1

Song chapter packet for:

Dolphin Dance

1

Accessing and Playing the Audio FilesThe audio files for this packet are available to you within a Soundcloud playlist for the book Trombone Improvisation Savvy. The link to the playlist is: bit.ly/improvbook2.

On the playlist page for the book, simply look for the files associated with this particular song. All the audio files for a song are grouped together. Obviously, you now have access to every one of the almost 150 sound files for the book. Many of them won’t make sense without the book’s instruction, so if you like this song packet, perhaps you’ll want to own the book. You can preview and buy the book at: bit/ly/ImprovSavvyPage

Each time a soundfile is available within this packet, you will see the music icon followed by the name of the file. For example:

bit.ly/improvbook “East of the Sun - swing rhythm only”

In the above example, you would go to the soundcloud playlist at bit.ly/improvbook2 and select the file called “East of the Sun - swing rhythm only” within that playlist.

If you lack an internet connection that feeds a sound system, perhaps find a fast connection and download into a folder the files listed within this packet. Then feed them through your sound system which could be everything from a state-of-the-art stereo to an iPhone. Upon selecting a sound file on the Soundcloud playlist, click to the right of the file and select Download from the dropdown options.

The very bottom of the Playlist page displays some controls for going to the track start, play/pause on current track and next track. There is also a cycle link that will repeat the current track if you want to keep cycling the track. An application for that would be to cycle the ear training file Groovy Jazzy as you warm up your chops and your ears.

œœ

Click to cycle a track

2

Dolphin DanceAt the time Herbie Hancock wrote Dolphin Dance, it was one of the most harmonically complex jazz pieces of its time. Let’s learn to improvise satisfying music over this great song. Below are two audio files: a recording of the melody and three choruses of the rhythm.

? 44

Trombone Óœ œb œb œ

Ebmaj7wBbmin7

Ó œ œbœb œ

Ebmaj7wDª G7

? ..Tbn.5

Ó Jœb œ J

œCmin7

œ .˙Abö

Ó œb œ œ œCmin7

.˙ œAmin7 D7

?Tbn.

9

.œ Jœ# ˙

Gmaj7.œb

Jœ œb œ œ œb

Abmin7 Db7wFmin7

wBb7

?Tbn.

13

.œ Jœb ˙

Cmin7œb œ œ œ œ œ œ

Cmin7/Bbw

Amin7wD7

?Tbn.

17

Óœ œ œ œ

Gmaj7w

G\Ó œ œ

œ œA/G

wG\

?Tbn.

21

Ó Jœb œ J

œF\

œ .˙G/F

Ó œb œ œ œF\ w

Emin7 A7

?Tbn.

25

œ œb ‰ œ œ œ œœE

b7‰

.œ ˙Amin7 D7

œ œ#‰œ œ œ œ œ

Bmin7 ˙ ˙E7 Dmin7

?Tbn.

29

.œ# œ œJœ#

C#min7.˙#

œ# œF#7

wBmin7/E

wAmin7/E

«2

? ..Tbn.35

Óœ œb œb œbB

bmin7 w

BbïÓ œ œb

œb œBbY

wDª Gï

©

œœ

œœ

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance melody”

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance - rhythm only”

Dolphin Dance Herbie Hancock

3

Dolphin Dance is a beautiful tune that doesn’t get played more because it presents improvisers with two very difficult challenges. On the one hand, the harmonies change rapidly from one tonal center to another fairly distant one. For example, in bar 9, we go from G major to Gb major. While the half step difference may sound close, weaving a melodic phrase from one sharp to six flats can be challenging. The next staff down travels from Bb major to G major. Bar 25 starts with an Eb7 then goes to the key of G major, then to B minor (A major) to two passing chords leading to the dreaded C# minor 7 (B major), but then fools us with a resolution to B minor.

The second challenge are those parts of the song that provide static harmonies for two to four bars. You’ll hear them as pedals on G, F, B and Bb. Playing over the more static harmonies of pedals may seem to make things easier, but keeping melodic interest over the same root is not always simple.

We will focus on both these aspects of improvising over this song with the goal of helping you much more easily navigate its challenges.

My treatment of the song

While considering Dolphin Dance for this chapter, I was due to release that month’s song for my Electrik Project subscribers at altobone.com. I decided to produce a unique arrangement of the song that would serve two purposes: a release for the month and a showcase of Dolphin Dance for this book.

I chose not to transcribe the solo from the arrangement since it wasn’t recorded for modeling. Feel free to transcribe and play along if you wish. The solo for modeling is on page 8. I kept the rhythms somewhat simple while trying to create something interesting so that you can hear yourself playing within the changes.

Start by learning the melody of the song. Herbie wrote a great melody that brilliantly weaves through the seemingly desperate harmonies and mood changes. Memorize the melody so that you can hear the form and changes. Again, the audio track of me playing the melody is Dolphin Dance - melody.

œœ

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance Arrangement”

“The essentials of jazz are: melodic improvisation, melodic invention, swing & instrumental personality.”

