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    Three Common Melodic Outlines For Connecting Chords:: Bert Ligon

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    Three Common Melodic Outlines For Connecting Chords:: Bert Ligon

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    gian
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    Outlines

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    157 views2 pages

    Three Common Melodic Outlines For Connecting Chords:: Bert Ligon

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    gian

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    of 2

    THREE COMMON MELODIC OUTLINES for CONNECTING CHORDS:

    Bert Ligon
    BertLigonMusic.com

    There are three basic melodic outlines that an improviser playing over standard harmonic progres-
    sion must know. Outlines are harmonically specific lines that connect chords through guide tones.
    The structural simplicity of the outlines allows the improviser/composer much room for developing
    them in their own personal way.

    Examples of outlines can be found in any musical style period that uses traditional harmonic pro-
    gressions. Outlines are plentiful in the be-bop jazz vocabulary. There are entire solos by Clifford
    Brown based on nothing but outline no. 1. Knowing the outlines should not in any way stifle crea-
    tivity. On the contrary, knowing them should inspire creativity. The outlines are a given over any
    harmonic progression. They are the linear equivalent of knowing the chords to a tune. Knowing
    them gives a sense of harmonic direction to improvised or composed melodies. The outlines are not
    the only valuable material available as building blocks for constructing musical lines, but they are
    excellent tools for beginning improvisers and will be familiar material to any advanced player.

    OUTLINE No. 1

    Outline no.1 begins on the 3rd of one chord and moves down the scale to the 3rd of the following
    chord. Outline no. 1 is often followed by Outline no. 1 or a 3-5-7-9 arpeggio.

    OUTLINE No. 2

    Outline no. 2 begins with a 1- 3-5 arpeggio for the first chord then the 7th resolves to the 3rd of the
    next chord. Outline no. 2 is often followed by Outline no. 1 or a 3-5-7-9 arpeggio.

    OUTLINE No. 3

    Outline no. 3 begins with a 5-3-1 arpeggio for the first chord then the 7th resolves to the 3rd of the
    next chord. Outline no. 2 is often followed by Outline no. 1 or a 3-5-7-9 arpeggio.

    © 2018, BERTLIGON—BertLigonMusic.com —Three Common Melodic Outlines— 1


    Outlines are used to connect chords where the bass motion is down a 5th for any and all chord quali-
    ties. Changing the key signature or providing the proper accidentals, the outlines shown above
    would work for any D chord to any G chord: D7—Gmaj7, Dm7—Gm7, Dmaj7—G#ø7, and
    more.

    Here are the outlines shown for a iiø7–V7–I in the key of A minor:

    OUTLINE No. 1

    OUTLINE No. 2

    OUTLINE No. 3

    The outlines may occur without embellishment or may be embellished with passing tones, neighbor
    tones, rhythmic displacement, anticipations, delayed resolutions, and more. It is good practice to
    play through new tunes playing unembellished simple outlines to learn to hear what connects each
    chord and then add embellished, ornamented and rhythmically interesting variations.

    There are hundreds of outline examples shown in the following books: Connecting Chords with L inear
    Harmony (entire book deals with outlines), Comprehensive Technique for Jazz Musicians (chapter 15), Jazz
    Theory Resources (chapter 10).

    2 — Three Common Melodic Outlines © 2018, BERTLIGON—BertLigonMusic.com

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