Adding the II chord
With
Ollie WestonOllie Weston adds the II chord to turn a V-I into a full minor II-V-I, using the half-diminished sound and the Locrian mode in your saxophone lines.
What's in the course
47 lessons (1h 47m) · 1 free
01. The V-I 'Perfect' cadence
3:28
02. Dominant 7 - Cycle of 5ths exercise
1:24
03. Dominant 7 - Cycle of 5ths using 3rs and 7ths
2:16
04. Rhythmic variations using 3rds and 7ths
2:02
05. "Rhythm Changes" using Dominant 7ths and Cycle of 5ths
1:08
06. The II-V-I progression
1:20
07. II-V-I licks in the style of Parker, Coltrane, Adderley
Free lesson4:15
08. Dancing With Duke (II-V-I exercise) - Introduction
1:15
09. Dancing With Duke (II-V-I exercise) - Performance
4:38
10. II-V-I progression conclusion
0:42
01. Finding the relative minor
1:41
02. Using the Harmonic Minor over the V chord
1:15
03. V-I in A Minor with a b9
4:38
04. Minor V-I in all 12 keys exercise
1:43
05. Phrase for practising minor cadences
1:17
06. Minor II-V-I in a chord sequence
5:04
07. Adding the II chord
You are here1:20
08. Autumn Sun - Introduction and Harmony
3:03
09. Autumn Sun Performance
4:44
01. Introduction to Standards
0:52
02. Among the Stars Introduction
3:54
03. Among the Stars Performance
4:23
04. Undying Love - Expanding a chord sequence
4:42
05. Undying Love - Performance
1:12
06. Undying love - Checkpoint
0:47
07. Take the Express Train - The Turnaround
3:21
08. Melodic line examples for turnarounds
1:22
09. Take the Express Train - Introduction
1:28
10. Take the Express Train - Performance
1:12
11. Take The Express Train - Summary
0:39
01. Introduction to Bebop
1:04
02. 52nd Street Blues - Introduction and Head
0:29
03. 52nd Street Blues - Head using I-IV-V progression
0:45
04. 52nd Street Blues - Adding Chromaticism
2:53
05. Adding Jazz Harmony to the Blues
2:39
06. 52nd Street Blues - Head with II-V-I changes
1:05
07. 52nd Street Blues - Performance
3:01
Lesson transcript
Jazz Progressions in A Minor
So, having dealt with V to I in the A minor key, I'm then going to add a II chord to make a jazz progression:
A ii, V, I Progression
- A ii: F#min7b5
- V: E7
- I: A minor
Finding the II Chord in E Minor
- The II chord in E minor is F#.
- This is associated with the unfashionable Locrian mode.
If I find my root, third, fifth, and seventh from F#, I'm going to get:
- F#
- C natural
- E
This combination gives me my minor 7 flat 5.
The Sound of the Flat 5
- The C natural is a flattened fifth, similar to what's found in a blues scale.
- It has that flat 5 sound, which is particularly descriptive of a minor cadence: A minor V I.
Summary
This results in a minor ii, V, I progression.
To hear it in context, I'm going to introduce you to a tune that modulates exclusively between the major key and the minor key.
47 lessons
1h 47m of structured video lessons
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Since graduating from the Leeds College of Music (BA Hons) and the Guildhall School of Music (Post Graduate Diploma in Performance), Ollie has built a busy and varied career in music. As a saxophonist he has performed in live and studio settings with artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo, Frank Turner, the London Jazz Orchestra, the Hackney Colliery Band, the Ambient Jazz Ensemble and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He is also the co-leader of the jazz quartet 'Time Is Of The Essence', and composes and arranges material for this and other ensembles.
Ollie is active in music education, currently as course leader for the jazz department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (junior school), where he runs jazz ensembles, big band and theory classes. He has written a series of 'Exploring Jazz' books for Schott Music that are published worldwide and feature on exam syllabuses in the UK. Ollie has also run workshops for Oxford University, Pro Corda Strings and BABSWE, as well as the Guildhall School of Music summer schools.
In his Exploring Jazz Saxophone courses, Ollie takes you from getting started right through to soloing confidently over songs and chord sequences, building the improvising skills that put a real jazz player's vocabulary at your fingertips.
