Jim Hall Comping on Alone Together

**gersdal** · 05-14-2012, 03:58 PM

I've transcribed Jim Hall's comping on Alone together on Paul Desmonds record Take Ten. Great playing and a lot to learn from this. Not a perfect transcription. I gave up on getting the rhythm notation correct here and there, but I hope the voicings and grips are decent.

**Reg** · 05-14-2012, 08:42 PM

Very cool. thanks for posting. I read through... well between scrolling down. Very straight, rhythmically and harmonically... but we are talking about JH.

You might check out your rhythmic notations when they cross, what many call the imaginary bar line, between beats 2 and 3. At 7th bar of 2nd "A"... dotted quarter, dotted quarter, quarter. Always easier to read as Dotted quarter, eight tied to quarter, quarter.... and 3rd bar of last "A". Not really a big deal, but sight reading is difficult enough already.

How do you determine chord symbol from spelling or notated part. I'm always interested. Some of the symbols appeared different from spellings...Again thanks for posting, players should read through, great practice etc... Not trying to bash, I always dig your posts. And you are actually giving us music... very nice.

Would dig hearing you play transcription...

Thanks Reg

**gersdal** · 05-15-2012, 05:53 AM

Originally Posted by Reg

Very cool. thanks for posting. I read through... well between scrolling down. Very straight, rhythmically and harmonically... but we are talking about JH.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Reg

You might check out your rhythmic notations when they cross, what many call the imaginary bar line, between beats 2 and 3. At 7th bar of 2nd "A"... dotted quarter, dotted quarter, quarter. Always easier to read as Dotted quarter, eight tied to quarter, quarter.... and 3rd bar of last "A". Not really a big deal, but sight reading is difficult enough already.

Thanks for the advise. I've seen people recommending transcribing the rhythm first, and then the individual notes. Maybe that would be better. It's getting a bit too much for me at times.

Originally Posted by Reg

How do you determine chord symbol from spelling or notated part. I'm always interested. Some of the symbols appeared different from spellings...

I think I just indicated the original chords from the real book, and let the reader determine what Jim Halls interpretation of what to play over that chord.

Originally Posted by Reg

Again thanks for posting, players should read through, great practice etc... Not trying to bash, I always dig your posts. And you are actually giving us music... very nice. Would dig hearing you play transcription...

Thanks. I'm not too advanced when it comes to video taping my playing and placing it on youtube. I'll try ...

**kris** · 05-15-2012, 07:58 AM

Nice...thanks.
I have this CD.I like it a lot.
Jazzingly
Kris

**jamieh** · 05-15-2012, 09:15 AM

Great job, always dug that intro too!

**JakeAcci** · 05-15-2012, 09:31 AM

Awesome...thanks for sharing. Jim Hall's comping always blows my mind.

**Gertrude Moser** · 03-22-2014, 08:12 AM

I've been looking/studying at this comp and have one glaring question? There are multiple instances where on a minor 2-5-1 where Jim plays a dominant 7 (maj 3rd) instead go the ii-7. I get how this creates a strong 1/2 into the V7(he's basically sliding dim chords around) but I don't get why the F# on a D-7 "works". It's not just used "in passing" either, in m47 he plays the F# on D- on the downbeat of one. Not something I would tend to do, but then I'm no Jim Hall. Could someone give me a heads up
here? Many thanks.

**0zoro** · 03-23-2014, 04:40 AM

Gersdal, this looks to be a very interesting post, and I dont understand how I missed it then but fortunately its come round again. Only problem is the link seems to be inactive. I would really like a copy of the transcription. Is that possible?

**Gertrude Moser** · 03-23-2014, 07:36 AM

Sorry, I should have checked the link before I posted. I'm looking at a copy I printed a while back and never got around to studying. Is the OP still around?

