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Double Bass Misty - B section

Papageno

Papageno

Nov 16, 2015
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2,237
France
#1
When working on a tune, I like to perform an harmonic analysis of the chord progression. It helps me a lot for memorizing the chord changes, and for playing walking bass lines that are both harmonically clear and melodic.

I have a question concerning the harmonic analysis of Misty.
The progression is almost entirely functional and straightforward to analyze, and consists essentially of ii-Vs resolving either directly, or via the backdoor progression (bVII7 -> I).

There is one place in the bridge, though, which has puzzled me for a while. The tune is in Eb; the progression of the bridge is:
|| Bbm7 | Eb7 | AbMaj7 | % |
| Am7 | D7 F7 | Gm7 C7 | Fm7 Bb7 || (resolving to Eb at the top of the next A section).
I was puzzled as I could not understand the F7 in measure 6 of the bridge.

It sounds really nice and does not stand out aurally as a rupture in the functional chord progression but I did not understand how to functionally analyze the progression from D7 to F7, and then from F7 to Gm7, until I realized that the chord tones of F7 which do not belong to D7, namely Eb and F, are actually the b9 and #9 of D7. This observation leads me to interpret the F7 as being essentially D7(b9,#9) in disguise: the chord tones of D7 that are missing in F7, D and F#, remain present implicitely due to the strength of the progression from the secondary dominant D7 to its target chord Gm7. This way, I understand bar 6 of the bridge as being the unaltered secondary dominant D7 for the first half, and the altered dominant D7(b9,#9) for the second half (which is there to support the natural F which appears there in the melody).

For me as a bass player, the implication is that it is perfectly fine (and actually better) to play D7 for the entire bar and let the chordal instrument (piano, guitar) take care of the the F7. This way, the second line of the bridge boils down to a string of ii-Vs following the circle of 4ths.

Any thoughts on this? Does it make sense? Do you have any alternative analysis for this F7?
 
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#2
Papageno said:
This observation leads me to interpret the F7 as being essentially D7(b9,#9) in disguise:
Click to expand...
I wouldn't agree with you there. If you start with the Am7 to D7 progression, that sounds like G minor to me, G Dorian if you prefer. The F7 is V of Bb, and G minor and Bb are related keys. The F7 to Gmin7 sounds like what we call a deceptive cadence in classical music, V going to vi instead of V going to I. So the whole business sounds like it's about Bb as V of Eb, and the relative minor of Bb. And after you hear what follows the Gmin7 chord, you hear the Gmin7 as a place where the harmony pivots back to Eb by a pretty standard circle of 5ths progression: iii (Gmin), VI (C major, which in addition to being VI is V of the Fmin to follow), ii (Fmin), V (Bb), I (Eb).

Papageno said:
It sounds really nice and does not stand out aurally as a rupture in the functional chord progression
Click to expand...
IMO, that's only because we're all so used to hearing it - it's pretty strange sounding. The Amin chord wakes you up to the fact that something's going on, but the D7 going to F7 has always struck me as strange.

FWIW, when I was a kid, this was the first song on which I could play a complete chords-and-melody on the guitar; I've been hearing this tune in my head for a long time. And Johnny Mathis singing it, too.

-S-
 
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#3
Steve Freides said:
The F7 to Gmin7 sounds like what we call a deceptive cadence in classical music, V going to vi instead of V going to I.
Click to expand...
Thanks for weighing in and for sharing your views. The deceptive cadence was also my first attempt at understanding this progression. The reason why it did not convince me is the following: the deceptive cadence (at the name implies) is used to create a resolution that surprises the listener, resolving a V7 chord not to its related I but somewhere else, usually on the related vi. But here the surprise is completely spoiled: with Am in bar 5 and D7 in bar 6, the listener clearly expects to hear Gm7 in bar 7, which is exactly what happens: not much of a surprise! The weaker metric placement of F7 and the reinforcement of D7 by its related ii (Am7) contribute to make Gm7 the strongest expectation for bar 7. If one wants to surprise the listener, one usually avoids giving obvious cues about what is about to come! So, to me, this would be worst possible way of using the deceptive cadence. This is why I now perceive F7 as merely giving a "coloration" of the underlying D7, with the expectation for the Gm chord shifting half way of bar 6 from a dorian sound, as implied by the Am7, to a natural minor sound, as implied by D7(b9,#9). This is this shift in color for the expected target chord which I find really beautiful here.

Steve Freides said:
And after you hear what follows the Gmin7 chord, you hear the Gmin7 as a place where the harmony pivots back to Eb by a pretty standard circle of 5ths progression: iii (Gmin), VI (C major, which in addition to being VI is V of the Fmin to follow), ii (Fmin), V (Bb), I (Eb).
Click to expand...
Sure, that part of the progression is quite obvious. I agree with you that this is the place where the harmony returns to the home key (Eb major).
 
