improvising over Jobim's "Wave"
Rodrigo Ventura
I'm having difficulty on figuring out how to approach Tom Jobim's "Wave"
tune, namely the main section (the bridge is just simple II-V-I
progressions). I've been using a real book sheet, and the main section
chords are notated as:
Dmaj7 Bbo7 A-7 D7(b9)
1 2 3 4
Gmaj7 G-6 F#13 F#+7 B9 B7(b9)
5 6 7 8
Bb7/E E7 Bb9 A7 D-7 G13 // //
9 10 11 12
I've seen a lot of discussion in a forum about the theoretical role of
Bbo7 (a V7dim in disguise?), but it is of little help, I guess, as far
as improvising is concerned. I looks like an alteration of the 6th note
of the scale to a Bb, so no problem here. Then, bars 3 to 5 are a II-V-I
in G major, and a modulation to the G minor mode.
The trouble for me starts with the progression starting with the 7th
bar. There following chords require proper voicing of the alterations,
otherwise the harmonic feel is lost. For instance, in a play-a-long
version of this sheet, bar 7 is simply notated with a F#7 the whole bar,
which seems to clash with their own recording! (on the other hand, it
works nicely with real book version notation!)
What confuses me the most is what modes/scales one should use in these
circumstances, since the direct ones do not work at all (e.g. F#
mixolydian does not work at all at bar 7!).
Then, at bar 9 it looks like another II-V, followed by another sequence
that totally puzzles me: Bb9, A7, D-7. Ok, it looks almost a II-V-I,
where the Bb9 is substituing the II (is this a tritone substitution?).
Can the Bb9 be approached as a II? The mode suggested by the Bb9 alone
does not seem to work...
I notices in a couple of solos on this tune that the bars 7 and 8 are
typically treated with cromatic note sequences -- is this the usual
approach to this "messy" situations? In bar 9 the notes B, D, E, and F#
seem to work quite well, and in bar 10, the notes B, D, E, and F also
work fine. It looks like a major->minor modulation here...
Thank you for any guidance given.
Cheers,
Rodrigo Ventura
nick...@aol.com
Rodrigo Ventura wrote:
> The trouble for me starts with the progression starting with the 7th
> bar. There following chords require proper voicing of the
alterations,
> otherwise the harmonic feel is lost. For instance, in a play-a-long
> version of this sheet, bar 7 is simply notated with a F#7 the whole
bar,
> which seems to clash with their own recording! (on the other hand, it
> works nicely with real book version notation!)
For bars 7 and 8, go 7:F#7, 8:B7. Pretty simple. I play along to the
Jamey Aebersold "Wave" all the time and it works fine.
> What confuses me the most is what modes/scales one should use in
these
> circumstances, since the direct ones do not work at all (e.g. F#
> mixolydian does not work at all at bar 7!).
I disagree; I think the usual scales are good. I would say in general,
use your ear. Play whatever fits best *for you.*
George Ziskind
> For bars 7 and 8, go 7:F#7, 8:B7. Pretty simple. I play along to the
> Jamey Aebersold "Wave" all the time and it works fine.
What no one seems to be mentioning here is the importance of the passing
tones.
The changes suggested above - the F#7 on bar 7, into the B7 on bar 8 -
while, correct, do not begin to really "sing" until you do the passing
tones on top of the two changes. Try these four half notes, beginning at
the top of bar 7: D#, D, C#, C.
Sort of hard to verbalize - but try this and you'll see that it flows.
Mixolydian, schmixolydian; don't think modes on your improv - especially on
a lovely composition like Wave. Rather, try to think of "making little
songs" in your improv.
George
nick...@aol.com
George Ziskind wrote:
> >
> > For bars 7 and 8, go 7:F#7, 8:B7. Pretty simple. I play along to
the
> > Jamey Aebersold "Wave" all the time and it works fine.
>
> What no one seems to be mentioning here is the importance of the
passing
> tones.
>
> The changes suggested above - the F#7 on bar 7, into the B7 on bar 8
-
> while, correct, do not begin to really "sing" until you do the
passing
> tones on top of the two changes. Try these four half notes, beginning
at
> the top of bar 7: D#, D, C#, C.
