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Theory & Analysis
The Theory & Analysis page is the spot for general music theory questions, and more in-depth analysis of pieces.

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minor cadences

five guitar position studies, in the form of boppish ii - V - i cadences. the third of the first chord is placed twice on the first string, once each with the remaining notes toward the bridge and toward the nut. similarly for the second string. once only for the third string, with the remaining notes mostly toward the nut. some suggested left hand fingerings are indicated. sometimes an extension or one fret change of position is required.

slurs are not indicated (for cleanness of score), but are appropriate in several places, especially where a neighbor tone returns.

play each in all twelve keys, aim for the tempo appropriate for...say 'i hear a rhapsody' to 'cherokee'.

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far wes guide tone lines

two sets, accidentals as marked (for the measure, per customary). if you can't find the changes, pm me.

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Kenny Garrett - Sing a Song of Song

How do you think of this one from Kenny Garrett (just the A section, B only makes a brief appearance) - functional chords or no? 3 major chords, each a step apart, the bass outlines the triads, and the melody moves from A (over Esus) to G (E minor) over the D. Garrett plays all kinds of stuff over this - close to the melody, blues, and an eastern-sounding scale at the end (g#,a,b,c,e,f#).

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Bemsha Reduced

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Nefertiti in LJI Simplified Melody

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4th Voicings on Blues

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Double Diminished on Blues

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+MA7 Chords on Blues Scale

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Parallel Blues Voicings

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Similar Motion Blues Scale Clusters

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Avid Smiles
Here's my line on Miles Davis's Nardis, excerpted from my new book, Hot Lines ~ Jazz Standards. I play it in an up-tempo swing feel over an E pedal. It's fun to play and requires no rehearsal with anyone who knows the tune.

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Nardis Reduced Melody
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One For Melody Etude
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Riffraff Motive Etude 2
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Double Phrygian Blues~w/Sound
Improvising on Riffraff ~

I was messing around with the first motive of [I]Riffraff[/I], settling on this exercize on transposing it to the augmented fourth interval on each of the basic blues chords. Coincidentally, it turns out to be the Double Phrygian scale. It is also one of my LJI Bichordal Pitch Collections, combining in this case F and B triads.

I have a book out on the development of the motives and specific rhythms contained in Riffraff.

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Small Ruse Etude
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LJI 2a Targeting Alt
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Bill's scales for Flamenco Sketches
For discussion of this image, see http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showthread.php?t=39671

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jazz minor exercise
to help get the sound of this scale in your ears.

exercises are shown for Ami6 (AmiMAJ7, Ami6/9). also work over B7susb9, CMAJ7#5, D7#11 (#4, b5), E7b13, F#m7b5#2, G#7alt. first score begins on root and ascends first, second half begins on root and descends first. these patterns should be played in positions II, IV, and VII. second score begins on the third and ascends...etc. these patterns should be played in positions V, VII, and IX. other positions should be worked out for lower octaves.

work one key at a time until comfortable, through all keys. aim for a minimum of mm160 (quarter note).

right hand for fingerstyle playing is: ascending first--i-m-i-m-i-m-i-a-m-i-m-i-m-i-a-m; for descending first--m-i-m-i-m-i-a-m-i-m-i-m-i-m-i-a. for pickstyle, i would suggest just alternate down-up (but i don't play that style, so you're on your own).

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Ionian Line
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Yestercise
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Moment's Thrill ~ Sound & Score
This piece can be performed in any rhythmic style or tempo. I've put an African 7 against 6 (2mm of 3/4) rhythm against the lilting swing waltz melody, and I added lyrics. It will keep repeating, similar to Ravel's Bolero, picking up instruments, interplay, and intensity as it goes. Following the climax, it will affect an abbreviated palindrome, culminating in a rubato vocal chorus of 16mm.

Notice the #9 in the lead on an +MA7 chord (m.15). Sometimes I'll use an +MA7 in prominent places to give it emphasis (m.1), to make it a priority chord, for example, in a non-functional chord succession. In that milieu it creates further tonal ambiguity, due to the imperfect (augmented) 5th. While it's position in a progression (root progression) will affect how it's percieved, the chordal 3rd usually sounds as a temporary tonal center.

Here it is below:

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Rhythm's Got Me w/sound
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Work for Art ~ w/sound
Work for Art is an example of a twentieth century Impressionist-inspired jazz composition. It is a twenty-eight-measure blues of sorts with several changes of rhythmic feel: Brazilian samba, Afro-Cuban 6/8, and straight-ahead continental swing. These various feels, each accompanied by different, specific and related rhythmic hits, are designed to supply a built-in yin and yang of tension and release.

Its melody is based on the so-called Dorian Flat Nine mode, the second mode of the Melodic minor. Based on an A priority note, it contains the following Septachord (7-note pitch collection): A, Bb, C, D, E, F#, G, A, which is transposed up a minor third.

Dorian b9 mode is established by both quantitative and qualitative emphasis, by employing more A�s than the other pitch classes, and by placing them in prominent places.

Its harmonic chord succession is on the modal priority chord (Am7) as the i7 chord, where it oscillates with its diatonic bviiMA7 chord, the latter of which creates a short and recurring buzz of richness on the weaker, even-numbered measures of the phrase. This is briefly transposed up a minor third in imitation of the blues transposition to the iv chord, a sort-of 20th century substitution.

In mm.17-24, a bridge of sorts appears, replacing and elongating the normal V-IV section of a blues; and there is a change of rhythmic feel there to an Afro-Cuban 6/8�also with oscillating parallel quartal chords. This is accompanied by a change of pitch source to quartal harmony�another Impressionist influence, before it returns to the priority chord with its Brazilian feel.

For the improvisations in the development section of the composition, the rhythm section flattens out to a straight-ahead swing to release the tension which has been built up in the exposition (except for the 6/8 feel).

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Flatted Cadence Lick
This is excerpted from Linear Jazz Improvisation Functional Jazz Guitar.

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Out There
Out There

Here is Out There, a blues on standard modern jazz blues changes, comprised mostly of rather harsh unresolved melodic tensions of various kinds. I used to play this for live WRVR broadcasts with Chet Baker a lot at our steady gig at the Half Note in NYC. It was our break tune.

It was written spontaneously in answer to a question regarding unresolved tensions while I was teaching an arranging class at Berklee College one morning in 1969. After I wrote it for the class in five minutes, I stepped back and said, "Damn, that's out there."

It is done often with straight-ahead blues changes, but I do have a few weird passing chords with specific hits for the head. I had a 5-horn arrangement for the NYC Baker nonet, with the hits voiced with prime dissonance, in contrary motion. While it is tonally ambiguous, to say the least, it works on one level because it is comprised entirely of jazz clich�s--especially rhythmic.

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Free Fall ~ Atonal Waltz
Here is an atonal composition, Free Fall, in which melodic tensions are used over a non-functional chord succession in an Impressionist style.

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What Is This? Contrafact & B.G.
Here is my line on What Is This Thing Called Love; below that is my guide-tone line background for the same tune:

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What Is This Thing? #11 Exercize
Here is an exercize I wrote for an AAJ thread, in which I employ #11 i every dominant and major chord.

In the process, I attempted to paraphrase the melody at the same time.

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Remembrance~Atonal Ballad
Here is Remembrance, my 24-bar atonal ballad which employs a step-wise descending non-functional chord succession, over which the melody appears as various forms of unresolved melodic tensions (9ths, 11ths, & 13ths), including various usages of #11.

Here is Remembrance, my 24-bar atonal ballad which employs a step-wise descending non-functional chord succession, over which the melody appears as various forms of unresolved melodic tensions (9ths, 11ths, & 13ths), including various usages of #11 in which #11 is approached from a whole-step below:

While the salient tension in this piece is 9, it also has a use of #11, that of the prepared and repeated #11, in which its context and tension level is altered by the changing of chords, as can be found in the last 7 bars.

