Why You Want To Think in Functional Harmony

[@anthonydemitre9392]

That is how I learned harmony in 78. it's always good to be reminded because it gives you so many directions to take the music, Thanks, Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Great! I had the impression they did not teach like that so early :)

[@anthonydemitre9392]

@@JensLarsen Yes it was early but my teacher just finished 3 years at Berkley college in Boston, so I was lucky at that time

[@omarhamouda9512]

This is absolutely life changing; chord changes I previously had to think so hard about are so much easier Thank you so much

[@JensLarsen]

So glad to hear that! 🙂

[@omarhamouda9512]

@@JensLarsen Just a Quick question tho, can MinMaj7 function tonic chords as well as subdominant minor chords? Eg the sequence is F#min7b5, B7, EminMaj7, Amin7. How would you think of this EminMaj7 when improvising? Thank you tons again

[@JensLarsen]

@@omarhamouda9512 Yes, the type of chord doesn't say too much about the function. A minor chord can be tonic or subdominant, a dim chord can be subdominant or dominant.

[@JensLarsen]

@@omarhamouda9512 And in that progression you have II V I IV in E minor

[@omarhamouda9512]

@@JensLarsen Okay yep that clears things up, thank you:) You should defo consider making a similiar video about condensing progressions with functional analysis, but in minor keys; could be super helpfull

[@rickneibauer1]

Btw... You are completely opened my mind to theory. I had no idea how amazing theoretic knowledge could be. I have a life time of stuff here. Thank you so much again from Milwaukee, WI, USA

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear it!

[@PaulTillery]

You continue to amaze me with the clarity and importance of your content. Not just telling someone to use Dorian over a min7 chord. But how we think as jazz musicians. I share your videos with my own students to reinforce what I’ve been teaching. Your approach is great, and helps out my more advanced students. Thank you

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much, Paul! That really makes my day to hear 🙂

[@Hooli31]

you are right, telling "play dorian on m7" it s like giving a fish to someone instead of teaching him how to fish, and i have lost so much time in complex concept while in reality it comes to very easy and simple concept to understand. Jens gives the way to see the broader picture instead of the small window

[@verandi3882]

more jewelry ads on this channel again ..., oh right it is because the lessons are GOLD , that was very useful thank you very much

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Thanks, Omar!

[@frankvaleron]

Really helpful lesson, glad you linked to it today

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful, Frank!

[@carlotapuig]

Wow, this video was fantastic. I'm not into jazz and when I read/played some jazz progressions, I saw so many chords and some looked so strange that it was very difficult to memorize or change chords quickly. It took me very long to intuitively understand some things (some I never really understood) that this video easily explains in 5 minutes. Basically, with a list of which chords can play which functions you can start trying jazz things pretty much straight away. I wished I had this info before:)

[@JensLarsen]

Really glad you like it! :)

[@aleksandralaurens8739]

I've been trying to understand some Beatles songs and their odd harmonies and this video came right in time. Thank you so much for all this great content! ♥

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! :)

[@aleksandralaurens8739]

I loved it!

[@overtonesnteatime198]

This one opened my eyes big time. Major thanks Jens. Honestly I struggle big in order to progress and you’re one of the very few people who can teach me on the spot. I couldn’t possibly thank you enough, music is my life and your helping me live it! 🎸 🎶

[@nicolasbilbao9162]

hey mate you are my super hero....!!! love your class....I am learning a lot ....thanks for ever

[@JensLarsen]

Great that you can put it to use 🙂

[@dhruvalance1323]

Jens, thanks again. I do think in functional harmony, what has happened in my personal process is that I started as a "pentatonic" "free mayor scale/natural minor player" playing over changes. Then I realized I was not skillful in describing harmony with single note soloing. Then I started playing more arpegios with emphasis on 3d's and 7th's and started to understand harmony description, this meant thinking through every chord. Then I did not wanted to be too literal in what's going on, so I started to think more on tonalities that hold entire chords progressions and trust my ear, and now my ear create very free lines that actually describe harmony too but in a more interested way. As today, I am in the process of learning to organize my vocabulary in terms of diatonic/ outside/ angular/ tertian / very chromatic/ slightly chromatic/ etc...

[@JensLarsen]

Sounds like you are on the right track :)

[@vincentseverino469]

I love these videos I'm late to the party but he's the best. Absolute beast. And seems hella nice too

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! :)

[@vincentseverino469]

Thank you!

[@jeffteza682]

Excellent video Jens. I understood many substitutions and chord functions but you connected the dots for me with this video. The examples doing chordal substitutions and common lines over different progressions brought it home to my ears. Thankyou.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you find it useful, Jeff!

[@brunoblivious]

I love your videos. This is right at the perfect level for me. I understand everything you're saying, but it's still just beyond where I am. Gives me lots to think about. Thanks! Looking forward to more vids.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you find it useful 👍🙂

[@johnmcminn9455]

one of my favorite things is the vii half diminished is actually Dominant but it can also be substituted for Subdominant if you think of it like a Dorian blues scale

[@lionPGF]

Thank you Jens! Another great lesson and such an easy way to talk about this huge jazz theory chapter !

