Analyzing a Standard - Stella By Starlight - Functional Harmony in Jazz - Jazz Guitar Lesson

Here's a harmonic analysis of the jazz standard Stella By Starlight
Since I was not around last week I didn't have time to make a Q&A video, so here's a little video about analyzing the standard Stella By Starlight. Using Functional Harmony is a great way to really understand the chord progressions in a jazz standard.
I guess Stella is in many ways one of the most mysterious chord progressions among the jazz standards, and yet it is so beautiful that everybody just keeps at it until they can play it :) I know I did it like that at least.
One of the first jazz solos I could play was Ulf Wakenius solo over this on a NHØP album that I since lost.
Check out my Solo guitar rendition of Stella:
• Stella Chord melody im...
If you like the video then please subscribe to stay up to date with new lessons. I publish a new lesson every Thursday!
Facebook: / jenslarsenytlessons
Twitter: / jensljazz
Snapchat: jenslarsenjazz
Instagram: / jenslarsenjazz
Google+: plus.google.co...
Tumblr: / jenslarsenjazz
My Gear:
Sono Core Vintage 13-53 Strings: www.sono-tone.c...
QSC K10 Powered Monitor: amzn.to/2iPKMza
FocusRite Audio Interface: amzn.to/2iPKGrd
Sennheiser HD215 Headphones: amzn.to/2iPKqbQ
Lumix G6 Camera: amzn.to/2hXxBfJ
GuitarPro 6: amzn.to/2iLCZQk

[@JensLarsen]

Jazz Scales! The 3 You Need to practice and How You apply them to Jazz Chords: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHbZc42KeZKZbNU In this video I am using analysis to go over all essential progressions in Jazz

[@andyburns1287]

Jens, your analysis was stellar. by starlight. heh. One request...do more of these! But at the end let us hear you solo over a couple choruses to a backing track so we can hear the analysis put into practice. I think that would be really be helpful, plus we get to hear you play. Thank you for all your hard work!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Andy! I am not sure everybody wants a solo after the analysis, but I do have several solos on Stella on the channel! Here's one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3S0eouBrrusnsk I think there are a few more let me know if you want me to make a playlist 🙂

[@JensLarsen]

Here's a playlist of Stella Videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWPIp3uIiddoqKc

[@andyburns1287]

Fantastic, thanks very much Jens!

[@woelneberg]

@@JensLarsen I think it is a brilliant idea!

[@JensLarsen]

@@woelneberg no, I know from trying that it kills the videos 😁

[@davidfrank5115]

thank you for this. I've been playing Stella by Starlight for 36 years on and off and really needed a refresher course on how it "works". you speak my language.

[@dylanshakib2374]

I wish this style of video was more popular. This is super helpful thank you, Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I have made 4 or 5 of them 🙂

[@kenkingsflyingmachines2382]

Your channel is a gold mine of quality instruction. There are so few intermediate instructors willing to devote the energy to giving this stuff away. Those who can't use it won't profit; those that can use it deserve it. Thank you for the videos!

[@JensLarsen]

+Ken King's Flying Machines You're very welcome Ken! I am glad you find the videos useful ☺️

[@conalh6173]

Happy new year Jens.Thanks for the great video. I appreciate that these videos take precious time to prepare and shoot but personally I would love to see more analyzing videos. l feel that you have already provided such a wealth of knowledge on the nitty gritty of playing over changes etc. etc. that your videos on analysis enables those of us who are so far behind you on the jazz guitar highway to put some of that knowledge to good use. Having said that it doesn't matter what the subject matter your videos will always be well worth watching

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I will keep that in mind. You guys really do seem to like these videos so I should find time to make more along the way.

[@mtgramza]

Great analysis Jens!! This really helps in my quest to simplify progressions to play simply at first and build from there, as I grow comfortable with a song. To understand that [ii-v] of iii is essentially a #IVdim is tremendous in simplifying things; same for knowing a back-door dominant is essentially a iv minor.

[@JensLarsen]

That's really great to hear Michael! It is indeed a question of simplifying things by grouping the chords together by sound and function :)

[@composer7325]

Talking through the analysis is so good.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it Peter!

[@brad724p]

Great lesson, Jens. Helped me greatly in putting together an arrangement (a rudimentary one by your standards) as an exercise to further my understanding of music theory. Much appreciated.

[@JensLarsen]

+brad That's really great that you can put it to use in an arrangement 👍☺️

[@a1m1erola]

Great lesson...step-by-step analysis easy to follow....learning much from each of your lessons...thanks so much

[@JensLarsen]

+Alex Merola You are very welcome Alex! Glad you like it!

[@JonMcLeodMelbourne]

Great insight into the harmonic structure of a really beautiful tune. Thanks, Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

+Milennial Zero You're very welcome!

