Summertime - George Gershwin

I think it is pretty radical, yes. Actually, the melody can be fit into those changes, for a complete reharmonization...but the MJQ plays the melody with a much simpler (classically tinged) harmony, then for improvising, uses the "cool changes to improvise on summertime." Even that is kind of radical----a different set of blowing changes than those used for the melody. I hope you enjoy!
 
Summertime alternatives

Summertime (alternativ)
I took two from the forums(fixed an error in one) and added a third version.

1)submitted by Plexynote is a simplified version compared to the original in the 1200 sticky.
 
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Thanks for this, Bobsax, this is really cool!!! I always like to compare versions to learn, and this was very interesting - thanks for taking the time for doing this, and for sharing.
A tech-note: remember you can use "Small" and "Normal"-sized chords in your charts! ;-)
 
Improv on summertime

Hi folks,
Got backing for Summertime in D major, any suggestions for a scale to improvise around?
Not my strongest point being able to understand which scale works best.
Any advice or easy reading material would be appreciated.
Thanks
 
Here's a simple trick that's easy to remember: If you're playing in a minor key, improvise in the scale one whole step lower. In your case playing Summertime, which is mostly in B minor (i.e. D Major) improvise in A. This is just a starting point and by no means the finish line.
;)
 
Summertime

Hi folks,
Got backing for Summertime in D major, any suggestions for a scale to improvise around?
Not my strongest point being able to understand which scale works best.
Any advice or easy reading material would be appreciated.
Thanks

Hey, just noticed your post. Maybe you are cool on this already, but even though you could technically use Amaj, giving you B Dorian minor, and that's fine, the first half of Summertime is very bluesy and is in B minor in your key. I would play blues pentatonic in B minor to get going, and definitely add the blues scale extra passing note, b5 which is F natural to the scale. This will sound great and allow you to express yourself in the first 11 bars of the form.
On bar 12, the key shifts to D Major, so try shifting to D Major pentatonic ( same notes as B minor pentatonic but with emphasis on the D major sound) then back to B minor/blues for the last 3 bars.
Have fun.
Dan
 
Yes, it was built on an iPad.

The arrangement is: Intro, 1st verse, 2nd verse, solo, 2nd verse again & ending.
 
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