Black and white

King_Cardboard

How do y’all approach the dominant chords in the first portion of this tune, it’s seems to call for some altered stuff but I can’t quite find phrases that I’m totally happy with, what do you suppose Django was thinking?

pdg

I think it begins (2 measures for each chord): E7, Em7b5, D7, Dm7b5, C . . . .

So, after E7, you flatten the 3rd and the 5th. of the E7 chord, etc.

You could practice m7b5 arpeggios.

King_Cardboard

Yeah, the m7b5 I have down, but playing my typical dominant/altered lines over the E7 and D7 just don’t seem to quite capture the tune the way I want them.

Djangheureux

you can treat the Em7b5 as Asus7b9, dm7b5 as Gsus7b9 and get a nice dominant chain that leads to C:

E7 Asus7b9 D7 Gsus7b9 C

if you choose a line that fits the D-minor harmonic scale over Asus7b9 you do have the C# as a third of A7 available.

I think the choice of the bass notes along with the susb9 is responsible that it is not that easy to hear! Its a little bit like Brasilian harmony to me, folk music in disguise:)

Djangheureux

i'm sorry if i misunderstood your Question...

from what i hear Django first works with the melody notes e-f making the first E7 an b9 chord...

the next time he plays b-a-g#...

so i think a-harm. minor is used over the E7, g-harm. minor on D7, a typical choice in this style!

Altered will work over E7 but is rarely used in GJ since it creates quite different melodys and it won't work with the Bassline E7/B.

Bones

I have not studied the song but the progression just seems like E7, A7, D7, G7, C. You could use your diminised (dom7b9) ideas over the cycle of dominants.

pdg

You could also think of it as

E7, Gm6, D7, Fm6, C . . . .