The most basic jazz chords are in the Major scale. The picture summarizes the “Natural” scale of NTO and all the “ways” / scales that are formed when we choose for their basis, one after the other, the notes that constitute this scale.
The four-part chord as a basis for Jazz harmony
As for European classical harmony, the basis is the three-part chord, for the harmony of Jazz, the basis is the four-part chord, ie a group of 4 notes located at a distance of 3rd, and which are heard simultaneously.
In the logic of Jazz improvisation, each way / scale corresponds to a chord that can describe melodic / improvisation. That is, if starting from the way I which is the “Ionic” I want to find which is the 4-voice chord that corresponds to it, I have only to build the chord at intervals of 3rd, therefore choosing.
- the note of the 1st degree which is the note DTO
- the note of the 3rd degree which is the note MI
- the note of the 5th degree which is the note SOL
- and the 7th degree note which is the note SI
In this way, I create the 4-voice chord that corresponds to the way and which in this example is the chord:
DTO-MI-SOL-SI, a chord “Do 7th major” which in the language of Jazz is symbolized as C D (the letter C is the equivalent of the Greek Do).
Form II-V-I :