[@sclogse1]

It descends, it ascends. A perfect structure for waltz time.

[@rickjensen2717]

Great stuff Jens! I always thought of the beginning as the VI of CMaj (i.e. a chord borrowed from the major parallel mode) but played as an altered dominant chord, but there again my mind sometimes works in wierd ways 😀). You do hear the sound from this era ( I used to call it 'dominating the minor' 😁)

[@CharlesK441]

Excellent analysis 👏🏾 👍🏾 Many Thanks

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you liked it!

[@TheMuffindoVideos]

Thank you! I enjoy all of your videos but this was exceptionally useful to me

[@JensLarsen]

+Miguel Rivera You are very welcome Miguel! Glad you found it useful!

[@MrMusicguyma]

Thank you for doing this work on this beautiful standard. It will take me while to absorb it. I'm a singer and folk guiatrist immensing myself in this stuff.

[@JensLarsen]

I am vey glad you like it! It is indeed a mouthful in terms of theory :)

[@TheM088]

Hey Jens - Thank you very much for this! I'm going to pick up this song and throw it into my practice routine. Having the chord theory behind it always, always helps me memorize it. Love your videos; please keep them coming!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much Mark! I am glad you found it useful. If you have any suggestions for topics or things you are looking for the feel free to let me know 👍

[@AlexFarranGuitar]

This is perfect!... have been really digging into this piece recently and your analysis is super helpful and insightful so thank you so much! Would love to see you do the same on Darn That Dream or Days of Wine and Roses Keep up the excellent work!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Alex! I will keep that in mind! Both of those are great songs!

[@composer7325]

This is fantastic.Thank you Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome Dunphy!

[@jeremyhickersonsalem]

Great analysis Jens, and very helpful! I just noticed that the Bb-7 | Eb7 | Fmaj7 of bars 12-13 that you like so much (I do too) functions in same way and is echoing Ebmaj7 | Ab7 | Bbmaj7 of bars 7-9, i.e a IV | bVII | I cadence.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Jeremy! Yes they are both bVII I cadences and beautiful! 😀

[@lencagle3704]

Nice analysis, easy to follow and useful.

[@JensLarsen]

+Len Cagle Thank you Len! Glad you found it useful! ☺️

[@tiffsaver]

My all-time favorite movie song. NICE presentation.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much! 🙂

[@G7flat5]

Excellent breakdown. Thank you very much.

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome mr flat5! 😀

[@corratecxverts01]

I love those videos, please make more! :)

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Filip!

[@kannonniemi]

Thank you! Really needed this :)

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you found it useful and that you found the time to say so! Thanks! 🙂

[@Count1o]

thank you so much for this lesson!!!

[@JensLarsen]

You are very welcome!

[@kingsettle9145]

thank you Jens, great video

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kingsettle9145]

The Real Book changes for ‘My old flame’ use a minor 251 in A-. So I played a Fo over the 25. It sounds great. Is my thinking correct?

[@kingsettle9145]

Oh I see- E7b9 is Fo. Ha ha very good 👍

[@protodosto]

awesome video man!

[@JensLarsen]

Appreciate it!

[@Hexspa]

This sub ii-V is definitely interesting. All I can think of is that the IIImi is half way between a tonic and a dominant; it has the Classical trigger tones of both: T3 and D(5 7) 5 also happens to be an Associate of Tonic. In other words, the first few II-V key centers are III, I, IV. If you take the III as a dominant function then you could say the key centers are basically V, I, IV so it's just descending in perfect fifths, at least functionally.

[@JensLarsen]

Maybe if you understand where the II V is coming from then you don't take long detours in the wrong direction 🙂

[@Hexspa]

@@JensLarsen Are you implying I don't know where it comes from? I didn't see you explain that in the video. the #IVmi VII7 is a II-V7 of III which could also resolve to the I. III is a harmonic synonym for V as well as the relative minor of V. Is there something wrong in my model? I did not see you explain it in this video.

[@JensLarsen]

@@Hexspa Yes, it does indeed seem like you don't understand that II V, and it is explained in the video since it is probably one of the most famous examples of that type of progression. It would be really strange to leave it out. You want to look at what was originally there because that is pretty much always the same, also if you look at other songs with the same thing happening like Alone Together, I Remember You and You Do Something To Me.

