Examples
Example 1: Below, a common voicing used by jazz pianists is given for the chord C7♯9 (C major chord with a flat 7th, and extended with a sharpened 9th).
In the lower-stave the notes E♮ and B♭ are given. These form a tritone which defines the dominant sound, and are the major 3rd and flattened 7th of the C7♯9 chord.
In the upper-stave the notes E♭ (enharmonically equivalent to D♯), G, and B♭ are given together: these form an E♭ major triad.
This E♭ major triad is what would be called the upper structure. Considered in relation to the root C, the notes of this E♭ major triad function, respectively, as the sharpened ninth, fifth, and seventh in relation to that root.
(Note: the root C is omitted here, and is often done so by jazz pianists for ease of playing, or because a bass player is present.)
Example 2: The following example illustrates the notes of an F♯ minor triad functioning as part of a C13♭9♯11 chord (C major chord with a flat 7th, flatted ninth, sharpened 11th, and 13th):
In relation to the root of C, the C♯ (enharmonic with D♭) functions as a flattened ninth, the F-sharp functions as a sharpened eleventh, and the A functions as the thirteenth.
Read more about this topic: Upper Structure
Famous quotes containing the word examples:
“Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.”
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
“No rules exist, and examples are simply life-savers answering the appeals of rules making vain attempts to exist.”
—André Breton (1896–1966)
“There are many examples of women that have excelled in learning, and even in war, but this is no reason we should bring ‘em all up to Latin and Greek or else military discipline, instead of needle-work and housewifry.”
—Bernard Mandeville (1670–1733)