Re: Fw: [Harp-L] diatonic Autumn Leaves



Hi All,

Bill notes,
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill" <bill.eborn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>


I always thought the original key for Autumn Leaves was Am not Em but I
usually end up playing it in Gm on a Bb, I would imagine that's because a
lot of beginner brass players will learn this song and I guess that's
probably an easier key for them. I use a Db (4ob) as a passing note in their
somewhere too.

Just one quick thought on the actual "keys" of Autumn Leaves and the best way to get other musicians to know what key you want when you call the tune. In the key of Gmaj/Emin the tune starts on an A minor chord. This is the two chord of G major and it is very common to start on the II chord as happens in tunes like Satin Doll or Honeysuckle Rose. What makes this tune so difficult to define is that it starts in the major and ends in the minor. Aside for this particular set of changes, I don't play any other tunes that do that (that I can recall off the top of my head). On the other hand, there are lots of tunes that start in the minor and go to the major.


As a result of the unique key arrangement of this set of changes, I have found that even full time professional pianists don't always know what I mean when I sat I want to play it in Gmaj/Emin or Bbmaj/Gmin. So, when you call this tune, rather than tell the band to do it in they key it is in, tell them the chord you want to start with. In Gmaj/Emin (1st & 4th position on a G harp) tell them that you want to start on an A minor chord. When you want to play it in Bbmaj/Gmin (Bb harp) tell them you want to start on a C minor chord. This avoids any confusion because all pros can play this tune starting on any minor chord.

The reason why horn players play this tune in Bbmaj/Gmin is in tribute to the great, star-studded recording that Cannonball Adderly made of this tune with Miles Davis on Cannonball's album "Somethin' Else". The "original key" of Gmaj/Emin comes from, I believe, the most famous of Yves Montand's recordings of the tune - although he also sings it in Fmaj/Dmin. When I was learning French I had a recording of this.

One way I use not to confuse my friends is to simply say play it in the "Real Book key" (G/Em) or the "Cannonball key" (Bb/Gm).

If anyone really needs more useless information on this tune than that, we should probably take it off list ;-). Enjoy!

Michael





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