>
> Sort of hard to verbalize - but try this and you'll see that it
flows.
> Mixolydian, schmixolydian; don't think modes on your improv -
especially on
> a lovely composition like Wave. Rather, try to think of "making
little
> songs" in your improv.
>
> George
I agree, George.
Marc Sabatella
especially on
> a lovely composition like Wave. Rather, try to think of "making little
> songs" in your improv.
You can do that while also using modes to guide the note choices. In
fact, that is the *only* way in which modes were ever intended to be
used in jazz.
--------------
Marc Sabatella
ma...@outsideshore.com
The Outside Shore
Music, art, & educational materials:
http://www.outsideshore.com/
Marc Sabatella
> Bbo7 (a V7dim in disguise?), but it is of little help, I guess, as far
> as improvising is concerned.
I tend to agree. Luckily, the particular way in which that chord is
used here - I-#vo-v-I7-IV - is a very common way of getting from I to
IV. So whatever effort you spend dealing with it here will be well
worth it. Except, of course, you aren't all that often called upon to
do it in D. Might help to work through some ideas in a more familiar
key as well.
Other than observing that any time you see a diminished chord, the
diminished scale (Bb C Db Eb E F# G A) is a good place to start, as well
as observing that lines can always be formed by taking the chord tones
and supplementing them with notes from the key (Bb B C# D E F# G A), I
don't have much in the way of specific advice for dealing with this
chord. Just this: taken together, those two sets of notes adds up to
every note of the chromatic scale except F and G#, and I'm sure you
could find a way to justify those two if you wanted as well - if nothing
else, as passing tones. Which suggests that note chocie is not really a
particularly big issue in dealing with this chord. It's more about the
quality of the line you create - how melodic is it, whether it feels
like it leads well to the chord that follows. To some extent, one could
say this of *any* chord, but it is perhaps more true over this
particular chord than anywhere else.
> What confuses me the most is what modes/scales one should use in these
> circumstances, since the direct ones do not work at all (e.g. F#
> mixolydian does not work at all at bar 7!).
I think the trick is to see the descending chromatic line indicated by
the chords in bars 7-8: D#-D-C#-C. Actually playing this every time is
going to get tiresome, but you've got to at least recognize its
implications. I'm not sure I can put those into words except to say,
experiment with lines that incorporate those notes and see what effect
they have.
> another sequence
> that totally puzzles me: Bb9, A7, D-7. Ok, it looks almost a II-V-I,
> where the Bb9 is substituing the II (is this a tritone substitution?).
Yes, exactly. A very common progression in any key, but especially
minor keys.
> Can the Bb9 be approached as a II? The mode suggested by the Bb9 alone
> does not seem to work...
If by that you mean mixolydian, that's a too naive application of
chord/scale thinking. You should take context into account as well.
When a dominant seventh is the result of a tritone sub, that b5 - the
original root - should be part of your note set. In scale terms, that
might suggest the lydian dominant, whole tone, or altered scale. Or it
could come from simply thinking about D harmonic minor with the addition
or substitution of Ab.
> I notices in a couple of solos on this tune that the bars 7 and 8 are
> typically treated with cromatic note sequences -- is this the usual
> approach to this "messy" situations?
I guess I'd have to here the chromaticism in question to say for sure.
I don't really see a bVI7-V-i progression as "messy", though.
Rodrigo Ventura
Marc> If by that you mean mixolydian, that's a too naive
Marc> application of chord/scale thinking. You should take
Marc> context into account as well. When a dominant seventh is
Marc> the result of a tritone sub, that b5 - the original root -
Marc> should be part of your note set. In scale terms, that might
Marc> suggest the lydian dominant, whole tone, or altered scale.
Marc> Or it could come from simply thinking about D harmonic minor
Marc> with the addition or substitution of Ab.
I didn't quite understand. The progression we are dealing here is
Bb7-A7-Dm7, where Bb7 is a tritone substitution of Em7b5 (half dim;
can't write a slashed o here...). The A7-Dm7 suggest a melodic minor
(D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C#), right? The b5 you are refering to is the b5 of the
Bb7 chord? (the E?) The E is already in the scale, as well as the
F. On the other hand, if it is the b5 of the Em7b5 (Bb), it is already
there also.
