musical thoughts

This is a beautiful tune by Herbie Hancock, and I think there’s a substantial amount of musical understanding to be gained by analyzing it. This is a seemingly difficult tune, but if we decompose it, there are really just a few key ideas, which are presented in a context that varies the way they function. There’s a very refined balance between unity and variety at work in that process, and it makes the tune very successful as a composition (it doesn’t hurt that it sounds pretty as well). Anyhow, let’s rip this thing apart and see what we can learn.

For everyone’s convenience, I have a chart you can refer to:
http://linear1.org/i/tellme1.pdf
http://linear1.org/i/tellme2.pdf
This is from the Real Book, volume 1, and the chords are adequately correct for our purposes, so I didn’t bother to prepare a chart myself.

Let’s look at the form first:
The chart doesn’t have section markings, but does have double bar lines in the appropriate spots. If you would like, mark your chart A at measure 9, A1 at measure 21, B at measure 33, and A2 at measure 41. The coda is already marked on this chart. This allows us to summarize the form:
Intro (8 bars) ||: A (12 bars) A1 (12 bars) B (8 bars) A2 (12 bars) :|| Coda
I indicate the second section as A1 because it is a slight (but important) variation on the A section. Likewise, the last section is a little different. Note that the A sections are composed of three four-bar phrases. The middle phrase differs between the three versions, but only in the harmonization of the melody, which is the same pitches (note values differ). The B section differs, and sets up a contrasting melodic line even as it reinforces some of the harmonic ideas. B is two four-bar phrases, the second of which is in 5/4 meter. The coda is the final phrase of the A section, repeated, with a different melody. The intro shows us the principal harmonic movement of the a section (and of the song), but uses a different melody.

This melody is pretty narrow, spanning only an octave and a half from A below middle C to E one octave above. It largely moves stepwise, with no leaps larger than a fourth. The blues lick/ornament decorating the note B (it always appears on beat 4 of the second bar of a phrase) is a consistent recurring feature, appearing in ther first and second phrases of each of the A sections. The melody is mostly eighth notes and longer note values, and makes use of whole notes tied across bar lines quite frequently. The other important characteristic of the melody is that notes repeat while harmonies move (sometimes very radically) beneath them, both at the scale of notes and phrases.

The A section melody can be simplified to four notes: C# B C# F#, each lasting two bars. Most of the melody reamins within the A major/F# minor pentatonic scale (D# in measure 35 is a violation–the only one if you count the C natural as an ornament). In the third phrase of the A section, when the melody consists of a repeated F#, the interest is coming from the chords moving beneath as well as the rhythm of the melody. What isn’t shown clearly on this chart is that in bar 19, 31, and 51, the chord change to Gmaj7 happens on beat 2&, anticipating the melody. That’s an important subtlety that this chart misses.

What key is this in? It turns out to be surprisingly difficult to answer that. The melody largely adheres to the key signature belonging to D major. But D major doesn’t play a tonic role in the chord progressions. B minor has the same key signature, but that chord never appears in the tune. The copyist for this chart left the question for us theoreticians to consider, because there’s not a key signature given, he chose instead to place accidentals everywhere. The G sharp in the intro melody, and the absence of G naturals throughout makes A major/F# minor a viable choice. But no phrase cadences to either of these chords. What is going on here?

Perhaps we need a different way to look at the relationships between chords here. Let’s start by looking at the root motion of the chords. Let’s look at each four-bar phrase in terms of root motion:
bar 1-4: G -> F# descending half step (conventional substitute for circle of fifths motion or authentic cadence)
bar 5-8: G -> F# desc half step
A
bar 9-12: G -> F# desc half step
bar 13-16: G -> F# -> C desc half step, desc tritone, or desc perfect fifth overall (circle of fifths)
bar 17-20: B -> G -> E -> C -> B -> G -> E -> C This phrase is radical enough that it deserves a paragraph of its own.

