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Will Vinson on “Late Lament” Transcription and Analysis

by Jeff McGregor

www.smallslive.comwww.jeffmcgregormusic.com

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œ œ œb œn œ œb Jœ ‰ ‰ ®œ œb œb œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œ3 3

Ebmin7 Ab7œb œb œ œb œb œ œ .œ œ œ œ œ œ .œ Œ

3

Fmin7 Bb7

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‰ ≈ œb œ œb œ œ œ .œ œb œn .œ œb3

Ebmin7 Ab7 œ œb œb œ œ œb œb œ œ œb œn œ ‰ ®œ œb œ œ œ œ œ5

3 3

3Dbmaj7

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œb œb rœ œ œb œb œb œb œb œ œ œ œb œb .œb ‰ . RœbDbmin7 Gb7

‰ Jœb ≈ œ œ œb œ œ ≈ œ œ œn œœ œb œ œ

3 3 3 3

Ebmin7 Ab7

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œb œ œb .œ œb œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œn œb œ œ œn œb œn œ3 3 3 3 3

Dbmin7 Gb7 œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ# œn œ œn œEmin7(b5) A7

&25

œb œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œb œb œn3

Dmin7

œ œ Œ Œ ≈ œ œ œEmin7(b5) A7(b9)

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œb œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œb .œ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ3 3

Fmin7 Eb7susœb Œ œ# œ œb œ œ# œn œn œb œ œb œ œb

3

G7sus G7(b9)

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œ œ œ œb œ œ œ Jœ ‰ ŒCmin7 F7(#11)

‰ . Rœ œ œ œ œ .œ# œ œb œ# œ œDmin7(b5) G7

&31

œ# .œ œ .œ jœb œ œ ≈ œ œn3

Cmin7 F7

œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œœ œ œ œ

Emin7(b5) A7

œ œ# œ œ œ .œ Œ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ3 3

Dmin7

œb Œ ÓEmin7(b5)

2Will Vinson on "Late Lament"

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Altered Dominants in Will Vinson’s solo on “Late Lament”

Will Vinson’s lyricism and creativity are on full display in this beautiful rendition of Paul Desmond’s “Late Lament”. The following will breakdown one example of altered harmony over a dominant chord and consider the overall structure of the line.

Analysis

Our analysis will examine the following phrase:

This exceptional line offers a wealth of information. First, let’s try to decipher what is happening harmonically by reordering the notes into a scale:

The F# is best understood as a chromatic approach to the fifth of Cmin7. If we remove that note we get the following:

And if we add a Cb, we get a G altered scale:

Therefore, our first answer is that Vinson is using the altered scale. This is a fair interpretation as this phrase uses all the common altered scale degrees:

www.jeffmcgregormusic.com

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œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œb œb œbœb œb œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#

3

G7

jœN ‰ Œ ÓCmin7

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œ œb œb œb œb œ œb œN

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œ œb œb œb œb œ œN

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œ œb œb œb œb œb œ œ

&7 œb œ œb œb œ œb

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G7

jœN ‰ Œ ÓCmin7

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3

G7

jœNCmin7

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G7

jœNCmin7

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œ œb œb œb œb œ œ# œN

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While we can think of this as an example of the altered scale, there are other ways to understand what is happening. Here is another way we can reorder these notes:

Our second answer is to think of this as a triad pair. Specifically, a Db major triad and a Eb major triad over a G7.

This is perhaps a more compelling interpretation, because, while the phrase uses most of the notes of the altered scale, it does not use scale motion. This is an important point, because the sound of the phrase is as much about the combination of intervals as it is about the individual notes:

While these notes can be reordered into a scale, the line is not using scale motion and reducing this phrase to a scale misses this important point.


