Doctorate in Jazz in 15 Minutes

Summary

In this video, Billy Taylor condenses 10 years of jazz education into a concise 15-minute lesson, focusing on music theory rather than history. He explains the basics of jazz, including the major scale, chord structures, and the significance of modes like Ionian and Lydian. Taylor also delves into advanced concepts such as chord voicings, progression, and rhythm, offering practical insights and tips for jazz musicians. The video is designed as a resource for understanding and communicating complex musical ideas more easily.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker emphasizes that the majority of the knowledge gained from music school can be condensed into a short amount of time, focusing on theory and history, with the latter well-documented in existing jazz documentaries.
• 🎵 The harmonic series is the basis for the major scale, with unique notes derived from the pattern of frequencies found in resonant sounds.
• 🔄 Modes are different scales that can be derived from the major scale by starting on different notes, such as the Lydian mode, which differs from the Ionian mode in the pattern of whole steps and half steps.
• 📚 Triads are foundational in music due to their presence as the first three unique notes in the harmonic series, and they form the basis for understanding chords in jazz.
• 🔝 Seventh chords are common in jazz, adding more 'color' to the sound compared to triads, and can be extended further with 9th, 11th, and 13th notes.
• 🛑 The use of the Lydian mode (C Lydian) for a major chord is preferred by some jazz musicians due to its less dissonant sound compared to using an F note in the Ionian mode.
• 🎼 Parent scales are associated with chords to provide a broader range of notes for improvisation and melody writing, beyond just the notes in the chord itself.
• 📖 Jazz chord nomenclature is a system for quickly communicating the notes in a chord, with symbols indicating the type of triad and any extensions.
• 🔄 The concept of 'add' in chord notation means to include an extension without assuming all of its previous extensions, simplifying the notation.
• 🎶 Slash chords simplify notation by indicating a chord to be played over another chord's root, useful for indicating the bass note in a chord progression.
• 🎷 The most common scales in jazz are the modes of the major scale and the melodic minor scale, with the latter having a minor third and providing unique sounds for certain chords.
• 📊 Pentatonic scales, which consist of five notes, are popular in various music genres and can be derived from both major and minor scales by using the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and either the 6th or 7th notes.
• 🎹 Chord voicings in jazz can be varied, including drop two and drop three voicings, which involve dropping notes from the top of the chord to create different sounds.
• 🎶 The 2-5-1 chord progression is a common structure in jazz, and substitutions can add complexity and interest, such as the tritone substitution.
• 🥁 Syncopated rhythms, like the 2:3 ratio found in many styles of music, are related to the musical fifth and are a fundamental aspect of rhythm in jazz.

Q & A

What is the harmonic series, and how does it relate to the major scale?

The harmonic series is a mathematical pattern of frequencies that appears in resonant sounds. It helps explain the intervals that form the major scale. By repeating the interval between the first few harmonics (like F and C), and then lowering the octaves, you can construct a scale similar to the major scale.

What is the Ionian mode, and how does it differ from other major scales?

The Ionian mode is what most people refer to as the major scale. It is one of several modes, meaning it starts on a specific note within the scale, in this case, C. Other major scales, like the Lydian mode, start on different notes and have a slightly different pattern of whole and half steps between notes.

Why are triads significant in music theory, especially in jazz?

Triads are significant because they are the first three unique notes in the harmonic series (the fundamental, third, and fifth harmonics). They form the basic building blocks of chords and are commonly used in many genres, including jazz.

What are chord extensions, and why are they important in jazz?

Chord extensions are additional notes added to a basic triad, such as the 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th. They add color and complexity to chords, making them richer and more expressive, which is a common characteristic in jazz.

What is a parent scale, and how is it used in jazz improvisation?

A parent scale is the most consonant scale that can be played over a certain chord. It serves as a starting point for improvisation, allowing musicians to create melodies that fit harmonically with the chord progressions.

How do jazz musicians use modes to determine scales for chords?

Jazz musicians use modes to find the most consonant scales for chords. For example, the Ionian mode is typically used for major chords, while the Dorian mode is often used for minor chords. These modes help musicians select notes that fit well with the underlying harmony.

What is the significance of the Lydian mode in jazz, and how does it differ from the Ionian mode?