[@Hexspa]

@@JensLarsen Ok. I did the transposition and I understand it now. My analysis differs from yours perhaps. You called it "a reharmonization of a #IV diminished" which isn't wrong but it doesn't fit my mental model of harmony. Please let me explain my interpretation. I found the original version. It's the same one you commented on four years ago. The original key is Eb and it's written with 2 chords to the bar. Transposed to Bb, it's two measures of Bbo7 (fully diminished). The original video doesn't say fully diminished but the piano plays a diminished seventh arpeggio. So far we have: Bb:||Bbo7 |Bbo7 | Now, to me, this is a clear Io7. I know that it's enharmonically identical to you calling it #IV but I think it's better to call it with a Io7 because it's a tonic function. It's not a dominant or subdominant function! The melody is Root, M7. That's tonic. Any fourth in the melody or chords indicates something other than tonic. The preceding minor seven flat five is a #IV but I'll get to that next. For now, let's focus on the second bar of Io7. Your standard reharmonization of a fully diminished seventh is to look at it as rooted on the b9 of a dominant chord. In this case, it's A7(b9). This is the primary reharmonization. From there, Miles just put a IImi7(b5) in front of it. This is a simple prolongation of the dominant function of V7/III. It doesn't actually fit with the Io7 directly because the m7 of this subdominant is the M3 of the tonic. So you end up with the second chord-scale of Harmonic Minor: Locrian #6. The whole point is I don't know what to do with a #IV! It's already a derivative. A tonic diminished is a standard function which happens in Classical also. A major mistake a lot of people who do functional analysis make is analyzing the chords and not the melody. The melody is where it's all obvious. This song starts on the tonic and the Io7 is just another version of a tonic. This II-V is nothing but a dominant diminished x7(b9) with a pre-dominant attached in front. That's how it makes sense to me and I'm pretty sure it's a legitimate analysis. Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

@@Hexspa There is a lot of stuff in there. I think you may have functions wrong. the Idim chord is not a tonic function. Listen to how it clearly resolves to a I chord (or a II or a IV chord actually) that means that is isn't tonic. It is also clearly not a dominant so it is subdominant, and indeed #IVdim suspension. in inversion. The fact that the root is the bass note doesn't mean that the chord has a tonic function, it is just like a Bb7 in Bb mostly will be a secondary dominant for IV and not a tonic chord. It is however indeed about harmonizing melody since that dim function is very often used to avoid having the 3rd in the melody on the dominant of the key. The #IV is much more mysterious and interesting. I think you can see that if you look up the other examples I mentioned.

[@ruby_gleyzes]

Awesome, as always.

[@JensLarsen]

+rubebop Thank you! ☺️

[@denreyc]

Hey Jens, great video. Do more like this! Also do you think you could do videos where you talk through the harmony of a tune like this but then include all the common chord substitutions? Or i guess just suggest recordings where those substitutions happen?

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I will try to once in a while. Right now I have so much going on that I can't really take the time to add another type of video to the schedule.

[@catherinehiltz8634]

Thank you for this!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! :)

[@piercealexander]

Hey Jens, thanks so much for this video. This and all of your videos have been really helpful. I did have one question though. It's a little long so it might be more of a q & a type thing.. On the G7 in the bridge, the harmonic minor choice makes sense to me since it's going to cmin. I used to use the whole tone scale on it before I saw this video and realized the natural 5 was in the melody so I should probably go by what's in the melody. But i was just wondering when you would use the whole tone scale? I know a lot of people use it but I have never come across a situation where I thought I should. I know some people use it even in something like a blues.. Is it more of a special effect or are there times when it's absolutely necessary to use it?

[@JensLarsen]

Hi Pierce! That's an excellent idea for a Q&A! I don't think there are standards where you need the whole tone scale though. It is in fact not a tonal scale and they are all tonal music. There are other songs though :)

[@capeheartriz]

working up a cord solo on the tune..I got stuck on the bridge.....that G7-Cm.....what to do with that.....great video, thanks very much Jans.....that major 3rd modulation tip was great!....had to write that one down!

[@rafaelortsespadero4870]

Muchas Gracias !

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@davideichler4302]

I think of it as a B flat tonality all the way through, alternating between the keys of B flat major and minor, with a brief detour into B flat lydian. If you realize that the original first chord was a I diminished chord, then that or the slightly reharmonized version is a leading harmony to the I chord.

[@joeblakeukeman]

Thank you for confirming the way I look at this tune. Yeah, I don't think of this song as A-B-A, but as all one, but that's okay. ...! ... I feel I want to think of II-V's as heading towards either a I-minor or a I-major - meaning a difference in scale notes, here and there, significant but subtle. I know that's merely a preliminary step. By the way, a II-V is called historically an "Italian Sixth", and is all about a "hinge", a turning, which has a human story behind it. Otherwise, the V-chord or dominant would suffice. Witness "Chopsticks", or folk songs with two chords.

[@JensLarsen]

That's fine whatever works for you as a method of analysis.

[@fenderbender1296]

I thought it was ii-V's in harmonic minor.It's a cool and unique tune for sure.

[@JensLarsen]

+fenderbender12 Stella is indeed a great tune to play ☺️

[@Caravaggio44]

Yep...that's how I think of and play many of the Stella sections. Sounds really good.