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#11 Etude on What Is This Thing Called Love
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Riffraff~Score & Sound
Here's a blues riff of mine, based on the following single motive: F, Eb, C, which is repeatedly transposed to make a 12-bar blues. It is done in three keys simultaneously--throughout.

I have a book out on this tune, which extensively applies the 10 Linear Jazz Improvisation chromatic targeting groups, the song's rhythms, and much more.

See second example for vocal lead sheet.

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Connecting The 3rds On Like Someone In Love
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Quartal Guitar Cadence
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rhythm changes exercises for guitar
elementary position studies for rhythm changes, basic two measure cell: BbMA7-Gm7-Cm7-F7. practice each section until fluent, aim for 180-230 bpm. quarter notes are given for simplicity. modify note values to taste.

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Cooper Square
I wrote the rather simple tune "Cooper Square" in 1963 as an exercise in learning how to cycle ii-V chords. The model for me was "Ergo," written by Jack Montrose and performed by Chet Baker. "Cooper Square" is a contrafact of that tune, with slightly different harmony, especially at the end of the bridge, where I extended the key of the last two chords, F#m7 - B7, backwards to make a I-vi-ii-V progression in E major. Where the original changes differ from mine they're shown under the staff.

The melody is mostly diatonic, sticking close to the chords. The first four measures are essentially a descending guide-tone line.

My tune has a coda that the original does not.

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Etude On Like Someone In Love
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Etude On Alone Together
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Joe Henderson Diminished Lick
Here is a diminished lick Joe Henderson gave me. It has the feel of a pentatonic pitch collection, since the opening 4-note motive suggests pentatonic.

Click below for sound.

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Diminished Scale Lick on V7-5
Diminished Scale Lick on V7-5

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Dennis Sandole Diminished Licks
Here are two Dennis Sandole Diminished Licks. The second is a Septachord - Incomplete Diminished: no -9 (A flat)

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Block Chord Keyboard Cadences
This is the most basic cadence to be learned on piano (excerpted from Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes:

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Falling Grace Analysis
Below is my analysis of Falling Grace. Scroll for Steve Swallow's lead sheet and my reduction of his melody.

Bb:
||: AbΔ - - - | - - - - | D7/F# - - - | Gm(7) - - - | Fm7 - Bb7 - |

||: bVIIΔ | bVIIΔ | V7/vi7 in 1st inv. | vi7 | ii7/IVΔ V7/IVΔ |

| EbΔ/G - D7/F# - | Gm(7)/F - - - | C(7)/E - - - | FΔ - - - |

| IVΔ in 1st inv.; V7/vi in 1st inv. | vi | C: I in 1st inv. | IVΔ |

| F#� - - - | B7 - - - | Em(7) - - - | Am7 - D7 - | GΔ - - - ||

|G: ii�/vi | V7/vi | vi | ii7 V7 | GΔ ||

|| Cm7 - - - | C#� - - - | BbΔ - - - | EbΔ - - - | E� - - - |
||Bb: ii7 | #iio7 (biiio7) | IΔ | IVΔ | ii�/iii7 |

| A7 - - - | Dm7 - Db7 - | Cm7 - F7 - | BbΔ - - - | EbΔ - - - :||
| V7/iii7 | iii7 subV7/ii7 | ii7 V7 | IΔ | IVΔ :||

TAG || AbΔ - - - | DbΔ - - - ||
TAG || IVΔ | bIIIΔ ||

This is a 12-measure through-composed melody�with intentional irregularities employed to control the pacing of the tune's exposition:

Measure 2 is an elongation of m.1 (extra measure). The first 5mm. are stretched out to be twice the melodic rhythm of the rest of the melody.

M.14 is a transitional extension (extra bar), as are m.18 and the last two mms. before the double bar.

The tune is clearly in the primary key of Bb�and it should therefore take its correct key signature of two flats.

With regard to brightness, the tune begins in Bb major, and then progresses to the incrementally brighter keys of C and then G major, before returning to conclude in Bb.

The root progression moves essentially through the cycle of fourths in typical fashion (its guide-tone line is typical as well). What makes this composition both melodically and harmonically significant is its key progression, which moves from the primary key to the key of II (C), and then to the key of VI (G), both of which are not traditionally considered to be strong tonal modulations (that is to say closely-related, such as the keys of IV and V), but instead rather vague (not intended in any way as an aesthetic judgment).

In learning to improvise on this piece, begin by internalizing the reduction through paraphrasing and singing chromatic targeting of these essential melody notes, before addressing the entire form. Once this is accomplished, the specifics of the chord changes become far less of a necessary focus.

Working on this tune ahead of time in this fastidious manner is necessary, because if you want to sound better than you are (at best) just getting through it in a passable, mediocre way, it is a good idea to know how the tune is constructed, and to use that information to inform your preparation on it in the practice room�especially on a sophisticated composition such as this. You also need to be on intimate terms with the melody.

I have heard, for example, many very competent�even great�professional jazz artists fall right on their asses on Dolphin Dance for just that kind of lack of preparation. You just can't jive it and be convincing. At first, even Chet Baker and Frank Vicari played some lame solos in getting used that tune�and also some of Wayne Shorter's compositions, because they don't follow a standard type, and are tonally ambiguous and often contain irregular forms. You cannot rely on your licks on this kind of composition; you have to compose yourself into it.

Analysis isn't essential, and you don't need to do any more of it than you intend to use for writing exercises and etudes on tunes to be learned. It can be done without all of that. One way or another, though, you have to learn a complex tune such as this as a special story in order to be convincing on it, even if it just entails playing it on the piano and singing improvisations.

In creating each and every role I am to play on a given piece, they are most effectively developed from the essential elements of the composition itself. Everything else is merely generic. Since in analyzing complex tunes such as this I always have to start by reducing the melody, I did that in Albert Shanker fashion, a process which is always revealing. I based this on Swallow's lead sheet and posted it here:

Of course, no matter what you do in the practice room, leave it all behind in performance. You don't want to know anything intellectual about it at that point. Often, though, the systematic process points me to vocabulary, approaches, and additional options that might not have occurred to me otherwise. Especially helpful for me on this particular tune would be to first learn the melody in its simplified and reduced form, since that process really liberates.

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Wave Analysis
Think of Wave as a 12-bar blues in an AABA' form with a tonal bridge. The primary key is C major, with each A section ending in the parallel minor, C minor�with a blues connotation there. The bridge modulates to Bb major, and then to Db, before repeating the A section blues in C, but with a more final melodic ending. This is an old device in the A section in which it begins in C major and ends in C minor. The melody of the A sections is very much blues.

Let's not neglect also that beautiful guide-tone line counter-melody. I could just blow off of that alone�takes you right through the center of the chord changes. Then also I love making the most of the minor to major parallel interchange between the end and beginning of each chorus, especially since the minor is really a blues minor. I try to capitalize on that mood change back to the pretty major at the top.

But it is so pretty that it might not occur to you to try also playing a funky blues over the entire A section. It's a 12-bar blues after all. Once you get used to that, you've got one more device to make your own, to be pulled out at will, even for a few beats at a time. Same goes for Solar, another 12-bar blues thats got a pretty thing going.

Wave:

C:
|| C� - - - | Ab�7 - - - | Gm7 - - - | C7b9 - - - |

|| I� | bvio7 (incomplete G7-9, acting as a secondary dominant, V7 of V7/IV) | ii7/IV | V7-9/IV� |

| F� - - - | Fm6 - - - | E7 - - - | A7#5 - - - |

| IV� | iv6 (tonal harmonic clihe) | V7/VI | V+7/II |

| D7 - - - | Ab7 - G7#5 - | Cm7 - F7 - | Cm7 - F7 - :||

| V7/V7 | subV7/V7 V+7 | i7 IV7 | i7 IV7 :||

Basic blues progression:

||: I | IV | I7 (V7/IV)�[I]or[/I] ii7/IV7 | V7/IV7 |

| IV7 | IV7 (or iv, or #ivo7, or even IV�) | I | I (or V7/ii7) |

| ii7 (or II7) | V7 | I | I ( or i, plus a turn-around cadence, to get back to I in this case) :||

This is a Blues!

