Ask Fatjack

[i am sam2]

Can you explain the difference between leading and passing tones and when they might be used?

im not fatjack, but passing tones are any notes that are used rather quickly (in passing) between chords or longer notes or phrases..

passing tones can be out of key because they are quick, and they add alot of character to solos.. a leading tone for example could be "E" in the key of C, try bending the d up to the e.. its that classic bend, and i believe its a leading tone.

a passing tone in the same solo could be a Bb.. such as a quick chromatic run from A > Bb > B > C.. lingering on the C.

This is what i always understood, but i could be wrong.

i believe the leading tone is the major 7th of a scale. so for C it would be B.

[gumbomadness]

yup, i just looked it up.
your right. leading tone is the major seventh, because it can resolve easily.

woops.



but i still hold my def. of a passing tone.

[i am sam2]

yup, i just looked it up.
your right. leading tone is the major seventh, because it can resolve easily.

woops.



but i still hold my def. of a passing tone.

yeah my former bass teacher was tellin me that a lot of the people he played with when he was young (duck dunn, led zeppelin, dave brubeck, etc.) held that a lot of things dont matter what notes you play, but how you play them.

[gumbomadness]

? he played with dave brubeck? what the shit?

[i am sam2]

? he played with dave brubeck? what the shit?

he wasnt the bass player in the band but he did play with him sitting in on cello and whatnot. he also does some arranging so he could have been with him in that regard as well.

[fatjack]

yup, i just looked it up.
your right. leading tone is the major seventh, because it can resolve easily.

woops.



but i still hold my def. of a passing tone.

your definition was right just not very clear

passing motion has to do not only with the direction of the line, but the rhythm of the line. a passing tone figure consists of three notes, the first and final notes being the most important, and the notes inbetween being subordinate. this is true for any linear figure. there is an approach, a linear figure (such as a passing tone), and a resolution

direction: a series of passing notes all have to go in the same direction (e.g. A-B-C or C-B-A). a succession such as A-B-A is NOT considered a passing figured because the approach to the passing note is not in the same direction as the resolution (this particular example is actually called an upper neighbor.

rhythm: this is where you have to be cautious. for a note to be "passing" a lot depends upon what notes of the figure are accented. take the passing motion of C-D-E for example. Lets say you were to play it in the rhythm of two eighths and a quarter note: the D is clearly heard as being subordinate to the other two notes because it falls on an upbeat and the other two on a downbeat. but the same could be said for the same rhythm starting on an upbeat. the even though the C and E are both on upbeats and the D on a downbeat, the D is still heard as subordinate, just that now the rhythm is syncopated.

the key really relies on the duration of the notes. if you were to play this same passing figure in the rhythm of a quarter, half, and quarter notes, then the listener would be confused as to what note is subordinate. because the D is sounded longer than the C, it no longer sounds subordinate. this concept is really intuitive and fairly easy to grasp if you just fiddle around with rhythms for these passing figures. you'll be able to tell what works and what doesn't

[a1075dd63aa12]

Dear Fatjack,

I have a question about what chords might work with Major 9 chords, as far as suspended chords and so on? Is there a general set that work with each different type of chord. I hope this question isnt way to broad.

Signed,
Confused guitarist in Cincinatti

[fatjack]

Dear Fatjack,

I have a question about what chords might work with Major 9 chords, as far as suspended chords and so on? Is there a general set that work with each different type of chord. I hope this question isnt way to broad.

Signed,
Confused guitarist in Cincinatti

I think that perhaps maj9 chords work well with maj9 chords

I don't really understand what you are asking though. Are you asking what scales work well? extensions? substitutions maybe?

[a1075dd63aa12]

Dear Fatjack,

I have a question about what chords might work with Major 9 chords, as far as suspended chords and so on? Is there a general set that work with each different type of chord. I hope this question isnt way to broad.

