Miles Davis- All Blues

Question 1

Miles Davis:

Rhythm, Tempo and Metre (6 points)

Answer 1

🎷Tempo marking ‘Jazz Waltz’.

🎷Time sig= 6/4.

🎷Swung quavers.

🎷Syncopation.

🎷Triplets.

🎷Semiquavers in piano, tremolo in intro.

Question 2

Miles Davis:

Tonality (2 points)

Answer 2

🎷G modal.

🎷Solos use mixolydian mode.

Question 3

Miles Davis:

Harmony (4 points)

Answer 3

🎷12-bar blues with 7^th chords.

🎷Some chords also extended (V⁹) and altered (V^9#).

🎷G⁷➡️G⁷➡️G⁷➡️G⁷➡️C⁷➡️C⁷➡️G⁷➡️G⁷➡️D^7#9➡️E^b7#9, D^7#9➡️G⁷➡️G^7.

🎷Piano has different chord voicings.

Question 4

Miles Davis:

Structure (5 points)

Answer 4

🎷Intro➡️Head(1 and 2)➡️Solos➡️Head (3 and 4)➡️Outro.

🎷Solos= Trumpet(4)➡️Alto Sax(4)➡️Tenor Sax(4)➡️Piano(2).

🎷Short trumpet solo in outro.

🎷Intro= 4 bars of riff A➡️4 bars of riff A+B.

🎷Four bar links between parts and head.

Question 5

Miles Davis:

Instrumentation (4 points)

Answer 5

🎷Jazz sextet (6 instruments).

🎷Frontline instruments: Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Trumpet.

🎷Rhythm instruments: Piano, Drums, Double bass.

🎷Rhythm section provides rhythmic and harmonic accomp through ‘comping’.

Question 6

How are where is each of these instruments played?

Double Bass

Drums

Trumpet

Answer 6

🎷Double Bass plays pizzicato throughout.

🎷Drums play with brushes in the intro + head.

🎷Trumpet plays with Harmon mute in head.

Question 7

Miles Davis:

Texture (1 point)

Answer 7

🎷Homophonic.

Question 8

What information did the players need to know before recording? (4 points)

Answer 8

🎷Idea of structure.

🎷Key and Time signature.

🎷Chords progressions.

🎷Scale to use during solos.

Question 9

Miles Davis:

Melody (5 points)

Answer 9

🎷Main head starts with upward leap of a 6^th (D➡️B) and has conjunct movement.

🎷Long high note ornamented by a mordent.

🎷Riff A on double bass.

🎷Riff B on saxes in 3^rds.

🎷Solos use mixolydian mode.

Question 10

Miles Davis:

Trumpet solo (5 points)

Answer 10

🎷Takes Harmon mute off.

🎷Built from short syncopated motifs.

🎷Varied articulation with long notes and staccato notes.

🎷Wide pitch range (2 octaves).

🎷Uses grace notes, ghost notes and fall-offs.

Question 11

Miles Davis:

Alto Sax solo (5 points)

Answer 11

🎷Starts with heavily swung idea based of intervals of a 3^rd.

🎷More chromatic than the trumpet solo.

🎷More angular leaps and shorter phrases.

🎷Accents on beats.

🎷Thick tone.

Question 12

Miles Davis:

Tenor Sax solo (5 points)

Answer 12

🎷Less melodic than alto sax solo.

🎷Irregular phrasing.

🎷Not diatonic melody.

🎷Almost no vibrato.

🎷Cross rhythms against accomp.

Question 13

Miles Davis:

Piano solo (5 points)

Answer 13

🎷Limited pitch range.

🎷Understated solo.

🎷Parallel block chords.

🎷1^st chorus has a right hand melody.

🎷2^nd chorus is more chord based.