Hellhound on My Trail – Robert Johnson
Hell Hound On My Trail (Album Version) by Official Robert Johnson Page

Maple Leaf Rag – Scott Joplin

Mapple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin

Mississippi Mud – Paul Whiteman with Bix Beiderbeck

Mississippi Mud (Studio) by Bix Beiderbecke

Wayne Shorter, soprano and tenor saxophone
Joe Zawinul, Arp 2600 syntheziser, Fender Rhodes electric piano
Jaco Pastorius, electric bass and steel drums
Alex Acuña, drums
Manolo Badrena, percussion

Form and Key: Lengthy introduction followed by an elastic AB form repeated with extended Coda. 4/4 meter and D and F serve as primary key centers. What makes this tune particularly interesting is the phrase lengths which are uneven and never the same twice ranging from 15-1/2 bars to18, 19 and 22 bars long. All the while, the bass plays a complex ostinato line against a nearly regular 2 bar keyboard chord progression.

Introduction: Unison rhythm section line for 2 bars is followed by a 2 bar vamp featuring conga drums; Tenor sax enters for 2 additional repeats of the vamp. 0:00 – 0:23
Grand Pause: entire band pauses for a 2 beast and a bar.

Vamp: prominent bass line serving as the underpinning to entire tune anchors another 2 bar vamp played twice as intro to main melody: 0:26 – 0:35

A Section: tenor sax enters with primary theme. This theme and series of chords centers around D and the melody serves as the basis of nearly the entire tune: 0:35 – 1:16

B Section: electric piano featured for first 4 bars of this new section in the new key center of F, tenor sax enters with variation on A thematic material, electric piano solos in between melodic statements: 1:16 – 2:00

A Section: tenor sax enters with primary theme. 2:00 – 2:37

B Section: electric piano fills featured for first 4 bars of this new section in the new key center of F, tenor sax enters with variation on A thematic material, electric piano solos in between melodic statements: 2:37 – 3:07

Coda: new simple, catchy tune serves as background first for Shorter’s tenor improvisations and then for Zawinul’s synthesizer solo. Breakdown of entrances is as follows:
3:07 – 3:23: rhythm section plays tune
3:23 – 3:39: tenor improvises
3:39 – 3:55: band plays tune
3:55 – to end: sax and rhythm section play tune while synthesizer improvises until abrupt and unresolved ending.

Soprano soloist in the opening section who gets a chance to improvise into the open lid and strings of an acoustic piano to produce an unusual affect! Electric or acoustic bass is fine the the recording features electric. Solos can be opened up for nearly anyone, though the recording features trombone and vibes.

Instrumentation: Alto/flute; ten/soprano; bari.; 2-tpts, 1 bone, Piano/Vibes, Bass, Guitar; Drums

Grade Level: Medium-Difficult
Play Demo that begins half way through first sectionEarth Tones (excerpt)

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Power of Ten¹⁰

Buy full CD in either download or CD format from CD Baby

Or if you prefer purchasing from Amazon

It is also available from iTunes and other download vendors as well as CD Universe

Check out the first review in All About Jazz

All About Jazz review highlights - “For Earth Tones, Lawn brought together some of the finest musicians in the Philadelphia area to realize ten well-crafted original compositions which thrive in the little big band format. The most striking and pleasurable aspects of Lawn’s arrangements are the beautiful sonorities he creates by combining instruments with different colorations…. The overall sound is a stone’s throw from Maria Schneider’s big band arrangements. The orchestrations are cinematic…”

“Lawn has put together a set of tunes and arrangements in the mainstream post-bop idiom that are consistently listenable with a touch of humor. He makes ample use of the outstanding group of musicians he has assembled for this recording. Anyone familiar with Philly jazz knows that these are among the players who are making it happen in the tri-state area. And the felicitous addition of trumpet master George Rabbai makes this an album to be savored and remembered.”

