Upper Structure Triads - How To Make Beautiful Rich Jazz Chords

[@JensLarsen]

What to have an overview of different types of jazz chord voicings? Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWO0Yqifj66GhJY

[@anthonydemitre9392]

Again this lesson breaths new life to the old material I use and gives me a systematic way to work on tunes Thanks Jens

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Anthony! Great that it immediately resonates with something you already know 🙂

[@diatonicjon]

Thanks for the videos and sharing your knowledge, Jens! 🤘

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you for checking it out 🙂

[@olymoon2008]

Great explanation (again) thankkk Youuu !!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! 😁

[@mirdamadjanmammadov527]

Incredible chords thank you teacher im every day practice 🎸🙏

[@JensLarsen]

Go for it 🙂

[@seandaniel23]

Do you have anything less expensive?

[@JensLarsen]

Not this weekend! It's all gold! 😄

[@jumemowery9434]

Jens, you are killing me!! I can't keep up. Ha ha ha! I love your lessons. Thanks

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Jume! Hope you find time to recover this weekend!

[@ruh4734]

Very useful information. Beautifully explained as well like always.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it! 👍

[@edpavy2618]

Another great lesson Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you, Ed 🙂

[@ethanmartin4015]

Thank you Jens! Great video. You always help me find something else I need to work on :)

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! I hope you don't get stressed!

[@ethanmartin4015]

Jens Larsen On the contrary, it gives me energy!! Thanks

[@railcar123]

Love the lesson Jens!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad to hear it! :)

[@blessingtonkordorwu2644]

Wow that's nice, kudos

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! 🙂

[@composer7325]

Excellent.Thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Peter Dunphy I am glad you found it useful! 👍

[@elgabytrastornado5993]

Exelent video Jens Larsen!!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Great to hear that you find it useful! 👍🙂

[@rivaldoluizcamargo7820]

Great! Thank's!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome!

[@downhill240]

Heavy stuff man!

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Thanks! But it does yield some very beautiful chords!

[@ilikejazz]

which is useful : knowing chords based on the root (G7#9b13) or knowing chord based on UST (Eb/G7) I've used the former way. It is confusing somewhat for guitarists. I think UST is more useful for pianists who can use both hands seperately) How do you think?

[@JensLarsen]

You need to know the chord and the extensions. The construction is less important. And if you start working with upper-structures then you will get used to seeing them :)

[@JensLarsen]

Do you have a favourite Upper-structure or voicing that you like? 🙂

[@MrJimzovich]

I have a favourite that I use a lot in blues and modal playing. It's a rootless dom 13 on the top 4 strings, 7 3 6 9. It can be seen as dominant chord guide tones with 2 stacked 4ths , a quartal chord, a sus 2, sus 4 or sus flat 7 triad over the bottom note. It also works as a root position Maj 7 +4 voicing, useful for something like the first chord of Blue in Green. It's a pretty versatile chord.

[@kliu6690]

Thanks for the explanation but I am not sure why choosing C key triads over Dm

[@JensLarsen]

Because of the context where the Dm7 chord is found?

[@nlmal4]

Never lose faith. Have patience, Keep working hard, l will find a way. Is a lot to memories 🤔🤔🤔 At first I didn't understood this video. But I give it some thought and yes🆒💯🎸

[@JensLarsen]

Exactly! Keep at it, one step at a time! 👍👍

[@jimkangas4176]

Jens, I get the UST part. But what confuses me is what is the best choice to put "under" it. A piano player would typically play a R-3-7 in the left hand (I think). But when we can't fit that it, what are best supporting notes to use?

[@jimkangas4176]

thinking of a C13#11 (D maj over C7-ish)

[@JensLarsen]

The practical approach is to play what ever is missing of 3 and 7 of the chord? That may be one or two notes depending on the triad.

[@Marunius]

Expensive chords, as if anyone's gonna pay for jazz in 2018! xD

[@JensLarsen]

You'd be surprised 🙂

[@rkatz0]

Man, thanks. This makes me really appreciate never having lessons! OMB Overboard, just find a shape that makes a sound and move stuff around! Hahahahaha

[@JensLarsen]

You welcome! NOt sure what you are saying in the 2nd half there 🙂

[@rkatz0]

"addicted to love" - not into drugs but if I were....

[@johndoe-fz3fr]

What is the reason you omit the 13 on Dm7? Wouldn't that be helpful to emphasize the dorian mode?

[@JensLarsen]

Modes are not really useful for understanding songs that are tonal. Most Dm7 Chords are in a context where the point of the chord is to delay that 13th, so emphasizing it is not so useful

[@johndoe-fz3fr]

Thanks for your answer! So despite the diatonic notes to use(d dorian in this case), i understand you to not(or how delay?) use the 13(b) on Dm7 until it's the 3 of G7 in the next bar. On G7 the 13(e) is used anyway. So it's not about avoiding the guide tones e and b of Cmaj7(tonic) on the preceding chords(if the guide note is not in the chord anyway). I still lack to understand the reason.

[@JensLarsen]

@@johndoe-fz3fr It is about delaying the B so that it doesn't sound like you go to G7 too early. If you listen you can probably hear it, it's not that complicated

[@johndoe-fz3fr]

@@JensLarsen Thanks, ok, tried it on Piano and the change from Dm7 without 13 to G7 sounds more like a release. I don't want to be annoying, but isn't G7 without 13 also more a release to Cmaj7? Tried it and it seems so, but i'd like to have a rule what notes a on which chords in which context should be "delayed" for the better. Or is it more matter of taste and style? After all, all variants seem to work somehow.

