The analyses on this web site are based on the
Schenkerian System. It is really nothing more than
a way of explaining that which most musicians and
music aficionados know instinctively-how a given
harmonic progression works and why certain sequences
of chords sound more natural than others. In short,
Schenkerian analysis uses letters, words and numbers
to clarify and quantify that of which the trained
ear is already aware.
To better understand the notation, think of the
key of “C” on a piano and the corresponding three-note
chords you could play by pressing every other white
key. "C, E, G” is a major “I” chord because it is
built on the first note of the scale. “D,F,A” is
minor and built on the second note, so it becomes
a “ii” chord--and so forth. “G,B,D” is, of course,
a V chord. If you add a fourth note, “F”, it becomes
a “seventh” chord, notated “V7” because we added
F, the seventh note up from “G”.
In the Western European tonal tradition, a given
chord has a strong tendency to either follow or
precede certain other chords. The most powerful
and important harmonic sequence is that which every
first-year theory student learns as I - V7 - I,
or “tonic - dominant - tonic.” In the key of C then,
this would be C - G7 - C. According to Heinrich
Schenker, virtually every piece of tonal music written
in the past five hundred years boils down to the
I - V7 - I sequence.
When most Westerners hear the V7 chord, usually
the next thing they expect to hear is I, which is
usually what happens, often with some other
chords in between. If a V7 is followed by anything
else, it is usually called a “deceptive” resolution
because the listener has been “deceived” into expecting
to hear one thing but actually hears something else.
Schenker's analysis system studies the various
routes, detours, and side-journeys of the tonic
key on its way to the dominant key and back, looking
at these not only from a chord-to-chord perspective
but a linear perspective as well. In other words,
the system notates how individual voices move from
one note to the next and how these work with other
voices to create harmonic progressions.
The JazzStandards.com analyses assume a basic
knowledge of elementary music theory, although some
explanations are included along the way that can
be followed by someone with any experience with
music. When introducing more advanced concepts such
as the “augmented sixth” (+6) and “Neapolitan sixth”
(N6), I have tried to give relatively simple examples.
It should be understood that my own use of these
terms does not necessarily correspond to “textbook”
theory - they are simply labels I have used for
convenience, based on their sound and harmonic function.
(Generally speaking, an “augmented sixth,” written
“+6” and usually labeled as “Ger,” “Fr” or “It,”
is a chord that is a half-step higher than V7. It
usually resolves to V7, functioning as a substitution
for the secondary dominant, or V7/V. An example
would be Ab7 - G7 in the key of C. A “Neapolitan
sixth,” or N6 chord, is a tri-tone substitution
for V7, being a half-step higher than the tonic,
and resolving to I. (An example would be Db - C.))
An e-book of guide tone lines for the musical
examples on this web site will soon be available
for download at a nominal fee. An indispensable
tool for students of improvisation, the book will
provide written musical illustrations accompanied
by traditional chord symbols as well as Roman numeral
analysis for each tune.
K. J. McElrath, Musicologist for JazzStandards.com |