The Lydian mode is significant because it contains a sharp 11th, which makes it less dissonant than the Ionian mode when used with certain chords. Some jazz musicians prefer the Lydian mode as the parent scale for major chords because of this characteristic.

What are slash chords, and how do they simplify chord notation in jazz?

Slash chords are a simplified way of notating chords where the bass note differs from the root of the chord. For example, B flat minor over D indicates playing a B flat minor chord with a D in the bass. This simplifies notation and makes it easier to read and play chords.

What is the relationship between the 2:3 rhythm and jazz syncopation?

The 2:3 rhythm is a foundational syncopated rhythm found in jazz and other genres influenced by African music. It creates a 'swing' feel in jazz, where the beat is unevenly divided, giving the music its characteristic rhythmic drive.

Why is it important to understand that music theory is imperfect?

Music theory is an attempt to explain why certain sounds and harmonies work, but it is not a strict set of rules. Understanding its imperfections allows musicians to use it as a guide rather than a constraint, enabling more creative and expressive music-making.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Condensing 10 Years of Jazz Study

The speaker reflects on a decade of studying jazz in college, highlighting that the most valuable part of the experience was playing with talented musicians. They believe that much of the theoretical knowledge can be condensed into a short 15-minute overview. The speaker plans to cover essential jazz theory, starting with the basics and progressing to advanced concepts, using timestamps for navigation.

05:01

🎼 The Origins and Construction of the Major Scale

This section explores the origins of the major scale, tracing it back to the harmonic series—a mathematical pattern of frequencies found in resonant sounds. The speaker demonstrates how stacking intervals in the harmonic series creates the major scale and explains different modes, such as Ionian and Lydian. They also discuss how chords are built from these scales, emphasizing the importance of the harmonic series in jazz.

10:02

🎷 Jazz Chord Nomenclature and Parent Scales

The speaker dives into the complex nomenclature of jazz chords, explaining how different triads (major, minor, suspended, diminished, and augmented) are named and notated. They discuss how parent scales are determined for chords and introduce the concept of chord extensions and alterations. The section also covers the use of slash chords and how they simplify notation in jazz.

15:02

🎸 Pentatonic and Six-Note Scales

The speaker explores various scales beyond the major scale, including the pentatonic scale, which is common in folk and pop music. They explain how the pentatonic scale is derived by stacking fifths and how it can be rearranged into major or minor forms. The speaker also introduces six-note scales, which can be formed by adding chromatic notes or by pairing triads, offering unique harmonic structures.

🎹 Chord Voicings and Progressions

This section covers different techniques for voicing jazz chords, starting with basic spellings and progressing to more complex inversions and drop voicings. The speaker demonstrates how these voicings are used in common jazz progressions, such as the 2-5-1, and introduces chordal voicings, which stack intervals of fourths. The section concludes with an exploration of chord substitutions, like the tritone substitution, to add variety to progressions.

🥁 The Foundation of Syncopated Rhythm

The speaker shifts focus to rhythm, particularly the syncopated rhythms foundational to jazz. They explain how the interval of a fifth also serves as the basis for rhythmic patterns like the 2:3 ratio, which is prevalent in jazz and other genres influenced by the African diaspora. The speaker illustrates how these rhythms are applied in swing music and other jazz styles, emphasizing the imperfect nature of musical theory.

🎧 Conclusion and Call to Action

The speaker wraps up the video by acknowledging the complexity of the material covered, comparing it to a study guide. They emphasize the value of understanding theory to communicate musical ideas more effectively. Finally, they invite viewers to support the channel through Patreon, offering exclusive content and useful presets, with links provided in the video description.

Keywords

💡Harmonic Series

The harmonic series is a mathematical pattern of frequencies that occur naturally in resonant sounds. In the video, it is used to explain the origin of the major scale in music theory. The series shows the relationship between different harmonics, which are multiples of a fundamental frequency, and helps illustrate why certain notes and chords sound consonant or dissonant.

💡Major Scale

The major scale is a fundamental concept in Western music, consisting of seven notes with a specific pattern of whole and half steps. The video explains how the major scale can be derived from the harmonic series and introduces different modes of the major scale, like the Ionian and Lydian modes. The major scale serves as a basis for understanding chords, progressions, and melody construction in jazz and other music genres.