[@JensLarsen]

@@johndoe-fz3fr that is up to you and your ears 😁

[@monsterram6617]

Jens, do you have a video on all of the voicings you reference? I hear you mention, for example, drop-two voicings and I'd like to learn more about them all. Thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

Monster RAM I do have a drop2 voicing playlist, I can't find it right now but try to search on my channel? Otherwise let me know I can find a link when I am home 🙂

[@monsterram6617]

Can we start with what exactly is a drop-two voicing? :D

[@JensLarsen]

That's in there 🙂

[@JensLarsen]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3S0hGV4l6idhdU

[@monsterram6617]

Ok, you take the second highest note in the inversion and drop it down an octave; drop-two. Clever! I'm familiar with the chord shapes, I've just never heard them called this before. Thanks! What about shell voicings? Perhaps you have a link to something? 🙂

[@jimkangas4176]

Just a note: I've always understood upper structure triads to be those that include at least one tension, so I would not include a 3-5-7 triad. Lately I'm partial (no pun intended) to E-C-D-G-B for a Cma7 with B in the lead; this is just a 5 (5-7-9) UST for ma7. One of my current tasks is to become more familiar with slash chords for dominants, which are mostly UST's (like F#/C).

[@JensLarsen]

Ok, that could be! I have never heard any real definition of it 🙂

[@jimkangas4176]

Nice treatment here: www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Improvisation-Two/dp/0988397412/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524346685&sr=1-8&refinements=p_27%3AEd+Saindon Lots of arrangers also use these as well (it's a trumpet thing).

[@jimkangas4176]

in essence: "Chapter 1 - Upper Structure Triads Upper Structure Triads (USTs) are those triads which contain at least one tension in relation to the underlying chord structure. They are derived from a chosen scale. USTs enable the lines to sound unresolved tensions over the chord while at the same time providing a sense of logic and structure. The makeup of the triad allows the improvisor to use more unconventional scale choices and tensions as well as offering the opportunity to deviate from the underlying harmony. Topics in this chapter include: UST chart for all chord types, incorporating passing and approach notes with USTs, adding one note to USTs, creating lines with multiple USTs, USTs derived from the Symmetrical Diminished scale, UST patterns, USTs with unconventional tensions, Out of Scale USTs, sample UST solos on standards."

[@JensLarsen]

Yeah trumpet sections are often voiced as triads (i guess that is what you mean right?) That's certainly one way of looking at it. 🙂

[@jimkangas4176]

Yes. I just completed an arranging course, so an interesting slant on voicings.

[@StantsLOL]

Hey Jens, this video was super helpful and eye opening! I'm wondering though, in a band context, do you really need to have the 3 and 7 in the chord if other instruments are covering that? Say you wrote a song with two guitar parts, or you are in a group with a keyboardist who is covering those notes, and then the bass has the root, does the guitarist really need to worry about anything in their chords other than the color tones? Or is it something from an arrangement POV that if each instrument covers as much of the color tones and the 'mandatory' tones 1 3 7 as possible that it'll sound best. I'm curious what you think!

[@JensLarsen]

Well, I am talking about this in a jazz context where things are not arranged and harmony is not really distributed across several instruments. You could split it between several harmony instruments in an arrangement, but that does not allow for improvising with the chords and there are some other things you have to be aware of with instrumentation and voicing across several instruments

[@StantsLOL]

@@JensLarsen cool! So what are some of those other things to be aware of, as you mentioned?

[@JensLarsen]

@@StantsLOL How the entire voicing sounds across instruments, the rhythm used in the different parts, the sound of the guitars and their volume. Just a lot of arranging stuff.

[@StantsLOL]

​@@JensLarsen Do you know any good source to get good at that? Obviously I like improvisational playing (which is why I follow your channel closely) but it would be beneficial to be skilled at the other side of the coin as well and be able to learn about structuring arrangements and part writing in a written out organized way. Thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

@@StantsLOL I am sure there are arranging books out there? I don't know because it was a class in school for me, and we didn't have a book :)

[@Meinung4yall]

Im often wondering if you have any room left in your brain. Insane how easy it is fer ye.

[@JensLarsen]

I wonder about that as well 🙂

[@MarkCassano]

I might still be groggy from waking up, but I'm confused. Halfway through you add the Ab minor triad to an F to use for G7. But earlier on you create the six suggested triads for the G7 being the maj/minors of E, Bb, and Db... Where does the Ab triad come from? It sounds great, but doesn't fit the suggestions you mentioned earlier. Now where IS my coffee?? ;) ADDENDUM: you answer this around the 12 minute mark!!! Thanks.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Mark! I did indeed mess up the order with that explanation, but I couldn't edit my way out of it 🙂 Thanks for sticking with it!

[@MarkCassano]

Jens Larsen I really like this way of thinking. Using triads and chords is easier for me to understand and apply than scales. This video made me remind myself of (and understand more) the half-whole diminished and altered scales (and the difference btw them). Maybe I’ll retain it now!!! Thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

That's great to hear Mark! Keep at it!

[@viniciusmarinho2085]

Seus vídeos são incríveis, muito obrigado!!!!!!!!

[@JensLarsen]

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

[@wigleboy]

I have used these with diatonic roots while not knowing what they were called. I thought they were called polychords.

[@JensLarsen]

Polychords also often have triads as Upper-structures, but they don't have to 🙂

[@oselini]

How much expensive? ☺

[@JensLarsen]

Very, very expensive 😁

[@Shuzies]

Yes....Hot.....your on it today

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Ron 🙂