Midnight blue chord functions on bridge

**Babaluma** · 06-19-2023, 02:06 PM

Hi all,
Sorry not sure if this should go in beginners or theory so please move if so!

I just had a question about the chord functions of the B theme or bridge of Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue. I love how he juggles a minor blues feel.

I have my attempt at the chords and functions for the bridge below. Can anyone give me their interpretation of the functions Kenny is thinking about with his substitutions and correct mine please as I will find it useful to learn!

Also I feel you can play Db7 or Ab9 for the final chord (into the Calt), however can't work out what the function is of Ab-9 would be while Db7 seems obvious.

Key F minor
G-7b5 aka Db alt tritone: V of C alt
C alt: V of F

Change of key
F-7: II of Eb major
Bb7: V of Eb major

Change of key
Bb-9: III of Gb major
Db7 (or Ab-9): V of Gb major but acting as tritone to C alt back to head

Thanks very much in advance!

**pingu** · 06-19-2023, 02:45 PM

i think of it like this

Bridge 8 bars
bars 1-4
is a normal minor 251 in Fm

bar 5 in Bbm
parallel descending motion to

bar 6 Abm
bars 7 & 8
is a 2 5 (takes us back to)

Fm

ie When i’m playing a minor tune
like this

I like to think in minor ….
but that’s just me

**Christian Miller** · 06-19-2023, 02:48 PM

As chance would have it I was looking at this tune the other day

So the B goes, just to clarify
Gm7b5 | C7 | Fm7 | Bb7
Bbm9 | Abm9/Db7 | C7#9 Fm | C7#9

So the question I ask always is - what is the objective of the analysis?

for instance, I don’t see a modulation here. All these chords - even the Db7 are ones we associate with the various minor scales. The chords do not resolve to the key centres you have outlined, so they can’t said to be in that key (although some might choose to treat them as such for soloing purposes.)

So we get
IIm7b5 V7 Im IV7 IVm bVI7/bIIIm7 V7 Im

which is all fairly straightforward actually. Mostly a cycle progression.

So from a compositional/reharm stand point you might want to note the loose function of the chords (Db7/Abm9 being loosely a type of predominant chord or sub for ii working with a specific melody note for instance. This specific chord works well with b5/Cb the most common minor key blue note.) In this case I would simply look at where those chords fit into the prevailing tonality.

this might not help you solo on it though. For that, I would start with the chord tones.

Theres a subbed Eb7 Db7 C7 (Bbm Abm C7) progression at the end of B. A bit ‘hit the road Jack’. Wes liked this too. ii V relationship is central to this era of music.

So two halves
Gm7b5 C7 Fm Bb7 (ii V I IVminor key)
Eb7 Db7 C7 (hit the road Jack)

you can ignore the Bb7. Just play Fm6

Gm7b5 C7 Fm6 (minor ii V I) into
Eb7 Db7 C7 Fm (hit the road Jack)

play blues on the latter if chord tones seem clunky.

**Babaluma** · 06-20-2023, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by pingu

i think of it like this

Bridge 8 bars
bars 1-4
is a normal minor 251 in Fm

bar 5 in Bbm
parallel descending motion to

bar 6 Abm
bars 7 & 8
is a 2 5 (takes us back to)

Fm

ie When i’m playing a minor tune
like this

I like to think in minor ….
but that’s just me

Thanks very much, I will check out your thoughts later today!

But what is "parallel descending motion" please?

**Babaluma** · 06-20-2023, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

As chance would have it I was looking at this tune the other day

So the B goes, just to clarify
Gm7b5 | C7 | Fm7 | Bb7
Bbm9 | Abm9/Db7 | C7#9 Fm | C7#9

So the question I ask always is - what is the objective of the analysis?

for instance, I don’t see a modulation here. All these chords - even the Db7 are ones we associate with the various minor scales. The chords do not resolve to the key centres you have outlined, so they can’t said to be in that key (although some might choose to treat them as such for soloing purposes.)

So we get
IIm7b5 V7 Im IV7 IVm bVI7/bIIIm7 V7 Im

which is all fairly straightforward actually. Mostly a cycle progression.

So from a compositional/reharm stand point you might want to note the loose function of the chords (Db7/Abm9 being loosely a type of predominant chord or sub for ii working with a specific melody note for instance. This specific chord works well with b5/Cb the most common minor key blue note.) In this case I would simply look at where those chords fit into the prevailing tonality.

this might not help you solo on it though. For that, I would start with the chord tones.

Theres a subbed Eb7 Db7 C7 (Bbm Abm C7) progression at the end of B. A bit ‘hit the road Jack’. Wes liked this too. ii V relationship is central to this era of music.

So two halves
Gm7b5 C7 Fm Bb7 (ii V I IVminor key)
Eb7 Db7 C7 (hit the road Jack)

you can ignore the Bb7. Just play Fm6

Gm7b5 C7 Fm6 (minor ii V I) into
Eb7 Db7 C7 Fm (hit the road Jack)

play blues on the latter if chord tones seem clunky.

Thanks very much for your analysis. I feel exactly that I was analysing without considering the whole tune. I don't find it too bad to play over when I don't think about it, but I tend to doubt myself and start taking the song apart, but my theory is much worse then my playing

**Christian Miller** · 06-20-2023, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Babaluma

Thanks very much for your analysis. I feel exactly that I was analysing without considering the whole tune. I don't find it too bad to play over when I don't think about it, but I tend to doubt myself and start taking the song apart, but my theory is much worse then my playing

Well it’s better that way than the other way around…