Bert Ligon Jazz Theory Resources HELP

[p1p]

Hi all,

I've been working through this book for a little while now.. excellent presented info IMO.

Chapter 7 (p.135), Harmonic Analysis, has a number of common jazz progressions. For copyright laws he could not give the progressions their real titles. If there's anyone out there who has this book and knows what tunes these progressions are from, I would VERY much appreciate the names. I can play through the progressions and understand, but I would really like to put some melody to this.. I can't hear the tunes.

This might be asking a bit much, but maybe there's someone out there that scribbled down the tunes next to the progressions.

Cheers!

[matt.guitarteacher]

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This might be asking a bit much, but maybe there's someone out there that scribbled down the tunes next to the progressions.

Cheers!

Nope. Great thread topic. Almost started it myself several times for the "stumpers". I'll list the ones I know , when I get home to the book.

[matt.guitarteacher]

Okay, he skips some numbers, and there are obviously some I don't know.... but the ones I know top of my head:
1. fly me to the moon
2. all of me.
7. have you met Ms. Jones
14. Easy living
16. Sweet Georgia Brown?
23. All the things you are

[p1p]

Thanks, I guessed a few of those. This is great though, if anyone else can chime in that would be great!

[MarkRhodes]

No. 12 is "Bird" blues. ("Blues for Alice.") A lot like "Bluesette" (which is in 3/4)
No. 13 is "There Will Never Be Another You"

[PMB]

Here are a few others at a quick glance:

No. 5 - Someday My Prince Will Come
No. 9 - Misty
No. 10 - Cherokee
No. 11 - Confirmation
No.19 - What Is This Thing Called Love
No. 20 - I Love You
No.22 - Bluesette

[MarkRhodes]

Revised list of all we have so far:

1. 1) Fly Me To The Moon
   2) All of Me
   5) Someday My Prince Will Come
   7) Have You Met Miss Jones
   9) Misty
   10) Cherokee
   11) Confirmation14. Easy Living
   12) Blues for Alice (Bird Blues)
   13) There Will Never Be Another You (TWNBAY)
   14) Easy Living
   16) Sweet Georgia Brown
   19) What Is This Thing Called Love
   20) I Love You
   22) Bluesette
   23) All The Things You Are (ATTYA)

[p1p]

Thank you so much.

[PMB]

This update to Mark's list should account for the rest (although I haven't worked out where the missing progressions 3, 4, 6 are hiding):

1) Fly Me to the Moon
2) All of Me
5) Someday My Prince Will Come
7) Have You Met Miss Jones
8) Heart and Soul
9) Misty
10) Cherokee
11) Confirmation
12) Blues for Alice (Bird Blues)
13) There Will Never Be Another You (TWNBAY)
14) Easy Living
15) It Could Happen to You
16) Sweet Georgia Brown
17) Prelude to a Kiss
18) Rhythm Changes (B Section)
19) What Is This Thing Called Love
20) I Love You
21) Take the A Train (A Section)
22) Bluesette
23) All The Things You Are (ATTYA)

[dingusmingus]

I actually wrote to Mr. Ligon a few years ago, asking about this. He was very nice and wrote back, and we had a little chat. Great guy.

He sent me a list of the songs and these are exactly right. He originally had a longer list, and wound up not using them all, thus the missing numbers. The publisher was skittish about a lawsuit, and so didn't want him to use song titles.

Great books.

[p1p]

I actually wrote to Mr. Ligon a few years ago, asking about this. He was very nice and wrote back, and we had a little chat. Great guy.

He sent me a list of the songs and these are exactly right. He originally had a longer list, and wound up not using them all, thus the missing numbers. The publisher was skittish about a lawsuit, and so didn't want him to use song titles.

Great books.

Nice, yeah I’ve got three of his books.. will eventually pick up jazz theory resources 2 when the time comes. From the books i have gone through, or tried to, these are hands down the best if you’re willing to dig deep and put in the effort of understanding everything and then translating it to the instrument of course.

With regards to this chapter on harmonic analysis, would you all recommend having these progressions down in all keys?/do you consider these essential? Just wondering if the author chose these because there are examples in each of the topics covered in the previous chapter, cadences essentially. There’s also no mention of melody, which I would have thought to be pretty important to play through the progression. I’ve played through the first three or four with melody included, but I’d like to take it to the next level. Maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I’ve tried employing some substitutions/etc, but then sometimes get lost, or rather wonder if what I’m doing sounds better or is ‘right’. I’m just an intermediate player though, still learning.. what might be my best way forward here? I’m thirsty. Again, help appreciated!