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dragmio]

Wow, Jens, this is pure gold! It's as if you're giving us the best kept secrets. You'll make jazz guitarists of us all! ;)

[@andrewrwhitfield]

Awesome video! Thanks Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome, Andrew 🙂

[@jrbr549]

Usually I can follow right along with you. This is a video that's going to take me some time to digest. Good stuff.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! You can always ask if something is unclear 🙂

[@jrbr549]

@@JensLarsen : Why are Em7 and Am7 considered tonic? Is it because the A and the E are a 3rd above the tonic or because Em7 is Cma9 no root while Am7 is Cmaj6?

[@JensLarsen]

@@jrbr549 That too, but it is not only about the notes in the chord, it is also about how the chord sounds in the key. Only looking at the notes is a little like going back to chord/scale stuff where the surrounding music doesn't matter

[@JensLarsen]

What is your approach to analyzing music and does it tie into how you hear music? The 5 Chord Progressions You Need To Know For Jazz: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYiqaZdneZWEj5o

[@vhollund]

I think turnaround combinations all the time when i play something with functional harmony What is interesting is that your approach is to simplify and cook down the turnaround In fast "rhythm" changes, it becomes handy unless one is 100% monster bebob player I've spend alot of time finding voicings and approaches to 6 2 5 1 and avoiding playing bebob lines I'd be interested in seeing a video were you explore simplifying bebob /rythme changes into more etherique melodic improvisation and develop an interesting solo over longer periods of time And also in that context how you train periodic sense in a cooking band

[@JensLarsen]

@@vhollund Ok. I am not sure I understand why you would play a piece like rhythm changes not to play bebop? Then I would just pick another piece. That's a bit like trying not to play blues on a 12 bar blues to me?

[@rogerjeune9034]

Hello. How can I purchase your book called jazz with DVD?

[@JensLarsen]

@@rogerjeune9034 I have a book for sale on my website, link in the description of this video. I don't have any DVD's out

[@damonshanabarger2604]

This video is very informative. I think this is one of the two best videos you've produced. The other one is Only Three Jazz Scales. You've given me much to think about. Thank you Jens Larsen.

[@xxzeroxxaxxmxx]

Thinking functionally about how the progression moves is fundamental in improvisation. In the same way, understand how the diatonic chords relate to their inverse (negative), especially in the case of minor subdominants, tritonal substitutes and backdoor resolution, as seen in IImin7 - IVmin6 - IMaj7, in which IVmin6 is just another V7, sharing its same function. Great video Jens ;)

[@JensLarsen]

Exactly! :) Glad you like the video!

[@stevebadachmusic]

I like that you have some jazz going on in the background while you're talking. even on a jazz channel, the music is still relegated to wallpaper! haha.

[@JensLarsen]

At least it is homemade 😂

[@TJKarlson]

This video may have just changed my life.

[@JensLarsen]

For the better, I hope?

[@TJKarlson]

@@JensLarsen Ha! Yeah, this video just made my life a lot better. I've been working my way through a couple of jazz harmony books and books on navigating ii V I progressions and was getting bogged down in the individual chords, so this bit of wisdom has simplified things greatly.

[@JensLarsen]

That's really great to hear :) Playing changes is an important skill, but playing music is more important!

[@SeanWilsonPiano]

agree!!!

[@tareknebri1995]

Exellent lesson ! i think that's how joe pass was also thinking when improvising, only he wasn't thinking in term of subdominant chords as they were part of the dominant chords in his approach i think

[@JensLarsen]

You certainly tell that he does that sometimes! Good observation 👍

[@davidraksin9694]

The four years of learning jazz piano, your video helped me truly understand how to think of functional harmony. I definitely think this subject is overlooked by A LOT of jazz piano teachers/youtubers. You don't know how grateful to you because I could not articulate how I didn't understand functional harmony so I would get the basic bread and butter answers online. I guess a problem in learning jazz is interpreting it in such a way the person on the receiving end will understand it. Although from what I've learned, I think jazz is something you HAVE to self teach but also have another jazz brain (that's ahead of you) stray you the "right" direction. Thanks for this video!

[@BillCookMusic]

What interests me are the IVm substitutions. I suppose the A - Ab - G voice leading is what the alternative progressions have in common. I wasn't aware that IV - IVm was common in jazz, though I recognize it in other genres; e.g. Every Breath You Take, Pretty Good at Drinking Beer. You could get lost down a rabbit hole, trying to recognize Dm7 - Dbmaj7 - Cmaj7 as a IV - IVm progression. The line - Ab G F G Ab Bb G F - avoids C or D anything, so I suppose other substitutions like D7, Do7, or Db7 are possible.

