Pedal point

Blue Dolphins - Lesson Overview

The next tune, Blue Dolphins, was inspired by a section of a well-known standard called On Green Dolphin Street from the 1947 film of the same name starring Lana Turner.

Unchanging Bass Line

This piece was unusual for its time. It was kind of ahead of its time because it featured an unchanging bass line while the chords changed above it. The chords involved are:

• E flat
• G flat
• F

All of this is played over an E flat bass line. This concept is referred to as a pedal point, which is characterized by having an unchanging bass note or pedal note.

Bass Line Rhythm

Here's the bass line rhythm as it appears in my arrangement:

• It repeats the same chord over and over, with the same bass line repeated as well.

To demonstrate:

3, 4.

If you miss out those two notes at the end, you'll just get this:

2, 3, 4.
2, 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.

Important Note on Timing

• The E flat at the top is on the fourth beat.
• It's crucial that you don't lose where the 1 is, particularly because you're not playing anything on the 1 in the second bar.

Hence, I was counting:

1, 2 and 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.
1, 2 and 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.

This emphasis on the fourth beat is a new element we've encountered, although it shares similarities with the Coincidence Calypso bass line.

Chords and Inversions

The first bar of the rhythm is exactly the same as the calypso bass line, so it shouldn't feel completely unfamiliar to you. However, when we overlay the chords, it will take on a completely new character.

All chords used will be second inversions, which descend in semitones from G flat until we reach E flat back at the starting point.

Let's dive into the musical aspect and explore these transformations!