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Harmonisation of Accompanying Motive (Theme C)
When harmonised, using jazz-influenced 7th and 9th chords, this motive fills out as follows (see Ex. No.3):
Musical Example No.3:
A harmonic reduction of this pattern highlights the core structure of this harmonic progression (see Ex. No.4)
Musical Example No.4:
Prominent Features of Harmonic Reduction:
- All notes fit within F major pitch set
- Bass notes rise by step
- Chords cadence in pairs except final G min9 (turnaround)
The complexity of the harmonic progressions comes not from chromaticism but from added tones, bass note inversions and the actual voicing of the notes of any given chord. Whilst the theory of jazz harmony is based on stacked 3rds, the voicing of these notes is sometimes in 4ths. The first chord, based on A is a clear example of this (see Example. No.5).
Musical Example No.5:
The F major triad (F-A-C) has a 9th (G) added to it and the 7th in omitted, by stacked 3rds. When stacked in 4ths, this chord sounds very different in quality, even though the four pitches are the same. This alternative voicing is also known as octave disposition, because three of the four notes are voiced in a different octave.
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