{"id":14026,"date":"2020-04-23T19:36:20","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T17:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/?p=14026"},"modified":"2025-12-04T15:23:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:23:49","slug":"take-the-a-train","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/take-the-a-train\/","title":{"rendered":"Take The “A” Train – Jazz Guitar Chord Melody Lesson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take the “A” Train, composed by Billy Strayhorn in 1939 and first recorded in 1941, became the signature song of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. The title refers to the A subway line that had recently opened and ran from Brooklyn to Northern Manhattan, the center of the jazz world at that time.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this lesson, you will learn how to play the melody of Take the \u201cA\u201d Train using chord voicings, following the approach used in our chord melody course<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Take<\/div>\n

The chord progression of Take the “A” Train is loosely based on another well-known jazz standard called Exactly Like You (1930).<\/p>\n

The standard is in the key of C major and has an AABA structure. In Duke Ellington’s original version, the second chorus modulates to Eb<\/p>\n

Take the “A” Train starts with two bars of C major (bar 5), before going to two bars of D7#11, which functions as the secondary dominant<\/a> with the #11 in the melody. The first two melody notes over the D7 chord are often said to sound like a train horn, a playful nod to the song’s title.<\/p>\n

The bridge starts on the IV (Fmaj7), a common feature for swing-era jazz standards such as Stompin’ at the Savoy<\/a> and Don’t Get Around Much Anymore<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The coda<\/a> of the arrangement is very recognizable and is known as the “Take the A Train” or “Duke Ellington” ending.<\/p>\n

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Recommended listening:<\/strong><\/p>\n