Gary Lindsay, Jazz Arranging Techniques

ttf_cozzagiorgi · Post by **ttf_cozzagiorgi** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:23 am

Hi all

I received this book some days ago and I am working on the assignments. Do you know if I can find the solutions to these assignments anywhere? That would really help me.

Thanks!

ttf_Sliphorn · Post by **ttf_Sliphorn** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 7:13 pm

I bet you could contact Gary directly. He's a very nice guy and probably willing to help. Look for him at the University of Miami!

ttf_cozzagiorgi · Post by **ttf_cozzagiorgi** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:10 am

Did it. Unfortunately he doesn't have the time to correct my exercises.

ttf_Andrew Meronek · Post by **ttf_Andrew Meronek** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 9:45 am

If this isn't for a course, post your solutions on here. Lots of us can learn from writing exercises, and some of us are pros.

ttf_cozzagiorgi · Post by **ttf_cozzagiorgi** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:24 am

Ok, here you go. In this exercise I have to create 4 way close voicings. Am I doing this right?

This will open the exercise:
https://app.box.com/s/s0g63m6urk2g2gm3xfmls5a211jni8he

ttf_Andrew Meronek · Post by **ttf_Andrew Meronek** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 1:45 pm

Nope. Looking at that first line, the Dm7 is correct, but the Ab7 is not. The Gb is too far away form the Ab, and you seem to have written Fb instead of Eb.

If those are 4-part closed voicings, you need to contain all the notes within one octave. If the Ab is dictated to be the top note, there's only one way to do that: C-Eb-Gb-Ab. If it is not, there are three other ways; you just invert this solution, bumping the bottom note(s) up an octave. Thus, the other closed-position voicings are Eb-Gb-Ab-C, Gb-Ab-C-Eb, and Ab-C-Eb-Gb.

ttf_Andrew Meronek · Post by **ttf_Andrew Meronek** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 1:52 pm

Oh, and it's not wrong per se, but a handy notation convention when you get crowded notes on a staff:

Given a particular beat (like beat 1 of those measures), write all the noteheads vertically, offsetting notes on adjacent lines/spaces horizontally but otherwise adjacent. Then, write all the accidentals left of all the noteheads, offsetting the accidentals in the same way you offset the noteheads to avoid writing them overlapped.

ttf_Andrew Meronek · Post by **ttf_Andrew Meronek** » Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:04 pm

Trying to find a good visual example - whew, think I found one:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/191921664/Chord-Glossary

Go to page 12, where it goes over Augmented sixth chords. There is a nice example of notes and accidentals spelled out that happen to fall very close to each other on a staff, particularly that specific German variation.

ttf_cozzagiorgi · Post by **ttf_cozzagiorgi** » Mon Apr 24, 2017 1:46 pm

Ok thanks for your help!

Didn't have a lot of time to work on it, but here is my latest effort. Am I doing this right?

[img]http://<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/ymmdE"><a href="//imgur.com/ymmdE"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/img]

http://imgur.com/A7ESquD

According to Mr. Lindsays book I have to respect the following guidelines:
- Avoid the interval of a major 2nd adjacent to the lead voice. It obscures the lead line.
- Never write the interval of a minor 2nd against the lead
- Avoid cluster voicings (not a problem in this exercise)
Solution for these problems is to use a "tension chart" I won't include in this post, but it lists possible substitutions.

As you can see, I had to use the tension chart on measure 2 and measure 10. But I am unsure if I am allowed to omit the root as I did in measure 10.

ttf_Andrew Meronek · Post by **ttf_Andrew Meronek** » Mon Apr 24, 2017 3:50 pm

Quote from: cozzagiorgi on Apr 24, 2017, 01:46PMOk thanks for your help!

Didn't have a lot of time to work on it, but here is my latest effort. Am I doing this right?

[img]http://<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/ymmdE"><a href="//imgur.com/ymmdE"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/img]

http://imgur.com/A7ESquD

According to Mr. Lindsays book I have to respect the following guidelines:
- Avoid the interval of a major 2nd adjacent to the lead voice. It obscures the lead line.
- Never write the interval of a minor 2nd against the lead
- Avoid cluster voicings (not a problem in this exercise)
Solution for these problems is to use a "tension chart" I won't include in this post, but it lists possible substitutions.

