Accent - Reharmonization Technique for 6 Voices (technique developed by Cedric Dent, Ph.D.)

This is admittedly an old video...but we realized after all these years, it had only ever been posted to Facebook!
Full credit for developing this technique goes to Cedric Dent, Ph.D., Professor of Music at Middle Tennessee State University and founding member of TAKE 6. We are merely applying the technique he developed here! It is meant to provide an exercise and process for reharmonizing simple passages into a more "thick" sound-so we don't mean to convey that you would necessarily arrange an entire piece like this. There are many approaches to reharmonization and this is only one. But it takes you through many of the available reharmonization possibilities and through practice, mixing and matching, you can have this process as another tool in your kit!
Bonus points go to anyone who can find the mistake and post it in the comments. And feel free to post your own versions and tag us!

[@minecraftninja6407]

I love how casual the B1 and c2’s are that bass. Like dang!

[@talkIIme]

Awesome "thick" chord! Thanks Dr.Cedric! Thanks Accent!

[@hieeljocoman2367]

I often watched this video on facebook😋 I'm glad to post it !

[@uededrac]

Brilliant! Good work!

[@jarkkoriihimäkimusic]

This is pure gold, thank you so much!

[@milkgrapes6420]

Accent: the best jazz vocal group today

[@RobertWrightOneManCovers]

Not while Take 6 still performs. Accent will gladly tell you that.

[@AndrewKesler]

@@RobertWrightOneManCovers yup, that's exactly what we'd say!

[@aimasamama4315]

It was very interesting to see how the simple harmonies gradually changed and became more complex. Please let me hear your new song again someday. looking forward to it. How Accent creates wonderful harmonies

[@lerpracrer]

The first to like this. Great video! Great arrangements! Thanks!🎉😊

[@MrJdsenior]

Very cool to see. I can see how you might also take some of the very nice intermediate compilations to 'change it up', as well, for different stanzas, etc. And yes, it was excellently Take 6 ish. Finally...as to your challenge: DO it? I don't even think I could SING it. :-)

[@ikedajennifer9807]

I've never heard "half-step below" dominant chords. Is this similar to passing diminish or the first inversion of dominant 7th? I'd like to know what kind of techinics or theory there is...... Anyway, thanks very much for sharing :)

[@AccentVocal]

It’s just a (somewhat unofficial) way of describing a dominant chord that approaches from a half step below. In the case of the last chord of bar 1, for example, it’s a B9 going to a Cmi9.

[@DavidWiley]

Are these techniques written up anywhere? I mean, is there a book or some lecture notes? Or did you reverse engineer this set of reharmonization techniques by listening to things he arranged? Thanks very much for sharing!

[@AccentVocal]

Not sure if it’s written anywhere, but in our case, Evan learned it directly from Dr. Dent in private lessons.

[@cedricdent5918]

Evan learned this when he took arranging lessons with me for a semester. Needless to say, he comprehended and absorbed it better than any other student I’ve had. I rarely get through all the steps in a semester. You gotta want it! 💯

[@esanders]

@@cedricdent5918​​⁠High praise! This was so long ago that I need to do a new version!

[@AndrewKesler]

@@esanders or a full version!