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How High The Moon

Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

Hi Chris,

Yes thanks re a backing for How high the Moon...the moon has gone. I've been up since 5.30am, never thought I'd get up this early to work on Jazz harmony for any tune.

Whew.... another learning curve re scanning, uploading to box and linking into Cafe Sax..hopefully I've done it now?

Probably for the future perhaps scanning to JPG in box or scanning to iPhoto and attaching a photo will be better, for next time!?

https://www.box.com/s/9aq3sjig6hipk193b1p7

Hope somebody can confirm I'm on the right track! Harmony wise!
 
Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

MandyH said:
Well, I was wondering that!
Have we been given the lead sheet on here, or is it the one off impro.grou.ps?
Click to expand...

Check out Jimu's link above for the ALto lead sheeet. I thought; "oh well I'll have a go on alto this time then" til I saw the 4 sharps. Now where's the tenor lead sheet? lol Anyone tried Wikifonia?

PS just checked Wikifonia and yes its there.
 
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Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

visionari1 said:
Hi Chris,

Yes thanks re a backing for How high the Moon...the moon has gone. I've been up since 5.30am, never thought I'd get up this early to work on Jazz harmony for any tune.

Whew.... another learning curve re scanning, uploading to box and linking into Cafe Sax..hopefully I've done it now?

Probably for the future perhaps scanning to JPG in box or scanning to iPhoto and attaching a photo will be better, for next time!?

https://www.box.com/s/9aq3sjig6hipk193b1p7

Hope somebody can confirm I'm on the right track! Harmony wise!
Click to expand...

I think you should go Lydian on the Emaj7 bars Jimu because you altos need another sharp in your chordscale! ;}

Seriously though, first thing sticking out... why the Phrygian in bar 3 on the Em7? I haven't had a listen to the tune or backing track yet so if the answer is because it sounds better fair enough.
 
We have our sub-forum! This is for discussion and analysis, and links to recordings of improvisation exercises to follow on from Gary Burton's improvisation course on Coursera.

I believe the idea was that we should do a tune per thread here, so here's a starting point.

I know some folks have posted material on this tune on the Coursera course thread. Perhaps one of the mods would be kind enough to transfer to here?
 
Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

Profusia said:
I think you should go Lydian on the Emaj7 bars Jimu because you altos need another sharp in your chordscale! ;}

Seriously though, first thing sticking out... why the Phrygian in bar 3 on the Em7? I haven't had a listen to the tune or backing track yet so if the answer is because it sounds better fair enough.
Click to expand...

Alto's are on Key Emaj (I think) 4#'s

Re Why Phrygian in Bar 3....that's how I worked it out......I might (just could be...the worst theory person here) be totally wrong.

This is what I feared..... if you get 5 people who don't know squiddley and they take advice from each other.....the right answer will be no where to be seen....for a while....perhaps!

I gave that harmony a good go with the attitude of best shot and if not right, I'll learn something.

Maybe I could look on the improv.grou.ps site. but that's not doing it, or learning to do it oneself.
 
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Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

Profusia said:
I didn't get past the first line. What's an X7?
Click to expand...

Sorry, the X represents any note name...so C7 or G7 ...

So in bar 10 and 14 for example, there is B7, but Jimu has picked Aeolian and Dorian, whereas, I would have thought (because they are Dominant chords) that you'd need Mixolydian, Lydian b7, Altered or Symm Dim. I haven't actually looked at the score to work out which, but that struck me immediately.
Aeolian or Dorian would be Bm or Bm7 not B7.
 
Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

This link should get you everything you need https://www.box.com/s/9ocinl4b1beb8zo053ko All the files are named so you should know what you are getting. The two tracks are the same just the tempo is slower on one, 150 and 120 bpm. They both have a 4 bar intro and x3 choruses. If the leadsheet looks a little different from the original, the file I have has made some of the simple phrases a little more interesting..

Chris..
 
Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

visionari1 said:
Alto's are on Key Emaj (I think) 4#'s
Click to expand...

Yes I was kidding about using a Lydian to get even more sharps in your chordscale as we tenors (and sops) only have 3. :thumb:

visionari1 said:
Re Why Phrygian in Bar 3....that's how I worked it out......I might (just could be...the worst theory person here) be totally wrong.

This is what I feared..... if you get 5 people who don't know squiddley and they take advice from each other.....the right answer will be no where to be seen....for a while....perhaps!
Click to expand...

Ha I doubt very much you're the worst theorist here Jimu. I definitely know diddly squat. I make up my own theories and just hope I come up with something sensible! I think Phrygian is a valid option. My first guess would have been Dorian though as according to Gary its most commonly the right one for minors. I have 2 other reasons/theories why I'd choose Dorian but I have absolutely no idea if they are valid or not. The first is that Dorian keeps you closer to the key signature of the piece in terms of the number of sharps. The second is that the last note in the melody in the previous bar is an F# and a Dorian will comform to that (as would an Aeolian in this instance). BUT all that falls by the wayside once the ears hear it played and decide what really fits best. Not sure when I'm going to get a chance to have a blow on this yet though.

MandyH said:
Sorry, the X represents any note name...so C7 or G7 ...
Click to expand...

Ah yes I'd always go for Mixolydians for "X7"s, unless there's something obvious pointing towards one of the other dominant chordscales (such as an extension in brackets or a dissonant note in the melody... not that I'd probably spot the latter.

PS Quoting went a bit weird above. Hope I've fixed it now
 
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Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

Thinking Modes on a Key centered tune will get you in a whole lot of trouble very quickly. This tune is just a series of 251 maj or min with the odd tritone sub..
 
Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

MandyH said:
Sorry, the X represents any note name...so C7 or G7 ...

So in bar 10 and 14 for example, there is B7, but Jimu has picked Aeolian and Dorian, whereas, I would have thought (because they are Dominant chords) that you'd need Mixolydian, Lydian b7, Altered or Symm Dim. I haven't actually looked at the score to work out which, but that struck me immediately.
Aeolian or Dorian would be Bm or Bm7 not B7.
Click to expand...

Yes Mandy you are quite correct the B7 in the second half of bar 10 should be a dominant option, same with bar 14.

I think I'd better have another go at the whole thing...still getting my thick scottish head around this.

Sorry if my incompetence has caused some strife.

Now off to download Chris's material...hopefully I'll actually be able to blow my horn!...soon!
 
Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

Chris said:
Thinking Modes on a Key centered tune will get you in a whole lot of trouble very quickly. This tune is just a series of 251 maj or min with the odd tritone sub..
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pointer Chris. I always forget to look for obvious chord progressions. Don't we need to see things within the context of the course we have just taken though, which was very much about identifying chordscales? This should then identify common scales for each of the II V Is. I know that if you think in terms of chord progressions spotting the II V Is is probably a quicker route to getting there but we didn't really do that and we need to see everything as an integral whole.
 
Re: Gary Burtons Improv Course!!!

You are doing it's just that 251's and common scales scream at you on this tune. CST works very well on non functional harmony and modal tunes non of which apply to this tune. Over conventional 251's NO jazz player in the world thinks Dorian Mixolydian Ionian. While the theory is correct in practice its one common scale and chord tones to highlight the chords. This not going against the course method, just using more than one part of it.. Over time we will all just look at a leadsheet and see it for what it is, a guide for playing a tune.
 

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