Signed,
Confused guitarist in Cincinatti

I think that perhaps maj9 chords work well with maj9 chords

I don't really understand what you are asking though. Are you asking what scales work well? extensions? substitutions maybe?

like for instance if i write something with major 9 chords, what other chord forms would work well with it for instance maj13, maj7, etc. or is it all up to preference? Or would i have to stick with just major and minor 9ths in the key the song is in?

i would i like know the other stuff too, if you could explain that, i know the very basics in regards to theory.

[fatjack]

Dear Fatjack,

I have a question about what chords might work with Major 9 chords, as far as suspended chords and so on? Is there a general set that work with each different type of chord. I hope this question isnt way to broad.

Signed,
Confused guitarist in Cincinatti

I think that perhaps maj9 chords work well with maj9 chords

I don't really understand what you are asking though. Are you asking what scales work well? extensions? substitutions maybe?

like for instance if i write something with major 9 chords, what other chord forms would work well with it for instance maj13, maj7, etc. or is it all up to preference? Or would i have to stick with just major and minor 9ths in the key the song is in?

i would i like know the other stuff too, if you could explain that, i know the very basics in regards to theory.

ah, you want to know what extensions work well with a maj7 chord, now i see

of course maj7 and maj9 are pretty much interchangeable (unless otherwise notated in the chord name). really the only thing to watch out for is using the perfect 11 (or 4): this particular scale degree clashes really badly with the leading tone (the 7th of the maj7) because its the tritone of that scale degree. you really dont want a dissonance added to a tone that is ALREADY dissonant.

but the #4 is perfectly alright, in fact maj9#4 chords are really quite common in jazz. here's an example of a Cmaj9#4: x32432 your first finger would come down and barre the F# on the high e string in this case. the F# is now a perfect fifth away from the leading tone rather than a diminished fifth.

and you really dont see the maj13 for the same reason as the maj11. the 13 (or 6) is also dissonant with the leading tone (only a whole step apart), and causes some major clashing with an already dissonant tone. plus the fingerings for maj13 are a little too awkward to accomplish on guitar.

this isn't to say that you will NEVER encounter these chords, but its pretty rare and i dont think you will find much use for them in a compositional context.

[a1075dd63aa12]

Dear Fatjack,

I have a question about what chords might work with Major 9 chords, as far as suspended chords and so on? Is there a general set that work with each different type of chord. I hope this question isnt way to broad.

Signed,
Confused guitarist in Cincinatti

I think that perhaps maj9 chords work well with maj9 chords

I don't really understand what you are asking though. Are you asking what scales work well? extensions? substitutions maybe?

like for instance if i write something with major 9 chords, what other chord forms would work well with it for instance maj13, maj7, etc. or is it all up to preference? Or would i have to stick with just major and minor 9ths in the key the song is in?

i would i like know the other stuff too, if you could explain that, i know the very basics in regards to theory.

ah, you want to know what extensions work well with a maj7 chord, now i see

of course maj7 and maj9 are pretty much interchangeable (unless otherwise notated in the chord name). really the only thing to watch out for is using the perfect 11 (or 4): this particular scale degree clashes really badly with the leading tone (the 7th of the maj7) because its the tritone of that scale degree. you really dont want a dissonance added to a tone that is ALREADY dissonant.

but the #4 is perfectly alright, in fact maj9#4 chords are really quite common in jazz. here's an example of a Cmaj9#4: x32432 your first finger would come down and barre the F# on the high e string in this case. the F# is now a perfect fifth away from the leading tone rather than a diminished fifth.

and you really dont see the maj13 for the same reason as the maj11. the 13 (or 6) is also dissonant with the leading tone (only a whole step apart), and causes some major clashing with an already dissonant tone. plus the fingerings for maj13 are a little too awkward to accomplish on guitar.

this isn't to say that you will NEVER encounter these chords, but its pretty rare and i dont think you will find much use for them in a compositional context.

cool, thats what i was looking for, ill try some of that out, thanks.

[MattyTrane]

Is Fatjack still alive?

[sunglassesatnight]

He got banned a while ago.

[Pizzle]

I wish Sars kept his picture up...one of the funniest DMBtabs moments ever

[Elliottman]

what happened?