Chord Scales:

|| C�: Major | Ab�7 (Ab Diminished) | Gm7 (G Dorian) | C7b9 (C# Diminished) |

| F� (F Lydian) | Fm6 (F Melodic minor) | E7 (A Harmonic minor) | A7#5 (D Harmonic minor) |

| D7 (D Lydian b7) | Ab7 (Ab Lydian b7) G7#5 (Ab Melodic minor) | Cm7 (C Dorian) F7 (F Lydian b7) | Cm7 (C Dorian) F7 (F Lydian b7) :||

These are the dogma modes (an oxymoron in this tonal context) of Chord Scale Theory a la Berklee. However, they are entirely arbitrary; and I would never limit myself to such subjective prescriptions�nor would I play locally off of each chord in any progression.

If you must have scales, try this: Since the A section of this tune is in C throughout, employ the C major scale. When chords are introduced which are chromatic to the key of C, substitute those chromatic notes for the corresponding diatonic pitch of the (C) primary key.

Forget this stuff, and play off of the melody. If you want to make the changes, internalize and then play off of the guide-tone line. In this way you don't have to get caught up in all that CST thinking.

Wave LJI Targeting Etudes
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Wave Guide-Tone Line
Here is the guide-tone line to Jobim's Wave..

Below that is my realization of it.

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Barcarolle
Here's a bitonal blues with some big chords. The melody is in D minor thoroughout, while the accompaniment below is exclusively in C minor:

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Work for Art
Here's a weird 28-bar modal blues, largely based on the Dorian b9 mode:

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Motivic Blues~Sound & Score
Here's a blues based on the 4-note motive F, E, Eb, C, which is transposed throughout the (somewhat unusual) blues progression. While in 4/4 overall, measures 9-10 are in 6/4, harmonized with MA7-5 chords:

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Stairway To The Blues
Excerpted from Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes:

I sometimes create modern out chord successions over which I play my normal bluesy stuff, so it puts my blues licks in a different context, rather than learning to create lines from the chords. The compositional process for this piece began with a haunting subconscious near-obsession with the opening four-note motive, Bb, Db, Eb, F and its attendant rhythm, which gradually developed itself into a blues melody as I was going about my business going about my business over a period of several months. When it felt complete, I wrote it down, and then sat down at the piano and wrote its non-functional chord succession and the ostinato bass line.

This is an eight-bar blues in the form of a Passacaglia, a piece which has a strong recurring, descending bass ostinato. The melody is based on the following Pentachord (five-note) Melody Pitch Collection on (not in, since this piece is not tonal) the following blues pc: Bb: Bb, Db, Eb, E, F, Bb�(Minor blues scales with no seventh, Ab). The stepwise descending (and then ascending) non-functional chord succession (also on Bb) is as follows (at two beats per chord):

//: Bbm, Ab7sus4 / GbMA7, E7-5 / Eb7sus4, Dbm9 / C7-5, B+MA7 / Bbm, C7-5+9 / Db+MA7, Eb7sus4 / E+MA7, F7sus4 /
G7-5+9, A7-5 -9 :// (Bbsus/B)

Note that the final chord in the coda is a Bbsus/B. This tetrachord (four-note pc), which contains no seventh, acts as a voicing of a BMA7-5, only the root in the bass is separated from the rest of the otherwise close-position voicing. The root progression is also a strong line, which becomes more obvious as you sing it two or four times as fast.

With regard to the editorial process, this composition, in its first life, was extremely long, and contained several themes, changes of rhythmic feel, meter and key: Nobody could play it, so I threw it all out and asked myself what it was that inspired me to write it in the first place. Since I then decided it was the first eight measures, I kept that�and it was enough. Now it is performed often. I've also found that it can be played in any rhythmic style: slow swing, samba, funk, Latin�even reggae! I play blues licks over this without any regard to making changes. Indeed, I often build entire improvisations on the Blues Melody PC alone.

Here it is below:

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Butterfly
Excerpted from Hot Lines on 10 Standards:

Here's my original line on Miles Davis's Solar, only with a CMA7 instead of Miles' CmMA7.

What follows are several examples of chromatic targeting of the melody in a variety of ways, using basic principles of the Linear Jazz Improvisation Method.

The first example is the lead sheet. In the second example, the very first motive, E G A, is transposed throughout in an inside fashion. In the third example the motive is connected to each transposition by a leading tone chromatic targeting Type 1a.

The example at the very bottom is the Simplified Melody Targeted (the melody place on the beat and reduced to quarter notes with targeting in between).

SCROLL DOWN ON EXAMPLE BELOW FOR 2ND PAGE:

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Guide Tone Line Creation
These examples are excerpted from Linear Jazz Improvisation books, by Ed Byrne:

Practitioners routinely use Guide Tone Line technique for playing or writing melodic background lines, as well as for creating lines which move through the center of the chord changes. Guide tone lines constitute the essence of the harmonic movement in a chord progression in tonal music�in the form of a line�without having to think chord symbols. If you ferret out the thirds and sevenths of the chords in the progression, you will find two lines. Although they both tend to descend in stepwise fashion or remain on the same pitch before descending, one usually moves a bit more than the other. These two lines can also be combined and embellished (paraphrased). They can be mixed and/or embellished with other notes, either diatonic scale notes or chromatic non-harmonic tones.

While melody is our primary focus in improvising in Linear Jazz Improvisation, if you wish to make the changes, shape your lines around a guide tone line. Sing to internalize, and then paraphrase them. In this fashion they will organically evolve into an improvisation. This embellishment process can also be practiced systematically by applying chromatic targeting. You can also combine guide tone lines in a variety of ways for more complex results. For a background line, make a simple counter line. Don't be afraid to leave some notes sustained and on the beat. For best results, sing while writing. Add rhythm.

The first example is a Bb Blues (Blue Funk). Scroll down on the example and you will also find Blue Passa. I also included an etude which demonstrate the technique's use in improvising an 8th-note solo blues line:

SCROLL DOWN ON EXAMPLE BELOW FOR MORE EXAMPLES:

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Hexachord Etude
Here is an etude I wrote on the 5th mode hexachord of Olivier Messiaen's
Seven Modes of Limitied Transposition:

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Melodic ii7 V7 I MA7 Formula ~ All Keys
Supplied below are the most basic cadential formulas, notated in all major and minor keys:

This is excerpted from my new 275-page essay book, Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes.

SCROLL FOR ALL PAGES.

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12 Basic LJI 7th Chords
Linear Jazz Improvisatrion Books 2 and 3 focus on the mastering of triads and 7th chords through application of 10 LJI Chromatic Targeting Groups (in another thread).

12 BASIC JAZZ SEVENTH CHORDS OF THE LJI METHOD

MA7

MA7-5

m7

m7-5

mMA7

7

7sus4

7-5

+7

+MA7

o7

oMA7

10 LJI Target Groups

Listed below are the 10 Basic Chromatic Targeting Groups of the Linear Jazz Improvisation Method, as found in LJI Book 1.