Root motion by thirds is the weakest sort of root movement (relative to the circle of fifths motion and overall notions of Western harmony, that is). This phrase changes chords faster than anything we’ve run into yet, it changes them off the beat, and the only thing that even mildly resembles a cadence in this progression is the C -> B as it repeats (and that’s intentional, I believe). This avoidance of a cadence (or even a cadence-like event) builds tension in a remarkable way, which is underscored by the melody being repetitive F#, and by the rhythmic upbeats (and even the subttle offset between the start of the second half-phrase melody (bar 19, beat 3) and the second trip through the chord progression (bar 19, beat 2&)).

A1
bar 21-24: F# -> B -> E -> Eb desc circle of fifths motion, or substitute
bar 25-28: D -> C# -> C desc half step, completing the previous phrase downward spiral/walk
bar 29-32: B -> G -> E -> C -> B -> G -> E -> C see above
B
bar 33-36: B -> Bb -> A -> G# -> G desc half step, actually continuing from where the second phrase left off
bar 37-40: Db -> Eb -> E -> F# ascending stepwise, a marked contrast to the entirely descending/circular motion to this point
A2
bar 41-44: G -> F# desc half step
bar 45-48: E -> A -> D -> C circle of fifths (an actual ii-V-I), followed by a whole step descending, the only one in the tune
bar 49-52: B -> G -> E -> C -> B -> G -> E -> C see above

The C major in bar 48 effectively sets up the “turnaround” in 49-52.

Looking at the A section as a template, you can see that the principal differences are in the second phrase. Let’s line them all up together and check it out. The outline of the melody for each is C# -> F#, each lasting two bars.
A : Gmaj7 | F#mi7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 |
A1: Dmaj7 | C#mi7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 |
A2: Emi7 | A7 | Dmaj7 | Cmaj7 |
Look at how the C# melody note functions in each case: It’s the #11 of G, the 7th of D, and the 13(6) of Emi. The resulting tension is highest in the first A section. Now consider how the F# functions: It’s the #11 of C, and the 3 of D. Again, more tension in the earlier appearance.

The coda repeats the unusual turnaround chords, but alters the melody a little bit. Instead of a constant F#, we get a figure that mostly follows the thirds of the chords, but the Emaj7 gets a 13th, which keeps the melody confined to the narrow range we’ve established. The low notes of the coda melody help wind down the “bedtime story” and even though the tension does build due to the lack of a cadence, the way the players phrase this coda melody tends to reinforce the idea of the C -> B functioning as a “cadence-like event.” The chart shows a fermata over Cmaj–let me know how you like that ending.

I hope you got something out of this analysis–there’s a lot going on in this tune. if you dissect a composition like this, it’s remarkable what improvements it can make in your ability to play it, and how it can feed your understanding as a composer and improviser. This tune is unconventional, but it’s incredibly strong. You can see there’s nothing in there by accident.

Clearly, the Gmaj7 -> F#mi7 is the key to this tune. It’s repeated the most of any of these fragments or ideas other than the turnaround. Since the Gmaj7 usually has a C# melody, it’s useful to think of this as a polychord voicing:
A/G -> A/F#. This is a great case of a chord symbol needing the melody note to fully convey the harmony. Clearly a voicing for Gmaj7 with a D on top will sound sketchy with a C# melody. So here’s a great lesson in interpreting a chord symbol–anything you read on the page should be subject you your good judgement in performance. In blowing over the A changes, A major pentatonic works great–change to D penatatonic over the Cmaj7.

Let’s look at the turnaround for a second, too. It’s seemingly very parallel–all the chords are given as maj7. But the melody note stays fixed. It’s unusual, and can be very beautiful. It helps me to remember that the root motion outlines a C major seventh chord from the seventh down. (which is also a very interesting self-reference). There are all kind of great voice-leading solutions to this progression, just don’t limit yourself to strictly parallel. Blowing over this turnaround will test your melodic creativity, I’ll definitely say that. There’s not a formulaic solution.

If you can find the reissue of this album (there was a 3CD “Complete Warner Bros.” set that came out a few years back that includes Fat Albert Rotunda), check it out. This is orchestrated for a small ensemble with rhythm section, flugelhorn, alto flute and trombone. It’s very dreamlike (unsurprisingly) in the original recorded version. The simplicity of the melody more than anything makes this tune so powerful.

I have recorded this and placed it on YouTube.
YouTube link: Tell Me a Bedtime Story