This is my "lift" of the great Django Reinhardt's solo on "Improvisation Sur Une Danse Norvégienne". This is supposed to be Django's version of a piece by Edvard Grieg but the Danse Norvégienne I found sounded different. I guess there are several dances...more research. It's hard to transcribe slow tempos and some of the fast rhythms might not be exact..listen and see what you think. At teh end of the solo it was very hard to hear what he is playing so I am "guessing" a bit. :D
Django Improve
Tab Django Improvisation Sur Une Danse Norvégienne
Improvisation Sur Une Danse Norvégienne
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Analysis "Ma Belle Helene"
Here is an analysis of the Abercrombies solo.
These are the scales I think he is using (even though he is probably not thinking about that when he is playing). Most of the time he is playing very inside the harmony, which makes sense since the harmony is so complex. To play outside on this tune would be kind of redundant in my opinion. Notice also how smoothly he makes the transistions from chord to chord; he often switches to a close note in the next scale. Sometimes on the beat, other times he anticipates the next chord or stays on the previous. Sometimes its hard to tell because the note can belong to both the "old" scale as well as the new one.
There are however some strange note choises:
In bar 19 Abercrombie playes (I think) a G melodic minor scale over D/Ab!
This doesn't make any sense but it sounds good. I think what is happening is that Abercrombie is almost ignoring the root of the slash chord. Sometimes when we hear a slash or poly chord we tend to hear the top chord and not so much the bass. I am guessing Abercrombie is using his ears more than his "thinking" and he simply hear this harmony.
Same thing in bar 30: Abercrombie appears to treat the Db/Gb as a Db lydian chord. This makes sense if we ignore the root. I experimented with this and it does work. The root is so low anyway and is not going to clash with the "out" note (dont tell your music theory teacher I said this). Breaking the rules, right?!
The g does stand out a bit, though. Espesially when I slow down the recording.
In conclusion: what we can learn from this solo is that when we solo over complex slash chords we can ignore the root and focus on the upper structure of the chord. The upper structure tends to "win" over the bass note. Who cares what the bass player is doing anyway, right? Just kidding. :D
Ma Belle Analysis
These are the scales I think he is using (even though he is probably not thinking about that when he is playing). Most of the time he is playing very inside the harmony, which makes sense since the harmony is so complex. To play outside on this tune would be kind of redundant in my opinion. Notice also how smoothly he makes the transistions from chord to chord; he often switches to a close note in the next scale. Sometimes on the beat, other times he anticipates the next chord or stays on the previous. Sometimes its hard to tell because the note can belong to both the "old" scale as well as the new one.
There are however some strange note choises:
In bar 19 Abercrombie playes (I think) a G melodic minor scale over D/Ab!
This doesn't make any sense but it sounds good. I think what is happening is that Abercrombie is almost ignoring the root of the slash chord. Sometimes when we hear a slash or poly chord we tend to hear the top chord and not so much the bass. I am guessing Abercrombie is using his ears more than his "thinking" and he simply hear this harmony.
Same thing in bar 30: Abercrombie appears to treat the Db/Gb as a Db lydian chord. This makes sense if we ignore the root. I experimented with this and it does work. The root is so low anyway and is not going to clash with the "out" note (dont tell your music theory teacher I said this). Breaking the rules, right?!
The g does stand out a bit, though. Espesially when I slow down the recording.
In conclusion: what we can learn from this solo is that when we solo over complex slash chords we can ignore the root and focus on the upper structure of the chord. The upper structure tends to "win" over the bass note. Who cares what the bass player is doing anyway, right? Just kidding. :D
Ma Belle Analysis
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Transcription "Ma Belle Helene" John Abercrombie
http://www.youtube.com
This is my transcription of John Abercrombie's solo on Kenny Wheeler's tune Ma Belle Helene from the album The Widow in the Window. A great 1990 recording from the ECM label.
This composition has a lot of slashchords and I was curious how Abercrombie treats those chords.
Abercrombie is a very lyrical player and his lines are kind of floating over the complex harmonies and he makes it sound so easy to play over these chords. So I figured it would be a good idea to study this solo and learn from the master. Hope you learn something too. :D
This is my transcription of John Abercrombie's solo on Kenny Wheeler's tune Ma Belle Helene from the album The Widow in the Window. A great 1990 recording from the ECM label.
