A contrafact is a musical composition created by writing a new melody over the chord changes of an existing piece. This technique is especially common in jazz. Famous examples include Charlie Parker's 'Donna Lee' based on 'Back Home Again in Indiana', 'Ornithology' based on 'How High the Moon', and Tadd Dameron's 'Hot House' based on 'What Is This Thing Called Love'. As shown in the diagram, the original melody is replaced with a new one, while keeping the same chord progression underneath.
Let's go through the steps to write a contrafact. First, choose a source tune with interesting chord changes, like a jazz standard. Next, analyze and transcribe the harmony, focusing on the chord progression. Then, discard the original melody completely, keeping only the chord changes. Now comes the creative part: compose a new melody that fits these chord changes, ensuring your notes work harmonically with each chord. After that, refine and develop your melody to make it cohesive and memorable throughout the entire form. Finally, give your new composition a unique title. The flowchart shows how you extract chord changes from the source tune, compose a new melody over those changes, and combine them to create your contrafact.
When creating a contrafact, you can employ various melodic techniques while maintaining the original chord progression. First, you can change the rhythm of the melody while still targeting important chord tones. Second, experiment with different scale choices - if the original used a major scale, try using modes like Dorian or Lydian instead. Third, apply different articulations such as staccato or legato to change the feel. Fourth, alter the contour or shape of the melody - if the original ascends, try descending. You can also add chromatic approach tones, use different registers or octaves, and incorporate recurring motifs or patterns. The musical examples show how the same chord progression can support different melodic variations, each creating a unique contrafact while preserving the harmonic foundation.
Let's examine a famous contrafact: Charlie Parker's 'Donna Lee,' based on the chord changes of 'Back Home Again in Indiana.' While 'Indiana' has a simple, lyrical melody typical of traditional American songs, 'Donna Lee' transforms it into a fast-paced bebop masterpiece. Parker maintained the original 32-bar AABA form but created a completely different character through several key techniques. He used complex eighth-note runs with chromatic approach tones, bebop scales, and enclosure patterns that target chord extensions like 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths. Notice how much more intricate the bebop melody is compared to the original, with approximately twice as many notes in the same musical space. This demonstrates how the same harmonic foundation can support radically different melodies, allowing jazz musicians to create new compositions while honoring the tradition of standard chord progressions.
To summarize what we've learned about contrafacts: A contrafact is a new melody written over existing chord changes, allowing composers to create fresh musical works while preserving the harmonic structure of a familiar tune. The process involves analyzing the chord progression of a source tune, discarding its original melody, and composing a new one that fits those changes. Techniques for creating effective contrafacts include changing rhythm patterns, using different scale choices, altering the melodic contour, and applying various articulations. Famous examples like Charlie Parker's 'Donna Lee' demonstrate how radically different melodies can exist over the same chord progression, showing the creative possibilities of this compositional approach. Writing contrafacts remains an important practice in jazz, allowing musicians to both honor tradition and express their unique musical voice.