SCROLL TO SEE ALL PAGES AND EXAMPLES:

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Solar Analysis
Excerpted from Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes:

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Birdcall ~ Confirmation Contrafact
Excerpted from Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes:

Contrafacts

Contrafacts are good for their expediency, since you can come out with your own line on a standard tune without having to first rehearse it. The idea worked for Bird, and it is still done today. Since these progressions are familiar to the rhythm section, contrafacts work with ease on the gig�as long as you know your Head line. Yet, they are fresh to the audience. Seen below is Bird Call, my contrafact on Charlie Parker�s Confirmation. The exposition line is based on the chromatically stepwise descending guide tone line, mixed with the second guide tone line. There is a send-off for the drum solo based on the same line.

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Like It Is ~ Sound & Score
Excerpted from Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes:

One of my main focuses in recent months has been to try to play pantonally by transposing Major and Minor triads over ostinatos and pedal points in particular. I favor those two forms of triad since they have the most sonority. Since most of my compositional activity is aimed at producing platforms for my own improvisational performance, I wanted to write a vehicle for this kind of playing. Like it Is resulted from that effort.

I first created an eighth-note rhythm for the A section, in which I knew I would later fill in the triads, with the intention that it would be a drum solo with a pitch line. I decided to limit myself here to only major triads, since it felt right to create a very bright constant structure here. I thought of a rhythmic ostinato pedal point upon which to place the line, and then a yang response in the piano section to the yin of the bass ostinato. After I had that, I created different, yet related rhythmic ostinatos to extend, contrast and develop the first. The second ended up being a blues-like ostinato. After returning to the A section line, the second ending moves to a third ostinato, based on a sort of tritone relationship to the first B, resulting in a compositional form of ABAC (or B prime).

Melodically, after creating the A section�s melodic rhythm and the overall form with its built-in balance between tension and release, I turned my attention to the actual line itself. After repeatedly hearing in my head the composition in this state of development, I began to sing the actual horn line. Then I started playing it on the trombone until I had what I needed, which entailed fairly distant transpositions of the Major triads: +4, MA3, +4, � step, m3, MA3, +4; MA3, m3, m3, m3, MA2, MA3, m3, MA3, many of which create tension against the strong Bb tonic ostinato. It then seemed to need contrast and a release of tension (and a needed rest for the trombone), so I have the horn lay out on the B and C sections.

In terms of improvisation, I like how the form and its contrasting ostinatos set me up, both in suggested moods and in terms of pitch materials. The A section, of course, invites you to continue the process of pantonal improvisation of various Major triad transpositions, along with its melodic rhythms. B implies a blues orientation, while C could be either�or something else. In practice, I find that I can mix these approaches during a lengthy improvisation without regard to slavishly changing my lines directly in tandem with the formal movement. It�s fun to play.

Scroll for additional examples:

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Ornette�s Ramblin�
Excerpted from Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes

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My Funny Valentine
My Funny Valentine

My Funny Valentine contains a basic line clich�: C, B, Bb, A, Ab, G. It is a way of creating a sense of movement over harmonic stasis (inactivity).

From the Real Book changes:

Cm:
|| i | iMA7 | i7 | i6 |

| bVI MA7 | iv7 | ii7-5 | v7-9 ||

|| i | iMA7 | i7 | i6 |

| bVI MA7 | iv7 | bvi6 | V7-9/bIII MA7 (becoming V7 in Eb)||

Eb (Relative Major):

|| I MA7 ii7 | iii7 ii7 | I MA7 ii7 | iii7 ii7 |

| I MA7 V7/vi | vi ii7/IV MA7 SubV7/IV MA7| IV MA7 |(in Cm) ii7-5 V7-9 ||

Cm:
|| i | iMA7 | i7 | i6 |

| bVI MA7 | ii7-5 V7-9 | i | SubV7#11/bVI MA7 V7-9/bVI MA7 |

|bVI MA7 | (in Eb) ii7 V7-9 | I6 | (in Cm) ii7-5 V7-9 ||

The tune has a 36-measure AA'BA'' form with a 4-measure extension at the end. It plays the traditional tonal game of toggling between the relative major and minor modes (closest of all modulations because they share the same key signature).

bVI is diatonic to C (pure) minor (bVI) in a straight-forward progression (the Bbm7 is a secondary ii7, progressing to A7 (SubV7 of Ab bVI).

The final passage is ambiguous in its transitory quality. It is not clear at this point which of the two related keys it is in (Cm or Eb major), a common quality of this traditional modal exchange (the device is as old as tonal music itself): Such tunes often purposely temporarily confuse the listener as to which key it is in. It is part of its charm.

Having already heard the key relationship between Cm and Eb, in retrospect the Ab chord in the final passage can be heard dually as both bVI in Cm--and--IV in Eb. It could be considered a pivot or dual function chord in a transitory modulation.

In either case it would (most diatonically) take an Ab Lydian scale, according to Berklee dogma.

The guidelines of modulation are general: usually around four measures; but that is affected by various contextual factors, such as tempo--and especially its context in the progression (qualitative emphasis), and more. It has to somehow last long enough or be placed in a prominent place in order to be perceived to actually change tonics.

In ascertaining this, I usually start with the melody rather than the progression. I solfegge the melody, which has its own tonal logic and tonal phrasing.

Those guys knew what they were doing and how to do it. They were steeped in traditional tonal formal devices: This is as old as the hills.

Most of what I said about relative key juxtapositions hold true also for the parallel major/minor relationship. The ultimate purpose is to keep the listener guessing: If it's either too predictable or too obscure, the listener is gone and the gig is up. Often the payoff is in the final phrase.

What, in the end, is a Picardy Third?

Triple Play~Atonal Jazz 7/4 Canon
Here's a work in progress: an atonal canon in swing jazz rhythm.
Don't forget to scroll the score.

Sound can be heard below.

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Blue Rendezvous Analysis
Here is very different kind of composition, excerpted from my new 275-page essay book, Speaking of Jazz: Essays and Attitudes. I have also published an entire book of Linear Jazz Improvisation exercises and etudes in a book, Blue Rendezvous. The composition itself was written spontaneously as an example while I was teaching an advanced jazz composition student the evolution and the various harmonic extensions of the blues form. Although there are no blue notes, this is obscurely based on the structure of a basic twenty-four-bar blues. Therefore, this is another example of a piece for which I wrote the accompaniment first and the melody afterwards. This is not, however, the way I always compose: The process depends on the circumstances, such as what kind of vehicle I�m looking for, or simply what form of inspiration strikes first.

Blue Rendezvous is an Impressionist-inspired composition which contains elements of that music's salient characteristics, such as a melody completely comprised of unresolved melodic tensions, a salient characteristic of that style, along with non-functional chord successions, slash chords, quartal harmony and pedal points. Melodically, it is based entirely on the perfect fourth interval, which is sequenced in a variety of ways throughout the piece. Rhythmically, it is based primarily on one recurring rhythm, with a second rhythm introduced at the song's climax.

The song begins with a laid-back swing feel in half time. The second eight measures employ two pedal points a half-step apart, which create a feeling of stasis (lack of forward motion), while the melody climbs towards the climax at mm.17-20, where the melody reaches its highest point (high A) while the rhythm section finally shifts into a straight-ahead swing feel for the first time. The last four measures return to the tonic chord, while the melody moves back down for the conclusion of the twenty-four-measure chorus.

Harmonic Analysis of Blue Rendezvous

//: i9; vi9; iv9; bvii9; i9; vi9; III9sus4; #IV9sus4; iv9/tonic; bIIMA7-5/tonic; bVI9/tonic; bVII9/tonic; VI9sus4/leading tone; VII9sus4/leading tone; #I9sus4/leading tone; bIII9sus4/b7; bIII9 (Sub V9/ii7-5) ii7-5; ii7-5; SubV7-5; SubV7-5; i9; bIII 13/b7; bvi9; III/V7 ://

Notice the descending root progression at the tune�s end. If we compare this piece to the 24-bar city blues chord changes of T for 8mm. (with a brief visit to SD, before returning to T), SD for 4, T for 4, SD for 2, D for 2, back to T for 4, it is similar: The first 2 (i7 and vi7) are T; the 2nd 2 are SD; back to T for 3; to SubV7sus4 of iv7; to SD essentially for 4; to an active transition area instead of T for 4; to SD for 2, D for 2; back to T (i7, bIII7, bvi7, V7 (turnaround) for the last 4.