And the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Review

Inquirer review highlights – “…self-produced recording is a clean, transparent effort that invites more people in the jazz tent.” “…the set maintains a strong mainstream jazz focus…” “Much of it exudes a clean aesthetic a la Gil Evans, whose influence can be heard…”

Radio Playlists as of 1/25/12

KKJZ- Longbeach, CA

WSHA – Raleigh, NC

WVIA – Scranton, PA

KUER – Utah

KIOS – Omaha, NE

KSDS – San Diego, CA

WVTF – Virginia Public Radio

WUCF – Orlando, FL

WWUH – Hartford, CN

KJZZ – Temple, AZ

WNTU – North Texas

WSHA – Raleigh, NC

Play-Along Recordings

(Want your free download bonus track? Keep reading about our other offers!)

That’s right, if you are a pianist, bass player, drummer or want to practice soloing on challenging changes, you can download 9 of the 10 tracks included on our new CD Earth Tones!  Each track comes to you as an MP3 file and PDF formatted part for you to print out. The solo parts are available in C bass and treble clef, Bb and Eb, and are composite lead sheets that include important melodic lines and figures throughout the chart as well as solo changes.  Copyright owners of Ease It and With a Little Help prohibited the use of printed melodies in these lead sheets, but nothing is stopping you from using your ear to figure out the heads.  Nine (9) tracks from the full length 10 track CD are available in play-along format with lead sheets for bass, piano or drums for only $17.95. Eight (8) tracks are available for soloists in all keys and clefs for $14.95.  No waiting for your selections to arrive in the mail either. Buy the full length CD or mp3 album download and compare your ideas to the full-length CD to see how the musicians in Power of Ten¹⁰ performed these challenging charts.  Tracks available are as follows:

1. Never Too Late – minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the solo. Full score & parts also available!
2. Piece of Silver (free bonus track available from this site) – minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the solos. Full score & parts also available!
3. Hopscotch - minus bass, minus piano, minus drums but no track minus the solo is available. Full score & parts also available!
4. Tapestry - minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the solo. Full score & parts may soon be available!
5. No Regrets – minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the entire melody and solo. Full score & parts also available!
6. With a Little Help – minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the solos.
7. Quiet Please! - minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the solo. Full score & parts also available!
8. Ease It – minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the solos.
9. Sigh of the Soul - minus bass, minus piano, minus drums or minus the solos.

All can be purchased here and downloaded almost immediately. Payment is handled by Kagi through their secure web site accepting all major credit cards and Paypal. (Want your free download bonus track? Scroll to the bottom of this page to download Piece of Silver)

Place Orders Here

(store will be open on 11/3/11)

Purchase all 8 tracks for solo instruments in Bb, Eb, C and C Bass Clef for $24.95

or

Purchase all 9 tracks minus piano  for $27.95

Purchase all 9 tracks minus bass for $27.95

Purchase all 9 tracks minus drums for $27.95

Takes you to my secure Kagi Store to purchase full CD

If you’re not sure it’s worth it, for $3 you can purchase one track and PDF part for any of the play-along options as listed below:

Never Too Late minus piano $3

Play Demo Never Too Late excerpt minus piano
Never Too Late minus bass $3

Play Demo Never Too Late excerpt minus bass
Never Too Late minus drums $3

Play Demo Never Too Late excerpt minus drums
Never Too Late minus solos for C Treble Clef $3
Never Too Late minus solos for C Bass Clef $3
Never Too Late minus solos for Bb Instruments $3
Never Too Late minus solos for Eb Instruments $3
Play Demo Never Too Late excerpt minus solo

Takes you to my secure Kagi Store to purchase this single play-along track

Download bonus track Piece of Silver, CD notes and graphics

password: owllane

If you like Power of Ten’s Earth Tones check out his Third Coast Jazz Orchestra big band recording Unknown Soldiers.

• Intervals
• Triads
• Seventh Chords
• Altered Dominants
• Extended Chords
• Hybrid Scales/Modes
• Blues Progressions
• Minor Blues Progressions
• Progressions
• Tutorial on Scale Chord Relationships

You must purchase the new edition of the book in order to receive the new, interactive eChapter.
Purchase price is $20.00

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Instrumentation: Alto; ten; bari.; 2-tpts, 1 bone, Piano/Vibes, Bass, Guitar; Drums

Grade Level: Medium-Difficult
Play DemoNo Regrets (excerpt)

Download Score

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Simple and Compound 1
Construction 2
Symbols 2
Compound Intervals 3
Enharmonics 4
Inversions 4
Hearing Intervals 4
Suggested Exercises and Activities 5

