Members alez Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi All, A while ago I was already confused about the tune in question and I asked for soloing tips: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1757381 Now the bit that got me thinking is the one where the tenor sax does this: You can hear this clearly in the same clip posted long ago: http://www.telefonica.net/web2/alez2/changes.mp3 Normally I don't get obsessed about understanding music from a theoretical point of view, but I need to write some quick part for a few more of us (alto sax, trumpet, trombone) and thought it would be nice to avoid all of us doing unisons given that it's so many of us. And I'm totally lost as to what the hell may go well with the current melody, other than the current melody. So I've circled a few notes that are not intuitive to me and put arrows on the least intuitive ones. Any comments from you jazz gurus or otherwise would be great, really. Also you are welcome to write the additional voices for me if you feel like it One theory I have for the three notes in the first circle is that's kind of a dominant "anything goes" on the Gb that moves to a kind of tonic sound on the Db. I actually tend to solo with Db as a tonic sound in mind and that seems to work. Just a thought. All the best, Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Since the harmonic motion is pretty clear and straightforward, you could consider the melody over Gb just added tones. The Ab would be the ninth, the C would be the #4 and the Eb would be the 6th. As you move to Db the last Eb becomes the 9th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Another way to think about it (and a bit more "jazz") is to consider those tones to be the upper extensions of the Gb chord: Ab, the 9th; C, the #11th, Eb, the 13th. It's common practice to raise the 11th a half-step to the #11 in chords. I think you've got the right idea about the dominant sound of that chord. It's what I would do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Yeah that's it since the Ab C Eb form the top half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Virgman Posted September 17, 2008 Members Share Posted September 17, 2008 Bb dorian sounds good. Bbm is in both key of Ab and Gb. Ab, Cm and Db are in key of Ab Db and Gb are in key of Gb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poparad Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Another thing to consider: the entire melody is using the Ab major pentatonic scale. The first chord is Ab, so even though the chords move a bit away from that, the scale stays the same, and the consistency of the scale helps, as well as the repetition of the melody. Also, the notes of an Ab major triad don't clash in any strong way with the notes of a Gb major chord, and the same for a Db major chord. As mentioned, the Gb triad works as upper extensions on both chords, and good sounding extensions at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alez Posted September 18, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 18, 2008 Great posts indeed, as always. Another thought. Looking at how the melody is totally "Ab chord" throughout (Ab major pentatonic like Poparad says) and considering that the chord changes are pretty lively, I'm thinking that the respective roles for melody and harmony are actually kind of swapped, say like if the functionality was pretty much like: Does that make sense? Cheers, Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Virgman Posted September 18, 2008 Members Share Posted September 18, 2008 Oops! I missed the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alez Posted September 18, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 18, 2008 Oops! I missed the question. My fault for writing long and hugely boring posts, and in poor English too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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