[@simonband5590]

Hey Jens, thanks for this! How is your book doing? I hope it will bring my theory knowledge to a new point :-) Before a few days i saw a poster of chords you can fit together. I saw there a lot of possibilities of how you can fit chords together. Could you do a Video about that? For example: We start from CMaj7 and see what are possible chords to move on from that? Your channel really takes me to a new point about understanding jazz! Thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! The book is coming along slowly whenever I have a bit of time, but it will get there! I don't think the poster or the idea of building harmony like that is very useful, so I probably won't make a video on that. I think it is more useful to try to use theory to understand the music that we like than using it as a formula to come up with something new.

[@Medivh73]

Thank Jens, very cool lesson. Over time I got a hack of "American" Standards like ones by Gershwin or Porter. But When I incounter some Jobim's tunes I completely lost. I don't know how to aproach it. It seems like it's driven by it's own rules. I realy would love to see analysis of some Bossa Nova's. Thank you again!

[@JensLarsen]

+Medivh73 You are very welcome! I mostly find that Bossanova's use the same rule set as standards? Maybe with a few more modern chords, but the functions stay the same. Which ones do you mean?

[@Medivh73]

Thanks for answer. Take Girl From Ipanema. for example. It got strange bridge with bunch of ii-v's in pretty strange relation. And also all V's are #11 chords.

[@Medivh73]

Thanks for answer. Take Girl From Ipanema. for example. It got strange bridge with bunch of ii-v's in pretty strange relation. And also all V's are #11 chords.

[@JensLarsen]

Medivh73 V chords that are tritone subs or altered are often notated as #11. The Bridge is in fact just a short detour to Gb, Gbm and then via Gm back to F. It isn't cliché but certainly not space cake either :)

[@walkercatenaccio]

The Bernstein analysis in his Master Class video is essentially the same as yours, notably of the beginning, which is the toughest part.

[@JensLarsen]

Great minds think alike? 😂

[@lucas34540]

The diminished chord stuff was very interesting. Anything you can recommend to learn more about the different functions of diminished chords in jazz harmony?

[@JensLarsen]

Thx! I have a lesson on #IV dim and one of the turnaround lessons is about it as well. Maybe start there?

[@lucas34540]

Oh perfect. I searched "diminished" on your channel and found it. Thanks!

[@quincydrones928]

12:00 :So are you like skipping the Ab7 chord and going to Cm-F7 ? Is there a place where you go over your guitar voicings ? I get a little lost trying tofollow your chord shapes

[@JensLarsen]

I don't think I skip any chords? This video is of course not about playing the chords but more about understanding the harmony 🙂

[@amyplayguitar]

Hello ~I want to ask about the five degree of Fmaj7 in 13 bar where is the same situation in My foolish heart?

[@JensLarsen]

That is in bar 15, where so many really books put a Cm7 with an A in the melody 🙂

[@woelneberg]

Thank you Maestro!

[@bechet12]

Jens, there is a version of Stella by Haruhiko Takauchi cd titled Moliendo Cafe (1997). If you get a chance to hear this please give us your take on it. It's a great version.

[@JensLarsen]

+Troy Wheeler Thanks Troy. I will see if I can check it out ☺️

[@haroldskelton3842]

Jens, that augmented chord hangs me up a little . You said C harmonic minor, right? Not sure I get the theory of that, but does seem to work

[@JensLarsen]

It is not augmented, it is a dominant with a b13. There is a 5th in the melody. It is a straight ahead dominant for a minor chord (which is also why it works for your ear :) )

[@fergusbb]

Your videos are great Jens. I'm still having a little trouble understanding the #ivo function in the beginning, particularly how it's being reharmonized. It looks very much like a ii V cadence to the iii that doesn't actually go there, like later in the tune, bar 10. Why wouldn't this be a good way of looking at it? I suppose it's because you know what the original chord was, but if I didn't know that, that's what I would mistake it for.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much Bruce! I understand that, I heard it and played it like that for years too. I actually didn't get Stella for 2 or three years after I had learned it by heart 🙂 I think you get used to the #IV dim and also it is worth noticing that it is very often (in jazz) reharmonized to that cadence to the III (think of I remember you, You Do something to me, Embraceable you, There will never be another you)

[@MoaEdmundsGuevara]

Thanks a lot for this!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@Jaiarrhea]

When I transcribed this song from the flute section of the original version I got These basic changes Ddim, emin, A7, a-,D7, g, g-6 c7, d/a, b-, f#-, f6, e-6, d-6, c#-b5 f#7, b7, e-, gdim, f#-, fdim, c6 b7, e-b5, a7, d. Different key but in relative sense the chords are reaLly different. How come no one plays these chords?

