Voicing Big band

H arm oni zati a n Te c hni que s : 4 Wry Close A working knowledge of chorcl symbois is essential to understand the material covered in this and subsequent chapters. For the purposes of this book, the author describes the root,7th,5th and 3rd of a chord as "note categories" from which a wide variety of substitute voicings will be derived.

4 Wav Close produces a tight mobile sound and works well with fast or slow passages. 4 Way Close can be utiüzed when writing lor any cornbination of saxophones, woodwinds, trumpets and trombones. This technique and its governing rules are the basis for many of the techniques that will follow.

A fundamental yet effective four-part harmonization technique that

Definition:

. ' . r .

Lead plus three harmony notes below. All four voices within an octave. Four diflerent pitches. One note from each category (root, 7th, 5th, 3rd) or its available substitute. Adiacent intervals include 2nds, 3rds and sometimes 4ths.

4Way Close Double Lead Essentially the same technique as 4 Way Close with the addition of a duplicate of the lead voice placed an octave lower. This 5-part technique is common when writing for saxophone section (A, A, T, T, B). The recording group "Super Sax" used this technique extensively. The double lead voice is the lowest and 5th voice in üis technique.

Guidelines for Effective 4 Way Close Writing

. . .

Avoid the interval of amajor 2nd adjacent to the lead voice on note values longer than a quarter note. This harmonic rub partially obscures the lead line. The rub becomes more apparent the higher it's written. I{ever write the interval of a minor 2nd against the lead. It obscures the lead line' Chapter 10: 4 WaY Close 83

"

groups of adjacenl Avoic{ cluster voicings (voicings containing tlvo or more means of harmonizingin 4 Wa,v Close style' as ii-'rtc '' ir :r-: Solution for the .bolr. problems is to use Avaiiable Substitutions ? tecil-- -'-"¡ Available Tensio¡:¡ Clart, (pg. 85, discussed next) and'/or Drop (clescribed in Chapter Eleven, pg' BB)'

helps visualize the stacked r-oicing techtli':i'-t= belorv. of 4 Wav Cláse. Use this diagram applying the three steps

,,Tlre 4Way Close RectangLe,, This diagram

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"note Determine the category of the lead (melody)voice as one of the primary Availabtre Tension categories,,, .ooq-[6,h, 3rd o, u, available substitution (see Chart) [Ex. 10-1a and 10-1b].

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2. After determining the

84

lazz Ananging Techniques

3. If correct, the voicing will be less than an octave from the highest to the lor.t'est note and contain ali four "category notes" or available substitutions with no duplication.

Ex. t0-3

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Chapter 10: 4 WaY Close

85

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Guidelines for Effective Voicings

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The characteristic sound of a voicing is directly a result of the interztalic relationship between all the pitches in the voicing. There are four intervalic groups. 2nd intervals and major 7th intervals produce the most tense, rich sound Major and minor 3rds and 6ths and perfect 5ths are the least tense, the most mellow sounding. b7ths, major 2nds and augmented 4ths (bsths) exhibit a level of tension between the first

1. Minor

2.

3. +.

two groups. The perfect 4th interval produces a unique sound that exhibits properties of tension and mellowness with a strong resonating character'

When striving for the rnost tense voicing possible, select substitutions or cleord tones that will produce either rninor 2nds or rnajor 7th intervals within the voicing.

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Available Tensions on Dirninished Chords On diminished chords, any note a whole step above a chorcl tone is an avatlable tension' By

combining two diminished chords (one built a whole step higher), an auxiliary diminished scale is created., Ít is also known as the "whole/half' scale, because the interva.ls in the scale are w/h/w/hetc.). Tensions are most effective as lead notes on diminished chords. [Ex. 10-12, 1013,10-141

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Chapter Eleven H arm o ni zati on Te c hni q ue s : Drop 2, 3, 2 and 4

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This technique is derived from 4 lVay Close. Drop 2 Technique produces a slighth-more open voicing with a fuller sound. This technique can be slightly less mobile than 4 \\-ar Close depending upon the range of the lead voice and the corresponding instrumental registers.

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Lead plus 3 harmony note s below. Four different pitches. One note from each category: Rt. 7, 5, 3. Drop 2 is derived from 4\Yay Close by lowering the 2nd voice from the top, one octave

[Ex. l1-l].

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Drop 2 Double Lead Lead voice (melody) is doubled one octave lower, resulting in a 5 note voicing. In Drop 2, the doubied melody is the 4tñ voice from the top. The 2nd voice is dropped one octave to form the Drop 2 technique and becomes the 5th and lowest voice [Er. 11-6, 11-7].

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4 is similar to Drop 2, except the 2nd and 4th voice are both lowered one octave. This iechnique produces a very open voicing that is fuller and less mobile than Drop 2 or Drop 3. When including double lead, it is well suited for 5 saxophones playrng-pa-ds or slow moving melodies [8". 1 1- 10] . In Drop 2 and 4 double lead, the doubled lead voice is placed 3rd voice from the top' Ex. 11-10

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Assignrnent #B proüdes voicing pracüce in all the drop techniques. IJse substitutions to enhance the voicings

Chapter 11: Drop

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Chapter 11 presented intervals and how they affect the sound of voicings. In semi-open and open r"oicings, the one interval to be cautious of is the bgtt . Tfre bg interval is effective when createcl by combining a low root with a bgth tension above, as in a dominant 7(bg) chord tc7(b9)]. However, there are rrrarry other ways of forming this interval that create voicings uncommon to traditional non-mod il jazz harmony. Voicings containing the b9 interval (exception noted) are generally not as practical for harmonizing melodies in this harmonic style because they are u¡stable and tend to obscure the function of the harmony.

