i have to learn autumn leaves...

thephilosopher · #1 01-21-2006, 06:49 PM

i've gotta learn at least the head for my lesson next week, i've got the sheet from my teachers real book, and i've got the miles version (the only one i've ever heard). it doesnt make any bloody sense to me.

i can read o.k, but this really doesnt make any sense, heh, is this version in the same key as the sheet in the real book?

Marc Piane · #2 01-21-2006, 07:31 PM

Not the same key. The Real Book has it in E minor and the Miles version is in G minor. I think.

BassChuck · #3 01-21-2006, 08:35 PM

You should check out Mike Dimin's website for a click of him playing solo bass on "Autumn Leaves". Or better yet, get his CD. You can download sheet music of his arrangement of it too. Its not terribly difficult to play... but a bitch to sound as good has he does.

Mixmasta J · #4 01-21-2006, 09:10 PM

does anyone have a recording of this, because I went to that website and I cant get it to work

Aaron Saunders · #5 01-21-2006, 09:39 PM

You could just download some more versions, I mean christ, the song's been recorded by every jazz man and woman who's ever made a record.

You COULD transpose it, which is soemthing you should do anyway.

Bassist4Life · #6 01-21-2006, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thephilosopher

i've gotta learn at least the head for my lesson next week, i've got the sheet from my teachers real book, and i've got the miles version (the only one i've ever heard). it doesnt make any bloody sense to me.

i can read o.k, but this really doesnt make any sense, heh, is this version in the same key as the sheet in the real book?

I don't understand what you don't understand. Can you be more specific? Are you having trouble reading the notes? Do you not know where the notes are on your bass? If you have the music on front of you, why are you worried about the key not matching the recording you have? This is one of the most popular melodies in jazz. Help us help you.

Joe

thephilosopher · #7 01-21-2006, 11:01 PM

basically what i'm reading isnt what i'm hearing on the recording.

Aaron Saunders · #8 01-21-2006, 11:09 PM

That's because what you're hearing is Miles Davis. What you need is a more straightly played version of the tune -- Miles Davis takes all sorts of artistic liberties when it comes to playing the head of a tune. Just go onto Limewire or Ares or whatever, type "Autumn Leaves" into the search field, and grab a whole whack of 'em.

slybass3000 · #9 01-22-2006, 08:03 AM

...and don't forget that the rhythms are written very simple on a lead sheet to make it easy to read and to make your own interpretation!

SB

SBassman · #10 01-22-2006, 08:15 AM

There's a clean, easy to hear version at
jazzbacks.com

Bassist30 · #11 01-22-2006, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thephilosopher

basically what i'm reading isnt what i'm hearing on the recording.

Miles as well as anyone will alter the melody to fit there expression of the tune. What can i say... "That's Jazz". That's the beauty of it. I say learn it first as to what you read.
He is probably going to go over the changes, what to play on certain changes, how to sub the changes and how to walk on the changes. I mean there will be alot to do to it before you make it your own someday too.

thephilosopher · #12 01-22-2006, 09:46 AM

ah, thanks... i'm still not quite getting it (even a little, heh), though.

Bassist4Life · #13 01-22-2006, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thephilosopher

ah, thanks... i'm still not quite getting it (even a little, heh), though.

I'm still not sure what you're missing. The only thing I can think of is that you're not reading the music properly. The melody is very basic: whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes. Maybe you have a treble clef version and you're not sure how to read it? Did you notice that there is an F sharp in the key signature? Did you notice the accidentals in measure 6?

Is this your first exposure to jazz? Please don't think that we're picking on you. We really do want to help you out, but you have to tell us where you are getting stuck.

Here are the first 4 notes:
E, F#, G, C
The first three notes are quarter notes (beginning on beat 2) and the C is a whole note tied to a quarter note. Is this the way you are playing it?

Joe

christobass 416 · #14 01-22-2006, 12:18 PM

hey...i'm learning it, too....cool. i was playing some blues chords while my teacher was playing guitar. it was pretty cool. it's gonna be fun learning stuff like this.

thephilosopher · #15 01-22-2006, 12:24 PM

this isnt my first exposure to jazz as far as listening is concerned, but it's definitely the first time i've had to try read/play something like this.

thephilosopher · #16 01-22-2006, 03:23 PM

upon closer inspection, i'd noticed that the version i've got by miles has some kind of intro before the actual head. it's making a bit of sense now.

ras1983 · #17 01-23-2006, 12:31 AM

the sheet music you have, is it standard notation or chord charts?

dlloyd · #18 01-23-2006, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thephilosopher

upon closer inspection, i'd noticed that the version i've got by miles has some kind of intro before the actual head. it's making a bit of sense now.

The real book has it in E minor, which is the original key and the key that most jazz groups used before Miles and Cannonball got their hands on it, playing it in G minor.

Try Bill Evans' version from Portrait in Jazz (I think that's in E minor)