In
jazz harmony
Jazz harmony is the theory and practice of how chords are used in jazz music. Jazz bears certain similarities to other practices in the tradition of Western harmony, such as many chord progressions, and the incorporation of the major and minor ...
, a So What chord is a particular 5-note
chord voicing. From the bottom note upwards, it consists of three
perfect fourth
A fourth is a musical interval encompassing four staff positions in the music notation of Western culture, and a perfect fourth () is the fourth spanning five semitones (half steps, or half tones). For example, the ascending interval from C to ...
intervals followed by a
major third
In classical music, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions (see Interval number for more details), and the major third () is a third spanning four semitones. Forte, Allen (1979). ''Tonal Harmony in Concept and P ...
interval. It was employed by
Bill Evans
William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...
in the "'amen'
response figure
Figure may refer to:
General
*A shape, drawing, depiction, or geometric configuration
*Figure (wood), wood appearance
*Figure (music), distinguished from musical motif
*Noise figure, in telecommunication
*Dance figure, an elementary dance pattern ...
" to the
head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...
of the
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
tune "
So What
So What may refer to:
Law
*Demurrer, colloquially called a "So what?" pleading
Music Albums
* ''So What'' (Anti-Nowhere League album) or the 1981 title song (see below), 2000
* '' So What?: Early Demos and Live Abuse'', by Anti-Nowhere League, ...
".
For example, an "E minor" So What chord is an Em
11 voicing,:
The So What chord is often used as an alternative to
quartal voicings and may be used in diatonic and chromatic
planing.
It is identical to the
standard tuning
In music, standard tuning refers to the typical Musical tuning, tuning of a string instrument. This notion is contrary to that of scordatura, i.e. an alternate tuning designated to modify either the timbre or technical capabilities of the desired i ...
of a
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
's five lowest strings. It is essentially a minor
eleventh chord
In music theory, an eleventh chord is a chord that contains the tertian extension of the eleventh. Typically found in jazz, an eleventh chord also usually includes the seventh and ninth, and elements of the basic triad structure. Variants inc ...
, arranged as it would be played on a guitar (1, 4, 7, 3, 5).
It may also be thought of as a five-note quartal chord (built from fourths) with the top note lowered by a
semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically.
It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...
. More modern sounding than "
tertial chords" (built from thirds), it is useful in
comping; since the structure of quartal harmony is usually vague, many roots may be applied to the So What chord and it may work well in various contexts including, "a
major scale
The major scale (or Ionian mode) is one of the most commonly used musical scales, especially in Western music. It is one of the diatonic scales. Like many musical scales, it is made up of seven notes: the eighth duplicates the first at double i ...
context; a
Mixolydian mode
Mixolydian mode may refer to one of three things: the name applied to one of the ancient Greek ''harmoniai'' or ''tonoi'', based on a particular octave species or scale; one of the medieval church modes; or a modern musical mode or diatonic scal ...
context; or a
minor
Minor may refer to:
* Minor (law), a person under the age of certain legal activities.
** A person who has not reached the age of majority
* Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education
Music theory
*Minor chord
** Barb ...
context". For example, without changing the keys that are played, the same Em
11 chord described above can also function as a C6
Δ9, Asus4
7(9), G6
9, Dsus2
4, 6 o 7/sup>, Flydian (FΔ91113 o 5/sup>) or Fphrygian (Fm791113 o 5/sup>).
Other jazz recordings that make extensive use of the chord include McCoy Tyner
Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA ...
's " Peresina" and Gary Burton
Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...
's "Gentle Wind and Falling Tear". Tyner's use of similar voicings was an early influence on Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...
; it can be heard in tunes such as "Steps" and "Matrix" (both featured on his landmark album '' Now He Sings, Now He Sobs'').
The term "So What chord" is used extensively in Mark Levine
Mark Andrew LeVine is an American historian, musician, writer, and professor. He is a professor of history at the University of California, Irvine.
Education
LeVine received his B.A. in comparative religion and biblical studies from Hunter ...
's landmark work '' The Jazz Piano Book'', wherein he describes a range of uses for which the voicing might be employed. Frank Mantooth
Frank Mantooth (April 11, 1947 in Tulsa, Oklahoma – January 30, 2004 in Garden City, Kansas) was an American jazz pianist and arranger.
Mantooth attended University of North Texas College of Music, graduating in 1969, then played in and arrange ...
dedicated two chapters to the chord under the name "Miracle voicing" in his work ''Voicings for Jazz Keyboard''.
References
{{Jazz theory
Jazz techniques
Chords
Jazz terminology