Understanding the 13b9 Sound

Today, we're exploring the 13b9 sound, which refers to an E major triad with a G in the bass. This sound is very nice and quite typical of the legendary guitarist Joe Pass.

The Diminished Scale

I've opted for a version of this chord that incorporates elements of the diminished scale. This scale is an incredibly complex, eight-note scale, known as an octatonic scale, which is formed as follows:

• It is a symmetrical scale.
• It consists of:
  • Half step (semitone)
  • Whole step (tone)

You repeat this pattern:

• Half step, whole step, half step, whole step, half step, whole step, half step, whole step.

Incorporating Diminished Ideas

In bar four of this piece, Joe might introduce a little diminished idea or a personal melody. This resolves nicely to the C major chord, bringing us back to the melody.

The structure creates a delightful pattern:

• One bar of harmony
• One bar of composed melody
• One phrase of your own added in

This juxtaposition is quite pleasant as we return to the melody.

Joe Pass and Sicilian Influences

Joe Pass, whose name may not suggest it, was a guitarist of Italian extraction. His playing often includes very distinct Sicilian thirds.

You might think of Sicilian folk guitar, where he frequently uses these diatonic thirds. Inspired by this, I've taken a similar approach in creating the melody, utilizing:

• Diatonic thirds which are incredibly useful for solo jazz guitar in C major.

Movement and Melodic Ideas

Let me show you how these movements might look, quickly moving them around chromatically creates lovely variations.

A piece that embodies this sound is "Mona Lisa," closely associated with Joe Pass and harking back to his folk Italian roots.

I've integrated these thirds into the melody while adding my phrase, maintaining the juxtaposition between my own composition and the established melody.

The 2-5-1 Progression

Now, we're moving to a 2-5-1 progression into F major. Joe Pass often used these beautiful phrases.

Employing Dyads

I could use my thirds again here. It's important to refer to the chords underlying the dyads, which I prefer to call dyads rather than triads since they consist of two-note chords.

For our progression, we consider the F major seventh chord, followed by a touch of harmonic minor.

Exploring Harmonic Minor

Previously, we discussed harmonic minor in the context of Django Reinhardt playing over dominant chords. In this case, we utilize an E7, which is the fifth degree of the minor scale.

To create a A harmonic minor scale starting on an E, I'll incorporate a little phrase using that scale, along with a turn.

These turns, combined with a beautiful diminished shape, will help resolve the A minor chords, juxtaposing them against the melody effectively.