PASSING/APPROACH CHORDS

Posted in a tutorial forum

Welcome back, 

This lesson is directed to the question folks ask about Passing and/or Approach Chords. It is to my fellow beginners and those at the borderline of beginner and intermediate levels [where I found myself for some time now].

Definitions:

In music, a passing chord is a non-diatonic chord that connects, or passes between, the notes of two diatonic chords. Any chord that moves between one diatonic chord and another one nearby diatonic chord may be loosely termed a passing chord. A diatonic passing chord may be inserted into a pre-existing progression that moves by a major or minor third in order to create more movement. 'In-between chords' that help you get from one chord to another are called passing chords.

A chromatic passing chord is, a chord that is not in the harmonized scale.

In music, an approach chord (also chromatic approach chord and dominant approach chord) is a chord one half-step higher or lower than the target chord. An approach chord may also be the chord immediately preceding the target chord such as the sub-dominant (BbMaj7) preceding the tonic (FMaj7) creating a strong cadence through the contrast of no more than two common tones - BbD(FA) – (FA)CE [common tones in brackets].

Approach chords may thus be a semitone or a fifth or fourth from their target chords.
Having explained all those, let's look at the very last sentence above: Approach chords may thus be a semitone or a fifth or fourth from their target chords. This is where we will build this lesson on.
In the Circle of Dominants [COD], which most know as the circle of 4ths/5ths, one can see that for example, an F has a Bb and C bordering it. C to F is a Perfect 4th interval [P4] and F to C is a Perfect 5th interval [P5]. From F to Bb is a P4 interval and Bb to F is a P5 interval.

A 4th interval above is called a sub-dominant while a 5th above is called a dominant. A P4 inverts to a P5 and vice versa.
Now, because both are dominants, you can move to any from another i.e. from F to C and from C to F i.e. in 4ths or 5ths [depending on which direction you count towards].

This is why you can use an approach/
passing chord that is a 4th interval away in any direction, to get to your target chord. For example, to get to an F chords, we can use a P4 interval above i.e. a Bb chord, or a P4 interval below i.e. a C chord.

So, when you use a chromatic chord to approach a target chord, you are either using the Leading Tone/Note idea or the Tritone substitution idea. Let me show you:

Let our target be an F chord, say Fmaj7 [FACE]. We have established that we can use say C7 or Bb7 to approach it, because Bb is a P4 above and C is a P4 below [or we say Bb is a P4 above and C is a P5 above].

Now, when we use an E chord or a Gb chord to approach the Fma7, we might be employing any of the 2 ideas pointed out above [leading tone or tritone substitution].

The Leading Tone/Note is the diatonic 7th note of the scale and is a min7b5 chords when harmonized with scale notes [only]. It is therefore a semitone below the tonic note.

If F were to be the tonic note, then E is the leading note and therefore, we can use Emin7b5 to approach the Fmaj7 chords:
LH/RH: E/EGBbD > F/FACE

The tritone sub idea is based on the fact that two dominant chords a tritone interval away share the same notes as their shells [3 and b7]. If we are to use an E chord to appraoch the Fmaj chord, we might think of it as the tritone sub of using a Bb chord [because Bb and E are tritone pairs]. So we can use any E dominant chord, altered or not, to approach the Fmaj7 chord. The popular one used is the 7#5#9 chord.

So, we can use the E7#5#9 chord to approach an Fmaj7 chord:
LH/RH: E/G#B#DFx [that's E+G#+B#+D+F double # and enharmonically equivalent to EG#CDG].
You can try E7b5b9 i.e. EG#BbDF or a plain E9 chord i.e. EG#BDF#.

Now, if we are to approach the Fma7 chord from Gb [I said Gb and not F# because Gb tends to an F while F# tends to a G when resolving], then we might be implying the tritone sub of a C7 chord, because C and Gb are tritone pairs. Any Gb dominant chord, altered or not, would work just fine.

Gb7#5#9 would be good to lead to an Fmaj7 chord:
LH/RH: Gb/BbDFbA [enharmonically equivalent to GbBbDEA].

As per voicings, you can try the Diatone Voicing or the Tritone Voicing, both based on quartal harmony.

[LH/RH voicings used below]
E7#5#9 can be voiced as EG#/DGC [Ditone Voicing] and G#D/GCE or DG#/CEG [Tritone Voicings].

Gb7#5#9 can be voiced as GbBb/EAD [Ditone Voicing] and BbE/ADGb or EBb/DGbA [Tritone Voicings].

Okay. That's enough already.

Let me know what you think.

HUMBLEKEYZ