While it is true that harmonic substitutions which extend the respective T and SD function areas are mirrored by the melody's descent in 3rds, the overall motivic emphasis is on the implied P4 interval that is only realized in the final 4mm. This suggests that the P4 interval is implied throughout. If you sing half notes on the given melody with an added half note up a P4, you will hear what is implied melodically.

I love playing this tune, not only because it takes me to some unusual places, melodically, harmonically and rhythmically, but mainly because the composition supplies an unusual mood that makes me want to play, which is why I write tunes to begin with: to provide a platform, a vehicle, on which to
improvise. It�s a bear to play.

See both examples below:

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Bichordal Pitch Collections
Below are listed the 24 Bichordal Pitch Collections, from my new book:

Linear Jazz Improvisation Book 4: 24 Bichordal Pitch Collection Etudes for Advanced Jazz Improvisation.

The actual book supplies very intense advanced improvisational vocabulary etudes on these pcs.

Linear Jazz Improvisation places primary importance on the composition�s salient characteristics: melody, guide tone lines, and root progression. Improvisations based on these elements will work over virtually any harmonic style. The chord progression should not rule, but merely co-exists with lines. Pianists tend to keep both hands in a lockstep chord-scale paradigm in which each chord symbol equals one or more scale. They should be independent of each other. Pitch Collection technique is a means of acquiring vocabulary which will find its way into your playing naturally as it is internalized, and these pitch collections will serve as color and added expression to these most important linear elements of the composition�but without being locked into the chordal accompaniment sounding below.

In their conjunctness, seven-note scales tend to be less melodic, while Pitch Collections which leave a gap or more are more melodic. Seven-note scales are an expedience in Chord Scale Theory because all seven possible pitch classes are represented. Unfortunately, this encourages the inexperienced to habitually use them all, and seven-note scales tend to foster conjunct lines which do not breathe. Systematically omitting a note or more from a common scale or mode makes the collection profoundly different. Try, for example, improvising on the Lydian mode omitting its second degree, which will result in a very different effect than using the entire seven-note scale. To some, many of these pcs will appear like modes or other common scales, only missing notes; but the consistent absence of specific pitch classes creates something different, similar to the difference between the Major and Pentatonic scales. While these collections can be assigned to specific chordal situations in a progression, we�ll leave that up to you, since we do not base improvisations on chord scale theory.

The Linear Jazz Improvisation Book 4, Twenty-Four Bichordal Pitch Collection Etudes for Advanced Jazz Improvisation, systematically combines every combination of Major and Minor Triads into close position pcs: Major with Major, Minor with Minor, and Minor with Major. In the process, some very unusual pcs of tetrachords (four-note collections), pentachords (five), and hexachords (six) are achieved. All of these pcs can be played in any mode (inversion), and any pitch class can be considered the priority note, or there can be no priority note. This yields twenty-four pcs, of which twelve are Hexachords, nine are Pentachords, and there are three Tetrachords.

I was first immersed in bichords themselves for a year or more, practicing them in the form of real triads first. I started singing them in this new manner in an inspiration: One intuitively evolved organically out of the other. The pcs lend themselves to the creation of interesting lines that are easier to play than the actual triads. Pitch collection improvising involves a kind of oral composition, involving notes, rhythms, articulations, inflections, vibratos and gestures, with a rhythmic style in mind.

My attention has been focused only on lines for improvisation, since this is designed to be the next installment in my Linear Jazz Improvisation method. However, I use these pcs much of the time over standard chordal situations for their color. They work as vocabulary over any chords. When it comes to lines, I am rather unconcerned with orthodoxy�only colorist enhancement of the melody. An example of its usage over a specific chord, however, is the pc for C/Db, in which I combine the two triads for the following composite scale: C, Db, E, F, G, Ab, C, which is on the list of the twenty-four. This particular pc will work over: C7, DbMA7, Cm7, Fm7 and many other chords.

These pcs will also make good close position or cluster voicings�with gaps. Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy treated a pc as a chord or a line�in any combination. A good line also makes a good voicing and vice versa, since a line is a melted chord; a voicing, a frozen line. They can all be voiced in virtually any inversion, starting with any of the four, five, or six notes in the succession. Moreover, depending upon the tempo of a given piece, a six-note set may work better than an eight-note to enable a comfortable run that adheres to the beat without getting into tuplets (like those septuplets you often see in string and woodwind parts to cover an octave. Most players play cleaner scalar passages if they're written in groupings of six and eight than tuplets. This technique can be used to achieve a polytonal affect as well, for example, C E G; Ab C Eb; E G# B, and for a pantonal affect as well, such as is found in my composition Like It Is (see below). Twenty-Four Bichordal Pitch Collection Etudes for Advanced Jazz Improvisation captures the interesting intervallic chromatic juxtapositions of the same pitch classes in a nutshell. The rhythms have been held mostly to eighth notes to:

1. Concentrate purely on the lines themselves.

2. Internalize each line and improvise on it with rhythms and articulations.

3. Avoid allowing rhythms to influence (interfere with) pitch choices.

4. Avoid confusion of a vocabulary learning vehicle with reading proficiency.

While for expedience these pcs are mostly limited to a two-octave range in the book, practice them throughout your entire range. All of these etudes have a priority note, which of course need not be in practice; but without harmonic reference they could have lapsed into meaningless successions of notes, rather than lines. First listen to them at qn = 150 to get a sense of the lines, but they will have to be practiced at a slower tempo at first. They should be practiced in all twelve keys throughout the entire range of your instrument. Then improvise on them. They will add a great deal to your musical vocabulary for jazz improvisation.

Scroll to see both pages:

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Stella by Starlight LJI Essentials
Here is some detailed information on how to improvise on Stella by Starlight.

I have an entire book of Linear Jazz Improvisation chromatic targeting exercizes and etudes available to the public, entitled, Selma by Searchlight.

The melody of Stella by Starlight is its strongest component. Build your improvisations on a reduction of it, the guide tone lines and the root progression�all lines. While there are many melody notes which make ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths in their relationship with the chords, they mostly resolve in the fashion of late Nineteenth century Western art music, as opposed to the Twentieth century practice of leaving such tensions unresolved.

Don�t build your improvisations on the non-essential chordal accompaniment; it is even less important for that purpose in this through-composed piece (no repeated sections), since this tune never modulates from its primary key of Bb Major. If you feel you must think chords, however, there really are only a few worth bearing in mind, such as: the Ab7 in mm.8 and 21, and the G+7 in mm.17-18 and 24�all of which occur in prominent places, and contain chord tones that are chromatic the key.

The three examples below show Stella by Starlight�s Reduced Melody, Guide Tone Line and Root Progression. Internalize these by repeatedly singing and playing them on your instrument. Paraphrase, improvise on, and chromatically target them all. These skills will develop improvisational ideas organically. This process can be enhanced by chromatically targeting these essential compositional elements.

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Far South
Here's another D Dorian tune for Philoxenos's students. This one's a Bossa-funk.

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A Dorian for Daniel
This is a composition I wrote quickly for a friend's student group. They requested a piece that was entirely diatonic to the D Dorian mode.

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Diatonic Enigma Score & Sound
I recently wrote this very quickly for a friend's student marimaba ensemble in South Africa, who requested a composition entirely comprised of the D dorian mode.