[PMB]

With regards to this chapter on harmonic analysis, would you all recommend having these progressions down in all keys?/do you consider these essential? Just wondering if the author chose these because there are examples in each of the topics covered in the previous chapter, cadences essentially. There’s also no mention of melody, which I would have thought to be pretty important to play through the progression. I’ve played through the first three or four with melody included, but I’d like to take it to the next level. Maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I’ve tried employing some substitutions/etc, but then sometimes get lost, or rather wonder if what I’m doing sounds better or is ‘right’. I’m just an intermediate player though, still learning.. what might be my best way forward here? I’m thirsty. Again, help appreciated!

The fact that I could recognise these tunes on sight from the chords alone suggests that each one is distinctive enough. I've played them all on gigs (except for Heart and Soul which may be the best known of the lot as most amateur pianists can struggle through the A section). They're essential but there are many others equally worthy of investigation.

If you want to learn a bunch of core tunes in all keys, maybe start with some of the most popular and simple ones, e.g. Now's The Time rather than Blues for Alice. Blue Bossa is another possible candidate as it's harmonically and melodically pretty straight forward and only 16 bars long. If you're looking to hang at a jam session sometime, go along to a few, make a list of tunes that are played regularly and start with those. If you simply want to learn a bunch of these because they appeal to you in some way, that's an even better incentive. It should be seen as a fun pursuit rather than a task!

[PMB]

By the way, there are certain tunes that are played regularly in two different keys. It Could Happen To You from the list is one of these (Eb and G). I mentioned some instrumental tunes in my last post. They're usually played in the concert key but when working with female singers, be prepared to play all vocal tunes in other keys, most commonly up a 4th or 5th. Spending a year as an accompanist in a series of jazz vocal workshops without recourse to lead sheets, transposed or otherwise was ideal training for me in that regard.

[MarkRhodes]

By the way, there are certain tunes that are played regularly in two different keys. It Could Happen To You from the list is one of these (Eb and G).

"Green Dolphin Street" (C and Eb) and "Autumn Leaves" (Gm and Em) are two others.

[PMB]

There's your first move, p1p. Learn a bunch of popular standards that are commonly played in two different keys. here are a few to get you started:

Autumn Leaves (Em, Gm)
Embraceable You (Eb, G)
Green Dolphin St (C, Eb)
It Could Happen to You (Eb, G)
Just Friends (F, G)
Stella by Starlight (G, Bb)

Once you've got each one down in a single key, try playing it in the alternative key by ear (i.e. without using a lead sheet). It'll test you at first but the whole process gets easier with practise.

[p1p]

There's your first move, p1p. Learn a bunch of popular standards that are commonly played in two different keys. here are a few to get you started:

Autumn Leaves (Em, Gm)
Embraceable You (Eb, G)
Green Dolphin St (C, Eb)
It Could Happen to You (Eb, G)
Just Friends (F, G)
Stella by Starlight (G, Bb)

Once you've got each one down in a single key, try playing it in the alternative key by ear (i.e. without using a lead sheet). It'll test you at first but the whole process gets easier with practise.

Great idea, that’ll keep me busy. Should be easier with these tunes as these are some of my fav standards right here.

I’ve also jumped around between learning to improvise, comping and chord melody, but currently sticking with chord melody to get tunes under my fingers. I figure that’s a decent way of getting acquainted with everything first? It seems to embody a lot of what I’ve worked on up to this point. I’ve also got a looper, so might try comping for myself while improvising eventually.

[MarkRhodes]

There's your first move, p1p. Learn a bunch of popular standards that are commonly played in two different keys. here are a few to get you started:

Autumn Leaves (Em, Gm)
Embraceable You (Eb, G)
Green Dolphin St (C, Eb)
It Could Happen to You (Eb, G)
Just Friends (F, G)
Stella by Starlight (G, Bb)

Once you've got each one down in a single key, try playing it in the alternative key by ear (i.e. without using a lead sheet). It'll test you at first but the whole process gets easier with practise.

Great idea.
I learned the little I know of this by transposing tunes from the key I learned them in to one I can sing them in. Recently learned "When You're Smiling" in Bb, but prefer to sing it in G. (Might prefer yet another key but from Bb to Ab to G is as far as I've taken it so far.) Learned "Frim Fram Sauce" in Bb too, but sing it (-if you call that singing...) in F.

But I never (so far) do this with tunes I don't sing at all, such as ATTYA. It's always Ab. If someone called it in F#, I'd break out in a cold sweat.

And on that note....

[RobertPeveler]

Many thanks this is a really helpful thread.

Does anyone have any thoughts about Progressions 31-38 in the next chapter on reharmonization?