[@JensLarsen]

They are not that different so most of us are in fact playing those changes, except for the reharmonized dim chord in the beginning.

[@bohnulus]

genius!!!! that ab7 is a EbminMaj7!!!!!! awesome......

[@JensLarsen]

IVm rules! :)

[@jackphilipoom8794]

Great video! The part about about resolving to d or f in the third bar is interesting. I have noticed that resolving to eb or g as I normally would doesn't feel quite right. Any reason you chose d and f but not a? Also where is the #4 in alone together? Perhaps I'm playing that tune with a different substitution somewhere

[@JensLarsen]

A is not a strong note on Cm7 in a II V. You can use it but you have to take care. The #IV in Alone Together is usually reharmonized to a Bm7(b5) E7(b9) 🙂

[@SoulGuitarMetal]

How do you know the chord? There are bars with just a single note... How can I determine the chord just looking at the melody in the score?

[@JensLarsen]

+SoulGuitarMetal harmonizing melodies is a skill you can train ☺️ Try to play Eine Kleine Nacht musik and figure the chords for it! It is not that difficult!

[@matsbrun5320]

So the Bbm7 - Eb7- Fmaj7 part is not to be understood as a backdoor cadence resolving to F major? I am slightly confused, would appreciate if you could expand on this, thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Do I say it is something else? Maybe give me a time in the video :)

[@matsbrun5320]

@@JensLarsen Thanks for the reply! Well, at 21:00 you say to use Ab major for Bbm7 - Eb7 which I guess means interpreting these chords as a II - V cadence going to Ab major. But, if interpreting them as backdoor cadence going to F major then Bb melodic minor would be the appropriate scale?

[@JensLarsen]

@@matsbrun5320 Well, even if it is a backdoor cadence you have to follow the changes and there is no Bbm7 in Bb melodic minor. Similar to how you won't play F melodic minor on the first Abmaj7 of Night and Day or F melodic minor on the Fm7 in Lady Bird.

[@matsbrun5320]

@@JensLarsen Ok, I see! Thank you so much :D

[@335gerard]

Merci Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

De rien Gérard!

[@anthonydanh1630]

What is a auxiliary cadence? Is it like a 2 5 progression out of the key?

[@JensLarsen]

It is a II V to a scale degree that is not the tonic.

[@federicobengolea6761]

Great Jens, but the first two bars can’t be II V to Dm?

[@JensLarsen]

They don't behave like a II V in D minor, so it doesn't really describe how it sounds, does it?

[@danielfarmer2006]

Hey Jens I'm currently learning this piece for my final uni exam and I have been shown that the form is ABCD mainly because each 8 bar phrase is different and it doesn't quite resolve to the original A section

[@JensLarsen]

Ok. Analysis is in that respect subjective. Personally I find that just calling it abcd really falls short of describing the difference of the middle 8 bars that I call a bridge

[@dankelly7712]

I think you’re structure statement, while subjective like Jens says, really outlines the piece in a far more logical and understandable, digestible way. The 8th bar clearly sets up the beginning of the next section, the 16th bar clearly sets up the next section at the 17thbar, and the 24th bar is setting up the last section by restating the opening melody. ABCD

[@stefanodalessandro93]

Hey Jens hey hey! :) at 16:49 you mean the synonym is Ab7 with Eb-6, is that correct?

[@JensLarsen]

I mean that Ab7 is functioning as a minor subdominant, so essentially it could be Eb Ebm Bb

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

If you look at F7 Fm7 is the same when we substitute Gm76-C7b9 in stead of Em7b511-A7 or we could see the 3rd bar also as an illusury I namely a VI as cm7 F7 point to Bbmaj and this is a nice thing the same in it could happen to you 4th bar going to 5 as D7 going to Ebmaj7...

[@JensLarsen]

You are right that both Em7b5 A7b9 in Stella and the Am7b5 D7b9 in Stella are the same, namely a reharmonized #IV dim.The Gm7 C7b9 sub doesn't really make too much sense though. C7 is well defined as the V of V but does not have a b9, and if the cadence should make sense it would be a Gm7b5. There is a reason that the #IV is always reharmonized with the same II V 🙂

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Okay that I don't get the b9 in C7 you A7#9 is still in the key of Bb? C7b9 as passing? I mean jsut the Triad of C on a A7 makes that we could look from a different angle also very interesting is that actually the composer plays with VII7 -I and #VII-I as said, Truck slusch or illusory dominant, just after writing you, also o found out that if you play Bb/C and Fm7/Eb and Bb7/Eb and Eb and Ab7/Eb than listen to what the melodie does it is jsut a imitation one bar later of the chords real interesting...[please check that out as well...!!! I see that your knowledge is deeper than mine i have to admit that...