💡Ionian Mode

The Ionian mode is the most common form of the major scale, starting on the first note of the scale. In the video, it is used to explain the traditional major scale that most people learn first. The Ionian mode is contrasted with other modes, such as the Lydian mode, to show how different starting points in the scale can lead to different tonalities and moods in music.

💡Lydian Mode

The Lydian mode is a variation of the major scale that starts on the fourth note and includes a raised fourth step (sharp 11). The video highlights how this mode creates a brighter and less dissonant sound compared to the Ionian mode, making it a preferred 'parent scale' for major chords in jazz. The Lydian mode is important in jazz theory for its unique harmonic properties.

💡Chord Extensions

Chord extensions are additional notes added to a basic triad or seventh chord, extending the chord to include the 9th, 11th, or 13th notes. In the video, chord extensions are introduced as a way to add color and complexity to jazz chords. The use of extensions is a key characteristic of jazz harmony, allowing for richer and more nuanced sounds.

💡Parent Scale

A parent scale is the most consonant scale that can be played over a particular chord, serving as a reference for improvisation or melody creation. The video explains how the parent scale is chosen based on the chord's notes and how it helps musicians navigate chord changes more freely. Understanding parent scales is crucial for jazz musicians to develop harmonic flexibility.

💡Chord Nomenclature

Chord nomenclature refers to the system of symbols and abbreviations used to describe chords in music. The video discusses the various symbols used in jazz to denote different types of triads, seventh chords, and chord extensions. This system allows musicians to quickly understand and communicate complex harmonic information, which is essential for jazz performance and composition.

💡Modal Interchange

Modal interchange involves borrowing chords from parallel modes (modes that share the same tonic) to add harmonic variety. The video touches on this concept when discussing how jazz musicians use modes like the Lydian or Dorian to create different chordal textures. Modal interchange is a key technique in jazz that allows for more creative and unexpected chord progressions.

💡Tritone Substitution

Tritone substitution is a jazz technique where a chord is replaced by another chord that is a tritone (three whole steps) away. In the video, this concept is used to explain how substituting the dominant chord (V) with a chord a tritone away can create a 'spicy' or unexpected harmonic shift. This technique is widely used in jazz to add tension and complexity to chord progressions.

💡Syncopation

Syncopation refers to the rhythmic displacement of accents, creating a sense of unexpectedness or off-beat rhythm. The video illustrates how syncopation, particularly in the form of a 2:3 rhythm, is foundational to jazz and other music influenced by African rhythms. Syncopation adds a dynamic and lively quality to music, making it a central element of jazz rhythm.

Highlights

Billy Taylor condenses 10 years of jazz study into a 15-minute session, focusing on theory over history.

Introduction to the major scale and its origins from the harmonic series.

Explanation of the ionian mode as the common major scale and its relation to other modes like lydian.

Discussion on triads, their formation from the harmonic series, and their use in various music genres.

Introduction to seventh chords, their formation, and their prevalence in jazz for added color.

Explanation of chord extensions, including the 9th, 11th, and 13th notes.

Comparison of the lydian mode to the ionian mode and its use as a parent scale for major chords.

Explanation of parent scales and their importance in jazz improvisation and melody construction.

Introduction to jazz chord nomenclature and its efficient communication of chord structures.

Explanation of dominant chords, their notation, and the significance of the mixolydian mode.

Introduction to altered chords and their extensions, including the sharp 11 and other alterations.

Explanation of slash chords and their role in simplifying complex chord notations.

Overview of scales used in jazz, including pentatonic, whole tone, and diminished scales.

Discussion of common chord progressions in jazz, like the 2-5-1 progression.

Introduction to rhythmic concepts in jazz, including syncopation and the 2-over-3 rhythm ratio.