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G7

jœN ‰ Œ ÓCmin7

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œ œb œb œb œb œb œ œb

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œb œ œ œb œb œ# œ

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∑

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∑

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m2 P4 M2 m7 m3 m3 P4 P4

Dim5 M2 M3 P4 M2 m2

1 b9 b5 #5b5 #9 b5 b9

b5 1 b7 b5 b9 7 1

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G7

jœN ‰ Œ ÓCmin7

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m2 P4 M2 m7 m3 m3 P4 P4

Dim5 M2 M3 P4 M2 m2

1 b9 b5 #5b5 #9 b5 b9

b5 1 b7 b5 b9 7 1


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Let’s return to the original version for a few final thoughts:

Aside from note selection and intervals, consider the overall shape of the phrase. It begins on a G, stretches up to a Db, and then returns back to the G in an almost textbook example of how to shape a strong melody. Finally, what ultimately brings this phrase to life is the syncopation in the middle of the line. Without that crucial rhythmic variety, this phrase would lose much of its effect.

Application

Aside from learning this particular phrase, familiarizing yourself with different triad pairs will help develop these types of melodies in your own playing.

A pattern like this provides the building blocks for the altered notes and interval combinations we found in our analysis. This should be worked through twelve keys and the full range of your instrument. In terms of application, there are a variety of places this triad pair can be used. Here are three possibilities:


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G7

jœNCmin7

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œb œ œb œb œ œb œ œ œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3 3 3

3 3 3

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œb œ œb œ œb œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œb3 3 3 3

3 3

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m2 P4 M2 m7 m3 m3 P4 P4

Dim5 M2 M3 P4 M2 m2

1 b9 b5 #5b5 #9 b5 b9

b5 1 b7 b5 b9 7 1

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œb œ œb œb œ œb œ œ œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3 3 3

3 3 3

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œb œ œb œ œb œb œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œb3 3 3 3

3 3

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Dbmaj7œb œ œb œb œ œb

G7

œb œ œb œb œ œbAbmin(maj7)

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∑

m2 P4 M2 m7 m3 m3 P4 P4

Dim5 M2 M3 P4 M2 m2

1 b9 b5 #5b5 #9 b5 b9

b5 1 b7 b5 b9 7 1

1 3 5 9 #11 13 b5 7 b9 #5 1 #9 11 13 1 5 7 9


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œ œ# œ œ œ œ# Jœ ‰ ‰ ® œ# œ œ œ# œ# œ œ# œ œ œ œ3 3

F#min7 B7

œ œ# œ# œ# œ œ# œ .œ œ œ œ œ œ .œ# Œ3

G#min7 C#7

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‰ ≈ œ œ# œ œ œ œ .œ œ# œ .œ# œ3

F#min7 B7

œ# œ# œ œ œ# œ# œ œ œ œ œ# œ ‰ ® œ œ# œ œ œ œ# œ5

3 3 3

Emaj7

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œ œ rœ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# .œ ‰ .rœn

Emin7 A7

‰ jœ ≈ œ# œ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ3 3

3 3

F#min7 B7

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œ œ œ .œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œb œn œ# œ3

3 3 3 3Emin7 A7

œ œ œb œ œ œ œb œ œb œb œ œn œb œ œb œGmin7(b5) C7

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œ œ ‰ œb œb ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ3

Fmin7

œb œ Œ Œ ≈œb œb œ

Gmin7(b5) C7(b9)

&27œb œb œb œb œb œ œ œ œb .œ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ

3 3Abmin7 Gb7sus

œb Œ œ œb œn œ œ# œn œ# œœœ# œ œ3

Bb7sus Bb7(b9)

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œ œb œb œb œb œ œ jœ ‰ ŒEbmin7 Ab7(#11)

‰ . rœb œ œb œ œ .œn œ œb œb œn œFmin7(b5) Bb7

&31œ .œb œ .œb jœb œb œ≈ œ œb

3

Ebmin7 Ab7œb œb œ œœœ œ œb œ œ œ œ

œ œb œ œGmin7(b5) C7

œœœœ œb .œ Œ ≈ œ œb œ œb œ3 3

Fmin7

œbŒ Ó

Gmin7(b5)

2Will Vinson on "Late Lament"

will vinson on late lament - · pdf filewill vinson on “late lament ... our second...

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