-Mose Allison

Screen shot from the altobone.com song page for Dolphin Dance

4

Analyzing the song

There are variations on the chords of this song depending on the source. One that I have chosen to use is the E pedal in bars 30 through 33. The Real Book shows it as a B pedal, but Ron Carter plays the E on Herbie’s original recording (Maiden Voyage). There are also variations on the chords being played over the pedal, but I am using the B minor and A minor chords.

For purposes of analysis, let’s consider the key of the song to be C minor. The first chord of the song is Eb major, of which C minor is its relative minor. Notice that after the four bar intro, the first chord of the repeating solo section is C minor. The last bar of the song is D half diminished to G7b9 which is the II-V returning to C minor.

Rather than doing a bar by bar analysis, let’s look at certain four bar sections.

After the intro, the song begins in C minor. Bar eight is a turnaround to the modulation into G major. As almost a hint of an upcoming G-pedal (bars 17-20), it lasts only one bar before modulating to the Ab-7/Db7 resolving into the key of Eb (F min7/Bb7). I’ll provide an exercise for those four bars shortly.

We then return to C minor in bar 13. That lasts two bars before another turnaround that puts us into G. This is our first sustained pedal, and while there are variations on these four bars in other lead sheets, I’m using the following:

? 44

Trombone

wwwww

#Gmaj7

wwwww

GZwwww#

A/Gwwwww

GZ

©

The “sus" designation means that instead of the third of the chord, we use the fourth (C). Without the third of a chord, there is neither major nor minor tonality. Play this chord on a keyboard to hear its unique sound. In the third bar, we play an A major triad over the G. While you’re at the keyboard, play the A major triad over a G. I have created an exercise of this sequence as well: Dolphin Dance exercise bars 17-20.

Starting in bar 21, there is a similar sequence using the F pedal. This sequence begins, not with an F major (as with the previous G pedal), but with the F7 suspension. The fourth bar contains a turnaround that, instead of resolving to D major, it resolves one half step up to Eb7.

That Eb7 in bar 25 begins a melodic ascension to the climax of the song in bar 29 leading to a resolution to B minor in bar 31. The form ends with a restatement of the melody in the very top of the song.

? 44

Trombone Óœ œb œb œ

Ebmaj7wBbmin7

Ó œ œbœb œ

Ebmaj7wDª G7

? ..Tbn.5

Ó Jœb œ J

œCmin7

œ .˙Abö

Ó œb œ œ œCmin7

.˙ œAmin7 D7

?Tbn.

9

.œ Jœ# ˙

Gmaj7.œb

Jœ œb œ œ œb

Abmin7 Db7wFmin7

wBb7

?Tbn.

13

.œ Jœb ˙

Cmin7œb œ œ œ œ œ œ

Cmin7/Bbw

Amin7wD7

?Tbn.

17

Óœ œ œ œ

Gmaj7w

G\Ó œ œ

œ œA/G

wG\

?Tbn.

21

Ó Jœb œ J

œF\

œ .˙G/F

Ó œb œ œ œF\ w

Emin7 A7

?Tbn.

25

œ œb ‰ œ œ œ œœE

b7‰

.œ ˙Amin7 D7

œ œ#‰œ œ œ œ œ

Bmin7 ˙ ˙E7 Dmin7

?Tbn.

29

.œ# œ œJœ#

C#min7.˙#

œ# œF#7

wBmin7/E

wAmin7/E

«2

? ..Tbn.35

Óœ œb œb œbB

bmin7 w

BbïÓ œ œb

œb œBbY

wDª Gï

©

5

Players have their particular difficulties with this song. I’ve created the following six exercises to help with specific sections. For each four-bar exercise, three melodic lines have been recorded over that section of rhythm as models followed by three more four-bar phrases of rhythm only. A rhythm track without the recorded line follows for you to either play the model lines or to practice improvising your own. The 12 audio files are listed on page 10.

You’ll be surprised by how much these focused exercises will improve your facility with this song. Generally, people practice improvising over the entire form over and over, and never stop to concentrate on the more difficult parts.

Bars 5-8The melody uses the #11 (D natural) of the Ab7 so your improvisation can use that colorful tone as well. The fifth bar is include because the fourth bar (II-V) resolves into that next bar (I).

Bars 9-12This exercise helps you transition smoothly from the one sharp of G major to the six flats of Gb major, then to the three flats of Eb major.

? 44

Trombone

˙ œ œb œ3Cmin7

˙ œb œœb3A

bö ˙ œ œb œ3Cmin7

˙ œ œ œAmin7 D7

wGmaj7

?Tbn. ‰ J

œb œ œ œb œ œCmin7

œ œ ˙ œ œAbö

œ œb œ œ œ œCmin7

˙ œ œ# œ œAmin7 D7

wGmaj7

?Tbn. Ó

œ œb œ œCmin7

œ œ œb œ œ œb œœAbö

œ œb œŒ ‰ œ œ

Cmin7

œœœœ œ œ œ

œAmin7 D7 œ# œ œ œ ˙Gmaj7

?Tbn. ∑

©

? 44

Trombone

œ# œ œ œ œGmaj7

œb œb œb œb œAbmin7 Db7

˙N œb œ œFmin7

˙Ó

Bb7

?Tbn.

