As an improviser, one of the most effective ways to learn and study any tune is to compose an Etude over its chord changes.
This can get you up close and personal with the tune's harmonic structure, as well as its harmonic and melodic resolution points.
It will also reveal where you are in terms of your own aural understanding in relation to where you might want to be (this never stops - it's a continuous process!).
One particular tune I personally wanted to delve deeper into was "Come Rain or Come Shine" - music and lyrics by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer. It debuted as part of the 1946 Broadway musical "St. Louis Woman", and has since been performed and / or recorded by just about everyone and anyone. It's enshrined as part of the "Great American Songbook".
This can get you up close and personal with the tune's harmonic structure, as well as its harmonic and melodic resolution points.
It will also reveal where you are in terms of your own aural understanding in relation to where you might want to be (this never stops - it's a continuous process!).
One particular tune I personally wanted to delve deeper into was "Come Rain or Come Shine" - music and lyrics by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer. It debuted as part of the 1946 Broadway musical "St. Louis Woman", and has since been performed and / or recorded by just about everyone and anyone. It's enshrined as part of the "Great American Songbook".
The harmonic structure of "Come Rain or Come Shine" has its share of predictable ii-Vs and Cycle of 5ths movements, but it has its own set of unique twists and turns - going through several temporary key changes in the process. This makes for a challenging study, deserving of a closer look (see the downloadable pdf in Bb, Concert & Eb, via the links near the bottom of the page).
Although it's apparent that we're dealing with a standard 32-bar tune here - upon closer scrutiny this song's form may not be so standard.
If one were to Identify it by its four 8-bar sections, "Come Rain or Come Shine" would possess an A-B-A2-C song form. If I'm wrong, somebody please correct me.
Did I mention that this tune is unique?
Presented here is a breakdown (in Concert key, tempo ca. 137 bpm, medium bounce) of a few selected parts of a self-composed, one chorus, solo-styled etude over the chord changes of "Come Rain or Come Shine". It can be heard via the audio link near the bottom of the page. The tenor player is none other than "Yorz Trooley".
Ex. 1 - Pentatonic b3 Shapes (meas. 5 & 6)
Although it's apparent that we're dealing with a standard 32-bar tune here - upon closer scrutiny this song's form may not be so standard.
If one were to Identify it by its four 8-bar sections, "Come Rain or Come Shine" would possess an A-B-A2-C song form. If I'm wrong, somebody please correct me.
Did I mention that this tune is unique?
Presented here is a breakdown (in Concert key, tempo ca. 137 bpm, medium bounce) of a few selected parts of a self-composed, one chorus, solo-styled etude over the chord changes of "Come Rain or Come Shine". It can be heard via the audio link near the bottom of the page. The tenor player is none other than "Yorz Trooley".
Ex. 1 - Pentatonic b3 Shapes (meas. 5 & 6)
The two similar shapes in bars #5 & #6, are each permutations of Pentatonic b3 modes, descending by a half step. This is a common device used with a II7-V7alt (or bII7#11, its tritone sub).
Bar #5 - D Penta b3 = D-E-F-A-B = 5-13-b7-9-3 of G7
Bar #6 - Db Penta b3 = Db-Eb-E-Ab-Bb = b9-#9-3-b13-b7 of C7alt
Ex. 2 - Descending Arpeggio Shapes (meas. 11 & 12)
The descending Db Maj7 & B Maj7 arpeggios a whole step apart in bar #11 (part of Bb-9 & Ab-9), as well as the Bb Maj7 (G-9) and C7+5 arpeggios in bar #12, work as an effective device.
The descending Db Maj7 & B Maj7 arpeggios a whole step apart in bar #11 (part of Bb-9 & Ab-9), as well as the Bb Maj7 (G-9) and C7+5 arpeggios in bar #12, work as an effective device.
Ex. 3 - Descending Minor Sequence in Triplets (meas. 19 & 20)
This 2-bar minor sequence in triplets, ending on the Maj 6th, makes a hip practice exercise when transposed to all 12 keys. In fact, this holds true for the previous two examples as well.
This 2-bar minor sequence in triplets, ending on the Maj 6th, makes a hip practice exercise when transposed to all 12 keys. In fact, this holds true for the previous two examples as well.
Ex. 4 - Major & Altered Pentatonic Shapes in 4ths (meas. 21 & 22)
The relationship between the interval of a Perfect 4th and the Maj Pentatonic Scale reveals itself once more in bar #21, as all the notes of an A Maj Pentatonic (A-B-C#-E-F#) are employed in P4th shapes, over the F#-7.
In bar # 22, the first 5 notes form a permuted G Pentatonic b6 (G-A-B-D-Eb) over the B7alt, expressing the 3-b13-b7-#9-Root.
While it's not my intention here to do an in-depth harmonic analysis of "Come Rain...", this part of the tune (bars #21 thru #25) initially escaped my grasp.
While there's an abrupt, surprising shift in tonalities (coming from D minor in bar #20, to F# min B7alt [ii-V of E] in bar #21), this section begins the odyssey - via the cycle of 5ths - back to the home key of F Major; only to resolve to its relative minor (D min in bar #31), before the ii-V7 turnaround (bar #32) back home to F Maj.
The relationship between the interval of a Perfect 4th and the Maj Pentatonic Scale reveals itself once more in bar #21, as all the notes of an A Maj Pentatonic (A-B-C#-E-F#) are employed in P4th shapes, over the F#-7.
In bar # 22, the first 5 notes form a permuted G Pentatonic b6 (G-A-B-D-Eb) over the B7alt, expressing the 3-b13-b7-#9-Root.
While it's not my intention here to do an in-depth harmonic analysis of "Come Rain...", this part of the tune (bars #21 thru #25) initially escaped my grasp.
While there's an abrupt, surprising shift in tonalities (coming from D minor in bar #20, to F# min B7alt [ii-V of E] in bar #21), this section begins the odyssey - via the cycle of 5ths - back to the home key of F Major; only to resolve to its relative minor (D min in bar #31), before the ii-V7 turnaround (bar #32) back home to F Maj.
Ex. 5 - bVI7 - V7alt - i Minor Resolution (meas. 28-31)
The bVI7 - V7alt - i minor cadence is normally found in the last 4 bars of a typical minor Blues (e.g. "Mr. P.C."). The Bb7 in bar #28 and again in bar #30, is the bVI7 in the key of D minor - to which it eventually resolves. It contains an Ab (the b7th of Bb7), which is also the all-important "flat-5" or so called "blue note" in D minor.
The bVI7 - V7 cadence (with the altered V7 from Melodic Minor) presents multiple avenues with which to explore and express a Blues sensibility.
The bVI7 - V7 cadence (with the altered V7 from Melodic Minor) presents multiple avenues with which to explore and express a Blues sensibility.
Listen to the Etude
B. Stern
Solo-styled Etudes are a fun and entertaining way to learn tunes!
The following Shortbooks™ are recommended and available for
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The following Shortbooks™ are recommended and available for
immediate download!
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