So Far so Good - Introduction
Lesson time: (1min 9sec)
Ollie Weston introduces 'So Far So Good', a 32-bar AABA tune based on Miles Davis's 'So What' that explores minor seventh chords and the Dorian mode.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Exploring Jazz Saxophone: Part 1 - Getting Started
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Music Lesson: "So Far So Good"
Introduction
Today, we'll be playing a tune called "So Far So Good," which is based on the classic Miles Davis tune "So What." This piece utilizes minor seventh chords and the Dorian mode extensively.
Chord Progression
The chord progression for this tune is incredibly simple:
- 16 bars of B minor
- 8 bars going up a semitone to C minor
- Another 8 bars of B minor 7
Structure
The structure of the piece is the same as "Major 7th Heaven," which we've discussed before. It's organized in an A, A, B, A format, making it a total of 32 bars.
Lead Sheet
Please refer to the lead sheet for the piece:
- The melody is written at the top, which the saxophone will be playing.
- Below it, I've included information for my rhythm section members.
Chord Notation
I've written the chords out in full because I wanted a specific sound for these chords. My pianist will be able to read those chords and relate them to the chord symbols as well.
About the instructor
Since graduating from the Leeds College of Music (BA Hons) and the Guildhall School of Music (Post Graduate Diploma in Performance), Ollie has built a busy and varied career in music. As a saxophonist he has performed in live and studio settings with artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo, Frank Turner, the London Jazz Orchestra, the Hackney Colliery Band, the Ambient Jazz Ensemble and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He is also the co-leader of the jazz quartet 'Time Is Of The Essence', and composes and arranges material for this and other ensembles. Ollie is active in music education, currently as course leader for the jazz department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (junior school), where he runs jazz ensembles, big band and theory classes. He has written a series of 'Exploring Jazz' books for Schott Music that are published worldwide and feature on exam syllabuses in the UK. Ollie has also run workshops for Oxford University, Pro Corda Strings and BABSWE, as well as the Guildhall School of Music summer schools. In his Exploring Jazz Saxophone courses, Ollie takes you from getting started right through to soloing confidently over songs and chord sequences, building the improvising skills that put a real jazz player's vocabulary at your fingertips. read more