A Section Reharms
In this lesson we explore an interesting reharmonisation for the 4th bar of the A section and a common tritone substitute for the 3625 progression on the 2nd line of the tune.
Diminished Chord Reharm
In the original harmony we have a Bb diminished chord in the 4th bar. We replace this with a 25 progression that leads us smoothly and convincingly to the A-7 chord in bar 5.
When approaching a minor chord, we typically play a minor 25 progression which in this case is B-7b5 to E7. This works perfectly with the original melody notes which gives us B-11b5 moving to E7#9 and then resolving into A-7 which is the iii-7 chord in the key of F Major.
The Power Of The Tritone
The 3625 progression on the 2nd line is a great candidate for tritone substitution. We simply change the bass note of the D7 to Ab and this give us the following progression:
- A-7 / Ab7 / G-7 / C7
This creates a chromatically descending bass line between the A-7 and the G-7 and also adds a fresh sound to this progression that repeats throughout the form of the tune.
Lesson Downloads
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Reharmonising The A Sections File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
In this lesson, we’re going to explore an important tritone relationship to help you quickly access altered dominant chord voicings in all keys.
We have voiced minor 251 progressions with our left hand and so now it’s time to spread the notes across 2 hands to get bigger chords with more impact!
Tritone Substitution is a useful reharmonisation technique that can be used to add harmonic interest and variety to a chord progression.
Practice Tips
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The secret to a great reharmonisation is to keep the melody note intact whilst adding new harmony underneath. The B-11b5 and E7#9 fits perfectly with the melody in bar 4.
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Remember that voicings can always be enlarged to create a wider spread on the piano. This helps to add more dynamics to repeating sections such as the A section in this tune.
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Create a habit to naturally explore tritone substitutes for common progressions such as 251s and 3625s. This is often one of the simplest ways to add new flavours and harmonic colours.