This composition has a lot of slashchords and I was curious how Abercrombie treats those chords.
Abercrombie is a very lyrical player and his lines are kind of floating over the complex harmonies and he makes it sound so easy to play over these chords. So I figured it would be a good idea to study this solo and learn from the master. Hope you learn something too. :D
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
"It Could Happen To You" Analysis
Keith Jarret proves (as always) that he is a real master of Jazz improvisation. This solo has everything; burning bop-like lines, rhythmic motives, "out"-sounding lines and pentatonics and blues phrases. I love how Jarret's lines just flows and I can't really capture his timefeel with my transcription, you have to listen for yourself.
Something I have learned form lifting this and other solos by Jarret is how he treats II-V-I progressions. He often replaces the IIm7(b5) chord with a regular IIm7 chord and vice versa.
Look at bar 29 (ex.1): He plays a line that is based on A locrian, something you would normally play over a Ami7(b5), not Ami7. Same thing in bar 143 (ex.2) This time he uses C melodic Minor or A locrian nat 2 (long scale-name I know).
Obviously if you are a piano player you can play the flat five voicing at the same time and kind of reharm on the spot, espesially if you are playing in a piano trio.
But even if you are not playing a chord isntrument you can replace a min7 with a min7(b5) and vice versa. (dont take my word for it,try it on your next gig) :D
Now lets take a look at how Jarret treats the chords in bars 7,8 and 23,24 (ex.3)
I wrote down some variations on those chords. I dont know what the original changes are, I have seen different versions but I think that it's supposed to be one bar of Bmin7(b5) to one bar of E7?? Its very common to replace the Bmin7(b5) with F7 (listen to Bud Powell play the tune, in a differsnt key). Any seasoned jazz player knows that there are numerous ways to substitute those changes. I listed a few examples in example 3.
ok lets looks at what Jarret does...In bar 55 and 56 (Ex.4) he continues on a melodic motif and outlines what to me sounds like a B7 chord. Very sophisticated to substitute the Bmi7(b5) with a B dominant chord. Notice that the B7 is subV of F7 as well.
And in Ex.5 (bar 87,88) he gets even more fancy by using side-slipping. Going down chromatiacally to the II chord. Notice how he plays different inversions of the arpeggios so it doesn't sound "patternish".
It Could Happen Analysis
Now lets learn some licks from this solo.
One of my favorite licks that Jarret playes here happens in bar 109 (ex.1).
A really cool melodic minor lick. E melodic minor obviously works really nicely over Emin7 and A7 and then he segues into D altered (Eb melodic minor..half step blow E).
A really hip sounding lick, try to use it over other "jazz-minor" chords.
Then in bar 177 (ex.2) we find a really interesting lick as well, here Jarret is playing triplets but he is grouping the notes in an interesting way; 4 note arpeggio, then 5 and then 4 again. Again Jarret makes it sound loose and is avoiding to sound like he is playing patterns. The note choises are interesting too; a B minor arpeggio, an E7 arpeggio with a chromatic neigbour tone and then what appears to be a blues phrase.
By mixing rhythms and melodic patterns this way Jarret creates a solo that feels "alive".
Licks Keith Jarret
Something I have learned form lifting this and other solos by Jarret is how he treats II-V-I progressions. He often replaces the IIm7(b5) chord with a regular IIm7 chord and vice versa.
Look at bar 29 (ex.1): He plays a line that is based on A locrian, something you would normally play over a Ami7(b5), not Ami7. Same thing in bar 143 (ex.2) This time he uses C melodic Minor or A locrian nat 2 (long scale-name I know).
Obviously if you are a piano player you can play the flat five voicing at the same time and kind of reharm on the spot, espesially if you are playing in a piano trio.
