How to add some gypsy harmony to songs in minor key?

The High G Ukulele Handbook

v20241125 Mirek Tim Pátek, [email protected]

Contents
1 Summary............................................................................................................................. 2
2 Right hand rhythmic pattern .............................................................................................. 2
3 Thinking how to enrich the next chord .............................................................................. 2
4 Enrichment of one-chord harmony.................................................................................... 3
4.1 Dm and C#dim7 chord ................................................................................................. 3
4.2 Gm and F#dim7 chord ................................................................................................. 4
4.3 A and G#dim7 chord .................................................................................................... 4
5 A simple enrichment of the Dm, Gm, A, Dm progression.................................................. 4
6 Rapid alternation of dominant A and tonic Dm ................................................................. 5
7 Using additional "bass" tones ............................................................................................ 6
7.1 Additional "bass" notes on one chord......................................................................... 7
7.2 Walking into the next chord ........................................................................................ 7
8 Longer progression from dominant to minor tonic ........................................................... 8
9 More complex enrichment of the Dm, Gm, A, Dm progression ........................................ 9
10 The same examples in the key of A minor ......................................................................... 9
10.1 Enrichment of one-chord harmony ............................................................................. 9
10.2 Rapid alternation of dominant and tonic .................................................................. 10
10.3 Enrichment of chord progression Am, Dm, E7, Am................................................... 10
11 The same examples in the key of E minor........................................................................ 12
11.1 Enrichment of one-chord harmony ........................................................................... 12
11.2 Rapid alternation of dominant and tonic .................................................................. 12
11.3 Enrichment of chord progression Em, Am, B7, Em or Em, Am, B, Em ...................... 12
12 The same examples in the key of G minor ....................................................................... 14
12.1 Enrichment of one-chord harmony ........................................................................... 14
12.2 Rapid alternation of dominant and tonic .................................................................. 14
12.3 Enrichment of chord progression Gm, Cm, D7, Gm .................................................. 14

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1 Summary
To make the minor song sound a little more "gypsy", the right hand can contribute to this by
playing the appropriate rhythm, and the left hand by thickening the harmony with alternating
and passing diminished seventh chords, or at the right time (e.g. during a longer progression
from dominant to the tonic chord) will play an appropriate harmonic progression that
connects two opposing melodic lines.
We will show such harmony enricment first on the key of D minor, then on the others – A
minor, E minor and G minor. It is still necessary to specify that we are not heading towards
the sound of Django Reinhardt's gypsy jazz, but rather towards Hungarian czardás.

2 Right hand rhythmic pattern

The common Island strum (D-DU-UDU) does not fit into Hungarian-style Roma music. Much
more suitable is the rhythm "boom-chick, boom-chick", where we pick one string on the
"boom" (ideally with the root note of the chord) and strum more strings on the "chick". All
strokes are played downwards. I play them with my thumbpick, another option is the bare
thumb or maybe a flatpick. Here this rhythm is shown on a chord sequence in the key of D
minor.

We will enrich this chord progression Dm, Gm, A, Dm in the next chapters.

3 Thinking how to enrich the next chord

Before we begin to enrich the above chord progression in the key of D minor with diminished
seventh chords, we must remember that they are added not after the chord, but before the
chord. Therefore, the last "boom-chick" before the chord change already harmonically
belongs to the next chord. That is, the diminished seventh chord that we put there does not
refer to the previous original chord, but to the following new chord.
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This shift in harmonic thinking will be addressed in the chapter 5 for diminished chords before
the chord change, but before that we'll discuss the enrichment of a single-chord harmony
played for a longer time.
In both cases, the basic principle applies: before each chord, we insert a diminished seventh
chord on the note a semitone lower. So before the Dm chord we put C#dim7, before the Gm
chord we put F#dim7, before the A chord we put G#dim7.

4 Enrichment of one-chord harmony

4.1 Dm and C#dim7 chord
To make the example longer, let's imagine that in the song there is one chord not for two
measures, as in the previous example, but even for four measures.

Romani musicians would not play the same Dm chord for so long, but would alternate it with
the diminished seventh chord C#dim7. Basically, they would approach these four bars by
starting each bar with a Dm chord "again" and preceding it with a C#dim7 chord in the second
half of the previous bar.

Why is half of the last measure missing here? Because there will be a diminished seventh chord
according to the chord that follows. We don't seem to know that one now, that's why there is
no preparatory diminished seventh chord before it. Of course, if you practice alternating Dm
and C#dim7 chords for more than four bars, you'll still put in the C#dim7—just not at the very
end.

In order to make it easier to quickly alternate between the Dm and C#dim7 chord shapes, it is
advisable to hold the Dm chord with three fingers without the index finger. The shape of the
C#dim7 chord is normally grasped with the index and middle fingers. When changing chords,
only the middle finger moves to the next string. This is a much simpler movement than

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jumping with the middle finger from one outer string to the opposite, if we were to hold the
Dm shape in standard way with three fingers without the little finger.

We will encounter an alternative fingering of the familiar shapes for the purpose of facilitating
a super-fast exchange with a diminished seventh chord in other cases as well.