[@Gusrikh1]

Very well explained and presented.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you :)

[@zacharyfox248]

This was very helpful in explaining the application of functional harmony. I believe I've watched the 12 Tone video in the past (dude is awesome), but I kinda sat on the information. This has really helped fill in the gaps and shown the possibilities of its application. Thanks again!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome Zach. I am glad you like the video

[@bradfordmasters197]

you're a great teacher, thank you so much

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear that you find the videos useful 🙂

[@whiskyngeets]

Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony is a good read (although sometimes needlessly verbose and philosophical) - in particular the bits about dealing with Minor tonalities and how the 6th and 7th scale degrees should be altered depending on their ascending or descending movement and ultimate functional goal. I found this more functional and fluid way of thinking helpful in jazz, where I agree that the prevailing idea of a static chord scale method can leave out the nuance of context. It matters where you came from and where you're heading! Thanks for the vids Jens. Cheers from Atlanta.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it :)

[@paulsav40]

jens great video but please drop that irritating guitar soloing in the background when you speak!!! why oh why does everyone feel the need to do this these days??????????????????????????????

[@Djangoat68]

Great video - please continue to dive into more details of jazz harmony

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Ray! I already have a lot of videos on theory, so just have a look around :)

[@jjpetrie3254]

Yes Jens, I totally agree with this method of thinking! I've found you can do the same with understanding lines in transcription or playing what you can hear. Instead of thinking about the individual notes you can think about: Where the line starts (maybe on the 9 or 7th or 3rd etc). Is it an ascending/ descending phrase. Is it an Arp, scale, pentatonic or chromatic approach/ enclosure? (These are the most common but sometimes it might be something really rhythmic sticking around only a couple of notes. Obviously a phrase is usually a combination of multiple). Finally, where does it resolve to/ end? If you think about this generally rather than getting caught in the details it's really useful for transcription and playing the lines you really hear! Thanks again, great lesson

[@ajadrew]

I was aware of diatonic substitutions but often wondered why some of my lines sounded better than others. Thanks for giving me another piece of the jigsaw..;-))

[@JensLarsen]

Great to hear, Andrew :)

[@ajadrew]

@@JensLarsen I've played countless 'better lines' this morning Jens & I'm smiling big time!! Thank you...;-))

[@trombonemunroe]

Just to restore key agnosticity to the conversation, I just want to clarify that at 3:28 when we speak of Minor Subdominant variants, we're talking about ivm7, ivm6, ivmMaj7 bVII7 (backdoor dominant) iiø, bVIMaj7, bIImaj7 Left here for those who find it helpful ;)

[@aykutsahin939]

Wow! Brilliant instruction! Functional harmony is a real breakthrough. I have read many people who criticized Chord-Scale Theory but then most fell short of offering another operational structure instead. Functional harmony fills the gap exactly. The next logical step came in the end; hearing functions! Would it be possible to coin a feeling or mood to functions like; question or ambiguity for subdominant chords - reasoning or argument for dominant chords - resolution, affirmation or consolation for the tonic chords? Because hearing the chord function would eliminate guesswork and enable the player to play in real time! Cheers...

[@trombonemunroe]

12:50 "Up until the late 80s, I think people were mostly not using functional harmony to analyze jazz standards." Sorry, but I must disagree: I was learning about functional jazz harmony in college back in 1978 (this is in Canada), and this material was derived from the Berklee courses a few years prior. Great series, BTW.

[@ristics4690]

Super helpful yet again, long live jens Larsen!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you 🙂

[@jonathanavery7583]

Wow this is a great lesson and has straightened a few things out for me. Fairly familiar with these concepts except the idea of boiling a progression down to these three elements, and on top of that, the flexibility this approach offers, and indeed reducing the mental load. Thanks again for sharing Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful 🙂

[@iainctduncan]

I'd love to hear you do a lesson of this kind of thing on some Jobim tunes with his tricky ambiguous harmony!

[@JensLarsen]

Actually they are not that different from standards? Maybe a little wilder but very tonal. I guess the only real exception is The bridge of GFI?

[@aaronocelot]

Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

You're welcome!

[@jevanstastic]

One of the most enlightening, pragmatic, and helpful jazz harmony videos I've ever seen!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much! :)

[@weenote]

The music in the background is somewhat distracting at this volume. In editing, you could bring the volume up to transition between edits. Remember, for us punters, you are asking for a great deal of concentration to understand this material. The lines in the background compete with this concentration. When you are playing examples, the music goes away. Why? Because you need to hear the example. Your words are nearly as important me. When the video shows you playing the lines, it's less distracting for some reason. Thanks for the instruction!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Adam! In this video it is mostly around 3:00 right? There is one place where I messed it up I think :)

[@weenote]

@@JensLarsen yes, it is quite noticeable there. at 4:15 the music comes up again while you are talking. Sure, it's not material there, but then at 445 you are introducing more content and I'm listening to the playing.

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Adam! That is super helpful. I think the music is really ok, but it should indeed just be softer, getting feedback like this is really valuable.

[@weenote]

@@JensLarsen You're welcome. As I've already subscribed to your Patreon channel, it's the least I can do.

[@prince-xw3ip]

Jens I think it's perfect the background music be super weird without it thanks for the lesson I'm new to jazz learn the A train and a few standards I'm really thinking of getting your masterclass tomorow been following you here I think I need to get in bed with the theory a lot more from watchin these

[@manumanu10]

Wow! amazing advice!

