at how, once a6gai7n, smooth connected v5oice leading from scale to scale plays a big part in the believability of the lines.