Chapter 2 – SCALES AND MODES
Scale Construction 9
Review of Major and Minor Scales 10
Major Scales 10
MinorScales 11
Modal Scales 13
Pentatonic Scales 16
Major 17
Minor 17
Blues Scale 17
Suggested Exercises and Activities 19

Chapter 3 – CHORD CONSTRUCTION AND NOTATION
Triads 21
Major Triads 22
Minor Triads 22
Diminished Triads 22
Augmented Triads 23
Added Extension Tones 24
Major Chord Types and Extension Tones 24
Minor Chord Types and Extension Tones 27
Dominant 7th Chords and Extension Tones 28
Diminished 7th Chords 31
Summary 32
Suggested Exercises and Activities 33

Chapter 4 – SYMMETRICAL, SYNTHETIC AND HYBRID SCALES
Symmetrical Scales 35
Chromatic 35
Whole-Tone 36
Augmented 36
Diminished 37
Hybrid, or Synthetic, Scales 38
Altered Pentatonics 38
Modes of the Harmonic Minor 38
Modes of the Melodic Minor 41
Harmonic Major Scale and Its Modes 43
Summary 45
Suggested Exercises and Activities 46

Chapter 5 – CHORD/SCALE RELATIONSHIPS AND APPLICATIONS
Major Chord/Scale Combinations 49
Minor Chord/Scale Combinations 51
Dominant Chord/Scale Combinations 54
Diminished Chord Relationships 60
Summary 61
Suggested Exercises and Activities 62

Chapter 6 – PRINCIPLES OF MELODIC CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
What Is a Melody? 66
Range and Contour 66
Cohesion 66
Rhythm 66
Form 68
Techniques of Melodic Manipulation and Development 69
Sequence 69
Repetition 70
Rhythmic Variation 71
Nonharmonic Tones 73
Passing Tone 75
Neighbor Tone 76
Changing Tones 77
Anticipation 77
Appoggiatura 77
Escape Tone 78
Summary 78
Analysis of “Blues for Alice” 81
Motivic Development 81
Scale Material 83
Harmonic SubstitutionlAlteration 83
Reference List 84
Suggested Exercises and Activities 84

Chapter 7 – DIATONIC AND CHROMATIC HARMONY
The Roman Numeral System: A Review 87
Primary and Secondary Root Movements 89
Major Key Chord Functions, Tendencies, and Progressions 89
Minor Key Chord Functions, Tendencies, and Progressions 95
More About ii-V-1 Cadences and an Analysis of “Tune Up” 98
Chromatic Harmony 100
SecondaryDominant7thChords 100
AlteredDominant7thChords 101
Other Chromatic Chords 101
Cycles, Turnarounds, and Turnbacks 102
Turnarounds That Lead to the I Chord 102
Turnarounds That Lead to the II Chord 104
Jazz Compositions with Familiar Chord Progressions 105
Summary 106
Analysis of Two Jazz Standards 106
“Prelude to a Kiss” 106
“Giant Steps” 108
Suggested Exercises and Activities 109

Chapter 8 – HARMONIC SUBSTITUTION AND EMBELLISHMENT
MediantandSubmediantSubstitution 111
Tritone Substitution 114
Adding ii-V’s to Progressions 115
Chord Quality Substitution 118
Distant ii-V Relationships and Substitutions 119
The Diminished Cycle 121
Other Substitutes for the V7 Chord 122
Borrowing from the Parallel Major or Minor 122
Replacement or Embellishment of the Tonic 123
Using Substitution Principles Effectively 126
Suggested Exercises and Activities 129

Chapter 9 – INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ KEYBOARD VOICINGS
Establishing Basic Chord Voicings 133 Adding the 13th 135
Dense Chords and Voice-Leading Techniques 136 Altered Tones 139
Open and Closed Voicings 139
Suspended Chords and Foreign Bass Notes 141 Modal Voicings and Planing 142
Five- and Six-Note Voicings 143
Triadic Upper Structures in Voicings 144 Basic Camping Rhythms 145
The Blues in Five Voices 145
Suggested Exercises and Activities 145

