Miles Davis- All Blues

Question 1

What is the metre?

Answer 1

6/4

Question 2

Melody: the head is …

Answer 2

Slow and mainly conjunct (moves by step)

Question 3

Melody: the solos are…

Answer 3

Improvised and more melodically free

Question 4

The melodies are based on…

Answer 4

Modes, scales and broken chords

Question 5

The muted trumpet is played in the…

Answer 5

Head

Question 6

Texture: each solo is divided by…

Answer 6

A link with thinner texture

Question 7

The piece is based on…

Answer 7

The 12 bar blues

Question 8

Structure: the solos are divided by…

Answer 8

4 bar links

Question 9

Tonality: the piece is in the… Mode

Answer 9

Mixolydian

Question 10

Harmony: he uses extended chords like…

Answer 10

D7#9 and Eb7#9

Question 11

Melody: as the solos progress the melodies…

Answer 11

Become more complex and virtuosic

Question 12

What is the chord sequence in All Blues?

Answer 12

G7, G7, G7, G7, Gm7, Gm7, G7, G7, D7#9, Eb7#9, G7, G7

Question 13

The main melody is called the…

Answer 13

Head

Question 14

Melody (4)

Answer 14

The main melody is called the head which is slow and mainly conjunct
There is much chromatic movement
The solos are improvised and much freer
The melodies are based on modes, scales and broken chords
As the solos progress, the melodies become more complex and virtuosic

Question 15

Texture: the piece starts with just the…

Answer 15

Rhythm section: drum kit (played with the brushes), bass and piano

Question 16

Harmony and tonality (5)

Answer 16

Based on the chords of the 12 bar blues
The use of extended and altered chords like D7#9 and Eb7#9
Some chromaticism and dissonance
Mixolydian mode
Here is slow harmonic motion

Question 17

Texture (5)

Answer 17

The piece starts with just the rhythm section: the drum kit (playing with brushes) bass and piano
The texture builds up as more instruments are introduced
The saxophone enters with a chordal riff followed by the trumpet with the head
The solo actions include 1 instrument plus the rhythm section
Each solo is divided by a link with thinner textures

Question 18

Structure

Answer 18

Stars with Intro which has the piano, drums and the saxophones. Then they play the head section with all the instruments twice. After that, they play through the trumpet improvisation four times, then there four alto sax improvisation and then they play the tenor sax improvisation four times. Then there is two piano improvs, two head sections and then the Outro to fade
The solos arid died by four bar links

Question 19

Rhythm (4)

Answer 19

The metre is 6/4
Played using swing quavers
Use of grace notes
Much use of syncopation and polyrhythms
Rhythmic displacement is used to make use of the short melodic motifs

Question 20

Date and genre

Answer 20

1955

Jazz