As you can see, I had to use the tension chart on measure 2 and measure 10. But I am unsure if I am allowed to omit the root as I did in measure 10.

Replacing a root with a 9th is allowable in jazz voicings, at least in general. Also: omitting a 5th where a 11th or 13th is present.

F#m7 is F#-A(natural not sharp)-C#-E
Bm7b5 is B-D-F-A (no flats)
D9 is E-F#-A-C(natural not sharp) omitting the D, which is OK IMHO.

Ab7 has a Gb, not an F - and that's a case where it may be allowable to use an "open" voicing instead of a "closed" voicing - or, to violate the "avoid major 2nd near melody" rule. The open voicing would put the Gb a major 9th below the melody Ab in your example, which is actually fairly common. Even more common is to change the Ab7 to Ab13, include the F as the 13th, and voice the 7th a major 9th below the melody, turning it into a 5-note chord, or keeping it 4-note by omitting the Eb.

ttf_cozzagiorgi · Post by **ttf_cozzagiorgi** » Mon Apr 24, 2017 11:14 pm

Ok, thank you for all these tips. I think I got it more or less now.

Next exercise will be 4 way close voicings with double lead (add the lead one octave lower). That means I will have 5 voices to use.

The theory is clear to me, but how do I know which notes I can omit if I have a chord with more than 5 notes in it?

ttf_afugate · Post by **ttf_afugate** » Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:56 am

Quote from: cozzagiorgi on Apr 24, 2017, 11:14PM
The theory is clear to me, but how do I know which notes I can omit if I have a chord with more than 5 notes in it?

Lindsay talks about this specifically in his book. Keep reading. Great stuff in there!

--Andy in OKC

ttf_cozzagiorgi · Post by **ttf_cozzagiorgi** » Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:08 am

Oh ok. I have to read once again.

English isn't my mother tongue so some stuff is hard for me to understand. I'll get back if I have more questions.

Thanks!

ttf_afugate · Post by **ttf_afugate** » Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:26 am

I had to read it in little bits and multiple times, too. In fact, it's probably time to get it out and go through it again...

--Andy in OKC

ttf_robbo · Post by **ttf_robbo** » Thu May 11, 2017 6:23 am

A golden rule is to avoid the interval in a voicing of a b9 (unless it's a DOM7(b9) chord.)

Get out of the habit of including a tonic in a maj7 chord. It will likely be creating a b9 interval with the maj7 note below it. (not always, depending on how low the voicing is, but this will happen). When you get better you can learn to break the rules, but I find there are some good ones to start by, and that's one of them. 9/1 (i.e., substitue 9 for 1). Always a safe and effective sound in a maj 7 chord.

I'm ok with the F in the Ab7 chord as ling as it's intentional. Obviously it won't sound like a 7th, but if the rhythm section is playing it it will sound like a 13th chord. (arrangers choice)

As far as the interval of a 2nd between top notes. Yes, avoid it if the top note is melody. If it's pads, it's fine.

5 note chord? Just work down from the top note using available chord tones from the tension chart that you were talking about.

pm me if you'd like me to explain better.

Rob

ttf_robbo · Post by **ttf_robbo** » Thu May 11, 2017 6:23 am

A golden rule is to avoid the interval in a voicing of a b9 (unless it's a DOM7(b9) chord.)

Get out of the habit of including a tonic in a maj7 chord. It will likely be creating a b9 interval with the maj7 note below it. (not always, depending on how low the voicing is, but this will happen). When you get better you can learn to break the rules, but I find there are some good ones to start by, and that's one of them. 9/1 (i.e., substitue 9 for 1). Always a safe and effective sound in a maj 7 chord.

I'm ok with the F in the Ab7 chord as ling as it's intentional. Obviously it won't sound like a 7th, but if the rhythm section is playing it it will sound like a 13th chord. (arrangers choice)

As far as the interval of a 2nd between top notes. Yes, avoid it if the top note is melody. If it's pads, it's fine.

5 note chord? Just work down from the top note using available chord tones from the tension chart that you were talking about.

pm me if you'd like me to explain better.

Rob