Transcripts

I spent 10 years in college studying

Jazz so you don't have to most of the

benefit I got from that time was the

experience of playing with a lot of

great musicians however I believe nearly

all the relevant knowledge I learned can

be condensed down into 15 minutes most

of the relevant knowledge you learn in

music school is Theory or history and

since there are already great

documentaries about the history of jazz

we'll focus on the theory hi I'm Billy

Taylor and that's JS so let's start with

the basics and by the end we'll dive

into advanced concepts check out the

time stamps for specific topics the

major scale where does it come from well

it kind of comes from the harmonic

series The harmonic series is a

mathematical pattern of frequencies that

shows up in most resonant sounds if I

play an F1 the second harmonic is F2

double the frequency of the first

harmonic aka the fundamental the third

harmonic is three times the frequency of

the fundamental in this case a C3 this

is the first unique note in the harmonic

series meaning not an octave of the

fundamental F so let's hear what it

sounds like if I take that interval

between an f and a c and repeat it

starting on a c i get G if I repeat the

interval again I get d a e and B that's

a nice sound let's turn it into a scale

by lowering the octaves or having the

frequencies to get the narrowest range I

can that gives me this scale but this

isn't the major scale we learned first

let's play the same notes but starting

on a C this is called the ionian mode

it's what most people mean when they

refer to a major scale but it's not the

only major scale most scales have modes

meaning you can get a different scale by

starting on a different note for example

if I start on the fourth note of the

major scale I get a lydian scale it's

also a major scale but the pattern of

whole steps and half steps between notes

is slightly different now what about

chords in most genres of music you'll

hear a lot of Triads they sound great

because they're the first three unique

notes found in the harmonic series the

first third and fifth harmonics if I

play a C are c g and e rearrange those

into the narrowest range and you get c e

and G we can also get this pattern by

skipping notes of a scale if I take a C

major scale and play the first third and

fifth notes of the scale I also get c e

and G in jazz we frequently refer to

notes in a scale by their number so that

it's easy to transpose to other keys

so what if I keep going with that

pattern of skipping notes if I skip a

note from G I get a B this is a major

seven chord seventh chords are very

common in jazz they have more color than

a Triad but why stop at the seventh

let's continue skipping up in adding

notes we can add the 9 the 11 and the 13

these extra notes are often called chord

extensions whoa whoa whoa whoa pump the

brakes why did you play an FP that's not

in C major well it is it isn't it's not

in the major scale most people know but

remember the lydian mode it is in the

lydian mode C lydian is the fourth mode

of G major and G major has an F sharp in

the key so why use lydian well listen to

how the c major chord sounds with an

fshp and listen to how it sounds with an

f f is actually more dissonant than the

fshp this along with the demonstration

of stacking fifths to get a major scale

from earlier is why many jazz music say

lydian should be the parent scale for a

major chord not

ionian okay so what is a parent scale

imagine you have a set of chord changes

and you want to write or improvise a

Melody that fits those changes it could

be pretty limiting to only play the

notes in those chords that's why we

associate chords with different scales

you can figure out a scale for a chord

by starting with the notes of the chord

and then filling out the alphabet so if

my chord is C major 7 that's c e G and B

I want to construct a scale that

includes those notes but also d f and a

or d flat D sharp F or a flat so how do

we choose the parent scale is simply the

most consonant scale I can play over a

certain chord it's a good starting place

I can play other notes but they will

Clash more against the chord you may

have learned that a C minor scale is

this with an A flat this is the sixth

mode of the major scale AOL

but let's compare that to the second

mode Dorian the difference is the a in

Dorian and the a flat in aolan the a is

less dissonant than the a flat so in

jazz the Dorian mode is the parent scale

for a minor chord unless that chord has

a flat 6 or flat 13 in it when referring

to alterations to notes in a jazz chord

we'll describe thirds and sths as either

minor or major and everything else is

flat natural or sharp regardless of the

key now let's talk about chord

nomenclature jazz chord nomenclature is

a bit weird but it's an effective way of

quickly communicating the notes in a

chord the first part of the chord symbol

describes the Triad each type of Triad

gets its own name major minor suspended

diminished and augmented these all mean

major these all mean minor suspended is

abbreviated sus or sus4 and means that

you replace the third with the fourth

