All Blues By Miles Davis Gcse Edexcel Music

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G C S E
E D E X C E L
M U S I C
A R E A
O F
S T U D Y
3
W 2
S E T
W O R K
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S T U D Y
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A L L
B L U E S
SET WORK SUMMARY
“All Blues” by Miles Davis
PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context
About the Composer – Placing the Set Work in a Social and Historical Context
Miles Davis, born in Illinois in 1926 to a wealthy family, began learning the trumpet
Davis performed in a number of bands before forming his own ensemble in 1948
Davis looked for a new way of playing jazz, feeling there was more to be found in the music
than the “quest for speed” forming his first album “The Birth of the Cool”, which had a more
“laid back” jazz sound.
“All Blues” is taken from the album “Kind of Blue”, recorded in three 3-hour sessions in New
York 1959, where Davis assembled an ensemble of some of the top jazz musicians of the time
(see “instrumentation” in part 2 below)
About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context
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Jazz began as the coming together of many musical styles and cultures in the late 19
and early 20
century in New Orleans. African-Americans brought their rhythmic pentatonic work songs they
developed while in slavery (the Blues). Singers would sing about their poor situation in life in songs
giving the music its title. Blues would include CALL AND RESPONSE, IMPROVISATION and
STRONG RHYTHMIC CONTENT. The fusion of African pentatonic scales and the seven-note
Western scale produced the blues scale – with its characteristic “bending” of notes
Popular types of jazz include – RAGTIME, SWING played by BIG BANDS in the 1920’s, NEW
ORLEANS JAZZ – one of the first recognised jazz style originating in New Orleans and BEBOP – a
jazz style requiring virtuosic technique including fast tempo and complex harmonies
“All Blues” is an example of MODAL JAZZ – features of modal jazz include:
The soloist is freed from the more “restrictive” former types of jazz where they had to “stick to the
chords” and now use a scale or MODE to use, more of less ignoring the chords underneath - this led to
a longer, freer improvisations. Modal jazz songs and numbers are significantly LONGER than the
shorter songs of bebop and cool jazz allowing for EXTENDING SOLOING.
PART 2 – Musical Elements, Instrumentation & Musical Features
Time Signature
Tonality
Texture
Pitch & Melody
The texture is made up of RIFFS – a
All Blues is an example of MODAL
The main melody (HEAD) and the
JAZZ – this means that rather than
Marked
short rhythmic ostinato common in
solos are all played over the 12-bar
“Jazz Waltz”
jazz. 3 riffs are used in “All Blues” –
relying on complicated chord patterns
blues chord sequence (the
the harmony focuses on a MODE or
the first (G D ED F DED) is on the
CHANGES) based on the notes of a
MODE. The improvisations are
scale and the improvised solos are
double bass, the second where the
freer. Davis improvises on the G
alto and tenor sax play in thirds (D/B,
ORNAMENTED and combine riffs
MIXOLYDIAN MODE
E/C, F/D, E/C)
together.
Dynamics
Rhythm
Instrumentation
Tempo
The dynamics of “All
The RHYTHM SECTION provides the
FRONTLINE - Trumpet (Miles Davis),
Tempo of crotchet = 156. Although
Blues” is mainly p
harmony and rhythmic background –
Alto Sax (Julian ‘Cannonball
this may seem rather fast, the bar
Adderley), Tenor Sax (John Coltrane),
throughout although
drums, bass and piano. This section
feels like it is split into two slow beats
provides the COMPING – or
there is a diminuendo
RHYTHM - Piano (Bill Evans), Bass
(two dotted minims), so it feels like a
in the final “Head 4”
accompanying – playing the
(Paul Chambers) & Drums (Jimmy
laid back tempo of Dotted minim =
background chords and rhythms
Cobb)
152.
Harmony
G7
G7
G7
G7
“All Blues” is based around a REPEATED 12-BAR BLUES CHORD SEQUENCE
C7
C7
G7
G7
(the CHANGES) with a FOUR-BAR LINKING RIFF between each section. The 12-
D7#9
Eb7#9/D7#9
G7
G7
bar blues chord sequences is based on the following chords where each box
represents one bar. Adding extra notes to a chord (as in bars 9 and 10 above) is known as EXTENDING or ALTERING a chord – a feature used a
lot in jazz The structure of “All Blues” is based on the repeated 12-bar blues chord sequence, which is repeated 19 times in total!
INTRO – drums (played with brushes), bass riff, piano trill then alto and tenor sax riff in thirds
Form & Structure
HEAD – this is where the original tune or melody is played – melody played on muted trumpet with a simple motif mainly stepwise movement
LINK SECTION – 4 bars between repetitions of the 12-bar blues chord sequence – breaks up the repetitions and provides contrast
HEAD 2 – same as the first time on muted trumpet but melody is slightly developed. LINK SECTION – ride cymbal added by the drums
IMPROVISED SOLO – first solo performed by Miles Davis, mute now removed from trumpet. Uses 4 repetitions of the 12-bar blues sequence (no
links) and uses the G Mixolydian mode to improvise. Ride cymbal now very prominent in the rhythm section. LINK SECTION –
IMPROVISED SOLO – Adderly on alto sax, uses 4-repetitions of the 12-bar blues sequence, very chromatic and technical - LINK SECTION –
IMPROVISED SOLO – Coltraine on tenor sax, uses 4-repetitions of the 12-bar blues sequence, virtuosic playing. LINK SECTION –
IMPROVISED SOLO – Evans on piano, continues COMPING in left hand, uses 2-repetitions of the 12-bar blues chord sequence, right hand plays a
melody line like frontline instruments. LINK SECTION – alto and tenor sax play riff in thirds
HEAD 3 – same as Head 1, trumpet muted again LINK SECTION – alto and tenor sax play riff in thirds, trill returns in piano part
HEAD 4 – melody now developed with a more “minor” feel LINK SECTION – drums back down contributing to a diminuendo
OUTRO – Davis plays a short solo on the tonic note G over the sax riff and piano trill before the song fades out
W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S , C O . U K

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