Workshop 8 — “There Will Never Be Another You”: Faster Changes, Secondary Dominants, and Thinking in Harmonic Flow
This workshop is about a new skill:
How do you improvise when the harmony changes fast enough that you cannot consciously stop and “solve” every chord?
The answer is not to think faster chord-by-chord.
It is to hear larger functional packets and target the important moments.
The main lessons are:
- fast ii–V movement
- secondary dominants
- tonicizations
- dominant chains
- guide-tone continuity
- reducing dense harmony to destinations
- improvising through the changes instead of over each isolated chord
- keeping melodic continuity while harmony moves quickly
We’ll use a common concert-key framework in E♭ major.
8.1The first principle: stop treating each chord as a separate problemIf the chart goes:8.2Your first harmonic packetIn E♭ major:8.3Guide-tone skeletonFm7:8.4Play that without roots firstRH:8.5When changes get fast, guide tones become more valuableAt slow tempo, you can enjoy:8.6Secondary dominantsSuppose the harmony wants to reach Gm.8.7Hear the altered note, not just the chord symbolIf D7 leads to Gm:8.8Another secondary dominantIf the destination is Cm:8.9Another oneIf destination is Fm:8.10Fast-harmony strategyWhen you see a secondary dominant:8.11Example packetSuppose:8.12Minor guide tonesAm7♭5:8.13Packet thinking beats chord thinkingAt medium swing tempo, you should see:8.14Level 1 — melody onlyBefore analyzing the full harmony, learn the tune’s melody cleanly.8.15Level 2 — roots onlyPlay only roots through the form.8.16Level 3 — identify all destinationsMark every strong arrival:8.17Level 4 — shellsNow play:8.18Level 5 — add melody on topNow melody + one guide tone below is enough.8.19Level 6 — add 9ths only where there is roomFor a ii–V–I:8.20A useful asymmetryApproach chords can be simpler.8.21Improvisation rule: target the I, not every chordIn:8.22Example destination lineTarget G on E♭maj7.8.23Phrase through the barlineStart your phrase on:8.24Avoid one-lick-per-chord improvisationBad:8.25Level 7 — one-note-per-chord exerciseThis sounds simple but is difficult.8.26Level 8 — two notes per chordNow two.8.27Level 9 — one motif across a ii–V–ITake rhythm:8.28Motif is your continuity deviceWhen the chords move fast, let one of these stay stable:8.29Level 10 — chromatic approach notesTarget G over E♭maj7.8.30Chromaticism works best when the destination is obviousIf you know where you are landing:8.31Level 11 — secondary-dominant targetingSuppose D7 → Gm.8.32Level 12 — dominant chainYou may encounter chains like:8.33Dominant-chain exercise in E♭ worldBuild a chain into E♭:8.34Level 13 — back-cyclingSuppose destination is E♭maj7.8.35Faster harmony requires simpler rhythmThis is a very important arranging rule.8.36Sparse comping helps fast changes sound clearerOne RH hit per chord may be enough.8.37Level 14 — comp only the important changesTry a chorus where you comp:8.38Level 15 — rootless voicingsIf LH or bassist provides roots:8.39Level 16 — guide-tone-only compingUse only two RH notes.8.40Level 17 — swing feelAt medium swing:8.41Level 18 — melody paraphraseFirst chorus:8.42Level 19 — improvise by chord-tone skeletonFor each phrase:8.43Level 20 — improvise by guide-tone lineTake a progression and choose one smooth guide line:8.44Level 21 — do not overuse scalesFor fast functional harmony, scales are better used as:8.45Strong-beat exerciseFor one chorus:8.46Level 22 — enclosure drillTarget D over B♭7:8.47Level 23 — phrase contourDo not let every fast-harmony phrase zigzag randomly.8.48Level 24 — register disciplineIf the harmony is busy, don't also jump across three octaves every bar.8.49Level 25 — chorus architectureA good solo chorus:8.50Level 26 — leave space despite fast changesFast harmony does not mean you must fill every chord.8.51Rest across a dominantTry resting through most of B♭7.8.52Level 27 — approach the destination from outsideSuppose target G on E♭maj7.8.53Level 28 — secondary dominant as a melodic eventWhen a secondary dominant appears, emphasize its altered third.8.54Level 29 — diminished passing harmonyIf a passing diminished chord appears:8.55ExampleC → C♯°7 → Dm.8.56Level 30 — tritone substitutionIf a dominant is replaced by its tritone substitute:8.57Do not intellectualize the substitute during performancePractice it enough that you hear:8.58Level 31 — one substitution per chorusAs in previous workshops:8.59Level 32 — solo-piano arrangementFor a solo version:8.60Density mapMark each section:8.61Intro ideaUse one of the ii–V packets from the tune.8.62Another intro ideaStart with a pedal on B♭.8.63Ending ideaFinal cadence:8.64Final E♭6/9Notes:8.65Practice loop 1 — major ii–V–IFm7 → B♭7 → E♭maj78.66Practice loop 2 — minor ii–V–iAm7♭5 → D7 → Gm8.67Practice loop 3 — secondary dominantTake:8.68The altered-third drillPlay only:8.69Ear drill — stop before the destinationPlay:8.70Ear drill — sing the third of the destinationBefore E♭maj7:8.71Memory strategyDo not memorize the chart as:8.72Fast-chart reading strategyWhen sight-reading:8.73Do not wait until the dominant to think of the tonicWhen you see:8.74This is analogous to reading wordsYou don't read:8.75Tempo ladderPractice the tune at:8.76Metronome on 2 and 4Once comfortable:8.77Metronome fewer clicksLater:8.78Solo challenge 1 — no scalesOne chorus:8.79Solo challenge 2 — one motifChoose a 3-note rhythmic motif.8.80Solo challenge 3 — target only thirdsAt every tonicized arrival, land on the 3rd.8.81Solo challenge 4 — rest through one chord per phraseYou must leave one entire chord silent.8.82Solo challenge 5 — guide tones only3rds and 7ths + one passing note.8.83Arrangement challengePlay the tune three ways:8.84Reharmonization challengeChoose one dominant.8.85Counterpoint challengeDuring one sustained melody note:8.86Bass challengePlay melody + bass only.8.87The biggest lesson about fast standardsFast harmony becomes manageable when you reduce:8.88The real-time mental modelInstead of:8.89What advanced players are often hearingNot 20 simultaneous theoretical labels.•Homework — Workshop 8Practice:•Workshop 8 mini-test1. What is the main mental strategy for fast-changing harmony?