Hi, I've tried out finding what chords are done in the middle (the whole rhodessolo through) of Herbie's Chameleon (Headhunter's album).
The Realbooks only say it's Bb Eb all the way through. Help please...
Excuse my bad english
Basically it's something like Bb7 and Db7 or Db7sus4. On some live shows he was also playing Bb7sus4 and Db7sus4.
On the original recording they also have these little interludes with different harmonies - I'll have to listen to them to tell you the chords.
Here's what I got from a quick listen to Head Hunters right now:
7:38 break -> vamp into Rhodes solo begins (bass & clav)
8:31 Rhodes finally enters w/ string ens
Bbm7 | Db7sus4 (I like to voice it with the 9ths thrown in)
The theory behind the soloing is that you can base everything around the Bb minor pentatonic scale and have it work between over the two chords, as long as you're careful about what you do with the F. And having the Db alt tones there to go out with are what make Herbie's solo so sweet to my ears.
Then at 12:03 you get into another little universe. That's something I've never heard a live band cover, probably because after a 20 min. groove the last thing you to do is think about something....
Bbmi9 - Dbsus13
It's a Db major scale for the first one, and a B major scale for the second.
Bmaj7/Db is a good way to think of the second chord.
Does anyone know the "other universe" tag on the solo? when it breaks into the progression? It's pretty intricate sounding at least.
Transcribing that has been on my to-do list for a long time. I'll get back to you shortly.
Okay, here's what I get. I'll post up a proper transcription later but here's the chord changes. This picks up on the first bar of the 6/8:
6/8: Gbmi9 | F13/A | F/Eb | D7#9b13 |
4/4: Abmi9 || Bbmi9 | Bmaj7/Db | Bbmi9 |
7/8: Bmaj7/Db |
6/8: Dmaj7/B | Cmaj7/D | Bbmaj7/C | Abm11 (b13) | Bbmi7 | Bmi7 | Cmaj7/D |
4/4: Bmaj7/Db || Bbmi9 | Bmaj7/Db | Bbmi9 |
7/8: Bmaj7/Db |
6/8: Dmaj7/B | Cmaj7/D | Bbmaj7/C | Abm11 (b13) | Bbmi7 | Bmi7 | Cmaj7/D |
4/4: Bmaj7/Db || Bbmi9 | Bmaj7/Db | Bbmi9 |
7/8: Bmaj7/Db |
3/4: Dmaj7/B | Cmaj7/D | Bbmaj7/C | Abm11 (b13) | Bbmi7 | Bmi7 | Cmaj7/D |
ending lick from the head goes here.
A note about that thing I wrote Abmi11(b13): the string is playing the b13, so the voicing I hear is (Gb Cb Db Fb). This is a very Herbie chord., and it's hard to find a straightforward chord symbol to notate it.
These may not be perfect, but it's good enough that no one is gonna call your shot--assuming you can find a drummer that can deal with this mess.
Edit: The second chord is (D Eb A C) over an A root. This is also not easy to conventionally notate.
Oh is that all Rob? Thank God its not complicated or anything!!!!! I like the Bbm7 to Eb9 part a lot more! :D
I just noticed that the bar before the first 6/8 bar is also 7/8.
And on further consideration, maybe E(add9)/G# would be a superior chord symbol for what I wrote above as Abmi11(b13).
And the coolest part of the whole deal, when he plays over the third 6/8 section, it's four against six, which helps with the mind-expanding quality of the tune. ;)
The last 6/8 section, Harvey's crashes are all a bit late, but the rest of the band is on the beat. I wonder how many takes it took to get that section happening?
haha I've always noticed the late crashes. I thought maybe Herbie jumped in early, but wait - it's his tune. haha.
There was probably a whole lot of "What the hell is that?? Are you tryin to kill me?"
Thanks very much for the transcription. It's been on my to-do-list as well. much appreciated I'll play around with it later
Thanks guys, I will write it down in Realbook-style and post it here after a while 8)
As close as I can get for now.
For the || Db/Ab Eb/Bb | A Bsus2 || section, it doesn't sound like complex chords are going on. The last two almost sound like open fifths.
Everything else should be right (as Bmaj7/Db is also Db13sus4).
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/th_ChameleonExt-1.jpg)(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/th_ChameleonExt-2.jpg)(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/th_ChameleonExt-3.jpg)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/ChameleonExt-1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/ChameleonExt-2.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/ChameleonExt-3.jpg
Quote from: "multmin"As close as I can get for now.
For the || Db/Ab Eb/Bb | A Bsus2 || section, it doesn't sound like complex chords are going on. The last two almost sound like open fifths.
Everything else should be right (as Bmaj7/Db is also Db13sus4).
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/th_ChameleonExt-1.jpg)(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/th_ChameleonExt-2.jpg)(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/th_ChameleonExt-3.jpg)
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/ChameleonExt-1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/ChameleonExt-2.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y74/multmin/ChameleonExt-3.jpg
nice dude