Re: [Harp-L] Jazz Blues G, B, Eb

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

B major? Good luck. Jazz keys are influenced by the fact that the primary horns used in jazz are in the keys of Bb (clarinet, trumpet, tenor and soprano saxes) and Eb (alto and baritone saxes). For a Bb instrument, B (aka C-flat) is five flats, while for an Eb instrument it's four flats - not a welcome thing.

G tunes are far more common. Mercer Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" was originally in Db but is commonly played in G, as as is Sonny Rollins' "Tenor Madness."

A lot of Charlie Parker heads are 12-bar blues, and his main instrument was alto sax. have a look through the Charlie parker Omnibook, which you should own or acquire if you're interested in playing jazz. You'll likely find a fiar number of tunes in Bb, Eb, and G.

Winslow

 
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________________________________
 From: Music Cal <macaroni9999@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-L list <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 10:38 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Jazz Blues G, B, Eb
 
I am looking for jazz blues tunes which are typically played in the keys of
G, B, or Eb (major keys). Ring a bell?

Music Cal