All Blues - Miles Davis Flashcards
What album was the piece from?
‘Kind of Blue’
When was the album released?
1959
Which parts of the piece are improvised?
The solos
What additional notes are used?
Chromatic notes
Blues notes
Ornamented notes
Riffs
What part of the piece is not improvised?
Head
What is in the melody of the head?
Longer note values
Mordent feature
Major 6th interval
Conjunct melody
What is a mordent?
Playing the note above or below the note stated very quickly
What are the solos based on?
Modes, scales and broken chords
What is the whole piece based on?
12 bar blues chord sequence
What is the chord sequence for the piece?
G7, G7, G7, G7,
C7, C7, G7, G7,
D7#9, E♭7#9- D7#9, G7, G7
What mode is the piece mainly based on?
Mixolydian
How could the harmonic motion be described?
Slow
What chords are used?
Extended chords
Seventh chords
How is the rhythm played?
Swung
What is the time signature?
6/4
What rhythms are in the piece?
Crossrhythms
Polyrhythms
Describe the texture of the piece
Piece starts with just the rhythm section (drums, bass, piano)
Texture builds as instruments are added
Saxophones enter with chordal riff followed by trumpet head
Piano comps
Each solo is punctuated with a link
How many times is the 12 bar blues chord sequence repeated?
19 times
How long do the solos last?
Saxophones + Trumpets last 4 choruses
Piano lasts for 2 choruses
What are the elements of the structure?
Intro Head Solos Links in between Head returns Outro
What are the instruments in the piece?
Frontline: Trumpet, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax
Rhythm Section: Piano, Double Bass, Drums
What are the dynamics in the piece?
Mainly piano
Diminuendo to fade out at the end