[@JensLarsen]

The Em7b5 A7 is not from the composer it is a jazz reharmonization. The original is Edim/Bb for two bars. Try to listen to an A7 with a C major upper-structure then maybe you can hear why we don't use that so much and what scale it usually implies. I think you are letting the fact that it is possible overrule whether it actually will work for the song. Lot's of stuff is possible. Try playing Dmaj7 in bar 1 and Gm7 or even C#dim in bar 2, that's possible too 😀

[@piracycan]

Hi.. is there a link for the chord chart for this song .. similar to the one you displayed?

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Ernie! It's just a copy out of the old realbook, you can probably google your way to it if you google stella by starlight and switch to image?

[@karkil8414]

Brillant thanks

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@fabricirillo]

about the first 3 measures: Cmin7 (with the F in the melody) has a lot in common with the Dmin7 (if we play the Dmin7 and the Cmin with the F on top they sound so similar). So my observation is: can the Emin7/5b and A7 the "tonicization" of the estended chord of Cmin7 (II degree of Bb major)?

[@JensLarsen]

Maybe you should test that statement of Cm7= Dm7 with your ears and not your eyes: If you substitute all the Dm chords in Beautiful love with a Cm7 (especially the ones with F in the melody) does that then work because they are very similar? Or maybe try Alone together?

[@solkingston6575]

By auxiliary cadence... the one's in the brackets. As an example. is that saying that's it's a 2 5, yet isn't the second and fifth of the key? Hope that question made sense.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes a secondary cadence is a cadence that is not the main cadence in the key :)

[@bezziano57]

Hi Jens. Me again ha. I'm doing a marathon jazz practice. The first 2 bars. Em7b5 / A7b9 / ... How can the Em7b5 be a reharmonisation of a #4 chord?? Em7b5 has a b7, not a bb7 as it would have if it was a diminshed chord. Unless i'm missing something. Thanks. Matthew Berry.

[@JensLarsen]

The Eø chord is a suspension of the A7(b9). The entire II V cadence is a reharmonization not just the Eø. Also: If it was an Edim it wouldn't be a reharmonization, it would just be the #IV. Does that help?

[@bezziano57]

Hi Jens. What do you mean by suspension? Could you explain what reharmonization is? Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

A suspension is really delaying some notes in a chord. In a II V like this the II chord is suspending the V. In fact the II Chord works like a Vsus4. Reharmonization is just changing the chords under a melody. In Jazz it is often used to make the progression sound more surprising, but that is not always necessary

[@bezziano57]

Thanks for prompt reply. Ah I think I see. The notes from Em7b5 = E G Bb D .. These are exactly the same as A7b9 minus the C#. D replacing the C# therefore making it a sus chord in some respects?

[@JensLarsen]

Yes exactly!

[@nicolasignaciodiazcastro2036]

awesome video! would be cool if you try to explain Reflections by Thelonious thanks a lot for these lessons Lars :)

[@JensLarsen]

+Nicolás Ignacio Díaz Castro Thank you Nicolas! Maybe I will get to that some time. It's a nice song

[@dylanthomas1636]

helpful vid thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! :)

[@MrJonahWhaler]

thank you... you know I treat Ana form as an considering the bridge to be the beginning of the b section and repeat of the opening sentence is conclusion of it. so to me it's two sections which contain some repeated material.

[@JensLarsen]

Sure! It isn't clearly any specific form so how you hear it is up to you :)

[@omcho89]

Amazing lesson! Thank you so much for all your work, really appreciate all of it. This stuff about #4 diminished is amazing. I have one question though. I figured out, through your lessons and stuff, that for #4 diminished case, we can use harmonic minor from third degree of scale, in this case itd D minor harmonic. Also, regarding 4 minor chord, we can use melodic minor from 4 degree, in this case it would be d# melodic minor. My point is this: through exploring gypsy jazz, and or example, jazz standard, All of me, some backing tracks have, on that final part starting with F Fm C (it is originaly in C), have F F#dim7 C. If we look at it, it looks like, on same place, one harmony plays 4 minor chord, and other #4 diminished chord. Does that mean that for one situation, we use one solution (i mentioned earlier), and for the other, the other solution? Or maybe we can use switch both solutions to both harmonies (which does not correspont exactly with tones of chords, when 1. harmony, 2. solution or reverse is used)? Is there some correlation between these 2, the 4 minor and #4 diminished chord, your lessons described them as 2 things, but can they be opserved as related, in sense that one can replace the other? Or maybe in All of me it is done only because its medium tempo track, and length of this part is not that big, so changing from 4 minor to #4 diminished doesn't make any difference? Hope I was understandable, but this really bugs me, I had to ask...

[@omcho89]

Also, I must mention, there are not a lot of examples where backing track suggests #4 diminished chord on that place, but when i play it, it sound so nice :).

