Autumn Leaves - Robert Conti's Ticket to Improv Vol. I

[lawson-stone]

I love the big (Wes Montgomery type) sound you are getting.

The Aria for some reason just has a sweet spot right on that sound. I doubt I'll ever sell this amazing guitar.


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[Doublea A]

Autumn Leaves


I made 3 small changes to the Conti solo.
Bar 8 - I changed the first note C to a B because it is a chord tone and I altered the fingering.
Bar 21 - instead of starting with E E D, I play E Eb D.My reasoning is, It seems to align better with the Chromatic line in Bar 22 (D Db C)
Bar 23 - I omit the first F# and begin the phrase with the G on the and of 1 (the offbeat) for reasons explained in my analysis below.

Here is my analysis of what we just learned:

Bar 1 - Start on the offbeat, use chromaticism. This sets up a rhythmic and melodic precedence that is carried throughout the piece.
Bar 2 - More Chromaticism. The opening Bb really does sound better with an altered chord. I the iReal book app which allows me to alter that chord from a D7 to a Dalt. This phrase also returns later on in the piece.
Bars 3 and 4 - I learned this from a Joe Pass piece many years ago. This sequence of Chord tone, down a semitone, Chord tone is quite common especially when the chord is static or unchanged for a prolonged period of time. If anyone here is a member of the Herb Ellis Study Group you may remember Herb using this device over Blues Changes.
Bar 5 - More Chromaticism - Almost Gypsy sounding
Bar 8 - Starting on a C ? My ear wants this phrase to start on a B son changed it. This makes turns the phrase into a F diminished lick with I feel is more in keeping with the phrase in Bar 5. It sort encapsulates Bars 5-8 with a Gypsy type 2 - 5 - 1 diminished feel.
Bars 9 and 10 - More Chromaticism !
Bars 11 and 12 - Keith Richards style double stops. Bar 11- To my eyes it looks like a D chord (beginning on D and F# and ending on F# and A, but Conti plays over a Gmaj7 giving it a Gmaj7 sound and feel. Then he repeats it over Cmaj7 making it sound and feel like a Cmaj9. That is a trick that we can put in our pocket and reuse at another time.
Bar 13 - Cmaj7 arpeggio over a F#min7b5 (very hip). That is another trick that we can put in our pocket and reuse at another time.
Bar 16 - Beginning the phrase on the and of 3 and introducing the triplet to accentuate the beginning of the next section.
Bar 18 - The Phrase ends on a D#. This accentuates the B7 (also very hip) (and very bluesy). Conti never denies that he is a street player. This D# is evidence of that.
Bar 19 and 20 - Starts on the and of 1 ( and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and). This is one reason I started Bar 23 and the and of 1. You get bars 19 and 20 rhythmically mirroring bars 23 and 24 which I feel holds the section together a little better.
Bars 21 and 22 - I started with E Eb D as opposed to E E D because I felt that this Chromaticism to start the phrase worked better with the Chromaticism that ends the phrase (D Db C C# D)
Bars 23 and 24 - As stated earlier I left out the first note (F#) because I wanted the rhythm to mirror bars 19 and 20. I also like the rhythmically displaced Gmaj7 arpeggio over the Gmaj7 chord.
Bars 25 and 26 - More Gypsy Chromaticism !!
Bars 27 and 28 - Many of you know that this song commonly has a chord change over this section which is as follows: Emin7 - Eb7 - Dmin7 - Db7 resolving to Cmaj7 in Bar 29. Conti does not this chord substitution but opts for a more static harmonic line. however he implies that chord sequence (Emin7 - Eb7 - Dmin7 - Db7) in his solo with a slight rhythmic variance(all eighth notes except for the and of 2) which once again makes it stand out. Brilliant. That is another trick that we can put in our pocket and reuse at another time.
Bar 32 - Most of us would have probably played that first E and ended it with a sigh of relief. Conti does not end on the first down beat, That is too square.He ends on the and of 3 (Like he did in Bars 2, 8, 20, 24 and 26) and ends with a flourish of triplet sixteenth notes. Most of the solo is based on eighth notes, this makes anything other than an eighth note stand out.

That's what I think. Please let me know your thoughts.

Now if you will excuse me, I have an (A) Train to catch. Or as we say in Canada "I needs to catch a train, eh"

[MikeS]

Autumn Leaves


I made 3 small changes to the Conti solo.
Bar 8 - I changed the first note C to a B because it is a chord tone and I altered the fingering.
Bar 21 - instead of starting with E E D, I play E Eb D.My reasoning is, It seems to align better with the Chromatic line in Bar 22 (D Db C)
Bar 23 - I omit the first F# and begin the phrase with the G on the and of 1 (the offbeat) for reasons explained in my analysis below.

