Some Ideas For Playing over Rhythm Changes
by Carlos Barrientos
This essay addresses some of the choices available to the improviser over the harmonic
structure of the composition "I Got Rhythm" by George Gershwin. After the blues,
this structure, more than any other single composition, serves as the basis for more bebop
and post - bebop tunes. Countless jazz tunes have been written over this popular chord
progression, including such classics as Anthropology, Ah-Leu-Cha, Dexterity, (all by
Charlie Parker), Lester Leaps In by Lester Young, Oleo by Sunny Rollins, Red Top by Lionel
Hampton, Rhythm-a-ning by Thelonius Monk, and the piece that you are listening to, my own Charley B's Bop.
Needless to say, one should know the melody and the
harmonic structure of the tune before beginning the work of developing new melodies to
play over these changes. This requires changing these chord symbols into scales that best
convey the sound of the chord. The chord tones that form the chords are the most important
of the scale and the foundation for your melodies. There are many substitute changes
available to this A A B A, 32 - bar structure and knowing the original harmony will be
invaluable to the learning process. Passing chords and substitution are used to a lesser
or greater degree, depending upon whether the tune is set in the swing or Bebop genres.
The study of the recordings of the great Bebop Masters: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker,
Thelonius Monk for a comprehensive view of this style should not be neglected. What
follows below is a version of these changes:
This is a horizontal approach for playing over the entire composition. That is, where
the same scale or mode may be used over several chord changes in the same way the blues
Scale may be used over all twelve measures of the form. After a great deal of
experimenting, I found an approach that uses a hybrid Minor scale I'll refer to as the
Minor Chromatic Scale. This hybrid nine - note scale is built on the first five elements
common to all minor scales plus four chromatic tones. e.g. G Minor
Chromatic Scale: G A Bb C D Eb E F F#. I found that by judicious use of this hybrid
nine - note G Minor Chromatic Scale: G A Bb C D Eb E F F# , you'll be able to play almost
all of the tones of the chords in the first 16 and the last 8 measures that comprise the A
Sections of this composition.
The B Section of the piece (measures 17- 24) can be easily addressed by transposing the G
Minor Chromatic Scale: G A Bb C D Eb E F F# up one whole step to the A Minor Chromatic
Scale: A B C D E F F# G G# over the D7 G7 measures, and over the C7 F7 section, one can
again play the G Minor Chromatic Scale: G A Bb C D Eb E F F#.
Why these scales? They ALL contain the b3, and b7, the tones often called "blue
notes", which are deeply rooted in the West African musical traditions and,
subsequently, in the Blues genre. The presence of Both Major and Minor thirds approximates
the vocal ambiguity that occurs within these intervals when sung traditionally in this
style and imparts a resolving Dominant feel to the melodies. There is also the presence of
#4 (b5) in some of the chord/scale relationships which also hearkens back to their African
roots.This forward moving dominant character is bolstered by the addition of #5 in some of
the scales that adds an augmented or altered dominant sound or color to these scales. This
interval (#5) can also be interpreted as a b6, which gives you a minor scale with both
ascending (6) and descending (b6) melodic minor scales' colors! The presence of 5 and#5
over Bb brings Bb Bebop Major Scale sounds, the b3 and 3 over C-7 brings C Bebop Minor
Scale sounds and the b7 and 7 over F7 brings the F Bebop Dominant Scale sounds.
Furthermore, if you examine the scale tones over the individual chords you will see some
very interesting relationships.
This solution is a quick way to get yourself into the sounds of the bebop language and get
instantly hip sounds in your playing. I hope it sparks your imagination and desire for
greater research and listening to expand your knowledge about this extensive subject.
Pretty neat, huh? Thanx for your time and kind attention to my observations and I hope you
enjoy the tune! I have included the lead sheet score for Charley B's
Bop if you would like to see, hear and study it further. The MIDI Files are set up
with the melody stated in the first and last choruses and there are also two middle open
choruses you can improvise and play along with. (Winston Churchill might have liked that
sentence...) Feel free to download, print and play. Although if you would like to record
or reproduce any of these charts, please contact Carlos and
"do the copyright thing" as all rights, including reproduction in
whole or in part, are reserved.
© 1997 Carlos Barrientos
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