Chapter 10 – RHYTHM AND METER
A Complex Heritage 150
Swing: A Unique and Original Phenomenon 153
African, Afro-Cuban, and Afro-Latin Influences 156
To Swing or Not to Swing 159 Early New Orleans Dixieland 159 Chicago Style 160
Swing 161
Bebop 161
Cool 162
FreejazzandFusion 162
Meter 163
Summary 164
Reference List 164

Chapter 11 – THE BLUES: lTS EVOLUTION FROM SIMPLE TO COMPLEX FORMS
The Basic Progression 167
Additional Chord Changes and the Final Cadence 169
Bebop and the Introduction of Harmonic Substitution 170 Measures 1 Through 4 171
Measures 5 Through 8 172
TheFinalPhrase 174
Putting It All Together: “Bird Blues” 1 75
Minor Blues 176
Other Variations on the Blues Form 177
Compositions Based on the Blues Progression 179 Thelonious Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser” 180
Charlie Parker’s “Blues for Alice” 181
Suggested Exercises and Activities 184

Chapter 12 – MODAL STRUCTURES
Historical Background 189
General Modal Concepts 190
Deriving Harmony from Modes 192
Symbolizing Modality 194

Improvising on Modal Tunes 195
Compositions Based on the Modal Style 198
Miles Davis’s “Milestones” 198
Jimmy Heatb’s “A Sound For Sore Ears” 199
Suggested Exercises and Activities 201

Chapter 13 – RHYTHM CHANGES: THE CLASSIC JAZZ MODEL
The Original Progression: A Place to Begin 203
A First Set of Harmonic Embellishments 204
MeasureslThrough4:ASimpleEmbellishmentandSubstitution 204
Measures 5 and 6: Movement to the IV Chord 205
More Variations: A Myriad of Possibilities 207
Measures 1 Through 4: Mediant Substitution 208
Adding Diminished 7th Chords 208
Quality and Tritone Substitutions 209
ii-VCycles 210
Measures 3 Through 6 211
The Bridge 213
Other Performance Approaches 216
Compositions Based on the Rhythm Changes Model 216
Sonny Rollins’s “Oleo” 216
J.J.Jobnson’s”Turnpike” 217
Suggested Exercises and Activities 219

Chapter 14 – CONTEMPORARY JAZZ COMPOSITION
Free jazz 221
Contemporary Compositional Techniques 223
Innovations in Form 223
Harmonic Innovations 224
Melodic Innovations 228
Rhythmic Innovations 232
Analysis of Two Compositions 234
“Broadway Blues” by Ornette Coleman 234
“DolpbinDance”byHerbieHancock 237
Suggested Exercises and Activities 240

Chapter 15 – SOLVING THE IMPROVISATION MYTH
Cliches, Quotes, and Patterns 244
Some Thoughts on Practice 247
Solo Transcriptions 247
Cannonball Adderley’s Solo on “Milestones” 248
Clark Terry’s Solo on “Straight, No Chaser” 25S
Don Byas’s Solo on “I Got Rhythm” 2S9
MilesDavis’sSoloon”FreedomjazzDance” 270
Listening Habits and Techniques 276
Hints on Transcribing Solos 277
Reference List 278

APPENDIXES

SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION FOR NOW HEAR THIS 279
MAJOR SCALES 280
MAJOR SCALE/MODE SUGGESTED PRACTICE ROUTINE 282
SUGGESTED SCALE/MODE PRACTICE PATTERNS 283
SYMMETRICAL PATTERNS 287
SUGGESTED BOOKS FOR FURTHER REFERENCE AND STUDY 289
INDEX 293

Return to Home Page Return to Jazz Theory & Practice

Instrumentation: Alto; ten; bari.; 2-tpts, 1 bone, Piano/Vibes, Bass, Guitar; Drums

Grade Level: Medium-Difficult

Play DemoOut On a Limb

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As yet there is no recording available, but you can listen to a rough recording of the big band version on this web site.

Instrumentation: Alto; ten; bari; 2-tpts, 1 bone, Piano/Vibes, Bass, Guitar; Drums

Grade Level: difficult
Play DemoHopscotch (excerpt)

Download Score

Buy this chart for only $25

Takes you to my secure Kagi Store