58 terms covering modes, harmony, guitar technique, and jazz concepts
The raising or lowering of a chord extension (b9, #9, b5/#11, #5/b13) by a half step to create additional tension over a dominant chord. Altered tones intensify the pull toward resolution and are central to jazz dominant harmony.
A dominant 7th chord with one or more chromatically altered extensions (b9, #9, b5/#11, #5/b13). Altered dominants create maximum tension before resolution and are the defining sound of modern jazz V7 chords. The Altered scale (7th mode of melodic minor) fits these chords.
A note (diatonic, chromatic, or double-chromatic) that leads stepwise into a target chord tone, usually from a half step or whole step above or below. Approach notes create forward motion and smooth connections between chord tones in melodic lines.
An interval of three half steps that sounds like a minor third but functions as a step between adjacent scale degrees. Found in harmonic minor and Phrygian Dominant, it gives an exotic, Middle Eastern quality.
A scale degree that creates a strong dissonance (usually a minor 9th) against an essential chord tone, and is typically avoided as a sustained or emphasized note over that chord. For example, the natural 4th over a major chord.
A dominant 7th chord built on the b7 degree that resolves up by whole step to the tonic (e.g., Bb7 resolving to Cmaj7). It provides a softer, more surprising alternative to the standard V7-I resolution. Lydian Dominant is the typical chord-scale choice.
A jazz style from the 1940s characterized by fast tempos, complex chord progressions, virtuosic improvisation, and the addition of chromatic passing tones to create eight-note scales that align chord tones with strong beats.
A method of organizing the fretboard using five interlocking chord shapes (C, A, G, E, D) that span the entire neck. Each shape provides a framework for visualizing scales, arpeggios, and chord voicings in a given key.
The single note that most distinguishes one mode from another mode of the same quality. For example, the raised 4th (sharp 11) is the characteristic tone of Lydian compared to Ionian.
A note that belongs to the underlying chord (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th). When improvising, chord tones create strong resolution and consonance against the harmony.
The approach of assigning a specific scale (mode) to each chord in a progression, giving the improviser a palette of notes that includes both chord tones and available tensions. Central to modern jazz pedagogy.
Moving by half steps, or using notes outside the prevailing key. The chromatic scale contains all twelve pitches. Chromatic passing tones and approach notes add sophistication to melodic lines.
A non-diatonic note placed between two diatonic notes a whole step apart, filling the gap with half-step motion. Chromatic passing tones add smoothness and rhythmic precision to melodic lines and are the basis of bebop scales, where they align chord tones with strong beats.
Belonging to or derived from a seven-note scale with a specific pattern of five whole steps and two half steps. The major scale and its modes are all diatonic. Diatonic harmony uses only notes from the key.
A sustained or continuously repeated note (usually the root or fifth) held beneath a melody. Drones are essential for hearing and practicing modes, as they anchor the tonal center and let the mode's character emerge.
A four-note chord voicing created by taking a close-position chord and dropping the second-highest note down an octave. This opens the voicing to a comfortable guitar or piano span while maintaining clear voice leading. Drop-2 voicings are the most commonly used chord shapes in jazz guitar.
The interval a 4th above the octave. The natural 11th is often an avoid note over major chords but is the signature color of Lydian mode as a sharp 11th.
An approach technique where a target note is surrounded by notes a half step or whole step above and below it before landing on the target. Enclosures add chromatic sophistication to melodic lines and are a hallmark of bebop vocabulary.
Two note names that refer to the same pitch (e.g., C# and Db, or F# and Gb). Context determines the correct spelling based on the key and harmonic function.
The interval five scale steps above the root. A perfect 5th (7 half steps) is stable and consonant; a diminished 5th (6 half steps) creates instability. The fifth reinforces the root and adds fullness.
A system where chords are classified by their function: tonic (stable, home), subdominant (departure), or dominant (tension seeking resolution). Contrasts with modal harmony, where chords serve color rather than function.
A genre blending jazz improvisation and harmony with rock, funk, or electronic elements. Fusion often features modal vamps, complex rhythms, and electric instruments. Modes like Dorian, Lydian, and Mixolydian are staples.
The 3rd and 7th of a chord. the two notes that most define its quality and function. In a ii-V-I, guide tones often move by half step, creating smooth voice leading.
A melodic line constructed by connecting the guide tones (3rds and 7ths) of successive chords with smooth stepwise motion. Guide-tone lines reveal the harmonic skeleton of a progression and are a foundational tool for jazz improvisation and comping.
The smallest interval in Western music, equal to one fret on guitar or one key on piano. Half steps create tension and pull between notes. Two half steps equal one whole step.
A four-note chord with the formula 1-b3-b5-b7 (minor 7th flat 5). It functions as the ii chord in minor-key ii-V-i progressions and is notated as m7b5 or with the slashed circle symbol. Locrian and Locrian Natural 2 are its primary chord-scale options.
An eight-note symmetric scale alternating half steps and whole steps (H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W). Used over dominant 7th chords to produce b9, #9, #11, and natural 13 tensions simultaneously. A favorite in bebop and jazz-blues for its mix of inside and outside sounds.
The most common chord progression in jazz, moving from the ii chord (minor 7th) to the V chord (dominant 7th) to the I chord (major 7th). It creates a strong sense of harmonic motion and resolution.
The distance in pitch between two notes, measured in half steps or by quality and number (e.g., major 3rd, perfect 5th). Intervals are the building blocks of scales, chords, and melodies.