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#4
I'll add my two cents and say that I completely agree with your initial analysis. IMO, you could view the F7 as a backdoor progression briefly tonicizing the Gm, but I think you're correct that the harmony there is supposed to be D7 for the full bar and the F7 is a signal to the harmony players to add tensions, the 9ths you mentioned, and so then it's probably usually appropriate to keep to the chord tones of the D7 for your line. When in doubt, the first thing I check is what the melody is doing there.
 
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#9
So, of course, looking at the original recording is the best way to determine the composer's intent, but, I think the OP still has a valid question and listening to the recording will only provide some help. Someone (the chart maker) thought it was a good idea to include that F7 there, and, if I understood his question correctly, he's wondering 1) why it sounds good and 2) how he should treat it as a bassist, melodist, and harmonist. If Garner's recording includes the F7 then it'd be great to see how they treated it in his band in that recording, but it doesn't help him learn to work with that F7 if it's played.
 
#10
Tom Lane said:
If Garner's recording includes the F7 then it'd be great to see how they treated it in his band in that recording, but it doesn't help him learn to work with that F7 if it's played.
Click to expand...
The original recording, if listened to, and analyzed, will clarify all of these questions. But, you must first listen to the original - while at a piano or at your bass, (to determine the root movement in EG's left hand and the corresponding harmony.)
IMFO, of course.
Thank You.
 
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#11
Don Kasper said:
Please! Stop looking at "charts"....Listen to the original (and subsequent) recordings by Mr. Garner.
Here is the original version - I won't spoil the surprise that is in the Bridge in the original version.
IMFO, of course.
Thanks.
Click to expand...


Wow, this was amazing, thank you I was looking for what should be the "original" version and this blew my mind.
 
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#12
I played with a piano player who was know by other musicians as the "Caucasian Errol Garner", complete with facial expressions and sitting on phone books. I don't recall him playing the F7 and he had listened to the recordings with the goal of copying them exactly. On the other hand, in an interview Joe Benjamin, who played bass with Garner for years, said that he was constantly changing the way he played his tunes and following him harmonically and rhythmically was always a challenge. Check the recording above. In playing Misty with other players, it is always interesting to hear how they play the changes based on how or where they have learned it. I am quite sure most have not heard an original version.
 
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#15
I'm not sure Erroll Garner ever thought of the chords (or melody even) to any tune as set in stone. Check out what he does on the bridge to "Will You Still Be Mine." Makes what he does to the 2nd A seem innocent by comparison!

Anyway, the second half of the bridge on Misty is always one of those places where I tense up a little and hope I can catch a glance at where the piano players fingers are heading. It's one of those spots where you have to keep on your toes and keep your ears wide open.
 
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#16
Not as much of a theory nerd as some of you cats, but that F7 just sounds like a nice passing chord to me leading to the Gm7b5. Also works well if you want to pedal the V (Bb) over the iii-VI- ii-V change that comes next. But the biggest revelation to me is that in the recordings linked above, Errol Garner plays it in the keys of Ab in one and C in the other, not the standard Eb!
 
#18
Ed Fuqua said:
Original key was Ab, who knew? How did standard get to be Eb? Anyway, sounds like the II7/IV to me.
How'd I do Don?
Click to expand...
(Speaking in "Eb" now, as the OP was wondering about the "F7" chord.)
In the original recording there is NO Amin7 - D7 change after the Abmaj section in the Bridge. - Amin7 - D7 showed up in subsequent versions. Instead there are 2 measures of Cmin7 - F7 - that is where the "F7" comes from.
The OP was hearing the "F7" as an afterthought, but it was there originally. The Am - D7 was the afterthought.
In the original there is no Gmin7b5/C7/Fmin7/Bb7....Just a measure of Fmin7 to a measure of Bb7.
Not sure what you are meaning there (did you mean the F7 is V7 of V...?in Eb of course.)- please speak chord spelling, not Roman Numberz.
IMFO, of course.
Thanks.
 
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#20
Don Kasper said:
Please! Stop looking at "charts"....Listen to the original (and subsequent) recordings by Mr. Garner.
Here is the original version - I won't spoil the surprise that is in the Bridge in the original version.
IMFO, of course.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Ed Fuqua said:
I'm hearing Bb7, if we're in Ebmaj.

Bb- 7 F7 to Ab, first half of B. Then Bb F7 F-7 Bb to get back to last A
Click to expand...

Regarding the Original recording YT above (in Ab major):
The Bridge is -
Ebmin7/Ab7,b9/ Dbmaj7/......./
Then :
Fmin7-Bb7/Fmin7-Bb7/Eb7- Bbmin,maj7/Eb7/...to the Last A section.
This is what I'm hearing. (Transpose down a P4th to Ebmaj for the OP's concerns.)
Thanks.
 
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