4.2 Gm and F#dim7 chord

We alternate the Gm chord [0231] with a diminished chord a semitone lower, i.e. with F#dim7
[2323]. If you hold the Gm chord without the ring finger (i.e. with the little finger on the E
string), it may be easier to alternate with the F#dim7 chord shape. Also, choose whether to
play the G note on the third fret of the E string in the Gm chord, and then play the F# note
from the F#dim7 chord on the same string, or to jump from the G note on the empty G string
to the F# note on the E string. The second option is shown here with an empty G string.

4.3 A and G#dim7 chord

In order to make it easier to quickly alternate between the chords A [2100] and G#dim7 [1212],
we will also hold the A chord unusually. We will take advantage of the fact that in the fingering
of the G#dim7 chord, the shape [21] is held on the middle strings by the middle finger and the
ring finger, and we will simply move these two fingers to the G and C strings for the A major
chord shape. So we hold the A major chord without using the index finger.

5 A simple enrichment of the Dm, Gm, A, Dm progression

If we know how to embelish the Dm, Gm and A chords, we can easily enrich the three-chord
progression from the chapter 2. Each chord in the original example takes up two measures,
but in the second half of the second of the pair of measures, we are already playing a
diminished seventh chord leading to the next chord.

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This simple method uses only the root notes of the primary chords (and diminished seventh
chords), so there is sometimes a jump before the diminished seventh chord leading to the
new chord (see the third and especially the sixth bar). In the next chapters (7–9) with the help
of additional notes of the chords we get to a better-sounding enrichment with a smoother
"bass" line.

6 Rapid alternation of dominant A and tonic Dm

The next step in the practice of chord enrichment is to alternate between the dominant and
the tonic more quickly after one bar. This is what it would look like without the diminished
seventh chords.

And here is added C#dim7 before the Dm chord and G#dim7 before the A chord. At the end
of the exercise you skip the last diminished seventh chord in order to finish with the Dm chord.

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I remind you of the unusual holding of the Dm chord (see chapter 4.1) and A (see chapter 4.3).

7 Using additional "bass" tones

For the first and third beats, we don't have to play only the root notes of the chords, but we
can play other notes as well. Harmonization of the harmonic minor scale is actually created
with just two chords, which we play with different shapes if necessary. Here is an example of
a D minor harmonic scale harmonized by the chords Dm [2210 or 7555] and C#dim7 [0101,
3434 or 6767].

Why is there a pause at the beginning of the fifth bar in this example? I tried to follow the
principle that the Dm chord is in the first half of the bar and the C#dim7 chord is in the second
half. The problem is that when harmonizing a seven-note D minor harmonic scale, the chords
regularly alternate several times, but at the end there are two diminished seventh chords next
to each other and there is no Dm chord between them. 1

Tone D E F G AND Bb C# D
Chord Dm C#dim7 Dm C#dim7 Dm C#dim7 C#dim7 Dm

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If we weren't playing the seven-note harmonic minor scale, but the eight-note "minor diminished" D, E, F, G, A,
Bb, B, C# scale used by Barry Harris, the Dm6 and C#dim7 chords would alternate regularly, because the added
note B (between the notes Bb and C# harmonized by the C#dim7 chord) would be harmonized by the added
Dm6. Barry Harris' harmonization can be applied to a dominant seventh chord (in the key of Dm, i.e. A7), where
we would play the notes from the eight-tone "dominant diminished" scale A, B, C#, D, E, F, G, G# and alternate
between the A7 and G#dim7.

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7.1 Additional "bass" notes on one chord
While in the chapter 4.1 we played only the root notes D and C# while alternating Dm and
C#dim7 chords, we can play other notes as well if we know where to find them on the
fingerboard (on the GCE strings). Thus, for example in the first two measures we alternate the
"bass" notes D, E, F, E, in the next two measures we return to D, C#, D.

7.2 Walking into the next chord

Using other "bass" notes, we can also walk into the next chord. Let's go back to the chord
progression from the chapter 2, where two measures are Dm and the third measure is already
Gm. We will walk into it by using the three chords from the previous chapter 7.1, however, in
the second half of the second measure, we are already thinking that the next chord will be
Gm, so we will use the F#dim7 chord.

In this ascending manner, we have connected chords whose fundamental notes are a perfect
fourth (five frets) apart. Note if I can choose to play the G note on the third fret of the E string
or the empty G string, I choose the latter because it makes it easier to strum the entire chord.
If we want to connect the chords Gm and A in the third and fourth bars, with their roots
separated by only a major second (two frets), and we have two whole bars (third and fourth
bars) to do it, we first step back and then advance only by a bit. From the chapter 4.3 I remind
you that the chord A [2100] is held with the ring finger and the middle finger – so it is easily
grasped from the previous shape of G#dim7 [1212].

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8 Longer progression from dominant to minor tonic
During the fifth and sixth measures we return from the dominant A to the minor tonic Dm. If
we only had one bar to do it, we would use the method given in the chapter 6 – chords A,
C#dim7, Dm. However, since we have two measures at our disposal, the chord progression
will be more complex. There are actually chords that are created by harmonizing two opposing
series of notes from root A to root D.

