Miles Davis played an amazing solo on ‘So What’ from the Kind of Blue album. Recorded in 1959.
He doesn’t play a ton of notes. But he says a lot in the music. The space he uses in the solo is done very well.
It’s a good one to learn by ear or transcribe, especially earlier on. Other solos can be a lot more intimidating.
Thought I would set this up kind of like a game.
Here’s the recording of me playing it:
So_What_neal_saxophone_tribe (mp3 file, right click and save)
The first phrase (me playing it) looks like this:
It sounds like this (don’t worry about the part at the end that says to visit a post on Sax Station)
The Notes:
In the entire first sixteen bars (first chorus), Miles Davis mostly sticks to a minor scale. There are two accidentals.
For tenor/soprano sax:
(or clarinet or trumpet) these are the main notes from lowest to highest:
And the accidentals:
For alto/bari sax:
And the accidentals:
First Phrase Notes:
Here are the notes for the first phrase, out of order and without the rhythm written.
Figure out the order and play it with the right rhythm. You can get a better idea of the rhythm by looking at the diagram with the sound wave.
Tenor/Soprano Sax:
Alto/Bari Sax:
And here’s what the rhythm looks like again:
Play those three notes on your saxophone and then figure out the order and play them with the correct rhythm.
The second piece looks like this:
So you can see six separate ‘things’, could be six different notes, but some of them come up more than once.
Hint: it’s three different notes.
Tenor/Soprano Sax:
Alto/Bari Sax:
Let me know if you get stuck, I’ll help you through it.
Michael SHORTLAND says
Help! My print of So What has the following (for alto, I think!): B, A, B (low), B (low) F#, E, F#, BB. The key signature sets out F#, C#, G#.
Queries:
(1) You say that for alto there is a C# and F#. I do not see any C in the first 12 bars.
(2) My transcription runs from low B to middle D.
(3) When it is said that the first 12 bars are D Dorian, this suggests only naturals, but there are accidentals for F and G in the twelve bars.
What happened to D Dorian? Help! Thanks
Neal says
The directions on the page discuss learning it by ear, not reading the music.
I’m not sure what music you’re looking at, who wrote it out, or whether it’s right or not. So I can’t really answer questions about your music.
But for your questions,
1) You misread the directions, I said there are C# and F# for tenor sax, not alto sax.
2) That isn’t a question.
3) Who said that it is D dorian?