Approaching A Solo For The First Time - Doxy

[Veggie Dave]

As my reading ability is slowly getting better I'm finding that if I need/want to learn a song I can read the sheets before I get around to listening to the song and have a good idea how I'm going to play it. But that's the head. The solo section is another matter.

Obviously, some solo chord progressions are easy to understand. You know without having to pick up the sax that you can have some fun playing over them. Others, however...

My challenge tonight was to read the dots for Doxy and solo over the chord changes in my head. It's difficult to know how well it went without picking up the sax but judging from the notes in the head it didn't go well. 😉

If we look at the first 8 bars (which is a repeated 4 bar progression), would you agree with how I approached it?

C7 F7 / E7 A7 / D9 G7 / C7 G7(#5)

I've assumed this progression is basically:
I IV / I IV / I IV / I V

Those of you who know the song and have played it, would you agree with this initial way to approach the solo?

 

[jbtsax]

That's an interesting approach. What catches my eye is the series of secondary dominants like the bridge of Rhythm changes that acts as sort of a turn around. Those can be fun to work with utilizing 3rds and 7ths. Improvising "horizontally" in the key of C works as well.

 

[Nick Wyver]

I think you're over thinking it. It's a blues surely.

 

[saxyjt]

You got me endoxycated this morning. Nothing like cooking while listening to Sonny Rollins! 😎

 

[Sue]

There was this thread September 2013 IOTM - DOXY by Ian back in 2013. I haven't read through it but there might be somat or there might be nowt.

 

[Alice]

There was this thread September 2013 IOTM - DOXY by Ian back in 2013. I haven't read through it but there might be somat or there might be nowt.

That’s a very interesting thread with a lot of informative posts.

 

[Alice]

You got me endoxycated this morning. Nothing like cooking while listening to Sonny Rollins! 😎

I listened to Miles Davis Quintet. The tune is so familiar but I didn’t know its name.

 

[saxyjt]

If it's in Bag's groove, that's Rollins too!

 

[Targa]

If you don't know the tune when using google make sure you look for Doxy music or similar, simply entering Doxy can bring unwanted results.

 

[jbtsax]

I think you're over thinking it. It's a blues surely.

I would never "over think" anything. You must have me confused with someone else. 😉 The tune is 16 bars with an A A B A form to the 4 bar phrases. Can you explain how that can be a "blues"? (serious question)

 

[Nick Wyver]

I would never "over think" anything. You must have me confused with someone else. 😉 The tune is 16 bars with an A A B A form to the 4 bar phrases. Can you explain how that can be a "blues"? (serious question)

Sorry, the comment was aimed at Veggie Dave.
It sounds like a blues. A blues scale works over it. Not all blues have 12 bars.

 

[spike]

I would treat this as a 16 bar blues and not get too hung up on the chord changes.
The Sonny Rollins version for instance, listen to the solos.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDvk3NigkvI


Have a look at these .pdf's for some ideas.

https://simonballewind.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/doxy-chord-anaylsis-full-score.pdf

https://simonballewind.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/doxy-scale-choices-full-score.pdf

 

[rhysonsax]

Doxy is based on the chords of Ja-Da if that helps.

Rhys

 

[jbtsax]

I think a thread about blues that isn't in a 12 bar form would be most interesting. I for one have a lot to learn about that. My quick google search of 16 bar blues shows that most blues in this form still go to the IV chord after 4 bars which seems to be a "defining" aspect of a blues progression. I think I would need a stronger argument than "you can play the blues scale over the changes" to define what is and isn't a blues. But I may be wrong. 😉

 

[Veggie Dave]

That's an interesting approach.

Really? I assumed that's how everyone does it.

What catches my eye is the series of secondary dominants like the bridge of Rhythm changes that acts as sort of a turn around.

I thought they were simple V chords. I've never knowingly heard of secondary dominants. I had chance for a quick Google before I had to set off to a rehearsal but I'm not sure I quite got what they were saying.

I think you're over thinking it. It's a blues surely.

Probably, but when you only have the head and chords written in front of you, how would you know it wasn't something for more complex? That's what I'm trying to work out.

There was this thread September 2013 IOTM - DOXY by Ian back in 2013. I haven't read through it but there might be somat or there might be nowt.

There's a great version of it by an old poster:

https://soundcloud.com/king-casey%2Fdoxy-dg-2

View: https://soundcloud.com/king-casey/doxy-dg-2


Sadly (s)he's not been on here or Soundcloud for at least four years.

If you don't know the tune when using google make sure you look for Doxy music or similar, simply entering Doxy can bring unwanted results.

I had to know, so had to search. I got zit cream and Sonny Rollins. I'm not sure what your search history suggests but it may be best kept to one's self. 😉

Have a look at these .pdf's for some ideas.

https://simonballewind.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/doxy-chord-anaylsis-full-score.pdf

https://simonballewind.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/doxy-scale-choices-full-score.pdf

Cool, thanks. 🙂

 

[Pete Thomas]

C7 F7 / E7 A7 / D9 G7 / C7 G7(#5)

I've assumed this progression is basically:
I IV / I IV / I IV / I V

Those of you who know the song and have played it, would you agree with this initial way to approach the solo?

No, that looks a bit wrong. Why all I and IV ?

I - IV

III - VI

II - V

I

 

[Pete Thomas]

I'd actually question those chords for that tune anyway, doesn't work for me.

This is what I think:

I - bVII7

VI 7 ----

II 7- V7

I

 

[Veggie Dave]

No, that looks a bit wrong. Why all I and IV ?

I - IV

III - VI

II - V

I

But surely that would be C7 F7 / Em7 Am7 / Dm7 G7 / C7 G7

The chord sequence comes from Hal Leonard.

 

[Veggie Dave]

What catches my eye is the series of secondary dominants

A little more reading and I realised why such a simple concept was proving problematic - it's the E7 rather than Em7.

And I think I now understand why the III chord must be changed to a major - it's because the chord has to contain a tritone?

 

[Jazzaferri]

The changes go backwards down the cycle (drop a semi at the beginning of bar 2) then backwards down the cycle until the last G using all dominant chords