Mike's Master Classes

Chord Voicings Masterclass

The Diminished Chord - How to Alter and Apply

Roni Ben-Hur·
5.0 (1 review)·INTERMEDIATE·2 lessons·1h 19m of video

About this masterclass

Jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur takes a deep look at the diminished chord — a chord that always wants to take you somewhere — and shows how to move it beyond its basic passing-chord role into a colorful harmonic device for comping and chord-melody playing.

What's covered

  • The structure of the diminished chord as a cycle of minor thirds — why every note can be the root, and why there are really only three diminished chords
  • Using the diminished as a leading chord, demonstrated through standards like "What's New" and "Spring Is Here"
  • The relationship between diminished chords and dominant 7th chords, and converting between them with a half-step technique
  • Instant chord inversions and substitutions on the fretboard that fall out of the minor-third cycle
  • Adding colors and tensions beyond the plain diminished sound, including flat 9 extensions and borrowed notes
  • The exceptions — when not to use diminished substitutions over IV and II dominants

Roni notes that a thorough explanation of diminished theory also appears in his book Talk Jazz, but the class builds from a clear introduction into more advanced material. A practical course for intermediate players who want to add depth to their chord progressions and apply these voicings tastefully in real tunes. Includes a Soundslice example on using the diminished with one borrowed note.

Lessons in this masterclass

Lessons

  • 1The Diminished Chord - How to Alter and Apply1h 19m
  • 2Using Diminished with One Note Borrowed - Soundslice30s

Reviews & Ratings

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CHRIS
1/21/2010

Great lesson on diminished, very detailed. Maybe sometimes a bit too repetitious. It would be even better if there was a backing track. But overall an indepth analysis of the use of the functional diminished chord.

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About the instructor

Roni Ben-Hur →
Jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur has earned a sterling reputation as a musician and educator, renowned for his golden tone, improvisational brilliance, compositional lyricism and ability to charm peers, students and listeners alike. Eminent jazz critic Gary Giddins wrote in the Village Voice: "A limber and inventive guitarist, Ben-Hur keeps the modernist flame alive and pure, with a low flame burning in every note ... [He's] a guitarist who knows the changes and his own mind." Roni - born in Israel in 1962 but a longtime American citizen, based in New York City - has recorded a dozen albums as leader or co-leader, with The New York Times praising his "crisp, fluid style" and Time Out New York calling him "a formidable and consummately lyrical guitarist." He has developed a rare facility in both straight-ahead jazz and Brazilian styles, evidenced by his work with masters in both fields, from pianist Benny Harris and saxophonist/ flautist Frank Wess to vocalist Leny Andrade. The Star-Ledger of New Jersey summed up Roni this way: "A deep musician, a storyteller, Ben-Hur works with a warm, glowing sound and has an alluring way of combining engaging notes with supple rhythm." Along with releasing acclaimed educational products - such as the instructional DVD Chordability and method book Talk Jazz: Guitar - Roni has directed international jazz camps for some 15 years. Jazz guitar star Russell Malone got it right when he said: "Everything Roni does is beautiful. He has the magic touch."