Double Bass Harmonic Analysis of Beautiful Love?

[fu22ba55]

Hello friends.

I'm trying to better understand functional harmony, and the nuances between Harmonic Minor's function (secondary dominants) and Melodic Minor (altered sounds and lydian dominant sounds for tritone subs.)

Any help would be appreciated. Question numbers correspond to the large RED numbers in the image:

1) This is a HIGH LEVEL question for all minor tunes with this vibe, like Alone Together, or Softly as in a Morning Sunrise: Do I treat D Minor as the Minor ONE chord of D Harmonic Minor (throughout)? Or do still need to think of it as the vi chord of F Major? I prefer to think of all those minor ii Vs as MINOR ii Vs, as opposed to vii chord (Eø) and a secondary Dominant (A7b9) of vi (D-). When thinking about roman numerals, D is i, correct? not vi?

2) G-7 here (second bar of first ending) is functionally the iv-7 chord of D (Harmonic) Minor, correct? NOT the ii chord (Dorian) of F Major? (same question as question 1, I suppose).

3) Because it's a Dom7 chord a half-step away, this feels like a Tritone Sub for the V of V (Bb7 instead of E7). The #11 (E natural) is in the melody, so it's safe to treat this Bb7 as Bb7#11? (as it is in the last line?) (Using Lydian Dominant for a Tritone Sub instead of Mixo b2 b6)

4) Where does this chord comes from? It feels like it comes from outer space. Is this borrowing the IV7#11 chord from D Melodic Minor before hopping back into D Harmonic Minor? Melody plays a b3 and nat 3 over it. AND I can think of the next chord Eø7 as G-6/E, so the motion is functionally G7/6 to G-6?

5) Are we borrowing this B7 as a secondary dominant from D MAJOR harmony or D Melodic Minor? (where the vi-7 switches to VI Dom7). In D Harmonic Minor, the IV chord is a Maj7, and it's a Half Dim in Melodic Minor.

Thanks.

I'd normally ask my instructor, but I'm currently not taking lessons with anyone, so I need to ask the hive mind.

 

[MuseChaser]

Don't get "lost in the weeds" for want of looking at bigger patches of the field. Look more at the four bar phrases....

First phrase is just a standard minor iim7b5/V7b9/im7 in D minor.

Second phrase is just a standard iim7/V7/I in F major (the relative major to d minor, as you already have stated), with the last bar being a iim7b5/V7b9 to get you back to D minor for the the third phrase.

The third phrase is still in D minor. I hear the Bb7 acting as a tritone sub for E7, leading to the A7 as it's dominant, yielding a I/iv/II7/V7 cycle to the ear, anyway.

The fourth phrase is just a variation of that cycle, with the second chord strengthened into more of a leading chord (the G7#11 has more in common with a B+7#11, a dominant VI chord in this key (still D minor) than it does a traditional iv chord in a minor key, so it can be considered a leading dominant to an E chord of some kind), and the third and fourth chords returning back to a standard minor iim7b5/V7b9.


Phrases 5, 6, and 7 are repeats, so let's skip to the last phrase ..

The eighth phrase is yet another variation of a cycle in D minor. Again, think of the Bb7 as a tritone sub for E7. Then we have the ol' dominant cycle....i7/VI7/II7/V7....the strongest leading to each chord to finish the tune.

It's just seven D minor cycles with one ii/V/I cycle in the relative major. The variations in those cycles is what allows the changes to fit the melody, and helps give a somewhat stagnant tune (not one of my favorites for that reason) a little added direction.

 

[Groove Doctor]

^ what he said. Spot on.

 

[fu22ba55]

Thanks for your explanation. It helps.

Follow up questions:

1) Do you treat the D Minor cycles as any particular flavor of minor? Or should I just think "minor" and use Major and Minor 6ths as needed, Major and b7s as needed? Similar to @Chris Fitzgerald 's suggested Bebop-ish Minor Scale he mentioned in another post? Or like Barry Harris's Minor 6th Diminished scale that has both a Major and Minor 6th (the synthetic scale he preferred over minor harmony)?

The fourth phrase is just a variation of that cycle, with the second chord strengthened into more of a leading chord (the G7#11 has more in common with a B+7#11, a dominant VI chord in this key (still D minor) than it does a traditional iv chord in a minor key, so it can be considered a leading dominant to an E chord of some kind), and the third and fourth chords returning back to a standard minor iim7b5/V7b9.

2) You mention the G7#11 reminds you more of a B+7#11, a dominant VI chord in this key... so that means Jazz Melodic Minor in this case? Because of the B natural, not Bb?

(I guess I'm asking whether or not I can JUST blow over the minor sections with Melodic Minor tonality, or JUST blow over them with Harmonic Minor tonality, or should I have the tact, knowledge and facility to use EITHER tonality at any given moment?)

