Alone Together

[Mark Kleinhaut]

"Alone Together" has long been one of my favorite tunes. Take 100 different musicians and you can hear that many different interpretations and variety of sound, texture, personality and vibe. THAT's what a great iconic tune can do. Best wishes out there!!

[alez]

The other day I was having a go at A Night in Tunisia and thought its bridge is so similar to that of Alone Together. Minor tune. Bridge goes to IV in a standard way. Leaves and goes to relative major by way of a minor II-V (minor IV is followed by m7b5 IV and so on). Goes "home". And if you listen to the two melodies... they're basically the same, aren't they?

Anyway, I recently came across You and the Night and the Music by the same composer, it also does this thing that the tune is in minor but the A section resolves to its parallel major. Edit: I think that's called "picardy third" ¿?

[Mark Kleinhaut]

The other day I was having a go at A Night in Tunisia and thought its bridge is so similar to that of Alone Together. Minor tune. Bridge goes to IV in a standard way. Leaves and goes to relative major by way of a minor II-V (minor IV is followed by m7b5 IV and so on). Goes "home". And if you listen to the two melodies... they're basically the same, aren't they?

Anyway, I recently came across You and the Night and the Music by the same composer, it also does this thing that the tune is in minor but the A section resolves to its parallel major.

you’ve touched on a really good point that is very helpful when building repertoire as well as improvisational building blocks. So many pieces and parts of tunes across the great American songbook are “recycled”. The bridge movement you’ve cited is but one example and after learning the first 50 or so tunes you’ve encountered a good 85% of what you’re going to see in the next 1,000.

[alez]

you’ve touched on a really good point that is very helpful when building repertoire as well as improvisational building blocks. So many pieces and parts of tunes across the great American songbook are “recycled”. The bridge movement you’ve cited is but one example and after learning the first 50 or so tunes you’ve encountered a good 85% of what you’re going to see in the next 1,000.

So true with chord sequences in particular. I have lists of tunes for different harmonic cliches that I come across.

But I was really surprised to find such obvious similarity between melodies on those bridges. I think that's much less common.

[Mark Kleinhaut]

So true with chord sequences in particular. I have lists of tunes for different harmonic cliches that I come across.

But I was really surprised to find such obvious similarity between melodies on those bridges. I think that's much less common.

true- they’re so close.