note of the scale for example C sus is

CF and

G diminished is abbreviated dim or with

a circle and augmented is abbreviated

Aug or with a plus half diminished is

this diminished sign with a slash

through

it if a chord has none of the above for

example if it just says C it's assumed

to be major in this case just a major

Triad so what about

C7 that's c e g and B flat but why B

flat and not B like in a C major scale

C7 is an example of a dominant chord

because it has a major Triad and a minor

7 so wouldn't that be notated C Minor 7

no because remember the part after the

note name that says major or minor

determines the type of Triad so C Minor

7 would be this c e flat G and B flat

here's how you figure out which notes to

include in a chord if the chord has any

of the major symbols after the letter

the parent scale is the ionian mode if

the Triad is minor the parent scale is

the Dorian mode and if there is no

indication of minor or major and there

are extensions the parent scale is the

mixian mode that part frequently drips

people up this works until there are

alterations to any of the extensions for

example C major 7 sharp 11 is c e g b d

and f sharp the chord is notated with a

sharp 11 because C ionian is the parent

scale for major and does not include an

FP parent scale for C major 7 Shar 11 is

the lydian mode because that scale has a

sharp

11 you may have noticed that the C major

7 sharp 11 chord has a 9 in it as well

as the sharp 11 we add every extension

until we get to the top extension in a

chord but what if we don't want the

ninth what if we just want c e g b and F

sharp we would write C major 7 add sharp

11 the add means you add the extension

without assuming all of its previous

extensions another thing you see in jazz

that can help simplify this is slash

chords an example is B flat minor over D

this simply means that you play a B flat

minor chord with a D in the base so that

chord would be D B flat d flat and F

this is a nice way of simplifying

notation because the way of writing that

chord with the previous method is D

Minor major 7 Shar 5 which is a lot more

information to especially when site

reading music rarely you'll see a slash

chord with a chord on the bottom like a

flat minor over C major that's simply an

A flat Minor triad on top of a C major

Triad we call that a bi tonality it

might seem like a lot to figure out the

parent scale for all these chords but

the good news is that probably at least

90% of these chords use only two scales

modes of the major scale and modes of

the melodic minor scale melodic minor is

the same as the major scale but has a

minor third even with a one note

difference you can get a lot of Unique

Sounds from that scale for example the

parent scale for a half-diminished chord

is the sixth mode of the melodic minor

scale the most common chords associated

with modes of the melodic minor scale

are half diminished dominant sharp 11

minor major 7 and dominant sharp or flat

five sharp five sometimes referred to as

alt or altered for short so what's left

diminished and hold tone these are

simply scales that follow a recurring

pattern of whole or half steps the

diminish scale only has two modes the

scale with a pattern of whole half whole

half step or half whole half whole step

the whole half one is the scale for a

diminished chord the half hole version

can be played on a dominant chord with a

flat nine or sharp nine but not a sharp

five then there's the whole tone scale

which is all whole steps this is the

parent scale for an augmented chord or a

chord like C7 Shar

5 there are other scales like harmonic

minor harmonic major and the augmented

scale but these are extremely rare So

now that we have an understanding of

chords and parent scales let's talk

about some other scales we don't have to

make a scale out of every note available

for example the pentatonic scale is a

very popular sounding scale that is

common in folk and pop music remember

when I showed you how to get a major

scale we stacked fifths until we got

seven unique notes

well what if we stop after five we would

get f c g d and a rearrange those into

their narrowest range and we get a major

pentatonic scale this is the 1 2 3 5 and

sixth notes of the major scale we get a

minor pentatonic scale by starting on

the six so if we're in C starting on an

a gives us a minor

pentatonic you can make up any

pentatonic scale with five unique notes

we can do the same thing for four four

notes F C G and D since it's four notes

we can use them over a lot of different

keys for example on C major I can play

the combination from C from G from D or

from

a I'm moving the pattern up in fifths

and each time the scale sounds brighter

against the chord now how about six note

scales let's use that last four note

scale and add notes chromatically

between them so c c Shar d g g Shar a we

can also get six note scales with pairs

of Triads for example on a C7 sharp 11

chord I can play a C major Triad and a D

major

Triad the chord is C E G B flat d f SHP

the parent scale is CDE E F G A B flat

that's the fourth mode of the G melodic

minor

scale both the C and D major Triads are