Minor Jazz Harmony has always kicked my ass, so I'm trying to get down to brass tacks and figure the goddamn thing out. It's a gap in my knowledge, so I want to defeat it once and for all.

 

[crd]

4) Where does this chord comes from? It feels like it comes from outer space. Is this borrowing the IV7#11 chord from D Melodic Minor before hopping back into D Harmonic Minor? Melody plays a b3 and nat 3 over it. AND I can think of the next chord Eø7 as G-6/E, so the motion is functionally G7/6 to G-6?

I would think of that Ehalfdim as using a C dominant scale and that G7 as the C dominant's V.

 

[Don Kasper]

1.) Can you hear the F# in the first chord @0:02 in Bill Evans' version below? (Emin7,b5, 9) Not from any "Dminor......." scale.
4.) Can you hear the B7,#9,+5 (NOT "G7#11") in m.14?
You will benefit immensely from repeated listenings to, and analysis of, the track below, instead of reading (and "theororizing about") an anonymous (sh***y) "chart" of this Beautiful Tune. (Where is the written MELODY??? WTH?)
"Hear&Play the Changes, NOT the Scales", is my motto along with "Stop Reading and Start Listening".
IMFO, of course, as always, just my $0.03. (Sorry for my harshness - I am old and crabby!)
Thanks.

 

[oren]

Not to make life any more complicated than it needs to be, but I note that Barry Harris was fond of quoting Monk saying that there’s no such thing as a half diminished chord, it’s just a minor 6th chord with the 6th in the bass. Which would make, in this case, the first chord a Gm6/E, and you could use Barry’s Gm sixth-diminished scale, which has the F# that Don notes Bill Evans using.

 

[Tom Lane]

1.) Can you hear the F# in the first chord @0:02 in Bill Evans' version below? (Emin7,b5, 9) Not from any "Dminor......." scale.
4.) Can you hear the B7,#9,+5 (NOT "G7#11") in m.14?
You will benefit immensely from repeated listenings to, and analysis of, the track below, instead of reading (and "theororizing about") an anonymous (sh***y) "chart" of this Beautiful Tune. (Where is the written MELODY??? WTH?)
"Hear&Play the Changes, NOT the Scales", is my motto along with "Stop Reading and Start Listening".
IMFO, of course, as always, just my $0.03. (Sorry for my harshness - I am old and crabby!)
Thanks.

I'm not sure about the "old" part!

 

[crd]

Which would make, in this case, the first chord a Gm6/E, and you could use Barry’s Gm sixth-diminished scale, which has the F# that Don notes Bill Evans using.

Barry Harris was not big on Bill Evans. There are as many approaches to playing these things as their are people to play them. Someone like @John Goldsby would be able to tell you better than me but I think Barry Harris would have recommended C dominant up to the 7th and then down C# for the A7. In other words C7 up and down to the 3rd of A7 or C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, A \ G, F, E, D, C# and then the minor six dim scale on the resolution chord D-. All I know about Barry Harris is what I've learned from 2nd half sources and dvd's. I bet someone here might have been lucky enough to attend his weekly workshops.

Here is more on his approach to a minor V:

What is this scale called: Charlie Parker, Barry Harris and the minor ii-V progression | BirdFeed

Here is more on the 6 dim scale:


Here is him throwing shade at Bill, which I think has some interesting things to say about jazz education but that's kind of neither here nor there.


I have no issues with Bill Evans and sometimes like to sound more "modern" and will think of a minor ii V as a minor major chord based on the third of the ii followed by a half diminished chord built on the 7 of the five chord resolving to a major chord on the third of the tonic. In other words in the key of D-: G-^ to Ghalfdim to F^. I don't know how Bill Evan's would have though of it but you hear him (and many others Mark Turner comes to mind) approach it that way in practice. Here I am doing my best to apply that kind of idea in Stella. That kind of voicing would give you the major ninth on that first half dim chord (or minor six chord with the six in the bass if ya wanna call it that.)

 

[Neon Scribe]

1.) Can you hear the F# in the first chord @0:02 in Bill Evans' version below? (Emin7,b5, 9) Not from any "Dminor......." scale.
4.) Can you hear the B7,#9,+5 (NOT "G7#11") in m.14?
You will benefit immensely from repeated listenings to, and analysis of, the track below, instead of reading (and "theororizing about") an anonymous (sh***y) "chart" of this Beautiful Tune. (Where is the written MELODY??? WTH?)
"Hear&Play the Changes, NOT the Scales", is my motto along with "Stop Reading and Start Listening".
IMFO, of course, as always, just my $0.03. (Sorry for my harshness - I am old and crabby!)
Thanks.

