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Hi all,
Next week we're playing Bluesette in my combo. While there's an excellent piece on this website about comping for the song, I'd like some tips on the soloing. Am I correct that the song is in Bb mostly with a couple of chords where I should find another scale? The progression is too fast for me to use arpeggios's (plus I don't know them yet for every chord).
Any advice to play a simple solo on this tune?
BTW: I know I should be able to figure this out by myself, but I'm not there yet.
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09-12-2020 06:11 AM
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I'm going by this chart:
It can be broken up very simply into major and minor tonal centres. So -
Bb - Bb maj
Am7b5 - D7 - Gm - C7 ------ G harmonic minor or Bb maj (play C7 as Gm6)
Fm7 - Bb7 - EbM7 ------- Eb maj
Ebm7 - Ab7 - DbM7 ------ Db maj
Dbm7 - Gb7 - CbM7 ------ Cb maj
Cm7b5 - F7 (b9) - Bb harmonic minor (or Db maj)
Dm7/Dbm7 ----- arpeggiate
Cm7 - F7 ------ Bb maj
BUT all that isn't necessarily the way you might actually play it. You'll need arpeggios, chromatics, passing notes, patterns, and all that jazz.
If you feel comfortable with it you can introduce b9, altered sounds or blues sounds over the dominant chords or into the tune generally. Listen to how other players do it (not just guitarists).
Inevitably a bit of practice needed :-)Last edited by ragman1; 09-12-2020 at 12:00 PM.
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This guy isn't bad. Solo at 2.18. Mostly b9 and blues sounds.
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Tip:
Don't forget the pro trick for playing a b9 sound. Take, for example Fm7-Bb7-EbM7. Play the Fm7, then move it up a m3rd to Abm7, play that, then drop it down to Gm, which gives you the EbM7 sound.
It works :-)
(It also works if you sub the major 2-5 over the minor. Even better if you do the b9 trick. So over Am7b5-D7(b9)-Gm7-C7(Gm6) play Cm7 - Ebm7 - Gm7/6).
1) G harmonic minor
2) Cm - Ebm - Gm
3) Bb major
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Thanks guys. I never really bothered to look into the circle of 4ths and 5ths, but apparently this tune follows these circles exactly. I'll look into it anyway.
I'm starting with your chart Ragman, for which I thank you.
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Last 4 measures need extra care.
I think you could get away with kinda "sliding over" and get home safely in your main key but it really is better to try and aim the dominant chord notes there.
At least, you could say "we've learned something today" when finally able to do it
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I winged it too now. But it took a few months winging to get this far... Not sure if its good enough even
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I'm now working on simple lines leading to chord tones. That also helps in identifying and getting familiar with the 3rd of 5th of each chord. I if I know the arpeggios I use them too.
I know the song is above my level, but it's still a good exercise to get these sounds in my head, even if I prepare a solo from note to note. At least, I hope it is.
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Hint: It's called Bluesette for a reason -- you can think of it as a Bb blues tune, except 24 bars instead of 12. To get a feel for this, first try playing blues over the whole form. You'll see that it doesn't quite work everywhere, but you can get a sense of where blues feel/licks can work instead just running the changes. You just have to kind of superimpose a blues form over the changes in your mind, and pick spots where you throw in blues licks instead of making the literal changes of the tune. Bars 1-8 are I; 7 and 8 especially you can think of as I7(alt), paving the way for the change to IV. 9-13 are the IV of a blues, and almost any thing would normally play over the IV of a blues works. Think of 14-16 as a sub for I - VI, 17-20 as II-V, and 20-24 as a turnaround.
John
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I play it in the Key of G mostly. Never in Bb does not work for chord melody as well in Bb. It just cycles and becomes automatic really.
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Compare it to Bird's Blues for Alice -- it is nearly a Bird blues, if you think of two measures of 3/4 as if it were one measure of 6/8.
One that's fun to do is to jump to Blues for Alice and then back to Bluesette, just to mix things up.
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Originally Posted by ragman1
John
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Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
I'll put the changes side-by-side, with Bluesette transposed to F and written as if it were in 12 bars, and differences in red.
Code:Bluesette Blues For Alice | FMaj7 | Em7b5 A7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | | FMaj7 | Em7b5 A7 | Dm7 G7 | Cm7 F7 | | BbMaj7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | AbMaj7 | Abm7 Db7 | | Bb7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Am7 D7 | Abm7 Db7 | | GbMaj7 | Gm7b5 C7 | Am7 Ab7 | Gm7 C7 || | Gm7 | C7 | F Dm7 | Gm7 C7 ||
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Originally Posted by ragman1
John
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One thing I always found weird when I'd try to fake the melody without the music was the Gb melody note in the 10th bar against an Eb Maj7 chord. It sounds fine for some reason. Some type of anticipation of the Ebm7 chord in the next measure/beat I guess.
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John A -
Thank you, John, I like a man who puts his money where his mouth is!
I have to say I misunderstood it. I thought the whole form was kind of subbed over as a blues. I tried it and couldn't make it work. The first 6 bars can be taken as Bb, then into Bb7. After that it gets hazy because it just goes down the three major keys so I just went back to tonal centres again.
I don't really think there's a clever formula, I wish there were. So does Joe Guitar I expect :-)
But many thanks for doing that, and so promptly. Awesome!
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Originally Posted by ragman1
John
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Yes, I got the connection but I haven't tried it with serious intent yet. I'd only use a blues scale occasionally anyway.
Last edited by ragman1; 09-15-2020 at 07:22 AM.
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Originally Posted by ragman1
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It is a good work-out for ii-V's and all that. Have you seen this transcription of Tootleman's () solo? He doesn't do a bad job considering :-)
TOOTS THIELEMANS on Bluesette - Toots Thielemans' solo transcription | Soundslice
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I haven't seen the transcription (TBH, I've hardly ever read transcriptions of anything; I'm much more an ear player than reader), but I've heard Toots' versions of Bluesette many times. I listened to a bunch of version of, as well as a really cool version by Quincy Jones, as part of framing my response(s) on this thread.
I wonder how the OP is making out with the tune ...
John
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Band rehearsal was tonight. We played Bluesette a couple of times, but I didn't play a solo.
However, we decided we're going to keep working on it as an exercise. So there will be a solo in the future.
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Originally Posted by Joeontheguitar
I of course play West Coast Blues, but only in jam sessions, since I wouldn't wish to be compared to that other guitar player that wrote the song!
I ask because for variety it is always good to have some non 4\4 songs in the set.
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It's our first 3/4 song and I also like it because of the completely different feel.
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Howard Roberts did a cookin' version in 4/4:
I like how he shadows the horn lines at 1:25. Coupla nice solos, too.
KA PAF info please
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