found in that scale thinking of Triads

can help give a melody and interesting

harmonic

structure so let's talk about some chord

voicings the simplest way to voice a

chord is just spelling out the chord

from the bottom for example C major 9 is

c e g b and d now usually there's a bass

player in jazz and the bass is playing

the root or the bottom note of a chord

so I'm going to move the C down in

octave this lets me invert the chord in

my right hand so for example I can move

up so that b is the bottom note in my

right hand

let's play the most common chord

progression in jazz at 251 in the key of

C rather than building the chord from

the bottom each time I'm moving the

notes to the nearest voice of the next

chord now if I play those voicings in my

left hand I can play melodies in my

right hand in octaves I'm going to add a

perfect fifth that foundation for

Western Harmony in between the octaves

to reinforce the melody and now I can

play voicings like red

Garland the first Common Twist on this

voice is to drop the second note from

the top one octave we call that a drop

two voicing let's play that 251 using

drop

two another common Jazz voicing is

sometimes referred to as a cordal

voicing it's called that because the

interval between voices is fourths a

common way of using this over a minor

chord is stacking fourths from the root

so in D Minor you get d g c f and a the

interval between F and a isn't a fourth

year but that's okay this voicing can be

heard in the first two chords of Miles

Davis's so what here's a 251 using

cordal

voicings another favorite is the drop

three voicing same concept as the drop

two voicing but dropping the third voice

instead of the second one one famous

case of this chord is from

oova Now That We Know chords voicings

and scales let's talk about chord

progression the most common progression

in all of Western Harmony is 5 to one

once again the fifth is the foundation

of Western Harmony so that makes sense

well let's take this a step further and

add more chords before we resolve to the

one let's pretend like the five chord is

a one chord and add five of five that

would be a two chord if I keep doing

this I get progressions like

[Music]

36251 Now jazz musicians are known for

keeping it spicy they like to add in

substitutions for chords turning five

into 25 is just the start another common

substitution is the trone substitution

basically that means rep placing the

five chord with the same chord A trional

Way the reason that works so well is

because the third and seventh of a five

chord if I'm playing G7 to C major G7

has a b and an F the third and the

seventh those notes kind of have a

gravity to the third and root of the C

major chord the same thing is true of a

d flat 7 chord in D flat B is the

seventh and F is the thir so I can get

the same gravity with a different root

now we can pretend that d flat 7 chord

is a five chord and turn it into a 25

like before so now instead of a G7 to C

major I have a flat minor 7 d flat 7 C

major spicy now let's talk about Rhythm

the foundation of Western Harmony is the

fifth but what if I told you it's the

foundation of syncopated Rhythm as well

check this out I have one oscillator

playing a fifth above the other you can

see that the frequencies have a 2:3

ratio this oscillator repeats three

times in the same time that this

oscillator repeats two times now listen

to what happens if I lower the

frequencies of the oscillators way

down now you hear the Rhythm 2 over 3 I

can help you hear the difference between

the two oscillators by filtering one of

them this 2 over3 rhythm is found all

over Jazz Latin American music pop music

and any other music influenced by The

rhythms of the African diaspora one of

the most simple examples is this Rhythm

here two dotted quarter notes followed

by a quarter note this chap POS with

straight quarter notes makes the Rhythm

dance a little bit you also hear the 2:3

ratio in swing especially in earlier

genres of Swing you hear an uneven

subdivision of the beat called swing

it's not always exactly a 2:3 ratio but

then again neither is the musical fifth

the third harmonic isn't in tune with an

equal tempered scale the fifth was

adjusted a couple of cents down so that

if you stack 12 fifths you get back to

an octave of the starting frequency I'm

pointing this out because I think it's

important to know that theory is

imperfect it's not a rule it's an

attempt at explaining why something

sounds the way it does it can help you

understand music categorize sounds in

your head and more easily communicate

musical ideas to other people I don't

expect anybody to absorb all of this

within 15 minutes but I wanted to make

this video as a resource like when the

teacher lets you bring a one-page study

guide into an exam and you do something

like this if you'd like to support the

channel and get access to exclusive

video content please consider joining my

patreon for only $5 you also get access

to over 100 useful presets for the free

vital synthesizer or if you're

interested in preset packs I left a link

to those in the video description as

well I appreciate the support

[Music]