Comment on Miles Davies Use of Harmony, Tonality, Melody and Structure

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This piece has changes, a 12 bar blues sequence that is repeated through out the piece. It is in the key of g major but with a flattened seventh, a note like this in jazz is called a blue note. This is the same as the Mixolydian mode so we can describe this piece as being an example of modal Jazz. All blues is based on the 12 bar blues progression a chord sequence that lasts 12 bars and is repeated through out the piece. One statement of the chord sequence is called a chorus. The main melody is the head and is played by a muted trumpet. It lasts 12 bars it can be heard near the beginning and the end of the piece. There is a 4 bar riff in parallel 3rds that separates each section. This piece can be broken down into five sections: 1) Introduction Four opening bars, played by the rhythm section that is followed by the riff. 2) Head 1 the head melody followed by the riff it is played twice. 3) Solos for the trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax and piano again followed by a riff 4) Head 2 the head melody followed by a riff it is played twice 5) Coda a solo for the muted trumpet The head melody is simple and characterised by rising 6ths. This is followed by four improvised solos: 1) The trumpet solo lasts for 4 choruses. It is mostly made up of short, syncopated motifs. 2) The alto sax solo also lasts for 4 choruses. It uses quicker notes and a wider range. This solo is more virtuosic than the trumpet solo. 3) The tenor sax solo lasts for 4 choruses. It uses fast scales and quick runs like the alto sax it is also virtuosic. 4) The piano solo lasts for 2 choruses. This solo is calmer with a simple melody with leads into a string of parallel chords. The tonality of the piece is the G Mixolydian mode, a G major scale with a blue note, which I have previously

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