EdByrne
June 6th, 2007, 07:54 AM
Hi Folks:
By special request, I am posting my transcription of Charles Mingus' Goodbye Porkpie Hat. I didn't have time to recopy it into Finale, but I plan to soon, along with a detailed analysis. It is a beautiful blues ballad, written in homage to the then recently-departed Lester Young. I always loved playing this composition with Mingus, who in turn enjoyed sitting down at the piano and discussing his composition and orchestration style with me.
In the case of a sophisticated tune such as this or Herbie Hancock's Dolphin Dance, I think it's always best to do a transcription rather than trust the Real Book, since it's not a standard tune that you'd probably reharmonize anyway. More about that later.
Notice that the form of the exposition is changed for the solos.
One of the truly special things about Charles Mingus' writing style can be found in the coda (see transcription below), in which he uses an F pedal point for the 2-measure coda, involving an Fsus followed by a GbMA7/F bass (3rd inversion). From my analyses of various Debussy and Ravel scores, I've found that often the omission of just one note makes something profoundly different and charming.
In this case, the omission of the 7th of the F chord is very special; and the 2-measure pedal point is very subtle. Another relatively unusual feature is his use of mMA7 chords in which the major seventh doesn't resolve or function in a line cliché: They remain unresolved, creating tension and color as a sort of alternative version of the more common m7 chord.
Click here:
http://www.freejazzinstitute.org/showposts.php?dept=transcriptions&topic=20070605144106_EdByrne
Please feel free to post comments and ask questions.
Best,
Ed Byrne
By special request, I am posting my transcription of Charles Mingus' Goodbye Porkpie Hat. I didn't have time to recopy it into Finale, but I plan to soon, along with a detailed analysis. It is a beautiful blues ballad, written in homage to the then recently-departed Lester Young. I always loved playing this composition with Mingus, who in turn enjoyed sitting down at the piano and discussing his composition and orchestration style with me.
In the case of a sophisticated tune such as this or Herbie Hancock's Dolphin Dance, I think it's always best to do a transcription rather than trust the Real Book, since it's not a standard tune that you'd probably reharmonize anyway. More about that later.
Notice that the form of the exposition is changed for the solos.
One of the truly special things about Charles Mingus' writing style can be found in the coda (see transcription below), in which he uses an F pedal point for the 2-measure coda, involving an Fsus followed by a GbMA7/F bass (3rd inversion). From my analyses of various Debussy and Ravel scores, I've found that often the omission of just one note makes something profoundly different and charming.
In this case, the omission of the 7th of the F chord is very special; and the 2-measure pedal point is very subtle. Another relatively unusual feature is his use of mMA7 chords in which the major seventh doesn't resolve or function in a line cliché: They remain unresolved, creating tension and color as a sort of alternative version of the more common m7 chord.
Click here:
http://www.freejazzinstitute.org/showposts.php?dept=transcriptions&topic=20070605144106_EdByrne
Please feel free to post comments and ask questions.
Best,
Ed Byrne