Tablature so what - Miles Davis

          



 #----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#

  #This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #

  #song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #

  #------------------------------------------------------------------------------##

  From: tgannon@charlie.usd.edu (spideir)

  

   "So What" (Miles Davis)--opening "theme"

   =========

   -- comp. Miles Davis & Bill Evans (from _Kind_of_Blue_, 1959)

     -- guitar arr., tcg, '8?, '94

     -- 4/4 // Keys: Dm; Ebm // Allegro

                                                       __3__

     -- eighth notes (1 &) are "swing" 8ths: closer to 1 & & . . . .

                                                       DAH duh

     -- what follows is the opening of the tune (after some Debussy-esque 

         ad-lib piano diddling by Evans), apparently the only pre-composed

         part of the song; it's a neat interplay of bluesy bass and quartal

         piano chords, both integrated into the following guitar "arrangement":

    

   Form (32-bar): ||: A (8 measures) - A (8) - B (8) - A (8) :||

    

   {pick-up measure}  A::    Em7/11 Dm7/11                         Em7/11 Dm7/11

   -----------------||----------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|

   -----------------||----------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|

   -----------------||o---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|

   -----------------||o---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|

   ----------5-/7---||--5==-----7==---5--|----------5-/7----|--5-------7==---5-|

   --3/5-7-8------8-||-------------------|--3/5-7-8------8--|----5==-----------|

   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  

    

                             Em7/11 Dm7/11                         Em7/11 Dm7/11

   |------------------|---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|

   |------------------|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------7==---5-|

   |------------------|---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|

   |------------------|---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|

   |----------5-/7----|-5==-----7==---5--|---5/7--/7--/7-5==|==5==-----7==---5-|

   |--3/5-7-8------8--|------------------|------------------|------------------|

    1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

    

    __________________ __________________

   | 1.     [repeat A]| 2.       [to B->]

   |-----------------||------------------|-

   |-----------------||------------------|-

   |----------------o||------------------|-

   |----------------o||------------------|-

   |----------5-/7---||----------6-/8----|-

   |--3/5-7-8------8-||--4/6-8-9------9--|-

    1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &

    

   B::    Fm7/11 Ebm7/11                        Fm7/11 Ebm7/11

   |---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|------------------|

   |---------9==---7--|------------------|----------9==---7-|------------------|

   |---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|------------------|

   |---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|------------------|

   |-6==-----8==---6--|----------6-/8----|--6-------8==---6-|----------6-/8----|

   |------------------|--4/6-8-9------9--|----6==-----------|--4/6-8-9------9--|

     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &

    

          Fm7/11 Ebm7/11                        Fm7/11 Ebm7/11          [to A->]

   |---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|-----------------||

   |---------9==---7--|------------------|----------9==---7-|-----------------||

   |---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|----------------o||

   |---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|----------------o||

   |-6==-----8==---6--|----------6-/8----|--6-------8==---6-|----------5-/7---||

   |------------------|--4/6-8-9------9--|----6==-----------|--3/5-7-8------8-||

     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &

    

   ----------------

   ... rest of tune a free-form improv over the same A-A-B-A 32-bar form: two 

   8-bar sections ("A-A") of Dm dorian, 8 bars of Ebm dorian ("B"), and 8 more 

   bars ("A") of Dm dorian. The bass starts "walking," the piano comps/

   ad-libs quartal-modal chord voicings, and Miles & the other horn players

   take leads in Dm & Ebm Dorian. (Dorian in Dm: d-e-f-g-a-b-c-d; Eb Dorian

   a half-step higher). . . . Here's the start of Miles' lead, to give you a

   better idea (note that the D dorian scale "fits" whether the chord is Dm7/11

   or Em7/11: both consist of notes from this very scale)--

    

   {pick-up}  A::

   -10=====-||------------------|------------------|------>

   ---------||------------------|------10-8----10--|-------

   ---------||--7============---|--10--------------|--7-7===

   ---------||------------------|------------------|---------

   ---------||------------------|------------------|----------

   ---------||------------------|------------------|----------->

    3 & 4 &     1   2   3   4     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &     1 & 2 &

  

  

     |

   --:--tcg

     )

  

   


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 So what, de Miles davis 

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