Blue JC Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I'm trying to learn a couple dozen songs quickly for a project coming up soon. I'm told, two of the songs are from "Harlequin" by Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour and Ivan Lins. All I have is a provided cassette tape so I'm not sure of the titles. Anyway, I'm really struggling with figuring out how to voice these minor 9 sus 4 chords, the basic tonality of the songs and my approach to soloing over these changes. If my tonality is centered around a Bm9sus4, I've been voicing the chord D-E-F#-A-C# which sounds the closest but still not what I hear him playing. I've been trying D major scales and a couple of different diminished scales for soloing but they don't seem to match what I hear either. Obviously, I'm a little out of my element with this material and was hoping that someone here who is more familiar with this style could point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance, JC Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. W. C. Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicalaccents Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Maybe he's playing in 4ths? Like E-A-D in the left hand and similar comping in 4ths around that...like to F#-B-E and A-D-G Similar to voicings from Footprints. Dave Grusin I believe comes from that school of thought. Play only what you hear within...if you hear nothing, play nothing at all My Gear: Motif; Ensoniq MR-76; Suitcase Rhodes; Earthquake MKII Pedal; DiscomBOBulator; PodXT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicalaccents Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Also, mess around with this melodic progression: B-C#-D-E-F#-A-A#-B Maybe a little color with the #7 will help with melodic ideas. Play only what you hear within...if you hear nothing, play nothing at all My Gear: Motif; Ensoniq MR-76; Suitcase Rhodes; Earthquake MKII Pedal; DiscomBOBulator; PodXT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzwee Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Why don't you listen to this link so you can identify the track in question? http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1004848 Hamburg Steinway O, Crumar Mojo, Nord Electro 4 HP 73, EV ZXA1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnegrad Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Another voicing possibility is (from the bottom up): B in the bass, A C#,D,E Without hearing it, it's difficult to say... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthizen2 Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I know the album very well. Yes, try to identify the tracks by title so we can help some more. Kurzweil PC3, Yamaha MOX8, Alesis Ion, Kawai K3M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue JC Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Sorry - I should have done this first (it's been a crazy day). The songs are "Before It's Too Late" and "Silent Message" although there may be a little of "San Ysidro" on the tape as well. I'm at work and trying to remember without hearing the tape. Thanks, JC Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. W. C. Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I'm not familiar wiyh the tunes, but knowing it's Grusing, and given the kind of harmony, I'd say that for improvising, you could use the minor pentatonics starting from F# and B. Also try C#, it might work or not depending if the scale/chord implies a G# or a G natural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzwee Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Hi Blue JC, Did you figure out those tunes yet? I listened to the ones you mentioned and sounded like 2-5-1's to me so it didn't sound bad. You probably know this already so consider this to just be a personal exercise... The tune "Before It's to Late" sounded like G-A-C-E-F on the first modal portion. I'm not always hearing the C though -- I think it is alternating with the C being on and off. Definitely those notes are in the melody. The tonality is definitely undefined. E, A, or even G. Melody suggests going from Em to Am. No soloing on this modal portion on the track so don't know if you needed to do anything else there. Then it went into a 2-5-1 in the key of F (Gm7, C7, FM7) and a 2-5-1 in the key of Bb (Cm7, F7, BbM7). That's all I hear in 1 minute. Let me know if I'm right. Jazzwee Hamburg Steinway O, Crumar Mojo, Nord Electro 4 HP 73, EV ZXA1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue JC Posted March 9, 2006 Author Share Posted March 9, 2006 I worked on them a little last night and you're right on the intervalic changes. The group I'm learning this for is in a different key for some reason. I'm having trouble getting that "Grusin" sound in the way I voice the chords and the scale choice(s) for soloing over this quartal harmony. All of the open 4ths, suspensions and unresolved cadences. I'm just not sure how to fit myself into this music. But I'm working on it. Old dog new tricks I guess. Thanks for all of your suggestions guys - I really appreciate it. Best, JC Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. W. C. Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzwee Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Here's an idea on my example. Stick to the chord tones on the beat (which are already 5 -- transposed to your key) and then do some appogiaturas on the offbeat and you'll have more notes than you'll ever need. Can't fail in my example since it is in the melody. I tried a little bit of it last night and sounded cool. You actually have a sizeable scale there already as is. If I rearrange the notes, of G-A-C-E-F it is actually C E F G A. You are missing only D and B. So it is already a version of a pentatonic. What is interesting in the sound is that I hear the dissonant quality between G-A and E-F so when I was noodling I tended to switch between these two things to emphasize it. The tune's kind of fun actually. Hamburg Steinway O, Crumar Mojo, Nord Electro 4 HP 73, EV ZXA1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue JC Posted March 9, 2006 Author Share Posted March 9, 2006 Yeah - they are fun tunes in an interesting style. That's why I'm trying to do them justice and expand my horizons a little in the process. Never too old to learn something new. That's the great thing about being a musician. Thanks Jazzwee. Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. W. C. Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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