Chord Connections

"Santiago" by Dedalus

Italian (Modal) Jazz-Rock, from the early 1970s. Shares many characteristics with the classic music of The Soft Machine.

right hand f# min. 7 a min. 7 f# min. 7 d min. 7
left hand / bass B(5) D(5) B(5) G(5)

Each of those (right-hand) chords, can also be thought of as the root of the dorian mode (of that part -- independent of the bass root pitch).

In other words:

Dorian mode, rooted on, F# ; then, to : 'A' ; then, (back) to : F# ; then, down to : 'D'

However, the bass doesn't play those root pitches, but instead, pitches that are a Perfect-Fifth (P5th) lower
which can be alternately (also) thought of, in terms of being a Perfect-Fourth (P4th) higher / above (albeit 2 octave registers lower, in fact).

Play the i7 , ii7 , and : III7 chords of each dorian mode (tonal centre).

right hand F# dorian A dorian F# dorian D dorian
left hand / bass B(5) D(5) B(5) G(5)

If the III7 chord was used, in each (right hand),

right hand A Maj. 7 C Maj. 7 A Maj.7 F Maj. 7
left hand / bass B(5) D(5) B(5) G(5)

Notice the (harmonic relationship -- interval between the two (root note) pitches - between each hand) off-set: of a whole-step.

  • B and A
  • D and C
  • G and F
... are the root pitches of what's played in the left, and right hand, together-simultaneously.

draft #1 (PDF) -- in common time signature(s) -- basic chord(al relationships) PDF.
original source MuseScore file (.mscz)


On YouTube I made keyboard harmony instructional videos that explain, illustrate, and demonstrate this type of modal jazz harmony (chord structure).

  • "dorian 3 chords root P5th below"
  • "C Major modal seventh chords with dorian mode P5th above + quartals"
    • That's a lot like this "juicy chord" that I noticed in:
  • "Aldeia de Ogum" by Joyce Moreno
  • "Garden of Earthly Delights" by Arzachel/Uriel(proto-Egg)
  • "Pig" and "Slightly All the Time" by Mike Ratledge, Soft Machine
  • "Pataphysical Introduction" by Robert Wyatt on Soft Machine's second album.
    •

    Try this variation (simply change the off-set between the bass/l.h. and the right-hand-chords):

    right hand c# min. 7 e min. 7 c# min. 7 a min. 7
    left hand / bass B(5) D(5) B(5) G(5)

    Try voicing those chords in the following inversions, to make it easy to switch between chords, more seamlessly:

    f# min. 7(root position)F# + A + C# + E
    to
    F Maj. 7(Root position)F + A + C + E
    then:
    d min. 7(3rd inversion,
    or 'F' Maj.7    		 E+F + A + C

    Next, it moves into (on keyboards -- Rhodes electric piano) quartal harmony , and then a prominent bass ostenato (riff).

    back to Free Instructional Materials

    | back to homepage |