Augmented and Wholetone

[metalguy2]

Ok.. So I have been getting really physced about whole tone and augmented chords. But I was wondering if you guys had any examples of how to tastfully use that particular thing in an actual context of a song. I am mainly looking for a jazzy context.

Like can you throw that kind of thing in a chord progression as a sub or what?

So here is a lame example of what I am thinking.
Here is a MIDI file

[cowsgomoo]

there's a version of 'Big Swifty' by Frank Zappa on the album 'Make A Jazz Noise Here', with a jazzy walking section where the chord sequence consists of augmented chords that drop a semitone every two bars... it sounds like it'd be weirder than it actually is but the resulting music is actually quite beautiful in an unsettling way

the bass is basically augmented arpeggios and whole tone scale fragments

[ToR-Tu-Ra]

Thelonious Monk, maybe?

[metalguy2]

Does anyone have any example for a more non jazz standpoint. Anyone?!

[cowsgomoo]

Originally Posted by metalguy2

Does anyone have any example for a more non jazz standpoint. Anyone?!

in rock & pop you'll tend to find them used as passing chords... i.e.:

D /// D+ /// Bm

in that example the raised 5th of the D augmented provides chromatic movement to the root of the B minor while keeping the other notes the same (D & F#)... John Lennon's 'Just Like Starting Over' opens with this kind of thing

[ToR-Tu-Ra]

[quote=metalguy2] I am mainly looking for a jazzy context.

QUOTE]


Guess I mis-read, sorry...

I think augmented makes nice dominant chords. Listen to the Beatles' "Oh, Darling!", I think it's a E+ there in the intro. There's another augmented triad on "Call it stormy monday" an old blues tune.

[Scott McC]

Originally Posted by metalguy2

Ok.. So I have been getting really physced about whole tone and augmented chords. But I was wondering if you guys had any examples of how to tastfully use that particular thing in an actual context of a song. I am mainly looking for a jazzy context.

Like can you throw that kind of thing in a chord progression as a sub or what?

So here is a lame example of what I am thinking.
Here is a MIDI file

The whole tone scale can be used on pretty much any Dominant7 chord that has a natural 9. I would not sit on it, but for quick runs, sequences etc, its pretty hip. The augmented triad can be played off the third of a Minor/Major 7 or off the #11 of a Dom7#11 chord. As mentioned earlier, Monk is big on this stuff. You will also hear a lot of the augmented sounds in Wayne Shorter's 60's stuff. I think you get the jist of it, though. It is cool stuff play with. Try blowing or walking wholetone over the entire bridge of Rhythm Changes, very weird.

[EliMarcusBass]

I know in the song "Juju" by Wayne Shorter there is whole tone scale harmony in the B7#5 as an intro.

Duke Pearson's "Gaslight" also has whole tone harmony on the C7#5 during solos.

G7alt could also be implied but if were specifically talking about whole-tone harmony, then G7#5 is probably a safer choice because theres a lot of altered scale usage out there.

Lee Morgan's "Our Man Higgins" have solos with a Bb7#5 chord so you have some whole tone there.

Bix Beiderbeck's "In a Mist" I know has Dominant 7#5 chords in too.

Thelonius Monk was a master of the whole tone scale and one of his greatest solos IMO was off of his tune "Evidence" which really is a great example of whole tone usage and how to sound great with it because at times it can get very intervalic and boring.

[metalguy2]

Thanks guys.. Some of these comments shed alot of light on some things. Particularly on how whole tone should work on any Dom7 chord.