Howard wrote (with some explanation, which I've elided here for sake of 
space) the following chord sequence for IDKWIS:

<<Intro:
-------

x55040 = Bbm6add9 (1 b3 6 9)
x22010 = Gmadd4   (1 b3 4)
000210 = Fadd4    (1 3 4 5)
000200 = F        (1 3 5)
000000 = Fadd9    (1 3 5 9)

Verse:
-------

999999 = Dadd9    (1 3 5 9)
777777 = Cadd9    (1 3 5 9)
999999 = Dadd9    (1 3 5 9)
000033 = F9(no 3rd) (1 5 7 9)
555555 = Bbadd9   (1 3 5 9)
x44030 = Am7      (1 b3 5 7)
x55040 = Bbm6add9 (1 b3 6 9)
x22010 = Gmadd4   (1 b3 4)
000210 = Fadd4    (1 3 4 5)
000200 = F        (1 3 5)
000000 = Fadd9    (1 3 5 9)


Scat section:
--------------

444444 = Aadd9 (1 3 5 9)
222222 = Gadd9 (1 3 5 9)
x55040 = Bbm6add9 (1 b3 6 9)
x22010 = Gmadd4   (1 b3 4)
000210 = Fadd4    (1 3 4 5)
000200 = F        (1 3 5)
000000 = Fadd9    (1 3 5 9)


The Fadd4/F/Fadd9 sequence has some very subtle changes - not sure how
to tackle this on the piano. It might work better to play Fsus4 to F (1
4 5  to  1 3 5) - the dissonance you get with the Fadd4 chord (3rd
against the 4th) is nice, but you barely hear it in the original.>>

My reaction:
Howard -- this is great! -- This is turning out to be quite a challenge for 
me, having been away from music theory and transcription for so long.  But 
I'm enjoying it immensely.

If I'm not mistaken, the published version, a lousy one in many ways -- they 
even have the melody wrong, at least to my ears, in the scat part -- is in E, 
Sue's version is (I think) in D, yours is in F, and mine is in Bb (I've 
misplaced Marion's for the moment).  Makes it even more challenging!

I've got to listen to the song while I'm looking at *all* our transcriptions, 
since, as I was giving up on the scat part this afternoon, I would swear, in 
my head where I was trying to play back the actual version from Clouds, the 
following happened: 

During the scat part (really, if you have the published version, from various 
of the early collections of her first three albums, check it out -- I'm 
almost certain it's *wrong*), a subtle change in key happens, with the result 
that  the third verse is one full step/key lower than the first two.  
Probably I'm wrong (I was beginning to question my memory, if not my sanity, 
towards the end of today's all too brief session on the piano)-- but this 
kind of change of key during verse changes (is there a term for this?) is 
quite common -- e.g., Bacharach does it all the time.

I'll listen to the "real thing" on Clouds album several times tonight, and 
have all our chord progressions in front of me, and report back tomorrow or 
Friday.

For me this is exciting stuff, like solving a puzzle or a mystery, or a tough 
math problem.

Having fun,

Walt

Reply via email to