Yo kiddies, I'm back!! In my last column, I introduced you to some jazz harmony analysis and the interesting bass trick called, "The Move". "The Move" is used when the Imaj7 chord is played for two bars followed by the ii-7 in bar three. Hopefully, you practiced "the move" in all 12 keys. (refresh yo'self here: http://www.basssessions.com/apr06/jazz.html ) I used the tune, "It Could Happen To You", which, again, can be found on "Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet". (go do some transcribin')

Last time, we analyzed the first twelve bars of the tune focusing on the first three measures. Let's continue and get "the move" on. (tee hee) What is happening in the next five bars? Remember that I offered extra credit if anyone could tell me what was hapnin'? You all failed!! No G string for you grasshopper.

Bar four has a ii-7-V7 of iii-7 cadence leading to the Imaj7 chord in bar five. This is common in jazz tunes and is known as deceptive resolution (also known as the backside ii-V). Typically, a ii-7-V7 of iii-7 cadence would be followed by a III-VI-II-V cadence, which would then lead to the Imaj7. In this case, however, a short cut has been taken back to the Imaj7. Cool! Another hip lil' trick, the "backside II-V". Now, let's move on to the next five bars.

This is where you could have received extra credit. What chord occurs in bar nine, the ii-7 chord, right? What occurs in bar five and the following measures? Do you recognize it? Huh, do ya, DO YA? It's "the move"-bigger, longer and uncut!!! See how the I-IV-III-VI cadence is leading to the ii-7 chord? (III-VI shown here as the ii-7-V7 of vi-7)

How could you have missed this, grasshopper? Can you play "the move" here? Technically, you could but you would sound like you were suddenly thrust into the way-back-machine mid-tune landing you in that 1976 ZZ top cover band where you pounded out the roots for an entire tune. Don't get me wrong, I love ZZ top. I cut my teeth on Dusty Hill's larger-than-life grooves but, in this case, you have to walk the changes and connect the chords, otherwise, U B fired. Heck, I could do an entire column on just that. Maybe I will, but for now, let's stick with the current topic, "The Move". Let's review.

The first four bars of "It Could Happen To You" contain "The Move" and one bar of deceptive resolution. ("the backside II-V") The next four bars contain "the LONG move". Measure ten moves to the bVII7 or the V7 of bIII. Yeah, that's confusing and I don't have any tricky little device to help you remember that. Haven't I helped you enuff already? The next three measures contain the Imaj7 and then another ii-7-V7 cadence, the ii-7-V7 of VI. What do you suppose happens after that? Extra credik time, kiddies.

So, in summary, what have I shown you and how will it be beneficial? I've shown you that the first 8 bars of this tune, with the exception of one bar, can be remembered by using one really cool device, "The Move".

Next time, we'll check out the next twenty measures of "It Could Happen To You", wherein, we will discover another cool jazz device and "move" on out. Again, extra credit for those of you who can figure out what happens at bar thirteen. (if'n there's a draught house in your area called Bar 13 where booze, dancers and poles are involved, that doesn't count. OK, it does count but you won't get any extra credit unless I'm invited!!)

L8r and get "da move" on,

k-dub,
keeper o da funk
k-dub is an electric/upright bassist living in hot 'lanta and can be reached via email at
k-dub@funknotes.com