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Omar! You can harmonize that place in All Of Me with both IVm and #IV. Both will the melody. However once you have chosen one then stick with that. Soloing over F#dim while the band plays Fm6 or the other way around doesn't make too much sense. Music is quite logical and simple in that respect. Does that help?

[@omcho89]

Of course it does! Thank you for explaining! Both harmony options sound great, but i thought that is was kind of a substitution thing, so i can look at it as same, and that you can play some kind of same scale over both of those, but looks like I'm wrong big time. Still managing to make 4 minor/#4 diminished improvization/soloing sound appropriate, so I couldn't actually tell what does sound good over these parts, and what doesn't, still fighting with them i guess :). Thanks again, great lesson learned here!

[@GabrielEspinal]

Its in spanish, but you can understand the charts anyways, I recommend watching PEDRO BELLORAS version, it like it quite a lot!

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Okay but when the Edim/Bb over two bars is followed by this cm7 F7 you could in Funtion look at it as a Bbdim resolving in to Bb(just the II-V7 seen as a Tonic... still I see the game with this #VII I when you analyse the dim back to a dominant as everybody does...compare it to I could happen to you this song does go a bit further I take it but realy interesting things happening!!! I look to your other video about dominants and still I could learn a lot from you...

[@JensLarsen]

+eternal rainbow II V is anything but tonic? That doesn't make any sense. You can see it as dominant or subdominant but not tonic. You are thinking but not listening...

[@sergiilomako6131]

about the last part of the sequence (||o V7) i think its more like Bb harmonic major already because of Gb in that

[@JensLarsen]

That's possible too certainly, I tend to hear IIø really coming from a minor key, but that is of course also partly a habit,

[@sergiilomako6131]

But also you can say that Ab7 coming from Bb pure minor cuz its already dominant in that case =) It is little bit confusing wich way is a right one.

[@jakubmaliszewski1965]

3:57 Ab is what dominant? I didn't hear what u said. Why isn't it diminished?

[@JensLarsen]

Backdoor dominant, it's a IVm chord in Bb major

[@jakubmaliszewski1965]

Wow. Thanks for such a fast response :) I will read about it. Love your video.

[@JensLarsen]

I have (a really old) video on the topic here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5S7h4uEat-nd9k

[@jakubmaliszewski1965]

I'm checking it out right now thanks :)

[@Shuzies]

Nice...I like seeing it the way you see it.....................................Thank You....rc

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! I am also quite happy with how this turned out 🙂

[@jeremygabriel139]

I call the movement of the Bb-7 Eb7 resolving to the Fmaj7 a "back door 2-5". Does anyone call it something else? Also, the same cadence is played in bars 3-5 of Just Friends.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, it is. The back door dominant is the one found on bVII. As is clear in Just Friends it is in fact a "jazz version" of IV IVm I.

[@codycopland4866]

Jens Larsen it also happens in Yardbird Suite, if I'm not mistaken.

[@JensLarsen]

Cody Copland Yes, it is a very common progression. In fact it is found in most standards

[@juliendrouot128]

I was about to ask you about this! could we consider ebmaj7- ab7 going to Bbmaj7 the same way? Thank you so much for your work Jens

[@JensLarsen]

Thx Julien! Yes that is certainly IV IVm I, where the Ab7 is a IVm chord (try subbing it with an Ebm6 chord)

[@SoCalUSN]

Nice but I prefer the Chet Baker version in A major -it's a trumpet player thing I guess--ty for the vid and info

[@JensLarsen]

Actually the original key is G (or your A), but a trumpet player called Miles Davis transposed it to Bb 🙂

[@modyawny8155]

Can we consider in 1st two bars as ¡¡ - v insted of #¡v

[@JensLarsen]

It is a II V, but it is a reharmonized #IV

[@peterfoust4671]

the bflat-7 in bar 12 if it is borrowed from melodic minor should it be a minor with natural 7?

[@JensLarsen]

It isn't borrowed strictly from melodic minor. It's a jazzified version of a Bbm6 where it's turned into a Bbm7 Eb7. Similar to bar3 and 4 in Lady bird.

[@peterfoust4671]

thank you i learn something everyday from you !!!!

[@JensLarsen]

You're welcome!

[@serranojavier99]

What are auxiliary cadences?

[@JensLarsen]

Auxiliary or Secondary cadences are secondary dominants turned into II V's. So if you have a song in C and there's a D7 going to G7 it might be turned into an Am7 D7 progression. Does that make sense?

[@vincej151]

Difficult lesson for me, but Google is my friend - please advise, is a secondary cadence the same as a "plagal cadence" ? I found a Google on this.