Here is my analysis of what we just learned:

Bar 1 - Start on the offbeat, use chromaticism. This sets up a rhythmic and melodic precedence that is carried throughout the piece.
Bar 2 - More Chromaticism. The opening Bb really does sound better with an altered chord. I the iReal book app which allows me to alter that chord from a D7 to a Dalt. This phrase also returns later on in the piece.
Bars 3 and 4 - I learned this from a Joe Pass piece many years ago. This sequence of Chord tone, down a semitone, Chord tone is quite common especially when the chord is static or unchanged for a prolonged period of time. If anyone here is a member of the Herb Ellis Study Group you may remember Herb using this device over Blues Changes.
Bar 5 - More Chromaticism - Almost Gypsy sounding
Bar 8 - Starting on a C ? My ear wants this phrase to start on a B son changed it. This makes turns the phrase into a F diminished lick with I feel is more in keeping with the phrase in Bar 5. It sort encapsulates Bars 5-8 with a Gypsy type 2 - 5 - 1 diminished feel.
Bars 9 and 10 - More Chromaticism !
Bars 11 and 12 - Keith Richards style double stops. Bar 11- To my eyes it looks like a D chord (beginning on D and F# and ending on F# and A, but Conti plays over a Gmaj7 giving it a Gmaj7 sound and feel. Then he repeats it over Cmaj7 making it sound and feel like a Cmaj9. That is a trick that we can put in our pocket and reuse at another time.
Bar 13 - Cmaj7 arpeggio over a F#min7b5 (very hip). That is another trick that we can put in our pocket and reuse at another time.
Bar 16 - Beginning the phrase on the and of 3 and introducing the triplet to accentuate the beginning of the next section.
Bar 18 - The Phrase ends on a D#. This accentuates the B7 (also very hip) (and very bluesy). Conti never denies that he is a street player. This D# is evidence of that.
Bar 19 and 20 - Starts on the and of 1 ( and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and). This is one reason I started Bar 23 and the and of 1. You get bars 19 and 20 rhythmically mirroring bars 23 and 24 which I feel holds the section together a little better.
Bars 21 and 22 - I started with E Eb D as opposed to E E D because I felt that this Chromaticism to start the phrase worked better with the Chromaticism that ends the phrase (D Db C C# D)
Bars 23 and 24 - As stated earlier I left out the first note (F#) because I wanted the rhythm to mirror bars 19 and 20. I also like the rhythmically displaced Gmaj7 arpeggio over the Gmaj7 chord.
Bars 25 and 26 - More Gypsy Chromaticism !!
Bars 27 and 28 - Many of you know that this song commonly has a chord change over this section which is as follows: Emin7 - Eb7 - Dmin7 - Db7 resolving to Cmaj7 in Bar 29. Conti does not this chord substitution but opts for a more static harmonic line. however he implies that chord sequence (Emin7 - Eb7 - Dmin7 - Db7) in his solo with a slight rhythmic variance(all eighth notes except for the and of 2) which once again makes it stand out. Brilliant. That is another trick that we can put in our pocket and reuse at another time.
Bar 32 - Most of us would have probably played that first E and ended it with a sigh of relief. Conti does not end on the first down beat, That is too square.He ends on the and of 3 (Like he did in Bars 2, 8, 20, 24 and 26) and ends with a flourish of triplet sixteenth notes. Most of the solo is based on eighth notes, this makes anything other than an eighth note stand out.

That's what I think. Please let me know your thoughts.

Now if you will excuse me, I have an (A) Train to catch. Or as we say in Canada "I needs to catch a train, eh"

I really like you analysis. By breaking it down, I'm learning a lot about the solo. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Mike

[lawson-stone]

Autumn Leaves


I made 3 small changes to the Conti solo.
Bar 8 - I changed the first note C to a B because it is a chord tone and I altered the fingering.
...
Bar 8 - Starting on a C ? My ear wants this phrase to start on a B son changed it. This makes turns the phrase into a F diminished lick with I feel is more in keeping with the phrase in Bar 5. It sort encapsulates Bars 5-8 with a Gypsy type 2 - 5 - 1 diminished feel.

...

On his chart Conti offers in m. 8 E7 or E7#5 (would be the C note) or E7+ (same). I think shifting back to the B "un-hips" the line a little. You can play an altered tone on the downbeat if you do it like you mean it! Most rhythm sections are likely to play the altered chord there, and generally an altered feel sounds a little more modern-jazz than a diminished line. But that's all also a matter of what we like as individual players too. Just offering my US $0.02!

Thanks for such a patient and careful analysis! That Joe Pass chord figure can be re-shaped so many ways. I found it was also the key to creating my "Pseudo-Jim-Hall" feel.

[Doublea A]

On his chart Conti offers in m. 8 E7 or E7#5 (would be the C note) or E7+ (same). I think shifting back to the B "un-hips" the line a little. You can play an altered tone on the downbeat if you do it like you mean it! Most rhythm sections are likely to play the altered chord there, and generally an altered feel sounds a little more modern-jazz than a diminished line. But that's all also a matter of what we like as individual players too. Just offering my US $0.02!

Thanks for such a patient and careful analysis! That Joe Pass chord figure can be re-shaped so many ways. I found it was also the key to creating my "Pseudo-Jim-Hall" feel.

Agreed. The B to in Bar 8 changes the feel of the phrase entirely.


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