[@vincej151]

I was lost by the time we got to "changing subdominant". So I watched the building blocks video. Came back, and was still lost. There is just to much to think about.

[@patriciodasilva7902]

Many beginners have trouble with a lot of this because they haven't mastered the intervals intellectually first. For example in the key of G what is the fourth in the key of C what is the seventh and A flat what is the six until all the intervals of all keys are covered. You have to master the intervals until they become second nature.

[@JensLarsen]

True,you have to know your scales 👍

[@goodsport168m]

This video REALLY helped me connect a lot of dots that I've been struggling to connect for almost a decade. I feel like I've been unable to connect jazz chord progressions into the fundamentals of music theory which has basically paralyzed my ability to create any new sounding chord progressions. As a result I've basically written 0 jazz music even though I've wanted to and even took a jazz theory course in college that didn't do me much good in my honest opinion. Really excited to take this to the piano.

[@Zenzodiene]

Always like your harmony videos the best Jens! Awesome video! May I do a lesson request? Could you please look into doing a harmonic analysis of Darn that dream and/or Round midnight? I find it quite hard to fit their chord progressions into the 'functional harmony model'. Thanks alot!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! They are both quite tonal though, and probably it makes more sense to use more famous pieces if I do videos :) (of course this just means you need to get better at analyzing yourself, which is not that horrible..)

[@Zenzodiene]

@@JensLarsen Hahaha telling it directly as it is :p. And I understand, gotta be realistic and efficient when it comes to the KZbin Algorithms. If I do my own analysis of these two songs and then become a Patreon could you comment/critique my analysis or does that take too much time (which I understand!)?

[@JensLarsen]

@@Zenzodiene It's not really about the algorithm it is more about people :D But if you want to do that via Patreon then I would, of course, help you out!

[@MichelleHell]

I've always tried to boil it down to key changes within the song, but the functions like dominant and sub-dominant seems to be more specific. I've also seen what you say first hand when studying standards myself, as I notice some chords are like inversions of another chord with an added note so it effectively sounds the same. This is the part of theory I've struggled with because there are rules and then exceptions to the rule, and alterations to the rule, and it's more like painting with a canvas. I was literally working with Dm and Fmaj last night when I realized they were almost the same chord. Then I started getting really confused as to how I should even name chords to begin with if its all so blurry. What I need is to be able to identify function by sound, and from there recall what notes make up that function, and from there choose which voicing of that function I desire. I need to learn functions!

[@richardrosemusic]

Jens I like your succinct description of functional harmony in this context. Do you recommend any textbooks on this subject?

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much Richard! I actually never learned this from a book, so I don't have any recommendations that I know personally.

[@jimmyc5498]

You hit some great concepts. For me, anything jazz, rock, country always can break down to tonic, sub, dominant. A good way to “dial back” is taking rhythm changes and playing around the root key. In Bb, even the G7(with a major 3rd in it) can be treated with a Bb major scale, giving a b3 bluesy sound over the G7. Sequences and little motifs are way easier by grouping chords together as long as you catch important chord tone movement like you said. Thanks

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it Jimmy :)

[@puzahki]

Excellent video, thank you

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it, Craig 🙂

[@jocknarn3225]

where did that Bb7 in ur IV-IVm-I come from & why is it suddenly a "min subdom"? I played it .. chose voicings that resulted in nice smooth voice-leading .. but where did that Bb7 come from & why is it a "min subdom"?

[@JensLarsen]

It's a Fm6 with a Bb in the bass, and because it resolves like that with the exact same voice-leading. it is a minor subdominant function. I can find a video that explains more if you want to?

[@alfiesolomon3531]

So this might sound reductive ( and silly ) but could we consider than we are sort of always improvising over a 1-4-5 or even a 1-5? In terms of function, regardless of the song we always have a tonic, sub & dom. Conclusion : if you can solo over the blues, you can solo over anything. Just be aware of your timing? is it?

[@JensLarsen]

I think you will find that oversimplifying makes things more complicated. You are better off trying to use music theory to understand the music that is there, so what you hear in the song. Having an extra layer of translation that does not fit with that is often not very efficient. You also want to be aware that the Blues is often a little bit atonal, so....

[@bensacc]

this is a truly great lesson

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! I am glad you like it! 🙂

[@luisreich3446]

Hey jens, great video! One question, could you explain to me why Bb 7 and Abmaj 7 are IVm to C major?

[@JensLarsen]

They are minor subdominants because the contain an Ab and no B

[@stevecrounse1789]

I really enjoyed many of your videos. And this simplification. Or distillation of the chord progression is a great way of thinking. But I wish you would put it into context. Analyze a standard in this way. All the things you are, something like that. I'd love to see your thoughts on it.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Making a video like this about a song would exclude everyone that does not know the song, so that is not a very good way to approach it in my experience. But you can check out some of the videos I have done on analyzing standards in the past: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnLRhZKtnpeKgLs

[@lukeweston1234]

This is like 4 years of experience in just a few minutes thank you so much

[@JensLarsen]

You are very welcome! I am glad you like it 🙂

[@xmendoza2389]

Or just play on mushrooms and you’ll connect the dots

[@tjprosper7704]

@@xmendoza2389 Not how it works buddy.