Bill Evans was undeniably a genius and this is a classic recording of the song, but perhaps we should consider a more straightforward interpretation of the composer's intention, such as Bing Crosby's 1944 recording or even the original Wayne King Orchestra rendition from 1931. The problem or the opportunity in performing any standard is choosing where to start and how far to take it! We shouldn't take any particular chart as gospel, but every ensemble needs to agree on a road map. It's gotta be D minor for sure, but you could turn it into a seminar on interpretation by trying out Aeolian, Harmonic or Melodic Minor, Dorian, or any other approach you like, with chords to match.

 

[Don Kasper]

but every ensemble needs to agree on a road map.

Agreed. If your/OP's group wants to play the 1946 Bing Crosby version below, SOMEONE, will need to listen to, analyze and create the "road map", and then transpose this version from Aminor to Dminor. (There are significant Harmonic differences in Der Bingle's version below that would need to be sorted out, and communicated to the group.)
Again - Play the Changes, not the Scales...etc. IMFO, of course.
Thanks for your interest.

 

[MuseChaser]

I love and respect Barry Harris, but "throwing shade" at Bill Evans is....just.... stupid. Evans took a mastery of harmonic knowledge and fluency to a level that I doubt will ever be equaled.

Having said that, I am NOT saying that other approaches are lesser or otherwise inferior. Just that Bill's approach may not be appreciated by those less willing to go beyond "traditional" jazz approaches to harmony.

 

[fu22ba55]

You will benefit immensely from repeated listenings to, and analysis of, the track below, instead of reading (and "theororizing about") an anonymous (sh***y) "chart" of this Beautiful Tune. (Where is the written MELODY??? WTH?)
"Hear&Play the Changes, NOT the Scales", is my motto along with "Stop Reading and Start Listening".

Again - Play the Changes, not the Scales...etc. IMFO, of course.

Thanks Don, this is helpful.

I've got plenty of (better) charts with the melody, and I have the melody memorized, i was just using a chart that was easier to write on. (More white space for my stupid annotations). That's the only reason I used the crappier chart. (I actually did think about the backlash before posting this version of the chart. You're correct.)

And rather than diving first into Bill Evans or another harmonic genius like LaFaro or Ron Carter, I'm just trying to get my head around a vanilla version of the changes.

And here's some explanation as to why I'm currently focusing on scales: (as opposed to chord tones)

Years ago, all I did was chord-scale stuff... playing one scale over as many chords as possible, and my soloing sounded like dog waste.

So I spend the last few years really digging into chord tones and inversions. So much so, that now everything I play has a very "classical" angular sound. Everything sounds like Bach solving a rubiks cube. Very correct and inside, but not very 'jazzy' for lack of a better adjective.

So now that I want to work on more chromaticism and enclosures, I'd like to know the diatonic scale tones above the chord tones... so I can work on some sounds that mix diatonic notes with chromatic leading tones, etc. But the only way to figure out the diatonic notes is to choose a scale from which the chord is derived, or at the very least, the key center.

I'm also trying to work on voice leading where I use a metronome and play straight diatonic half notes or quarter notes over the changes and FORCE myself to grab the next diatonic note when the bar changes, regardless of where I am in the current scale. Again... to effectively do this exercise I need to think about scales.

TLDR:

I want to learn how to blow better over minor tunes, but right now I just blow.

I'm discovering that minor harmony in jazz is not cut and dry, and everyone seems to take some kind of "hybrid" approach. Whether it's @Chris Fitzgerald 's hybrid organic minor bebop scale, or Barry's synthetic scales, or some personal combination of chords that borrow from multiple scales:

(the above image is just one possible combination of "borrowed" sounds one can use over minor jazz harmony)

Sometimes Dorian sounds great, sometimes HM sounds great, sometimes MM sounds great, sometimes Aeolian sounds great.

It just makes methodically practicing this stuff a total PITA.

 

[fu22ba55]

Here's another example of "hybrid" harmony over minor ii V:



Rufus Philpot chooses Locrian Natural 2 over the ø7 chord, then Altered over the V7(b9) chord (instead of Phrygian Dominant from the HM).

@Tom Lane , Locrian Nat 2 was also my first thought when you mentioned Bill Evans' F# over the E half dim.

So from a key-center or scale perspective, Rufus' approach over this first minor 2-5 in Beautiful Love would yield the following:

Eø7 = Locrian Nat 2 == G Melodic Minor
A7b9 = A Altered == Bb Melodic Minor

Then resolve to whatever flavor of minor I prefer for the minor i chord, preferably something with a natural 6th for stability?

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

@fu22ba55 sorry to have been absent for so long from this after being tagged. It’s been a busy time with lots of concerts and activity at the U. I think you are on the right track with your initial analysis. The only chord I would change in your initial
analysis is the second one in the last line, where I hear Bmi7b5 as a more organic choice than B7. In this case, it serves as a vi in Dminor, or as Barry Harris might call it, “Dmi6 with the 6th in the bass”; either way, I hear it as just the same chord with a different bass note.

