Weather report - cannon ball transcribe with B sharp?

[Westenra]

So testing my sheet reading skills I'm going to try and learn cannon ball by weather report, seems fitting as it was Jacos first time with them. Found a transcribe but the intro says to start on B sharp with the next note being C. The key is E flat and I'm having trouble with what note is suppose to be right. Playing the B sounds right but the person who did the transcribe is obviously more advanced than me and would've done it for a reason. Anyone want to help me out?

[url=https://postimg.org/image/gx5qte8ob/][/url]

Edited August 5, 2017 by Westenra

[DaveFry]

That is a natural sign not a sharp sign .

[Westenra]

[quote name='DaveFry' timestamp='1501956818' post='3348498']
That is a natural sign not a sharp sign .
[/quote]

Oh dear, at a glance on my phone it looked like a sharp! Thanks for the quick help, but this begs the question why would a B natural be in an E flat key? Shouldn't it be B flat?

[DaveFry]

In that phrase it is the leading note into a Cminor chord that Jaco is outlining . ( C , Eflat , C ).( although we can't see the key signature but you said it was in Eflat )

[Bilbo]

Key signatures and keys are seldom definitive in Jazz transcriptions due to passing notes, blue notes and chromaticism. Most Jazz transcriptions are littered with notes that are not in the 'stated' key.

[paul_c2]

The (relatively humble) C harmonic minor key, has a B natural together with Eb and Ab.

ETA: with 3 flats, are you sure the key isn't C minor instead of Eb major?

Edited August 8, 2017 by paul_c2

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='paul_c2' timestamp='1502188584' post='3349818']
The (relatively humble) C harmonic minor key, has a B natural together with Eb and Ab.

ETA: with 3 flats, are you sure the key isn't C minor instead of Eb major?
[/quote]

I think the Eb and C the relative major/minor of each other, aren't they? So they'd have the same key signatures...though the fact that the piece leads in on the 7th degree of the C harmonic minor makes me think you are indeed correct and it's C minor!

[Steve Woodcock]

The B natural is simply a chromatic approach note to the C.

In order to analyse these things you need to have an understanding of the underlying harmony so I have posted the leadsheet for Cannonball below.

The phrase the OP is querying occurs in bar 6, the chord here is an Ab major chord in 2nd inversion (i.e. the fifth of the chord, the Eb, is played as the lowest note). An Ab major chord consists of the notes Ab, C and Eb so we can see that Jaco plays a chromatic approach note ([i]B[/i]) to the major 3rd of the chord ([i]C[/i]), then the perfect 5th of the chord ([i]Eb[/i]), then another major 3rd ([i]C[/i]) an octave higher than the first. This major 3rd then becomes the major 13th of the following chord in the next bar:





Chromatic approach notes embellish and/or 'smooth out' diatonic lines and you will find them in abundance in any bebop solo, walking bass lines - or James Jamerson line! They can approach the target note from below or above, and may even be 'double chromatic' (i.e. two chromatic notes in a row). I would strongly recommend adding them to your arpeggio practice routine to really get a handle on them.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Steve Woodcock

[Westenra]

Thanks for the indepth answer guys, I'm so used to reading diatonically that it stuck out to me like a sore thumb.

[Westenra]

[quote name='Steve Woodcock' timestamp='1502195990' post='3349905']The phrase the OP is querying occurs in bar 6, the chord here is an Ab major chord in 2nd inversion (i.e. the fifth of the chord, the Eb, is played as the lowest note). An Ab major chord consists of the notes Ab, C and Eb so we can see that Jaco plays a chromatic approach note ([i]B[/i]) to the major 3rd of the chord ([i]C[/i]), then the perfect 5th of the chord ([i]Eb[/i]), then another major 3rd ([i]C[/i]) an octave higher than the first. This major 3rd then becomes the major 13th of the following chord in the next bar:[/quote]

Just a quickie, maybe it's because I'm looking at it through novice eyes but there is no Eb, it's a natural E. I guess this is another chromatic note?

[Steve Woodcock]

[quote name='Westenra' timestamp='1502201735' post='3349955']
Just a quickie, maybe it's because I'm looking at it through novice eyes but there is no Eb, it's a natural E. I guess this is another chromatic note?
[/quote]

The Eb is noted in the key signature (as are Bb and Ab).

[Westenra]

[quote name='Steve Woodcock' timestamp='1502202777' post='3349967']


The Eb is noted in the key signature (as are Bb and Ab).
[/quote]

The opening riff is B C E C, I was questioning that natural E as diatonically it doesn't belong so would it be counted as a passing note?

[Steve Woodcock]

[quote name='Westenra' timestamp='1502210464' post='3350027']
The opening riff is B C E C, I was questioning that natural E as diatonically it doesn't belong so would it be counted as a passing note?
[/quote]

The phrase is actually B, C, [i]Eb[/i], C - the key signature dictates that every E should be played as Eb unless altered by an accidental.

[The Jaywalker]

.

Edited November 28, 2017 by The Jaywalker