Another thing that confuses me is that the Bb7 seems to obligue a
Ab. Latter on in your paragraph you also refer to the Ab, but I didn't
understand how it relates you your previous statements about the b5.
Cheers,
Rodrigo
--
*** Rodrigo Martins de Matos Ventura <yo...@isr.ist.utl.pt>
*** Web page: http://www.isr.ist.utl.pt/~yoda
*** Teaching Assistant and PhD Student at ISR:
*** Instituto de Sistemas e Robotica, Polo de Lisboa
*** Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa, PORTUGAL
*** PGP fingerprint = 0119 AD13 9EEE 264A 3F10 31D3 89B3 C6C4 60C6 4585
Marc Sabatella
> Marc> application of chord/scale thinking. You should take
> Marc> context into account as well. When a dominant seventh is
> Marc> the result of a tritone sub, that b5 - the original root -
> Marc> should be part of your note set. In scale terms, that might
> Marc> suggest the lydian dominant, whole tone, or altered scale.
> Marc> Or it could come from simply thinking about D harmonic minor
> Marc> with the addition or substitution of Ab.
>
> I didn't quite understand. The progression we are dealing here is
> Bb7-A7-Dm7, where Bb7 is a tritone substitution of Em7b5 (half dim;
> can't write a slashed o here...).
Right - although more technically, I'd say the Em7b5 was first replaced
by a secondary dominant (E7), and that Bb7 was actually a tritone sub
for that. At least, I'd say that to forestall questions from people who
would otherwise say, "but I thought you could only do tritone
substitutions on dominant sevenths".
Anyhow, so what I wrote above is, since that Bb7 is the reuslt of
tritone sub, mixolydian is not a great choice. Even thought he chord
symbol doesn't specifically say b5, you've got to think that way anyhow.
So you really want to think about scale choices that include the b5,
assuming you are going to use a chord/scale approach at all.
> The A7-Dm7 suggest a melodic minor
> (D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C#), right?
That's harmonic minor, not melodic, but yes, that is the implied key.
Any time you see a minor key V-i, harmonci minor is where it is coming
from, although the extent to which you actually *use* harmonic minor is
another matter - some really dislike the sound (eg, Mark Levine). But
what is important to realize is that *because* that's where it is coming
from, that A7 takes a b9 and b13. So again, if you are using a
chord/scale approach, you would want to look first at scales that
include one of both of these notes.
> The b5 you are refering to is the b5 of the
> Bb7 chord? (the E?) The E is already in the scale, as well as the
> F.
Well, right - D harmonic minor is indeed one the possible scale choices
for that as a whole progression, although of course you'd want to do
something about that A over the Bb7. But that's using a key centered
approach, not a chord/scale approach. In the latter type of approach,
you wouldn't be looking to find one scale you can stretch over the whole
progression, but rather, a scale for each chord. At least, that's this
approach taken to the extreme - in reality, most good players do some of
both. But when we are in "chord/scale mode", we'd be looking at scales
consistent with Bb7b5, and that might including lydian dominant, whole
tone, or altered, for example.
> Another thing that confuses me is that the Bb7 seems to obligue a
> Ab. Latter on in your paragraph you also refer to the Ab, but I didn't
> understand how it relates you your previous statements about the b5.
I just meant that D harmonic minor could indeed work to some extent over
the Bb7 because it does indeed have the b5 - and of course, it *is* the
scale of the key - but that in addition to these concerns, you also had
better get that Ab in there. So the resulting set of notes might look
like Bb C# D E F G Ab. Not one I can put a name to, but that's pretty
common when using a key centered approach, which is what this is: we are
taking the scale of the key and using it over the whole progression,
just changing whatever notes within that scale are necessary to fit the
chords.
jwra...@aol.com
"Sinatra and Company" Even though Sinatra was at a fairly late point
in his career, he was always inspired by collaborating with Jobim.
Some of his best later singing.