[@goldenrhinogrey]

No. A Plagal Cadence is *specifically* a IV to V. Here's another way of explaining auxiliary cadences: You know how a ii-V moves to I (what we would call the "tonic")? An auxiliary cadence is simply a progression that *looks like a ii-V*, but in fact leads us to another chord in our key. Say your song is in C. If you're going to F (your IV chord) you could play its' own ii-V (Fm, C7). It doesn't mean F Major is your new key center, just that you took a diversion to get there. Going to Dm, the ii chord? You could play its' own ii-V in front of it (Em7b5, A7b9). Think of auxiliary cadences as short ii-V progressions that are brief diversions from the main chords we're going to.

[@MrUrech]

@@goldenrhinogrey i thought plagal was 4 to 1. Church style when they sing amen at the end of a song

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

and last but not Least a solo of keith Jarreth real y plays Bbmajeur over Cminor!! and that sounds really interestingly simple but very beatiful, because of it sounds un expected at that moment...

[@JensLarsen]

+eternal rainbow which is mostly the point of a reharmonization...

[@larrylewicki4053]

On bars 13-16 I stole this cadence from Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter playing live with Miles - | Fmaj7 | E7alt | Ebmaj7#11 | D7alt | --- I like the logic of that - so scale wise it's F major - F melodic minor - Bb major - Eb melodic minor --- kind of logical - almost like a blues

[@JensLarsen]

Nice! That is indeed close to the older Miles version which is Fmaj7 Eø Ebmaj7 D7 if I remember correctly :)

[@akshitsrivastava6418]

Thanks

[@JensLarsen]

+Akshit Srivastava You're very welcome ☺️

[@akshitsrivastava6418]

My pleasure

[@charleslehmann1]

Do you mean ABA or AABA?

[@JensLarsen]

It isn't really either, but to me it feels more like an AABA than an ABA, purely based on the length of the different form parts.

[@buddyfaya8631]

Great analysis.. I feel bad because I don’t particularly like the song. 😞. I understand it’s value though

[@MrDSchaller]

How i casn pay this instruction???

[@ouvi]

gracias

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! 🙂

[@siglo2155]

dominantes primarios secundarios gran leccion

[@JensLarsen]

+siglo 21 Gracias Siglo!

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

In my opinion a bridge would have been introduced by a cadence of the last key and in this case it isn't like in for instance the man with a thousand eyes...or all the things...I see it as the op sight down +5 theme instead of the b5 vife on the Em7b5...so more deeper going improvising at his own theme...if the composer wanted to explore something real interesting...

[@JensLarsen]

+eternal rainbow since the Em7b5 wasn't really there when the piece was written that doesn't make too much sense. Probably the best way to understand that it is a bridge is to listen to the change of pace and phrase length in the melody, plus the higher range.

[@ralzmathias280]

i thought E to B would be a 2 -5 ?

[@JensLarsen]

E to B is a 1 5: E F# G# A B 🙂

[@sclogse1]

You bang up against Stella enough, it comes to you that the original idea for Stella was in 3/4 time. Which you can go in and out of. Play it it your head with brushes as backup.

[@JensLarsen]

You can certainly play it in 3/4, but it was originally in 4 🙂

[@WashingtonJohnson]

lt's a bridge to me to Jens. lt breaks up the melody before it returns to the fine. And rinse and repeat. l like the fact that you can introduce different chord shapes to the song. Or any jazz standard. But l am always looking for the simple basic first, then expand from there. At least that way l can try to understand the harmony. l don't want to analyze too much. Then all of a sudden the fun goes away. l like to keep my harmony happy. Then l get it.

[@JensLarsen]

That's sounds like an ok approach, though if you understand the harmony then you have already analyzed or don't need to. But maybe that's just semantics

[@knotgood9077]

TY #UDiDGüD. You were Stellar (See what I did there?)

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks 😁

[@tarconcontar]

неверное обозначение ступеней!

[@bezuglich]

E min 7b5 - A7b9 to me is G minor

[@bezuglich]

Also C harm minor over a G+7 = money in the bank!

[@JensLarsen]

So Eø A7 resolves to Gm? 🙂

[@quincydrones928]

Im completely lost by 14:30 😢

[@radishmonster419]

ACBA

[@katiefrisk980]

ABCA*?

[@elkalabaw7665]

when I begin this in a it ends in g. heh heh.

[@JensLarsen]

Ok! Is that a good thing? 😄

[@elkalabaw7665]

Jens Larsen no sir, i simply could not get the proper melody.

[@markjacksonturner6462]

Your analysis is incomplete when describing the chords because you are not including the melody notes in the chord descriptions. Further, you are not stating which notes are omitted in the chord structures.

[@JensLarsen]

Can you give me an example of a chord in this song that would be analyzed differently if I had included the melody note as an extension in the chord symbol?

[@Brenda-jf2pe]

E

[@JensLarsen]

A?

[@kajgenell]

Instinctically I don´t think this tune is logical.