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Sofia's Song ~ LJI Chromatic Targeting
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Sofia's Song Melody Etude
In the etude below I have applied basic Linear Jazz Improvisation Chromatic Targeting Groups to the simplified melody:

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LJI Bichordal PC Etude
Here is Etute 16 from my new advanced improvisation book, Linear Jazz Improvisation, Book 4: 24 Bichordal Pitch Collection Etudes for Advanced Improvisation. This one is based on the combination of C Major and Eb minor triads:

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Diatonic Enigma
Here's another modal example, this one more ambiguous.

The first eight bars are in E phrygian. Then it goes to D dorian, before ending in A aeolian. It sounds like the primary mode here is either D dorian or A aeolian, but it is unclear.

For both the D-11 and A-11, plane voicings in diatonic fourths up and down stepwise. For all, use pedal points on one and five of each chord.

The entire piece is diatonic to the white notes.

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Conquistador
Here's a bitonal composition of a rather different sort. The melody is in parallel 3rds, creating the keys of Eb & G in the melody in the A section (1st 8mm). The melody is in D (& F#) in the 2nd 8, while the harmony is in Eb (the primary key) throughout.

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5 Reharms of Rainy Day
Hi Folks,

Below are five reharmonizations of Here's That Rainy Day, beginning with my version; then the standard lead sheet; and then four other versions, each becoming gradually more complex than its predecessor. The last four versions are analyzed with Roman Numerals for syntax and function within each progression. These are not offered as paradigms of musical art, but rather as an introduction to various standard harmonic styles. After studying these, go back and analyze my version at the beginning yourself, should you be so motivated.

Feel free to make comments & ask questions.

Best,
Ed Byrne

Note: Scroll to view all pages.

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colours
Jeff:

"It would look a lot cooler if you filled those bubbles with pretty colors."

Dogbite:

"Okay..."

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Piece for horn and jazz combo
I enjoy listening to and playing classical music and have had some standard theory classes, but when I write music more often than not it contains Jazz elements. This is the case with a work I have written for Horn and piano (optional drums and string bass). It is an original theme and variations on A Mighty Fortress (MF) for Horn and accompaniment. (the current working title is Genesis and Revelations on Ein Feste Berg ).

After an original theme is introduced by solo horn off stage, the the piano picks it up using Coplandesque polychords. the horn, now on stage, joins in. A 7/8 section introduces the first variation on MF. The Intro theme and MF are then played together in the second half of the 7/8 section.

A 4/4 "jazz' section uses a diminished (octatonic scale). It is a variation on the second half of the MF tune. A rising diminished scale segues into the recapitulation, a brief summary of the first part of the piece.

It lasts for about 5 minutes. The ending is rather abrupt---it is obviously based on the end of Rhapsody in Blue. What can I say---I was tired, I wanted to finish the piece, and just wrote the first thing that came into my head

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"For Play" for Brass 5tet
Again a piece contrary to everything I see on this site. Again, I am not a Jazz musician, just a classically oriented musician trying to put down what I hear and feel (and perhaps over think? diametrically opposed to Jazz?).

Anyways. I think this piece could be rearranged and filled out for a swing band. My thought is to play it through straight to almost the end, then put in a solo section, return to the beginning, then repeat the piece but put in more solos at the natural breaks. then finish it out to the end.

One challenge to carrying out this idea, is that the chord structure of the piece is not nice and neat. Nor is it as complex as modern Jazz. I wonder how to create a solo section with a chord structure that is based on sections of the piece. I wonder if it would be effective.

Any guidance would really be appreciated.

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Weird 12-Bar Blues, easy to play!
We were discussing blues changes. So I put this together. It's a blues in Bb, sort of. It starts on Bb but ends on F#, pretty much a C whole-tone scale sort of thing works fine throughout.
It's called "Henri the Horse."

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super arpeggio
guitar fingerings for the "super arpeggio"

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So What
A diatonic arrangement, instead of the transposition in the B section to Eb dorian it goes to C. Also adjusted the form and had fun with the chord punches.

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"Zoe's Loft" by Phil Kelly
Here, again, is Phil's score to "Zoe's Loft," along with the MP3.

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"Zoe's Loft" by Phil Kelly
Here's the PDF for Phil's score of his tune Zoe's Loft. Looks good to me!

Phil comments: "I hear 5 guitars playing the horn parts on staves 3 and 4, and the
horns playing the bridge."

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suggestions for almartin's tune
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"Cold Clock" A section chords
This is for inournight. I put chords to the A section of his tune that he was kind enough to share with us on AAJ.

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Cold Clock (newbie edit)
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chromatic targeting ala edby
Here are 48 chromatic targeting groups for use in targeting guide tones found in reduced melody, chords, and root progressions from Ed Byrne's Linear Jazz Improvisation method.

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A Thread
REquest for a progression/tune that uses a lot of Melodic Minor Harmony, so here's the latest thing Iv'e been working on

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"Punched" chord example
In this example the second chord is to be played on the "and" of two, and sustained for the reast of the measure:

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Simple Things
This is a setting of Robert Creeley's Simple Things. Originally conceived as a quick launch into freebop, I'm pondering ways to expand it, add blowing changes etc.

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Voodoo Chili
A tune I wrote last night. I was working on some re-harmonization ideas that Ed sent me, and suddenly I found myself messing around with this little melody.
Sorry about the #9 chords Ed. I'm afraid I'm hopeless.
It's called "Voodoo Chili" because I made chili for supper last night, my own recipe of course.

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LIM Bichordal PC Etude: MA7-5 Targeted
Linear Improvisation Method Bichordal Triadic Pitch Collection Etude: MA7-5 Targeted

Hot off the press: I just wrote an entire book of improvisation etudes on these pcs. See below the MA7-5 Etude on the Hexachord CDEFGBC, comprised of C & Bm Triads combined:

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MA7-5 LI Book 3 Type 5b Targeting
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MA7-5 w/ 3-Note Motive Targeted with Types 1 &
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3-Note Motivic Transposition for C MA7-5 ~ 2 8v
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3-Note Motive Transposed to the M3rd
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3-Note Motivic Transposition
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Nefarious Analysis
Hi Folks,

I'm back with a hypothetical harmonic analysis of "Nefarious Kinesis." I didn't put a key signature in, because: 1. I don't entirely believe this analysis; & 2. even if I did, I probably wouldn't use one, because the harmonies are so tonally vague. This entire harmonic succession is probably atonal, but as in extended & atonal harmony of the (late) 19th & 20th centuries, there are usually at least some tonal references, such as 2-5s & subVs.

Melodically, I hear the following keys (4-bars apiece): C, Bb, C, Eb. If there were to be a primary melodic key, it would be either C or Eb, both of which have qualitative emphasis (one key at the beginning, & one at the end).

Best,
Ed

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Nefarious Kinesis ~ H.C. Score
Hi Folks,

Below is a harmonic continuity score for Nefarious Kinesis:

Reduced Melody

Guide Tone Line 1

Guide Tone Line 2

Root Progression

Melody (w/chord symbols)

Scroll for 4 Pages:

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Nefarious Kinesis
Nefarious Kinesis ~ 1st Draft

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A ballad tempo melody over Dogbite's Dilemma #1
More for fun than to illustrate anything, I wrote a melody to the (slightly altered) changes of Dogbite's Dilemma (#1).

I wanted to try to use just a few focused ideas / shapes throughout the duration of the melody. The main theme is just the sound of the +5 interval.

This should be at a ballad tempo.

Sorry for the handwriting - I'll have to get better with computer notation.

Edit - oops I noticed that bar 16 is blank. This should be a rest in the melody with an accompaniment of BMaj7+5

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notation example for AAJ Quartal thread
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Dogbite's Dilemma Version #2
2nd try

Don't forget to scroll:

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Dogbite's Dilemma
Song for Dogbite

Scroll for all 16 bars:

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Kiss You
I think I am pushing the boundries of what is acceptable here, but I started this one last night
and just realized it is now morning and if I really wanted to 'edit' the song correctly I would have to pretty
much start over. So with that in mind, and knowing I really have to go to bed some time soon,
in all it's tarnished glory, I present 'Kiss You' ..

