| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Billie's Bounce | |
| Chacky -- 08/14/2007, 15:17:07 -- #36374 | |
| Hi to everyone, I have a simple question. What's the function of the B diminished chord on the second bar of Charlie Parker's Billie's Bounce. // F7 / Bb7 Bdim / F7 / F7 // Thanks in advance | |
| smg -- 08/14/2007, 16:23:45 -- #36374 | |
| It's a standard bebop-era cliche;in technical terms I guess you'd call it a passing chord to the F7...check this out for more- http://www.joefinn.net/html/blues_substitutions.html | |
| Mike -- 08/14/2007, 17:37:47 -- #36374 | |
| actualy those changes more commonly take place in measures in 5 abd 6 in the Blues. And that is how a lot of people including myself play Billieds bounce. Mostly I think the changes come from a super commen bass line that happens in a lot of cool tunes. In the key of F... going F A Bb B C. I just think of the the Bo7 chord as A Bbflat 9 chord with the flat 9 in the bass. // F7 / Bb7 / F7 / F7 / Bb7 / Bo7 / | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/14/2007, 19:51:33 -- #36374 | |
| That B dim 7 leads to the bass note C which is the 5th of the F chord. This happens in Rhythm Changes and "Gospel Blues" changes. Like this: | F | Bb7 Bdim |F/C | F7 | | |
| Chacky -- 08/15/2007, 09:18:54 -- #36374 | |
| But I think that's the way Charlie Parker plays it. / Bb7 Bo / on the second bar. Also it's the way it's written on the Real Book. I want to "get inside" Parker's head to understand why he decided to place that Bdim there... | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/15/2007, 10:28:46 -- #36374 | |
| Parker didn't play chords, the piano player did. Which recording are you listening to? A book is not a pure source. | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/15/2007, 12:01:48 -- #36374 | |
| I just listened to the track and looked at Parker's solo in the Omnibook. http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Parker-Studio-Chronicle-1940-1948/dp/B0000AJ5SR/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-4279168-3063927?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1187203386&sr=1-2 Only the bass player plays B, as a passing tone up to C and only on the first chorus, the piano player and Parker don't play B dim. Parker never outlines a B dim in his soloing in bar 2 nor on the head. The B dim did not appear to be on Parker's mind. | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/15/2007, 12:14:32 -- #36374 | |
| They are playing it: | F7 | Bb7 | F7 | F7 | | Bb7 | Bb7 | F7 | A-7 D7 | | G-7 | C7 | F7 | F7 (C7} | They barley hint at the C7 in bar 12 No B dim , no C-7, no I VI ii V turnaround | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/15/2007, 12:20:44 -- #36374 | |
| THE PIANO PLAYER IS PLAYING: F6 | |
| Jazz+ -- 08/15/2007, 12:21:57 -- #36374 | |
| On the head. | |
| jwv76 -- 08/15/2007, 12:31:01 -- #36374 | |
| I'm working on a Bud Powell transcription of "Relaxin at the Camarillo," another Parker blues. He plays the IV #IVdim thing in the second bar as well as over the third and fourth bars of every chorus. Nothing in the melody as written by Parker suggests these chords, Bud plays the melody in unison octaves with no chords. It's hard to hear what the bass player is doing over the head on this recording. Can't say whether Parker played it that way or not. | |
| jwv76 -- 08/15/2007, 12:36:43 -- #36374 | |
| sorry meant to say 5th and 6th bars, not 3rd and 4th | |
| Chacky -- 08/15/2007, 12:41:48 -- #36374 | |
| Thanks Jazz+ =D | |
| smg -- 08/16/2007, 12:32:15 -- #36374 | |
| This gets into this stuff- http://www.petethomas.co.uk/jazz-passing-chords.html | |
| Chacky -- 08/16/2007, 13:57:35 -- #36374 | |
| Thanks for the link smg. | |
| smg -- 08/18/2007, 16:03:20 -- #36374 | |
| Those 2 links should get you conceptually where you want to be... Also it's important to realize/be aware of the fact that,depending on the player you're listening to/being inluenced by,using "given standard changes" to a be-bop era head won't accurately reflect what that(contemporary) player is using for changes at any given time,past the first few choruses(if that even.......) | |
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