The seventh degree of a major scale, sitting one half step below the tonic. Its strong pull upward to the tonic is the most powerful resolution in tonal music. Modes without a leading tone (Dorian, Mixolydian) have a weaker gravitational pull to the tonic.
An approach to music that emphasizes a single mode or tonal center rather than functional chord progressions. Modal music typically uses drones, vamps, or static harmony to highlight the color of a specific mode.
A jazz approach pioneered by Miles Davis and John Coltrane in the late 1950s that emphasizes improvisation over modes and static harmony rather than fast-moving chord changes. 'Kind of Blue' is the defining album.
A rotation of a parent scale that starts on a different scale degree, producing a unique pattern of intervals and a distinct tonal character. Each mode shares the same notes as its parent but emphasizes a different tonal center.
The interval a 2nd above the octave (14 half steps for major 9th). As an upper extension, the 9th adds richness to chords and is a commonly used tension in jazz harmony.
The original, unrotated scale from which a set of modes is derived. Every mode inherits the same collection of pitches as its parent but reorders them from a different starting degree. The major scale, melodic minor, and harmonic minor are the three most common parent scales in Western music.
A five-note scale that omits the two most dissonant scale degrees. The major pentatonic (1-2-3-5-6) and minor pentatonic (1-b3-4-5-b7) are the most universal scales in popular music and a safe starting point for improvisation.
The practice of staying within a four- or five-fret span while playing scales and melodies. Each position covers a region of the neck and connects to adjacent positions, enabling full fretboard coverage.
A jazz movement from the late 1950s onward that blends bebop's harmonic complexity with modal jazz's openness, incorporating freer forms, wider intervals, and more adventurous harmonic substitutions.
The movement from a dissonant or unstable note or chord to a consonant or stable one, releasing harmonic tension. Resolution is the fundamental engine of tonal music. tension without resolution feels unfinished, and resolution without tension feels static.
The fundamental note of a chord or scale that defines its letter name and serves as the tonal center. All other intervals are measured from the root.
An ordered sequence of notes spanning an octave, defined by a specific pattern of intervals (whole steps and half steps). Scales form the raw material from which melodies, harmonies, and modes are derived.
The interval seven scale steps above the root. Major 7th (11 half steps) sounds lush and modern; minor/dominant 7th (10 half steps) sounds bluesy and seeking resolution.
A minimal chord voicing containing only the root, 3rd, and 7th. the three notes that define a chord's quality and function. Shell voicings leave space for extensions and are ideal for comping in an ensemble, allowing other instruments to fill in color without harmonic clutter.
The technique of playing a scale, arpeggio, or pentatonic from a different root over the underlying chord to generate upper-structure tensions. For example, playing an E major triad over a C major 7th chord outlines the 3rd, #5, and 7th. Superimposition creates complex sounds from simple shapes.
A specific chord tone or tension that a melodic line is aimed toward, typically landing on a strong beat. Targeting gives improvised lines direction and purpose. rather than running scales, the player thinks destination-first and constructs approach patterns to reach each target.
A note that creates harmonic tension against the underlying chord. typically the 9th, 11th, or 13th. Tensions add color and complexity to chord voicings and melodic lines.
An upper-structure chord extension (9th, 11th, or 13th) that is consonant enough to sustain over a given chord, adding harmonic color without clashing. Distinguished from avoid notes, which create unresolvable dissonance in context.
The interval three scale steps above the root. A major 3rd (4 half steps) gives a bright quality; a minor 3rd (3 half steps) gives a darker quality. The third is the most important interval for determining chord quality.
The interval a 6th above the octave, and the highest commonly used chord extension. The 13th adds a sweet or soulful quality to dominant and major chords.
A scale fingering system where exactly three notes are played on each string, creating symmetrical patterns across the neck. Favored for speed and legato playing, it naturally spans seven frets and is ideal for modal visualization.
The central, home pitch or chord of a key or mode. the point of maximum rest and stability. All other notes and chords are heard in relation to the tonic. In functional harmony, the tonic chord is the destination of dominant resolution.
An interval of exactly six half steps (three whole steps), dividing the octave in half. The tritone is the most dissonant interval in diatonic harmony and is the engine of dominant-to-tonic resolution: the 3rd and 7th of a dominant 7th chord form a tritone that resolves inward or outward by half step.
Replacing a dominant 7th chord with another dominant 7th chord whose root is a tritone (6 half steps) away. Works because both chords share the same guide tones (3rd and 7th) in enharmonic spelling. Creates chromatic bass motion.
A short, repeating chord progression (often just one or two chords) used as a groove or backdrop for modal improvisation. Vamps keep the harmony static enough to let a single mode shine.
The art of moving individual notes (voices) smoothly from one chord to the next, minimizing large intervallic jumps. Good voice leading creates a sense of connection and flow between harmonies.
An interval of two half steps (two frets on guitar). Whole steps create a more open, relaxed movement between notes compared to the tighter pull of half steps.
A six-note symmetric scale built entirely of whole steps (W-W-W-W-W-W). It produces an augmented, dreamlike, unresolved quality with no half-step pull. Used over dominant 7#5 chords and for creating momentary ambiguity, as it has no leading tone or strong tendency tones.
An eight-note symmetric scale alternating whole steps and half steps (W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H). Used over diminished 7th chords, it contains all four chord tones plus natural 9th, natural 11th, natural 13th, and major 7th as available tensions.