**GodinFan** · 03-23-2014, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Gertrude Moser

I've been looking/studying at this comp and have one glaring question? There are multiple instances where on a minor 2-5-1 where Jim plays a dominant 7 (maj 3rd) instead go the ii-7. I get how this creates a strong 1/2 into the V7(he's basically sliding dim chords around) but I don't get why the F# on a D-7 "works". It's not just used "in passing" either, in m47 he plays the F# on D- on the downbeat of one. Not something I would tend to do, but then I'm no Jim Hall. Could someone give me a heads up
here? Many thanks.

Ed Bickert is another who does that V of V thing instead of a ii-V.

rmsmarr · 03-23-2014, 01:03 PM

No finding the transcription with the link.

**gersdal** · 03-23-2014, 06:35 PM

I'll try to find it and repost. Thanks for the interest.

**gersdal** · 03-23-2014, 06:45 PM

I hope this is the one.

**0zoro** · 03-24-2014, 03:43 AM

Thank you, now I will have something to do this morning. I´m looking forward to a guitar oriented day, all day. Again thanks!

**JayRivers** · 03-26-2014, 06:43 PM

Thanks for providing this!

rmsmarr · 03-26-2014, 08:57 PM

Hey thanks for sharing!

**Phil in London** · 04-03-2014, 04:02 AM

good stuff tx

**JBZ** · 07-28-2025, 10:52 PM

In this case you can look at Jim playing a D7 instead of a Dmin7 as he's superimposing/substituting the minor 2 chord (the relative minor chord to the dominant G7) with the Dominant chord that resolves to the 5 G7.

Basically, he is playing the 5 chord, of the 5 chord. this is commonly used to create more color in many situations. It does seem odd when you're thinking of the 2 chord as Dmin7 in relation to the C major scale and sound, but alone together is a Minor tune.

The 2 chord we almost always default to in a minor key for jazz music is not minor. But Minor7Flat5, known as half diminished (I don't like that term) or could even be though of as a minor chord with the 6th in the bass (ala barry harris).

That is a lot of information that may or may not help but think of it this way. If you are playing a Two Five, whether it's one bar, or two, or whatever. You're really just playing a 5 chord. A dominant chord that will either resolve or not resolve to another place harmonically.

So, if you just think of measure two of alone together as G7 (And since it's a minor key I would suggest thinking of it as being a G7b9b13) then you can start to see another way of thinking. The 2 minor chord is really just a way of adding color to the 5 dominant.

So Jim is adding a different color by playing the 2 Dominant (Secondary dominant of G7). And I know that may sound like it would change the harmony you need to think of while soloing, but the altered notes you can play on D7 (F comes to mind as the Sharp 9) end up all being in the same area harmonically.

The main thing you should take away is that by playing D7 Jim gets to play a beautiful and kind of bluesy top melody line between chords. Often playing F# to F to Eb. Which... ya know. Hope that helps in some way?

Let me know if I didn't explain something or went too fast/wasn't clear.

Jbz

**Christian Miller** · 07-29-2025, 08:22 AM

Denis Chang would tell you the IIm7 was rare until after the bop era. You go back and listen to Charlie Christian playing on Honeysuckle Rose and they stay on V7 for four bars. You do hear it … but less than you might think.

Barry Harris pointed out that Bird often played on V7 and ignored the IIm7. IIm7 chords are more like an embellishment - a suspension in fact - of the dominant harmony. That’s where they come from in classical harmony. In jazz they become more of a feature of the rhythm section comping after the swing era.

II7 on the other hand, appear in dozens and dozens of jazz standards. Exactly Like You, A Train, Found a New Baby, practically every ABAC tune ever as the end of the B - East of the Sun, My Ideal, Just Friends and Days of Wine and Roses come to mind immediately for some reason…

In modern jazz harmony these are often rendered VIm II7 IIm7 V7.

The IIm7 chord is often ornamental while the II7 or V/V is more of a structural feature. OTOH as you say you can use the secondary dominants to superimpose more movement on the standard progression. If you know where you are aiming….

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