Natural fifth over a diminished

[CliffR]

So what's going on here? It sounds great, but why does Bird play a Gb over the B diminished in bar 40? Is there any theoretical foundation, or just 'because it sounds good'?

[James W]

Probably just thinking of it or treating it as B minor. You'll notice the previous two chords are D flat minor and C minor, and the one that follows is B flat minor so it feels like a sequence.

Chord symbols that people write in transcriptions aren't always correct.

[Mick-7]

So what's going on here? It sounds great, but why does Bird play a Gb over the B diminished in bar 40? Is there any theoretical foundation, or just 'because it sounds good'?

Well, he's quoting Honeysuckle Rose, which in the key he's in would be F#m7-B7 - it's also B half-whole step diminished.

[Christian Miller]

Probably just thinking of it or treating it as B minor. You'll notice the previous two chords are D flat minor and C minor, and the one that follows is B flat minor so it feels like a sequence.

Chord symbols that people write in transcriptions aren't always correct.

Yeah I think this is probably it.

During the bop era the III-7 bIIIo7 II-7 often got swapped out for III-7 bIII-7 II-7. I think dim chords were a bit out of fashion.

I expect the chord symbol was just written in as the standard changes for the song. It's hard to hear but I think the piano is also playing B-7 at that point?

[Mick-7]

It's hard to hear but I think the piano is also playing B-7 at that point?

Sounds like: B7-Bb7 | Bbm7 on my tinny laptop speaker.

[ragman1]

I couldn't swear what that chord is but if you forward to measure 78 (2.38) the sax hits the Gb again. There's absolutely no clash between that note and the chord being played.

So whatever it is, it's not Bo.

[BreckerFan]

This was actually an illegal fifth, for which the jazz police threw Parker in jail for 100 years

[Jimmy blue note]

So what's going on here? It sounds great, but why does Bird play a Gb over the B diminished in bar 40? Is there any theoretical foundation, or just 'because it sounds good'?

He knew the changes. He played the music.

[grahambop]

This was actually an illegal fifth, for which the jazz police threw Parker in jail for 100 years

He pleaded the fifth.

[CliffR]

Thanks all! Been studying this solo off and on for months now, and still *much* more to discover. With so many choruses, it really gives him time to create some great motifs and develop them.

I recently found out it was remixed for Clint Eastwood's biopic. Sounds like they removed the original piano track and had a full band play underneath the sax, with mixed results.

[princeplanet]

I couldn't swear what that chord is but if you forward to measure 78 (2.38) the sax hits the Gb again. There's absolutely no clash between that note and the chord being played.

So whatever it is, it's not Bo.

I can't make it out either, but even if the chord did have the b5, the nat5 would probably not sound like the clash you might expect. Whether it's dim or just min7, in the specific context (passing chord?) it's unstable enough to cope with all sorts of dissonances. Like, in an unrelated situation, if the piano player plays Eb7b9b13 and I play C nat over it, it usually sounds fine (probably because it superimposes HW dim, which kinda takes over for a moment). Infact, over the same chord, if I inadvertently played (which I have!) from a wrong HW scale, it can still sound ok(ish)... well, to my ears anyway.

[princeplanet]

Thanks all! Been studying this solo off and on for months now, and still *much* more to discover. With so many choruses, it really gives him time to create some great motifs and develop them.

I recently found out it was remixed for Clint Eastwood's biopic. Sounds like they removed the original piano track and had a full band play underneath the sax, with mixed results.

It's such a perfect solo isn't it? Surely in this instance much of it was precomposed? (not that it really matters).

[CliffR]

It's such a perfect solo isn't it? Surely in this instance much of it was precomposed? (not that it really matters).

Yeah, it's a lovely solo. But I realised this morning I'd had a brain meltdown and much of what I wrote about the motivic development across multiple choruses, and it being remixed for Eastwood's 'Bird', actually applies to another solo I've been studying for months. I blame the fact both songs begin with the same word:

[GuyBoden]

Well done for learning this solo, there are some fast licks in the solo.

Personally, I learn easier Charlie Parker licks.

Here is an easy very usable lick from 'Buzzy', a Charlie Parker Bb Blues.

[CliffR]

Well done for learning this solo, there are some fast licks in the solo.

Personally, I learn easier Charlie Parker licks.

Here is an easy very usable lick from 'Buzzy', a Charlie Parker Bb Blues.

Thanks Guy! I'm not expecting to be able to play the double-time lines at speed, but they're still interesting to study to see how they're composed. They tend to have to have longer runs of chromaticism, for example, than his eight-note lines.

[GuyBoden]

Thanks Guy! I'm not expecting to be able to play the double-time lines at speed, but they're still interesting to study to see how they're composed. They tend to have to have longer runs of chromaticism, for example, than his eight-note lines.

"They tend to have to have longer runs of chromaticism, for example, than his eight-note lines."

The double time lines are very difficult to play, and, as a hobby player I know my limitations.

[CliffR]

I'm still working on the timing, but I can play most of the 16th lines from ATTYA at 3/4s tempo (in the comfort of my own bedroom, that is). The very last run is insane, though.