I recently used this song as an example in my jazz theory and improv class this semester. One big goal of the class is to get students to see these big key relationships faster, in the hope that eventually they will be able to intuitively perform this sort of analysis intuitively and on sight. Whether a person sees the second line as a ii-V in F or a ii-V/(b)III is immaterial, since F is the III chord of D minor and all of the notes of those chords fit within the key center.

As for the Bb7 subV/V chords, as you stated they are simply subs for the regular V/V (E7) that would also fit there. The reason why the Bb7 is a more compelling choice, IMO, is that the melody note becomes a #11 with the Bb harmony in place, while it would be the root of the E7 chord and therefore have a lot less weight in terms of the flow of tension and release in the piece.

When viewing the organic state of minor keys to contain both 6ths and 7ths, this progression then contains only one note outside of the key center: the Ab/G#, which functions as either the b7 of the subV or the third of the V/ harmony. Potato, potahto, IMO.

 

[fu22ba55]

@fu22ba55 sorry to have been absent for so long from this after being tagged.

No apologies necessary Chris! I appreciate your attention at any time, and this is a marathon, not a sprint for me. We're all lucky to have your input!

Replacing the second chord in the last line (Bø7 instead of B7) does sound great, thank you.

I'm just coming to grips with the fact that minor harmony is more work than I initially anticipated, and I need to be more flexible and more fluid with BOTH MM and HM, as well as Major diatonic harmony. (natural minor and dorian)

It's not about choosing one method over the other and guaranteeing I'll have a gap in my knowledge, it's about REALLY learning a few approaches that work, and choosing whichever sounds best in the moment.

More work up front, but hopefully it pays off down the road.

 

[kevmoga]

Awesome thread, hard to believe I’m on TB. Oh wait, it’s the DB side I need to spend more time over here.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'm just coming to grips with the fact that minor harmony is more work than I initially anticipated, and I need to be more flexible and more fluid with BOTH MM and HM, as well as Major diatonic harmony. (natural minor and dorian)

It's not about choosing one method over the other and guaranteeing I'll have a gap in my knowledge, it's about REALLY learning a few approaches that work, and choosing whichever sounds best in the moment.

The big breakthrough for me was seeing how it's all just one big key rather than three different "Scales". Just 1-2-b3-4-5-b6/6-b7/7-8. So no matter how you slice it, there are always 5 notes that remain the same. Once that realization dawned, minor harmony became a lot less work than I anticipated, which up to that point seemed almost impossibly complicated by passages like this from a famous jazz theory book:

"Wouldn't it be great if there was a scale that worked over DØ, G7alt and C-Ma7? It would be, but there isn't one.
...DØ is from F melodic minor, G7alt from Ab melodic minor, and C melodic minor fits the resolution chord."

So to play a simple iiØ-V-i in any key, I need to think of three different modes of melodic minor from three different keys? No thanks.

The big lightbulb moment came when I started replacing the word "scale" in my mind with the concepts of "set of notes" or "palette of colors". Because there may not be a recognized scale that covers the minor ii-V-i, but there is a set of notes/palette of colors that can easily do it, and I hear great players using it all the time. They just understand how those toggle switches on the 6th and 7th work.

 

[fu22ba55]

Yes, I recently visualized the minor scales that way after stumbling across a youtube video with the following image. Seeing that it's just the 6ths and 7ths to worry about does help simplify things a bit:

The big lightbulb moment came when I started replacing the word "scale" in my mind with the concepts of "set of notes" or "palette of colors". Because there may not be a recognized scale that covers the minor ii-V-i, but there is a set of notes/palette of colors that can easily do it, and I hear great players using it all the time. They just understand how those toggle switches on the 6th and 7th work.

This is definitely the goal state: Just thinking minor tonality, and adding the right 6ths and 7ths in the moment. But right now I'm at the bottom of the mountain, trying to figure out what exercises I can create for myself that will give me reliable access to these sounds. Not insurmountable, but definitely a bit of work.

Right now I've got a decent handle on everything except for Harmonic Minor. That minor 3rd between the b6 and ∆7 is just such a brain-blaster... I tend to think of everything as tetrachords or cells or grips, and that works for the Major Modes and Melodic Minor modes. But all the 'cells' or 'shapes' around that minor 3rd are brutal for me to internalize. I plan to go on a strict diet of just HM for a few weeks to see if I can burn in some useable grips.

 

[azureblue]

I'm more of a motif person, plus knowing the melody. That is, paying attention to target notes in the melody, and landing on them once in a while. I suggest looking for a motif / phrase, and repeating it, adjusted for the chordal structure. As my bass teacher used to say, "think horizontally! Where are you going and what are you saying?"