The Jazz Sax & Improvisation Blog of Saxophonist Bobby Stern

It Never Gets Old! - Etude: "Body and Soul"

9/30/2013

Here's a short etude I scribbibled out recently over the changes to the ever popular standard American song from the 1930's, "Body and Soul", the music having been written by Hollywood composer / orchestrator Johnny Green, who also composed other well known standards, such as "Out of Nowhere" and "I Cover the Waterfront". All three of these tunes have been popular vehicles for improvising musicians for many years.

"Body and Soul" has since been played and / or recorded by just about everybody......., and I mean everybody. Of course, the definitive version is Coleman Hawkins 1939 classic recording, where he completely abandons the melody after the first 2 bars.

Then, there's John Coltrane's awesome, reharmonized version from 1960, which included his famed 'Trane or Giant Steps Changes (Cycle of Descending Major Thirds) on the bridge. (Both YouTube vids embedded below).

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Korner Karnataka #4 - Mela #18 - Hatakambari

9/19/2013

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I thought I'd do another Melakarta post, this time featuring #18 - Hatakambari. If you're not hip to what a Melakarta is, then please check out my post from June 7th, 2013 entitled "Korner Karnataka #2 - Melakarta #15, Double Harm. Maj. & Graha Bedham", where a complete set of mp3 drone pitches can be downloaded, to facilitate in practicing these scales.

The Melakarta presented here, is related to #15 in that they are from the same "chakra", or group of six, and share the same lower tetrachord. In fact, the only difference between the two is the sixth step, or "da", of #18 being raised two semitones from D1 to D3, or in the key of C, from G# to A#. This scale could also be seen as "Ionian b2, #6", in western terms

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1235 Melodic Minor Circle - Apt. #251

9/9/2013

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Our old friend Mel Minor (MM to friends and family) is back with an exercise featuring an alteration of Major's basic 1-2-3-5 diatonic pattern. To begin with, we know that MM is an altered form of Major in itself.

If you are familiar with running Major 1-2-3-5 combinations such as CDEG FGAC, DEFA GABD, FGAC BCDF, etc., this MM version will be at once familiar, yet strange and exciting.

Using a four bar ii-V7 phrase, measure 1 of Line 1 starts out with a 4 note 1-2-3-6 grouping starting on D (D-E-F-Bb), the root of the Dmin7b5 chord (Locrian #2 mode) and the sixth step of it's parent scale, F Melodic Minor.

The second 4 note grouping starts, as with it's Maj. counterpart, by turning back a whole step, to Ab in this case. It then does a MM diatonic 1-2-3-5 (Ab-Bb-C-E).

Another way to think of this is to start the first group on the sixth step (D) of F Melodic Minor and the second group on it's third (Ab).

In measure 2, G7alt (Ab MM) the first group mimics the shape of it's measure 1 counterpart (1-2-3-6), while the second grouping, again turning down a whole step and starting on Ab, breaks the symmetry and resolves to the fifth of the tonic chord (C Maj. or min.).

Although not notated here, if we flip the scrip' and start the first measure pattern on the third of F MM (Ab-Bb-C-E), drop a whole step again and continue on it's sixth (D-E-F-Bb), the symmetry continues in measure 2, G7alt (Ab MM) with straight 1-2-3-5s (Ab-Bb-Cb-Eb and Db-Eb-F-Ab) outlining a Db7 (tritone sub) resolving again to a G in bar 3; maybe a bit more symmetrical and logical, but who says symmetrical and logical are always the best or the most fun, anyway?

Check 'em both out!

Read earlier posts on the subject of Melodic Minor, starting with
"Sympathy for Melodic Minor - Major's Evil Twin, Pt. 1"

Download PDF
Treble Clef Bass Clef

B. Stern

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Rhythm Changes - ReCycling the Cycle

9/4/2013

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Here is an exercise utilizing a 4 note, whole tone pattern, based on steps b7-1-2-3 of a dominant seventh chord, taking it two-thirds the way around the cycle of 5ths.

A common use for this cycle device in the jazz vernacular is as a substitute progression for the first 4 bars of each of the three "A" sections of "Rhythm Changes", the 32 bar AABA song structure based on "I Got Rhythm" by George Gershwin, on which so many bebop era standard tunes have been based.

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It Never Gets Old! - Etude: "Body and Soul"

Korner Karnataka #4 - Mela #18 - Hatakambari

1235 Melodic Minor Circle - Apt. #251

Rhythm Changes - ReCycling the Cycle

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