Descending series of tones A G F E D

Ascending series of tones A Bb B C# D
Chord A C#dim7 Dm6 C#dim7 Dm
In high G tuning, the note A is above the note D, so we are playing a descending series of notes.

Notice that we start harmonically "thinking" about the Dm chord coming in as early as the
second half of the fifth bar, and not until the second half of the sixth bar. Already in the sixth
bar we play the Dm6 chord, which we approach in the fifth bar with the C#dim7 chord.

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9 More complex enrichment of the Dm, Gm, A, Dm progression
By combining individual sections from chapters 7.2 and 8 we got from the first to the seventh
measure of the chord progression from the chapter 2. In the seventh and eighth measures we
alternate the Dm chord with C#dim7, and since (in case of the repetition) there is Dm again in
the first measure, we calm down the playing by using their root notes D and C# (see chapter
4.1).
The result is the following tablature, which we repeat several times during practice. On the
last repeat at the end, we skip the last C#dim7 and end up on a Dm chord.
Surely you hear that compared to the simpler way from the chapter 5 the "bass" line is now
smoother and without big jumps.
In the following chapters 10–12 similar procedures are then shown in several other minor
keys.

10 The same examples in the key of A minor

10.1 Enrichment of one-chord harmony
In the key of A minor, we use the chords Am, Dm and E7. We already know how to enrich the
Dm chord from the chapter 4.1. The Am chord [2000] is alternated also with a diminished
chord a semitone lower, i.e. with G#dim7 [1212]. I prefer holding the Am chord with my index
finger so that it slides on the G string as the shape changes to G#dim7.

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We alternate the chord E7 [1202] with D#dim7 [2323]. E7 is held with the same fingers as
D#dim7, only with the middle finger raised. So the other fingers stay on their strings and just
slide on them.

10.2 Rapid alternation of dominant and tonic

We will also practice alternating the dominant E7 and the tonic Am more quickly one bar at a
time.

10.3 Enrichment of chord progression Am, Dm, E7, Am

We can enrich the chord progression simply (as in chapter 5).

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Or we can enrich it in a more complex wat, similar to the chapter 9. In the first two bars, I need
to get from the high note A down to C#, so I don't play A, G#, A and then a big jump down to
C#, but a gradual descent of A, F, E, C# notes. In the fifth and sixth measures (a longer
progression from the dominant E7 to the tonic Am) is unlike the chapter 8 ascending series
because the starting note E is low and the target note A is high. At the beginning of the sixth
bar, I use the incomplete shape [2020] for the Am6, because it is much easier to exchange it
with the surrounding shapes of G#dim7 [1212] than if I played the full shape [2423].

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11 The same examples in the key of E minor
11.1 Enrichment of one-chord harmony
In the key of E minor we use the chords Em, Am and B7, in the last example in the chapter
11.3 then the B chord without the seventh. We already know how to embelish the Am chord
from the chapter 10.1. We alternate the Em chord [0432] with a diminished chord a semitone
lower, i.e. with D#dim7 [2323].

We alternate the B7 chord [4320] with A#dim7 [3434].

11.2 Rapid alternation of dominant and tonic

We will also practice alternating the dominant B7 and the tonic Em more quickly after one
bar.

11.3 Enrichment of chord progression Em, Am, B7, Em or Em, Am, B, Em

Again, I present two variants of enrichment, first simple with root notes of chords.

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A more complex enrichment also uses notes other than the root notes of the chords, so the
result is smoother. In bars five and six, there is a descending series from high B to low E (B, A,
G, F#, E). To ensure that the second note of this descending series (A) sounds only in the "bass"
before the D#dim7 chord and not prematurely already in the B7 chord, I play only B major
triad[4322] without the seventh as the first chord in the fifth bar.

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12 The same examples in the key of G minor
12.1 Enrichment of one-chord harmony
In the key of G minor, we use the chords Gm, Cm, D7. Alternating the Gm chord with the
F#dim7 chord is shown in the chapter 4.2.
We alternate the chord Cm [5333] with Bdim7 [4545].

We alternate the D7 chord [2223] with C#dim7 [0101].

12.2 Rapid alternation of dominant and tonic

A faster alternation of the dominant D7 and the tonic Gm looks like this.

12.3 Enrichment of chord progression Gm, Cm, D7, Gm

Let's practice a simple enrichment of the chord progression with only the root notes of the
chords.

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The last example is a more complex enrichment with a smoother "bass" line. In addition, there
is one more peculiarity that has not yet been discussed. Because we don't have an B note on
the high G ukulele under the deep C note (the root note of the C minor chord), in the third
measure there is an Eb note (the third of the C minor chord), which we approach from below
from the D note. The bass note C is heard only in the fourth measure, before the incomplete
shape 0033 of the Cm chord (i.e. without the third Eb that the ear remembers from the
previous bar). So in this case, we prefer a better-sounding "bass" line over strictly following
the rule that the first time a new chord occurs, we should play its root note. In bars five and
six, we play an ascending series from the note D up to the high G.

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