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a increasingly dark and at a point' mudfi- and As voicings descend in register, their sound becomes this descent into mudville is the ov'ertone unusable except for special effects. The science behind is available in books on the theory of acoustics' series. More information on the overtone series

interval created by the voicingls The most comperiing factor within this phenomenon is the different scenarios to consider: lowest note and the riot of the chord. There are two

Scenario

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If the lowest note of the voicing Low Interval Lirnits Chart note higher in the voicing and check that interval against the in sound, thus their application (pug. g4). This chart is u!rrid., only. Intervals graduJly darken length of the notes in question' slightly below the chart ,r*y U" upfrop.iu,:. 4o, .onrid.t the that is only present for a Don,t necessarily abandon good voice'-leading because of a low 3rd judgment [Ex' 12-10' 12-11]' sixteenth or eighth note value. Experience willead to better Ex.

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Notice on the Low fnterr¡al f.irrrits Chart (pug. g4) that the unison and octave have an unümited range and that the perfect 5th interval contains the lowest limited range. The actual intervals that occur above the fi:ndamental in the overtone series are the basis forlñis guide.

Scenari o #2 If the lowest note is not the root, then superimpose an "imaginary root" below the lowest note in üe voicing and determine that resulting interval. Check the interval against the Low Interval Lirrrits Chart. Ex. t2-12

Ex. L2-13

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The Low Interval Lirnits Cha¡r't is a guide to determine how low a voicing can be played before its sound is too dark and indistinguishable. Remember, the chart compares intervals from unison to major 1Oth from the root of a chord to the next note in the voicing. Playing voicings on a piano and transposing them downward by half steps can begin to give insight into this phenomenon.

One additional factor to consider is dynamics. When instruments increase in volume they

produce more and louder overtones, changing the timbre and increasing the ccimplexity of the sound. At soft dynamics instruments project less of the overtones, so we mostly hear the fundamental pitch. At softer dynamics, voicings can be written lower before the mud begins to rise.

Chapter 12: Rules and

Limits 93

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(minor 2nd) surrounded by interval smarl a include voicing positions 21d' This voicing can be *i"or In semi_open voicings, som€ tht 5th or larger intervals [Ex' l2-1+' 12-15]' of tht ilrl,r with 'puting butu,ce difficutt to blend u,d be any a rninor 21d should not below and above an adjacent 2nd Formally stated, the rule is "intervals ir;;;tht interval belowseparated (A s's' Adjacent 2nds larger than ,r, ,ogr,renred,4th.l,"ñ;I*""p.i", r.th. a hrg..as uJ u. to the ,oo,^.u, thé spacing is stili i'á, is to the root. The iáerval ir,**ár:;;;r"r 'tttrough when,*;;tJ. rure) voicings are r*pr"r.a l2- 16] ' sound [Ex' not advantageous i" á'*tiiualanced

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Use a substitution for one of the notes of the minor 2nd to eliminate that interval in the voicing. Change üe voicing from semi-open Qrop 2 or 3) to 4 Way Close, which eliminates the large intervals on either side of the minor 2nd [Ex. 12-17 , 12- 1B] . Ex. L2-14

Ex. LZ-LS

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Ex. L2-L1

Ex. 12-18

1

knportant Notes:

Don't avoid minor 2ncls in your voicings in order to eliminate the threat of the Adjacent 2nds Separated violation. Remember that minor 2nd and major 7th interv'als add richness to voicings. Also, as with all voicing guideJines, the iength of the notes in question are an important consideration. The next ütal concept helps clarify.

Major Concept Line vs. Voicing \fhen voicing passages of eighths, triplets or sixteenth notes, the most important consideration

is

the line each note creates from one voicing to the next. The notes are moving too fast to focus totally on the indiüdual voicings. Creating the best possible line in each voice might make it necessary to sacrifice the integrity of the voicing for a few notes by writing incomplete voicings or üolating Low Interval Limits and/ or Adjacent 2nds Separated. When voicing quarters, halves and longer note values, the voicing is more important and the voicing rules should be aclhered to as much as possible. Keep asking whether the line or voicing is more important at the mornent. Don't sweat what can't

be heard.

Assignrnent #9 and #10 In Chapters Eleven and Twelve four-part and five-part voicing techniques and numerous rules and concepts were covered. With the next two assignments Voicing Melody I and Voicing Melody 2 the voicing procedures will be applied to melodies in preparation for project #2.

Chapter 12: Rules aod Limits

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In preparation for assignment #10, Voicing Melody 2, note the following additional guidelines.

Guidelines for Cornbining Voicing Techniques 1. Lead lines (melodies) below middle C often work best in unison/octave (not voiced). 2. Unison in any register provides a contrasting texture to voiced passages. 3. Lead lines from middle C and above work well voiced in 4 Way Close (Drop 2 is often an option). +. Using Drop 2 on lower notes can result in a Low Inten¡al Lirnits üolation. 5. Lead lines an octave above middle C work well in Drop 2 or Drop 3. 4 Way Close may also be an option. 'Be 6. sure all instruments from the lead to the lowest harmony line remain within their ranges.

7. If the melody leaps up and dov¿n abruptly, the techniques B.

'

even from unison to voicing [Ex. 12-19]. When the melody leaps up, change to Drop 2 Close [Ex. 12-19].

can change accordingly,

if the preceding note is voiced in 4 Way

9. When the melody leaps down, change to 4 Way Close if the preceding note is voiced in Drop-Z [Ex. 12-19].

Play and study Ex. i2-19, Mixed Voicing Techniques, at the piano and then listen to Jazz An'ranging CD Track #25, performed by four saxophones.

Ex. 12-19

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Chapter 10: 4 Way Close

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