[@freeman5885]

I think I've been playing for 13 years now and I still don't get it

[@juanjohnn]

Hey Jens awesome video as always. I have a question: what is that blue puffy thing on the guitar?

[@antoninomaltese7615]

Thanks for editing all your video on jazz guitar topics. Very clear and well done. Please continue to cover also additional jazz standards.

[@adamfarkas7069]

Does this work the same way in minor keys? If I am playing in Gm, can I borrow subdominants from the G major key?

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, but it does not sound as great. Try to analyze some minor songs 🙂

[@dhruvalance1323]

for me, bVII7 is a Dominant Function , most of the time a lydian dominant. And the backdoor progression is resolving exactly as a regular V7 to VImin7, a whole step above, and that´s the reason it sound acceptable and a Dominant at the same time. There are no X7 chords that function as subdominants in any of the major tonal systems like schoenberg, royal board music school, even beerkele etc. an X7 chord is always a dominant function, that could be or not related to the prior or next chord.

[@JensLarsen]

For you a bVII is something in a theory book. For me, it is in most of the Jazz standards I play. That is the real difference.

[@markmorton2519]

Bad link 12 tone @4:20 or maybe I missed it

[@leandrogomes7738]

The quality level of your lessons is unbelievable.

[@Morganstudios]

Great video and awesome job driving these points home.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@EmanuelHedberg]

Great lesson Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much, Emanuel! Praise from a colleague is always great 🙂

[@unoaotroa]

Yes! This is just what I need to become the next Pasquale Grasso :D

[@JensLarsen]

There might be one or two other things you want to have down 😂

[@downhill240]

Blowing my mind!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you downhill2400! 🙂

[@grobertabidbol4005]

Great lesson !

[@freeman5885]

The way I think about functional harmony is definitely different from the way you're talking about it, but I want to get it like this so badly. You're talking about a fm chord functioning like a Bb7 chord and it's just going over my head. F-Ab-C (let's add the 6th to stretch my imagination) - D... vs. Bb-D-F-Ab. Okay so it's like an incomplete fm6 chord....? I wonder if there's some sort of formula regarding extended chords that I haven't comprehended yet. It seems like it could be so easy if I just knew that you add a 13th here and subtract a b9th there and you get (xyz) chord, or whatever--I'm just pulling numbers outta my backside now. Theres got to be some sort of formula a guy can memorize to understand how chord extensions create enharmonic spellings or very similar functional chords to make it easier to conceptualize all at once and boil down to a more simplistic functional harmony, like you were showing us.. Right? I'm not even making sense to myself at this point. There's so many moving parts to consider at once! I understand that IM7 chord is essentially an inversion of the iii6 chord.. or vi7 is an inversion of I6... Those kinds of relationships are super helpful to understand. I'm suggesting that there's got to be more easy relationships like this to make that I could commit to memory conceptually instead of realizing how all the moving pieces function at once. But I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here! haha does this make sense to anyone? Suggetions? Thanks for the insane content Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

If you want to get further with it the you should probably start analyzing songs and not look for formulas. Theory is for analyzing music, so without music that uses harmony like that then it is difficult to get to make sense 🙂

[@freeman5885]

@@JensLarsen Hi Jens, thanks for your feedback! I will do as you've suggested and pick some songs to analyze. One point that really stuck with me from your lesson was when you played the same line over several different chord progressions. It seems I’m getting caught up on all the crazy borrowed chords, substitutions, extensions, etc. that I’m not as comfortable interpreting like diatonic chords. I believe your point is to emphasize that the precise detail about each chord is less important than the underlying function a chord plays to move the progression from Tonic--> subdominant--> Dominant--> Tonic. I think what you’re suggesting is even more important still is to understand the principles of voice leading that drive functional harmony. If the basic movement of my line is A--> Ab--> G, that is what I want to highlight in my solo more importantly than trying to think about and understand necessarily what chords are being used to achieve this motion. The suggestion is that I can boil down a cluster of chords into their more essential function, and to emphasize this function in my playing is more important than highlighting chord tones. You provide an example at the 4:45 minute mark that is a little easier for me to make sense of (but perhaps that’s because the progression has just the one secondary dominant and the other chords are all diatonic to C). The chord cluster {em7-A7-dm7} = ii-V-i in the key of dm. Within the C major tonality, we can functionally reduce that statement to a tonicization of the ii chord, dm, a subdominant passage that next moves to the dominant G7 chord (the V of C), and finally resolves to Tonic, CM7. So this progression, {em7-A7-dm7}-G7-CM7, is more simply represented as ii-V-I in the key of C with a little extra emphasis on the dm tonality. I think it’s time for me to dust off the old Tonal Harmony textbook and revisit my principles of voice leading!

