Running Into Ideas
"Stablemates" - The Last 4-Bars of the "B-Section"
"Stablemates" - The Last 4-Bars of the "B-Section"
Recently, while working through the changes of Benny Golson's classic "Stablemates", I realized the need to zero-in on one particular part of the tune - namely, the last four bars of the B-section.
That part of the form (which is A-B-A) is a succession of descending chromatic ii-Vs, which in order to be navigated through smoothly, needed some specific focus on my part.
As I was trying out different approaches, I stumbled upon a sequence based primarily on the interval of a Perfect 4th, which seemed to work well - actually covering two bars at a time.
That part of the form (which is A-B-A) is a succession of descending chromatic ii-Vs, which in order to be navigated through smoothly, needed some specific focus on my part.
As I was trying out different approaches, I stumbled upon a sequence based primarily on the interval of a Perfect 4th, which seemed to work well - actually covering two bars at a time.
Ex. 1 below shows the full eight bar B-section of "Stablemates" in concert key. The focus here is on the final four bars and the chromatically descending ii-Vs in parenthesis in the second line.
Ex. 2 shows the aforementioned 2-bar melodic sequence based on Perfect 4ths (with Major 2nd shifts), descending through the Chromatic Cycle (download the pdf for the full view).
The first 4-note grouping in measure #1, (Cmin7), is a straight ascending P4th stack (C-F-Bb-Eb). It connects to the second grouping in that measure (F7) via an ascending whole-step, then descends (F-C-G) in P4ths, before once again changing direction up a whole-step (A-D), crossing the bar line up a P4th into measure #2 (Bmin7), then up a Maj 2nd and down a P4th, anticipating the E7 on beat #3.
The first 4-note grouping in measure #1, (Cmin7), is a straight ascending P4th stack (C-F-Bb-Eb). It connects to the second grouping in that measure (F7) via an ascending whole-step, then descends (F-C-G) in P4ths, before once again changing direction up a whole-step (A-D), crossing the bar line up a P4th into measure #2 (Bmin7), then up a Maj 2nd and down a P4th, anticipating the E7 on beat #3.
...continued
Listen
There are, of course, many different ways one could go in order to navigate these changes. This particular "line in 4ths" should work well with any similar chromatically descending ii-V chord sequence.
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