Any Critiques, pokes, prods, jokes, slams or other would be appreciated.

Kiss You
lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=6029937&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=6029937&q=hi

How would you play this?
So here's the piano part I told you about. Seems pretty weird to me, I don't know.

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Maj 7 #11 Examples
Hey everyone.. excuse some of the irritating mistakes, I'm learning my way around Notepad. Anyway, here are some melodic, harmonic and other examples of C D E F# G B... when I'm next feeling computer-patient I'll put up the b5 examples as well as some more in-depth register-oriented melodic examples. A lot of material was left out because I couldn't figure out how to do quintuplets, but when I get that together there will be many more examples.. if you're interested!

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pop orchestral background
Several folks have inquired about how to arrange a traditional pop orchestral background showing the types of voicings
typically employed. ( particular for strings and woodwinds ) Hpefully, this will be of some use to budding orchestrators )

It was written for a male vocalist for a record date using strings, five woodwinds ,three horns, and rhythm ( piano and bass parts are incomplete )

Since there's no melody present, the song title is not important ( although some of you may guess what it is. )

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NW Wind event sketch
Hopefully, when I get this orchestrated ..it'll have a "weather REport " feel

(no pun intended ) :)

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Jazzy enough for christmas
Well, here is my seasonal offerings..

I recorded it very quick and scratchpad to kill time in a hotel room. And the Mic is a small diaphram condenser I use for my horn, but it is all I had with me. So the vocals are a tad thin and whispy.

So with all best intentions, and wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season, I present the VERY home made 'Christmas Time'.

While I wouldn't actualy call this Jazz, I would call it 'Jazzy'.. you be the judge if you find the time and inclination, let me know what you think... on a scratchpad level of course.. production values, like in all my stuff, are a bit neglected.

Thanks, and again, Peace on Earth .. and stuff!

Christmas Time
lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5993595&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5993595&q=hi

"If Only": The MAJ 7 -5 chord
There's been a great thread going on at the All About Jazz site about the Maj 7 flat 5 chord. I found this tune of mine today that uses that chord for its main harmonic identity. The chord is D7-5. I voiced it as D G# C# F#.
It's a pretty open-ended chord to play over. Really, it can go almost anywhere. Well, here it is anyway.

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Another MA7-5 Example
Hey guys,

With regard to a recent thread in the AAJ on the topic of the MA7-5 chord, I am offering a brief example of its usage in 1 of my pieces. In this case it is in the form of a B Section Interlude to "Gondwanaland."

Best,
Ed

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subject : the
Ed Byrne reminded me of this thing I started about a year ago and put on the back burner. After re-listening to it, I'm glad he reminded me. It's interesting how getting away from something for a while will change your perspective. the mral here is: save ALL your sketches, bits and pieces, etc. You never know when you'll feel like going on with them.

Heres a sketch and a mp3 of the rough.

all comments are welcome ... :)

BTW: the REAL working title is "Weird Waltz" ..I'm considering copyrighting it as "The OxyContinental " :)

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Lead and Lag of Elevator
Is a new song I created the other day. The bass, horns and guitar are all recoded directly to HD no processing.
Was just looking for some casual thoughts from anyone with the time and inclination.

The Lead and lag of Elevator (top of the page)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=676362

thanks for your time and ear.

ccornish chord -concert score
Heres the finished Cornish score ( it's in concert because the harmonies are rather arcane and fighting a transposed score on top of that would be sadistic ) :)

The first contrapuntal section begins in the middle of page 8 and the shout and coda beging on the last bar of pg 11. ( after the last B section from the earlier sketch )

Included is also a Finale mp3 rough for your dancinc and listening pleasure :)

( sorry for the noisy mp3 ..Finale is acting up today! )

PK

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the Cornish Chord sketch

This is a condensed sketch of a tune I'm working on for my next CD project . THe original basis for this was to utilize pitch sets based on a MA 7 5b sshape. ( AS you can see , it quickly went further afield from there ) :)

These are the A and B sections .I'm currently working on a pretty atonal shout chorus ala 80s Bob Brookmeyer.

Comments anyone ?

Phil Kelly

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"Every Time We Say Goodbye"
In response to Egbert Souse on the AAJ Music Theory and Analysis board, I'm posting two sets of changes to Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye" � or as he actually titled it, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye." Note that it's always two words, not "Everytime."

The first set of changes are my own. They differ slightly from the changes in some of the Real Books, and they are not Coltrane's changes.

These are followed by the changes from Cole's sheet music. I believe he did his own piano arrangements, rather than leaving them, as many songwriters did, to a hack at his publisher's. The changes here are from an analysis of the arrangement, not from the chord symbols on the sheet music, which, as is so often the case, reflect neither the arrangement nor the tune's functional harmony.

I realize that my chord density is higher than what is preferred by many other musicians. I use these chords when playing the tune as a walking ballad. When I put four descending chords into measure 4 I was thinking of the precedent of Miles' arrangement of "Old Devil Moon," on the album "Blue Haze," which uses four rapidly descending ii-V's to link to the B section.

I welcome your comments, analysis, alternate changes, blowing suggestions, round condemnation, unalloyed appreciation, and non-serious explanations of why Cole spelled "Every" as "Ev'ry."

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Two Ballads: "Annie One" and "Last Day"
"Annie One" and "Last Day."

"Annie One" refers to my wife, Ann. It has a conventional harmonic scheme and form.

"Last Day" refers to the end of my employment (voluntary) where I was close to my coworkers. The tonality shifts and the form is asymmetrical. Solos can be effective with a double-time feel.

Neither was composed with any overall musical idea in mind, except to be lyrical without being too sentimental. I'm a big fan of the bittersweet quality in Bill Evans' tunes.

Both begin with a strong downward sequence, something to which I seem to be unconsciously predisposed. Any analysis, including Freudian (the "downward sequence"?), is welcome.

EDIT: 30 September 2007
Replaced "Annie One" in C with a version in G, with slight changes to the melody.

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All About Jazz discussion of
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Re: A-A-B, A-A-B, C
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"November" and "Twenty-Four"
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Improvisational Study: "Autumn Leaves"
So I got an IM from a former (excellent) student last night about a million things and I realize that I have had addressed it all in this 14 page lesson based off Autumn Leaves, so I'm putting it here in PDF

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Diminished Patterns
A John Coltrane Diminished lick.

I will add more diminished material later, I'm short for time right now.

Credit for this goes to Dave Clark, a Montreal Clarinetist and Saxophonist and teacher at Vanier College.

Note that the chords can be interchanged, this line can be used over any of those 4 chords because they all use the same fully diminished 7th chord.

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subject :jazz counterpoint #2
In this instance, the counterline is ABOVE the melody

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subject : jazz counerpoint #1
Heres an example of simple jazz counterpoint:

Note how the counterline weaves in and out of the "pivot tones"

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Bitonal Experiment 1
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Just putting a Bunch of my tunes up
I'm just going to post a bunch of my tunes here. It seems when I post new music I get asked a lot for lead sheets so I'll just put them here so I can reference them online easily.