[@iainctduncan]

This is a great lesson, thanks once again Jens, I really liked the interesting examples over different chords. I have only one criticism, which is that for videos like this one, where there is a lot of thinking to do while watching it, I found the unrelated background music that kept coming in when you're talking very distracting. I think it would be better to just have silence there so our aural memories don't get wiped with something random. My two cents for the theory ones!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Iain! You're right, the background music is too loud, especially around 3:00. It is a process, and I need to learn it while doing it :)

[@brucebradley5814]

Do you have a book out or know of one that is short and easy to understand that explains like you do here Functional Harmony - I like having a hard copy of books to read? Thx - great video as usual! Cheers !!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Bruce. I don't actually know that many books on the topic. Frans Elsen wrote one which is probably great but not specifically for guitar

[@brucebradley5814]

Thanks for the reply, I’ll see if I can find and greatly appreciate your reply. You are a great teacher and love your lessons!! Cheers!!

[@peterhutchinson2361]

@@brucebradley5814 This book by Marc Sabatella is good on all this. It is not guitar specific, but still very relevant. outsideshore.wordpress.com/category/music/educational-materials/harmonic-language/

[@andrealombardo3189]

Very useful and well explained material, as usual. Always the best, dear Mr. Larsen! Please give us another video about using functional harmony concepts for making solid lines through the changes!!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Did you check out these videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHjJnoyCnteaZ6s

[@EclecticSceptic]

Very helpful video, thanks Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

My pleasure!

[@winbub]

Hi Jens! Great video(s), keep it up! I have some difficulties understanding what you mean around the 6:30 mark. I don't quite get how in the Em7 - A7 - Dm7 - G7 progression the Em7 should be seen as a tonic chord (which I think you're interpreting it as the iii of the Cmaj tonic, right?) and not a ii chord. To me this is a ii-V-i leading to Dm7 which in itself is a ii chord again. I'm confused because when interpreting the Em7 as a chord with a tonic quality (since it's the iii of the Cmaj7 tonic) and overlooking the A7 then the feel of this particular ii-V-i progression gets lost, doesn't it? Maybe you (or someone else) could clear things up for me! Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! A II V for Dm is Eø A7 which is a pretty different sound. The best way you can do this is to start listening for it in songs so that you don't just look at the chords in isolation. In music, context is everything! This is one of those things where you can find some jazz songs (in C ?) with turnarounds and try to hear how you often can exchange the Em7 and Cmaj7 and it sounds the similar, (but don't use a 9th on the Em7 that would be out of key) Try "I Should Care" That also has a very clear example of how a II V to Dm7 sounds and how that does not sound like a tonic chord in C major. Does that help?

[@winbub]

@@JensLarsen Ah yes, rookie mistake on my behalf.. :D But what to do with the A7 then? It suggests a ii-V resolution to Dmaj (not Dm) but since it's "resolving" to another ii-V in Cmaj the A7 should be neglected? "Should" I play Dmaj over the Em-A7 part or Cmaj over the whole progression? Thanks for the quick and thorough response!

[@JensLarsen]

@@winbub Try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpXTYqimmt16ebM

[@alexberben8126]

Greetings from Toronto..can you borrow chords from all minor systems? And what are the function s in minor..Your lessons are great...🎸🎵☀️

[@JensLarsen]

What is a minor system?

[@alexberben8126]

@@JensLarsen Hi Jen's..I'm referring to the composite minor..the combination of melodic ,harmonic and natural minor..which generates different type of chords.🎸🎵☀️ I noticed you borrowing from the natural minor.☀️

[@HKUnbound]

Sorry if this is a dumb question as I've only recently started learning jazz chords but isn't the Am7 at 2:10 an Am9?

[@JensLarsen]

That's not a dumb question at all :) In jazz, the one playing the chords is free to interpret the chord symbol and add the extensions and alterations that fits how he or she is playing. For that reason, I usually try to stick with the chord type and not specify the extensions like 9 or b9. Does that help?

[@HKUnbound]

@@JensLarsen Yes thank you :)

[@funkmaster322]

Isnt Am considered to be subdominant in the key of C?

[@JensLarsen]

Am is mostly tonic but can also appear as a subdominant

[@schmiertoast7184]

Why is the Bb7 a minor subdominant i dont understand

[@JensLarsen]

What else should it be if it resolves to C? It does not have a B so it isn't a dominant, and it clearly resolves to C so it isn't tonic. Then it is a subdominant. It has an Ab instead of and A and it is diatonic to C minor, so it is a minor subdominant. You could also look at it from a voice-leading point of view, but this is maybe simpler to understand?

[@anhtuanly5629]

At the 12th second I Iistened as If "Jazz list " , But youtube translated it is " gas leak" please tell me the truth.

[@JensLarsen]

I say "..or a short jazz lick"

[@anhtuanly5629]

@@JensLarsen many thanks!

