Exotic Modal Harmony
In Composition and Improvisation Including Video and PDF Downloads
Chris Forbes - piano, Dmitry Ishenko - double-bass and Tom Cabrera - drums, recording my piece Karatas from Chris Forbes’ Unseen Rain Records album Semjase.
Chris Forbes, along with Dmitry Ishenko and Tom Cabrera released a wonderful recording of my compositions, including Karatas of which the first four bars are presented below (and free downloads of entire piece at bottom of article):
© Copyright 2023 Jack DeSalvo
Though the first chord is and Abmaj7 sans 5th with a #9 (B natural) added, the melody, in response creates a brief bitonal encounter with a Bb (the 9th). This was not, however, just creating a sonority out of thin air. I hear the chord itself as a tertian representation of the sixth mode of C harmonic minor, Ab lydian #9.
The short melodic partial phrase that appears in the later part of the first measure is simply what I heard by ear rather than a strict adherence to the modal environment, similarly to how I would improvise over the chord.
What I want to emphasize is the process of taking linear sources, i.e., heptatonic scales and their modes, symmetrical scales, Messiaen modes, hexatonic bitonal arpeggios (more on these in a future Substack) and the numerous Slominsky patterns, and regarding them in the same way we observe the major scale, both horizontally and vertically.
Using, as an example, a C double harmonic. The notes in the scale, which I call a system, are C Db E F G Ab B, or numerically, R(oot) b2 3 4 5 b6 7. First we look at it in tertian terms; C [CEG], Cmaj7 [CEGB], Cmaj7(b9) [CEGBDb], Cmaj7(b9,11) [CEGBDbF] and Cmaj7(b9,11, b13) [CEGBDbFAb].
These are of course full arpeggios or very full chords. It’s important to create combinations with notes omitted, but still following the tertian path like Cmaj7(b13) [CEBAb}. Here we omitted the 5th, the b9th and the 11th. Also take them through all possible inversions.
Next we map it out in 4ths, and 4ths’ counterpart, 5ths. CFBEAbDbG and CGDbAbEBF. We find various sus chords directly from the scale in 4ths or 5ths. From the series of 5ths the very first 3 notes give us a sus2 triad, as it will from every degree.
CGD is C(sus2), GDbA is G(sus2)b5, DbAbE is Db(sus#2) which of course is enharmonically Dbm, AbEB is Ab+(sus#2) which, enharmonically, is an E major triad, EBF is E(sus b2), BFC is B(sus b2)b5 and FCG is F(sus2).
In the series of 4ths, each member is surrounded by the notes that will create its sus4 triads.
GCF is C(sus4), CFB is F(sus#4), FBE is B(sus4)b5, BEA is E(sus b4) which is enharmonically an E major triad and will be heard that way, EAbDb is Ab+(sus4), AbDbG is Db(sus#4) and DbGC is G(sus4)b5.
These are novel triad possibilities.
For 7th chords with suspensions you only need to add one more note from the 4ths series.
GCFB is Cmaj7(sus4), CFBE is Fmaj7(sus#4), FBEADb is B(bb7)sus4(b5) which can be, enharmonically, Fmaj7#5(#11) or Db7#5(#9), BEAbDb is E(bb7)sus b4) which is enharmonically both a Dbm7 and an E6 chord. EAbDbG is an Abmaj7(sus4), AbDbGC is Dbmaj7(sus#4) and DbGCF is G7(sus4)b5.
While we’re at, let’s list the modes of C double harmonic.
C double harmonic – C Db E F G Ab B – R b2 3 4 5 b6 7
Db lydian #9 #13 – Db E F G Ab B C – R #2 3 #4 5 #6 7
E super phrygian bb7 – E F G Ab B C Db – R b2 b3 b4 5 b6 bb7
F hungarian minor or harmonic lydian minor – F G Ab B C Db E – R 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7
G mixolydian b5 b9 – G Ab B C Db E F – R b2 3 4 b5 6 b7
Ab major augmented #9 – Ab B C Db E F G – R #2 3 4 #5 6 7
B locrian diminished bb3 – R b2 bb3 4 b5 b6 bb7
Let’s look at a brief example of double harmonic and its modes in a composed setting:
Above is a Dbmaj7/F shifting to what can be considered an Fm(maj7)#11, b13 then an Abmaj7#5, all from the same modal system, C double harmonic and its modes.
For the improviser the double harmonic provides unique melodic possibilities. One example is the three note chromatic line, 7, R, b2. In C double harmonic that would be B, C, Db.
In the context of the bebop tradition this allows for a natural enclosure around the root.
Lines with unique shapes can be constructed over even more conventional chords, like a short series of 4ths starting on Ab: Ab, Db, G, C, F and resolve on E on a Cmaj7. While it sounds like you’re resolving an outside line, you are literally using notes directly from C double harmonic.
Click for video of Chris Forbes’ trio playing Karatas
And here is a PDF of Karatas in Chart form.
And version for guitarists, vibes players, etc.
I am planning on publishing all of my compositions here and much more content when, sometime in the future, I institute paid subscriptions. Material will still be available for free subscribers, similar in scope to what has already been coming out.
Copyright © 2024 Jack DeSalvo