But even if you are not playing a chord isntrument you can replace a min7 with a min7(b5) and vice versa. (dont take my word for it,try it on your next gig) :D
Now lets take a look at how Jarret treats the chords in bars 7,8 and 23,24 (ex.3)
I wrote down some variations on those chords. I dont know what the original changes are, I have seen different versions but I think that it's supposed to be one bar of Bmin7(b5) to one bar of E7?? Its very common to replace the Bmin7(b5) with F7 (listen to Bud Powell play the tune, in a differsnt key). Any seasoned jazz player knows that there are numerous ways to substitute those changes. I listed a few examples in example 3.
ok lets looks at what Jarret does...In bar 55 and 56 (Ex.4) he continues on a melodic motif and outlines what to me sounds like a B7 chord. Very sophisticated to substitute the Bmi7(b5) with a B dominant chord. Notice that the B7 is subV of F7 as well.
And in Ex.5 (bar 87,88) he gets even more fancy by using side-slipping. Going down chromatiacally to the II chord. Notice how he plays different inversions of the arpeggios so it doesn't sound "patternish".
It Could Happen Analysis
Now lets learn some licks from this solo.
One of my favorite licks that Jarret playes here happens in bar 109 (ex.1).
A really cool melodic minor lick. E melodic minor obviously works really nicely over Emin7 and A7 and then he segues into D altered (Eb melodic minor..half step blow E).
A really hip sounding lick, try to use it over other "jazz-minor" chords.
Then in bar 177 (ex.2) we find a really interesting lick as well, here Jarret is playing triplets but he is grouping the notes in an interesting way; 4 note arpeggio, then 5 and then 4 again. Again Jarret makes it sound loose and is avoiding to sound like he is playing patterns. The note choises are interesting too; a B minor arpeggio, an E7 arpeggio with a chromatic neigbour tone and then what appears to be a blues phrase.
By mixing rhythms and melodic patterns this way Jarret creates a solo that feels "alive".
Licks Keith Jarret
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Keith Jarret "It Could Happen To You" Transcription
Hear me play the solo
This is my transcription of Keith Jarrets solo on It Could Happen To You (Tokyo '96 (Live)).
As I have mentioned I 'jump around in octaves because of the nature of the guitar (can't play some of those high notes). And I'm terrible at reading notes with more than 3 ledger lines.Hey!! I'm a guitar player, give me a break!
The changes are the standard changes, sometimes Keith substitutes chords but I haven't lifted his voicings. I also haven't lifted his signature moans, groans, and singing..dont know how to notate that!
I am planning to make an analysis later on.
This is my transcription of Keith Jarrets solo on It Could Happen To You (Tokyo '96 (Live)).
As I have mentioned I 'jump around in octaves because of the nature of the guitar (can't play some of those high notes). And I'm terrible at reading notes with more than 3 ledger lines.Hey!! I'm a guitar player, give me a break!
The changes are the standard changes, sometimes Keith substitutes chords but I haven't lifted his voicings. I also haven't lifted his signature moans, groans, and singing..dont know how to notate that!
I am planning to make an analysis later on.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Welcome to my transcription blog
I have 'lifted' a lot of solos recently and I have decided to write them down and share them here with you. I find that there are surprisingly few good Jazz transcription sites out there. I have seen some excellent ones but they are very 'horn' oriented, some are written in horn keys and others dont have the changes. The best site I have found is Steve Khan's site Khan's Korner. I really enjoys this site and it has helped me a lot, especially his transcription and analysis of Pinocchio and Dolphin Dance. If I get so much out of this then there must be more people out there that would be interested in this type of material. Transcription books are expensive and not always good.
I am not trying or claiming to make perfect transcriptions. And I am a guitarist so I might 'jump around' in octaves a bit and sometimes there are limits to what i can do on my instrument (and to what my ears can pick up) so you might find errors here and there. If you do find an wrong note or other mistake, feel free to contact me and let me know. I also try to make transcriptions that are easy to read rather than rhythmically exact. I recommend that you listen to the original recording and play along with it and try to imitate the phrasing.
Have fun
I am not trying or claiming to make perfect transcriptions. And I am a guitarist so I might 'jump around' in octaves a bit and sometimes there are limits to what i can do on my instrument (and to what my ears can pick up) so you might find errors here and there. If you do find an wrong note or other mistake, feel free to contact me and let me know. I also try to make transcriptions that are easy to read rather than rhythmically exact. I recommend that you listen to the original recording and play along with it and try to imitate the phrasing.
Have fun
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