[@Lauraraksin77]

If we take Lady Bird - Tadd Dameron: I can see the first four bars as tonic > minor sub dom, but would the Bb-7, Eb7 > Abmaj7 act as a minor subdominant and not simply a 2-5-1 in Ab?? Then the bar after, do we assume (A-7) tonic > (D7) secondary dominant > (Dm7) sub dom > (G7) dominant. After that could we assume you can make a line with the minor sub dominant on the Cmaj > Eb > Ab > Db? I'm not sure how to apply this when attempting it to a standard but this is definitely good mental practice. Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

You can see the Abmaj7 as a modulation or as a chord borrowed from Cm. I think I hear it as a chord borrowed from minor, and that is indeed the same thing in the turnaround with an added tritone sub (Db7) at the end.

[@Lauraraksin77]

@@JensLarsen Thanks for the clarification. I assumed we had to think of functional harmony on every section and that's why I was a bit confused.

[@JensLarsen]

@@Lauraraksin77 No worries :) You did get it

[@JohnDoe-xd6yo]

Great lesson, thanks! :) I was reading a thread the other day with info about Benson. I'm not saying this is true, only that this was the discussion in the thread. Apparently from somebody that has worked with Benson, when he improvises he actually only thinks of tonic or dominant. I'm sure it's probably far from accurate, but if that is true it wouldn't work for humans lol I'm pretty sure what Benson thinks about when improvising is probably way beyond analysing consciously.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! I think that is quite likely to be true, a lot of early jazz teaching was splitting everything up in dominant and tonic. In a way that is probably also the explanation of why we call it a backdoor-dominant: it is a way of describing a common progression in those terms.

[@JohnDoe-xd6yo]

Also I remember Joe Pass saying "If I see a ii V forget the 2 you don't need it" lol I swear half our problem is over complicating :D

[@JensLarsen]

Well, the example in the video explains how that can be a really bad idea :) Over-simplifying is just as bad in my experience...

[@JensLarsen]

@@JohnDoe-xd6yo It's even in the Thumbnail :)

[@JohnDoe-xd6yo]

@@JensLarsen Right sure. I've watched this video a few times now. It's actually one of the most useful lessons I've seen. Thanks.

[@taopagan]

Excellent, thank you! Of further interest, how does composing and arranging for four voices compare and contrast with functional analysis? I imagine the rules for voice movement might be more akin to flocking or swarming behaviors. A short list of possible responses and contingencies - depending on what the neighboring voices are doing. Further, how do the musical conventions so established (specific, well-known, melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic patterns derived from those earlier rules) - how do they inform compositions that are constructed to function as harmonic frameworks (chord changes) upon which melodic material is improvised (Giant Steps, etc.)? Thanks again!

[@JensLarsen]

Functional analysis fits writing for four voices pretty much perfectly. If you read any classical book on that then you get that type of analysis of the harmony.

[@ruthmanning2303]

BraVO .... Good teachings. I have saved lots of your vids. I am determined to Learn More and I am in Way.......Over my Head.. but Loving It. 🌴🌴🌴🌴

[@sai_tejaa]

What is the Diff between Functional harmony and tonal harmony

[@JensLarsen]

There isn't really one 🙂

[@johnjacquard2182]

Love the video. Hello fine sir, can you do a video on Melody derived from four minor progressions thanks for all your work you are a inspiration .

[@JensLarsen]

I have done quite a lot of those the last few years. You can just search for them 🙂

[@peterhutchinson2361]

Marc Sabatella has written a book called The Harmonic Language of Jazz standards. I recommend it. It is not guitar specific, but still very relevant. outsideshore.wordpress.com/category/music/educational-materials/harmonic-language/

[@victorhugocobian7165]

Hey Jens! Awesome content! I recently purchured your modern jazz concepts books. I was wondering if this approach of categories like tonic, sub-dom, and dom, also applies to a minor progressions? Thx for the vids :)

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Victor! Yes, it applies to minor as well 🙂

[@victorhugocobian7165]

@@JensLarsen ok, thanks! I was wondering if you have a vid where you break down minor keys like you did in this video?

[@JensLarsen]

@@victorhugocobian7165 not really, but it is pretty much the same 🙂

[@victorhugocobian7165]

@@JensLarsen cool! Thx Jens :)

[@Sailor4431]

Hi, Jens! Great stuff. I started to think in this direction, but it was only bits and pieces (e.g. play a Db maj instead of G7). You explain, why it really works, what is the logic behind it. By that this opens up much more opportunities. One question: Fmin6 has a D in its chord, Db maj a D flat. Doesn't this make a difference, when soloing over it? Is it correct e.g., I just use the E flat scale when soloing over a minor sub dominant? Or do I have to use D flat scale? Or can I pick the one I like?

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

I am working on Donna Lee on piano mostly. I have found that song is a treasure trove of applied music theory. Have you ever did a a theory video on it ? I would really like to get that song down. Started playing uke and harmonica about 8. Still learning things every day I'll watch the one in the description. THANKS.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like the video! I haven't done a video on Donna Lee, but the form is very similar to All Of Me which I do have a video on.

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

@@JensLarsen That will work fine. I generally gravitate to doing these songs on guitar rather than piano. I have noticed that anything like that is a weakness. I have also noticed that , for me this is a sign to work on that. Eg .awhile back, I realized I had favorite keys .so I started playing in my least favorite keys It has made me a better musician..better improvisor and much more. Been on you tube .since 2007..started piano channel in 2013..had 2 subscribers till 2 years ago .we weren't called you tubers back then.

