Clifford Brown

[Stevebol]

Anyone know what CB is up to on diminished chords? I can't quite make sense of his approach. Everything else about his soloing adds up technically.

[mr. beaumont]

ANy particular tunes/licks/times you can share? Have you done the transcribing and need analysis help, or can you not hear it yet?

[Stevebol]

I'm not transcribing, just working my way through his solo on "What Am I Here For". Basic ii-V-I throughout the song is Dm-G7-CM7-C#dim7.
Lick in the second measure which is a C#o7 chord is; G-A-B-Eb-D-C-Db-Bb.
Come to think of it, maybe it's something like whole tone;

G-A-B-Eb (skips the Db and uses Eb instead)
D-C-Db (enclosure around Db)
Last note, Bb, is just a leading tone to A in the next measure which is a Dm7 chord.

That's the only way I can make sense of it. He uses obvious whole-tone stuff on alt chords a lot but his dim chords are a bit of a mystery.

[mike g]

Originally Posted by Stevebol

Anyone know what CB is up to on diminished chords? I can't quite make sense of his approach. Everything else about his soloing adds up technically.

How's it going Stevebol?
I just listened to that tune. In my opinion Clifford is treating the C#dim as an A7...(V7 of ii, which it really is). If we were to think that way, the notes you mentioned....G-A-B-Eb-D-C-Db (let's call the Db a C#)-Bb...can be explained this way over the A7 chord...7-1-9-b5...now the D-C-C# is a common bebop technique of above and under approach tones with C# being the 3rd of A7. Thats just how i look at it.
Hope this helps.

Mike

[princeplanet]

Originally Posted by mike g

How's it going Stevebol?
I just listened to that tune. In my opinion Clifford is treating the C#dim as an A7...(V7 of ii, which it really is). If we were to think that way, the notes you mentioned....G-A-B-Eb-D-C-Db (let's call the Db a C#)-Bb...can be explained this way over the A7 chord...7-1-9-b5...now the D-C-C# is a common bebop technique of above and under approach tones with C# being the 3rd of A7. Thats just how i look at it.
Hope this helps.

Mike

Makes sense to me. Still, the Eb remains curious. How would the line sound with the E nat? I'm betting not as good. After all Clifford was a a genius, right?

[Stevebol]

Originally Posted by mike g

How's it going Stevebol?
I just listened to that tune. In my opinion Clifford is treating the C#dim as an A7...(V7 of ii, which it really is). If we were to think that way, the notes you mentioned....G-A-B-Eb-D-C-Db (let's call the Db a C#)-Bb...can be explained this way over the A7 chord...7-1-9-b5...now the D-C-C# is a common bebop technique of above and under approach tones with C# being the 3rd of A7. Thats just how i look at it.
Hope this helps.

Mike

You're right mike. It's easier to think A7.

[mike g]

Originally Posted by princeplanet

Makes sense to me. Still, the Eb remains curious. How would the line sound with the E nat? I'm betting not as good. After all Clifford was a a genius, right?

Hi princeplanet
The Eb is the b5 of A7..E would sound fine, Clifford may even play that next time around. E# (F) would sound fine too. Just playing around with the 5. The 5 being the least important note of the chord but one to alter and add color. I think the main thing is not to get hung up on scales and modes, but rather think of the changes. Once again, just my opinion.

Mike