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Relaxin' at Camarillo (Jonathan Kreisberg solo)
Here is a Transcription and Analysis of Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg's solo on Relaxin' at Camarillo
album - Nine Stories Wide (w/ Larry Grenadier and Bill Stewart)

Format

- Standard Transcription for easy reading
- Score Format Analysis
- Submitted Analysis for UNT's MUJS 5780; Graduate Styles and Analysis course

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How Deep is The Ocean
Here is an analytical view of the Standard "How Deep is The Ocean"

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Days of Guns and Roses
Look at the Standard for AAJ questions

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Looking at Free Jazz
Here is a project I did last fall about Analysing interaction between a group in the context of Free Jazz. The Piece is called Convolution (John Abercrombie) and it would benifit those interested in my analysis to buy the track on itunes (.99 isn't a lot)

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Convergence Zone score
This is a new file ..it appears correct on my end as a PDF file

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Date Posted	Updated	Author	Subject	Replies	Views
2010/01/16	2010/01/21	randalljazz	minor cadences	0	347
2010/01/08	2010/01/08	randalljazz	far wes guide tone lines	0	161
2009/10/28	2009/10/28	bgp	Kenny Garrett - Sing a Song of Song	1	321
2009/06/23	2009/06/23	EdByrne	Bemsha Reduced	0	279
2009/06/20	2009/06/20	EdByrne	Nefertiti in LJI Simplified Melody	0	261
2009/06/02	2009/06/02	EdByrne	4th Voicings on Blues	0	535
2009/06/02	2009/06/02	EdByrne	Double Diminished on Blues	0	325
2009/06/02	2009/06/02	EdByrne	+MA7 Chords on Blues Scale	0	341
2009/06/02	2009/06/02	EdByrne	Parallel Blues Voicings	0	269
2009/06/02	2009/06/02	EdByrne	Similar Motion Blues Scale Clusters	0	304
2008/11/20	2009/06/01	EdByrne	*Avid Smiles*	0	551
2009/05/31	2009/05/31	EdByrne	Nardis Reduced Melody	0	374
2009/05/26	2009/05/26	EdByrne	One For Melody Etude	0	127
2009/05/26	2009/05/26	EdByrne	Riffraff Motive Etude 2	0	181
2009/05/25	2009/05/25	EdByrne	Double Phrygian Blues~w/Sound	0	352
2009/05/25	2009/05/25	EdByrne	Small Ruse Etude	0	116
2009/05/24	2009/05/24	EdByrne	LJI 2a Targeting Alt	0	161
2009/05/18	2009/05/18	JoeB	Bill's scales for Flamenco Sketches	0	337
2008/09/23	2009/05/15	randalljazz	jazz minor exercise	0	942
2009/05/01	2009/05/01	EdByrne	Ionian Line	0	217
2009/04/30	2009/04/30	EdByrne	Yestercise	0	151
2007/12/27	2009/04/16	EdByrne	Moment's Thrill ~ Sound & Score	0	585
2009/04/13	2009/04/13	EdByrne	Rhythm's Got Me w/sound	0	246
2009/04/09	2009/04/11	EdByrne	Work for Art ~ w/sound	0	198
2009/04/10	2009/04/10	EdByrne	Flatted Cadence Lick	0	176
2009/04/03	2009/04/04	EdByrne	Out There	0	184
2009/04/01	2009/04/02	EdByrne	Free Fall ~ Atonal Waltz	0	199
2008/11/14	2009/04/02	EdByrne	What Is This? Contrafact & B.G.	0	438
2009/03/28	2009/04/02	EdByrne	What Is This Thing? #11 Exercize	0	326
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2009/03/28	2009/03/28	Olivier B.M.	#11 Etude on What Is This Thing Called Love	0	239
2007/12/14	2009/03/10	EdByrne	Riffraff~Score & Sound	0	409
2009/03/07	2009/03/07	Olivier B.M.	Connecting The 3rds On Like Someone In Love	0	293
2009/03/03	2009/03/03	EdByrne	Quartal Guitar Cadence	0	423
2009/02/27	2009/02/27	randalljazz	rhythm changes exercises for guitar	0	638
2009/02/26	2009/02/26	engelbach	Cooper Square	0	153
2009/02/26	2009/02/26	Olivier B.M.	Etude On Like Someone In Love	0	252
2009/02/26	2009/02/26	Olivier B.M.	Etude On Alone Together	0	243
2009/01/03	2009/02/17	EdByrne	Joe Henderson Diminished Lick	0	989
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2008/07/29	2009/02/08	EdByrne	Block Chord Keyboard Cadences	0	634
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2009/01/21	2009/01/21	EdByrne	Wave Analysis	0	424
2008/03/26	2009/01/21	EdByrne	Wave LJI Targeting Etudes	0	766
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2008/07/25	2008/07/25	Jake Hanlon	suggestions for almartin's tune	0	148
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2008/07/22	2008/07/22	inournight	Cold Clock (newbie edit)	0	137
2008/07/12	2008/07/12	dogbite	chromatic targeting ala edby	0	316
2008/07/05	2008/07/05	Jake Hanlon	A Thread	0	168
2008/02/16	2008/02/16	jay norem	"Punched" chord example	0	335
2008/01/29	2008/01/29	Bb	Simple Things	0	272
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2007/12/29	2007/12/29	EdByrne	LIM Bichordal PC Etude: MA7-5 Targeted	0	473
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2007/12/05	2007/12/05	EdByrne	Nefarious Kinesis	0	257
2007/12/04	2007/12/05	chespernevins	A ballad tempo melody over Dogbite's Dilemma #1	0	231
2007/12/03	2007/12/03	Jake Hanlon	notation example for AAJ Quartal thread	0	236
2007/12/03	2007/12/03	EdByrne	Dogbite's Dilemma Version #2	0	204
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2007/11/26	2007/11/30	jay norem	How would you play this?	6	367
2007/11/26	2007/11/26	Cirle	Maj 7 #11 Examples	0	376
2007/11/25	2007/11/25	graypencil	pop orchestral background	1	238
2007/11/23	2007/11/23	graypencil	NW Wind event sketch	1	278
2007/11/20	2007/11/21	333maxwellsername	Jazzy enough for christmas	1	310
2007/11/20	2007/11/20	jay norem	"If Only": The MAJ 7 -5 chord	0	331
2007/11/08	2007/11/11	EdByrne	Another MA7-5 Example	0	379
2007/11/08	2007/11/08	graypencil	subject : the	0	260
2007/11/01	2007/11/05	333maxwellsername	Lead and Lag of Elevator	2	264
2007/10/18	2007/10/18	graypencil	ccornish chord -concert score	0	224
2007/09/26	2007/10/18	graypencil	the Cornish Chord sketch	3	288
2007/10/02	2007/10/09	engelbach	"Every Time We Say Goodbye"	1	873
2007/08/15	2007/10/01	engelbach	Two Ballads: "Annie One" and "Last Day"	0	307
2007/09/08	2007/09/08	jay norem	All About Jazz discussion of	0	299
2007/09/07	2007/09/07	jay norem	Re: A-A-B, A-A-B, C	0	291
2007/07/21	2007/07/23	engelbach	"November" and "Twenty-Four"	3	458
2007/06/30	2007/07/16	Jake Hanlon	Improvisational Study: "Autumn Leaves"	3	4428
2007/07/06	2007/07/06	Bossman	Diminished Patterns	0	956
2007/06/26	2007/06/26	graypencil	subject :jazz counterpoint #2	0	375
2007/06/26	2007/06/26	graypencil	subject : jazz counerpoint #1	0	537
2007/06/12	2007/06/26	graypencil	Bitonal Experiment 1	1	409
2007/06/13	2007/06/26	Jake Hanlon	Just putting a Bunch of my tunes up	1	659
2007/06/20	2007/06/20	Jake Hanlon	Relaxin' at Camarillo (Jonathan Kreisberg solo)	0	1114
2007/06/13	2007/06/13	Jake Hanlon	How Deep is The Ocean	1	673
2007/06/07	2007/06/07	Jake Hanlon	Days of Guns and Roses	0	572
2007/04/30	2007/04/30	Jake Hanlon	Looking at Free Jazz	0	925
2007/04/26	2007/04/26	graypencil	Convergence Zone score	0	404

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