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

When you get a chance, send me the link on all of me .I would love to do a piano video on it. The best

[@JensLarsen]

@@PIANOSTYLE100 You can search on the channel as well. Here is the playlist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKPdqqxpZclmi7s

[@oscarandgroucho]

I spent half this video trying to find out where I'd left a second video playing. Jens, like a Hitchcock film, your stories are interesting enough to stand on their own -- they don't need the background music. We musicians, in particular, find background music distracting. That said, I always enjoy your lessons.

[@davidhiltonmusic]

On There will never be another you, you identified Db7#ll as IVm- that is completely wrong. It is a bVII7, a chord borrowed from the parallel Eb minor. It has nothing to do with IV of anything.

[@JensLarsen]

It is a backdoor dominant and that is a minor subdominant chord, so I reduced it to that function which is indeed borrowed from Eb minor (like the other minor subdominants)

[@iainctduncan]

@@JensLarsen That did throw me for a loop for a moment too.

[@Hooli31]

Borrowed chords is the dumbest and useless theory ever and you should really forget it, your "borrowed chord" is no more than the altered V7 with a different bass resolving to the I tonic. Backdoor progression IS a ii V I . in key of C : Fm7 (Dm7b5 / F) - Bb7 (Galt / Bb) - CMaj. Everything in jazz is movement between Tonic, subdom and dom, don't get fooled by the chords name, think in term of function, tension and resolution

[@JeiShian]

Very informative video! My question is, how do you determine that F, Bb, Ab etc are sub dominants? I've been thinking about about this for a long time!

[@JensLarsen]

Are you talking about the key of C?

[@JeiShian]

@@JensLarsen yes, in the key of C as you have explained in this video

[@JensLarsen]

@@JeiShian Essentially it comes down to them not being dominants or tonic chords. Usually, this is a combination of notes including a 6th (or b6) and the root and no leading note.

[@JeiShian]

@@JensLarsen I see. Is there a detailed guide/book/article/video that you could point me to so that I can understand how to classify a non-diatonic chord's function as tonic, subdominant or dominant? Knowing this would be invaluable for exploring reharmonisation / chord substitution. Right now I'm mainly going by 'feeling' things and a little bit of basic theory (eg tritone subs are dominant), and I have always wondered how jazz musicians substitute chords and reharm stuff to sound so fresh and rich. Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

@@JeiShian The best way to learn is to analyze music, and a few chords have more than one function within a key. It will depend on the context. You could read Frans Elsens harmony book or the Berklee harmony book, but if you really want to know then play and analyze the songs. Nothing beats that in the long run 🙂

[@adriansheard1032]

A kind of nice way of thinking about the Imaj7 iii7 relationship is that the iii7 is like a rootless voicing of Imaj9 (:

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, but not if there is a cadence in front of it :)

[@adriansheard1032]

@@JensLarsen You're right - this is a video about thinking in terms of functional harmony, my bad! I just meant in terms of why they sound similar.

[@JensLarsen]

@@adriansheard1032 No worries :)

[@kronk358]

Your videos are always great. I found the background music a bit distracting though. Its a fairly complicated subject when first introduced to it, and while processing what you had just said, I had that feeling you get when you are looking for an address in a foreign city; where you want to turn the music off so you can think better? Anyway, keep up the good work.

[@emadismusic]

Excellent! A lot of modern jazz standards are filled with ii-V (without going to I), and they go by pretty quickly. I have often just used m7 or dom7 arpeggios or relative major/minor scale ideas on each of them, which leads to parallel and repetitive ideas. So your explanation o functional harmony really simplifies things very well. Thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

Great that you find it useful! :)

[@brianhenneberry376]

I was taught that the bVII7 (or back door dominant as you refer to it) DOES function as a dominant chord because the justification of its use is as a tritone sub of the III7 which is the V of vi-7, which can be I major 7 as a result of a common tone substitution between vi-7 and I major 7. I assume that ultimately, both interpretations are valid, but the different approaches to the chord would yield extremely different results, ie when I approach such a chord, I target the tritone and root pretty heavily to accentuate the dominant function that I perceive.

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, I can see how that works, but I do think that tritone sub thing is a bit of a stretch, mostly because there almost never are any songs that go bVII7 VIm7 so the ear already hears it as resolving to C rather than a surprise instead of A minor (at least that is what I found when I just tried. You can also test it if you try to play C Bb7 C at the end of a song, I am pretty sure you don't really expect it to go to Am) As for different results in improvising: I don't think so, you will end up with F melodic minor in both cases and the Ab and D are also the two strongest note in the IVm sound (typically an Fm6).

[@beethoven2137]

Functional harmony is a german view about the chords in a scale. It is extremly helpful, maybe the most useful tool in the music theory.

[@josephmenter1294]

Thank you!

[@PsyJaye]

Jens you have given me new language & direction to communicate with my keyboard player - what is natural for a keyboardist is often work for guitar but this helps to level the playing field so to speak...