˙ œ œ œ#Gmaj7

œ œb œn œb œb œ œAbmin7 Db7

œ œ œb œœbFmin7 ˙ œ œ œb œ

Bb7

?Tbn.

œ œ‰œ œ#

‰

Gmaj7œb œb

‰

œb œbJœ

Abmin7 Db7œ œ œ œb œ œ

œb œbFmin7

Jœ œb œ œ

‰

Bb7

?Tbn. ∑

©

#3

#2

#1

#3

#2

#1

6

Bars 17-20The first pedal sequence over G brings in and out a variety of tones including B and C#.

Bars 25-28These four bars begin the ascension to the song’s climax, and in the process, take you through a variety of modulations. The following bar of C#min7 is included in order practice landing well on this chord.

? 44

Trombone

˙ œ# œ œnGmaj7

˙ œ œ‰ Jœ

G\œ œ# œ œ œ œnA/G

wG\

?Tbn.

Jœ œ œ#

Jœ œGmaj7

Jœ œ œ

Jœ œ

G\œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ

A/Gœ œ œ œ ˙G\

?Tbn.

œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œGmaj7

œ œ œ œ œ œ œG\

Jœ# œ œ

JœœA/G w

G\

?Tbn. ∑

©

? 44

Tromboneœ œ œb œEb7

œ œ œ# œAmin7 D7 œ œ œ# œ

Bmin7 E7œ# œ# œ œ

Dmin7œ# œ œ ˙C#min7

?Tbn.

˙ ˙Eb7

œ œ œ# ˙

Amin7 D7œ œ œ ˙

Bmin7 E7œ œ# œ œ ˙

Dmin7œ œ# œ# œ# ˙C#min7

?Tbn.

œ œ œb œb œ œ œnEb7

.œ œJœ œ œ#

Amin7 D7œ œ œ

œ œ œ œBmin7 E7 ˙# ˙nDmin7 ˙Ó

C#min7

?Tbn. ∑

©

#3

#2

#1

#3

#2

#1

7

Bars 29-32As the climax of the song, we should be comfortable playing in B major over the C# min/F#7. This exercise provides you the opportunity to play over that II-V in B major. C#min7 after all, is not an overly-intuitive chord for trombone!

Bars 31-34Here’s a relatively simple four-bar pedal over E. Think of it as playing two sharps (F# and C#) within the Bmin7 and one sharp (F#) within the Amin/B. You are basically alternating your inclusion of the C#.

Putting it all together, on the following page is a one chorus solo recorded for modeling. As I wrote earlier, I’ve kept the rhythms somewhat simple and the tonal range fairly reasonable. As with the melody recorded for the song, two choruses of rhythm follow the solo’s one time through the form for a total of three choruses. Remember that you can always hit the cycle button at the bottom of the Soundcloud playlist page for more repetition of the form.

? 44

Tromboneœ# œ

œ# œ#C#min7

œ# œ œ# œ# œ œ#F#7

˙ œœ œ

Bmin7/Ew

Amin7/E

?Tbn.

œ# œ# œ# œ œ#

C#min7œ# œ# œ œ# œ

F#7

Jœ œ

œJœ# œ

Bmin7/E

Jœ œ

œJœ œ

Amin7/E

?Tbn.

œ# œ# œ œ# œ œ œC#min7

œ# œœ# œ#

F#7œ œ# œ œ# œ œ

Œ

Bmin7/Eœ œ œ œ# œ œ œAmin7/E

?Tbn. ∑

©

? 44

Tromboneœ# œ

œ œ#Bmin7/E

œ œœ œ

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Jœ œ

Jœ ˙

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Jœ ˙

Amin7/E

?Tbn.

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œ œ œ œ œAmin7/E

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Bmin7/Eœ œ

œ œ œAmin7/E

?Tbn.

œ# œ# œ œ œ œ œBmin7/E

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œAmin7/E

˙ œ œ œBmin7/E

˙ œ# œ œ

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?Tbn. ∑

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#3

#2

#1

#3

#2

#1

8

? 44

Trombone Œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ

Ebmaj7œb .˙

Bbmin7

Œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œbE

bmaj7

œ œb œ œ œDª G7

? ..Tbn.5

œ œ œ œb .œJœ

Cmin7œ ˙

ŒAbö

‰ Jœ œb œ

œb œCmin7 .œJœ œ# œ

Amin7 D7

?Tbn.

9

˙ œ œ œGmaj7

œb œb œbœb œbA

bmin7 D

b7

Œ œbœ œb œ œ3

3Fmin7 œb œb œ œ œN œ œ œbBb7

?Tbn.

13

œŒœb œ œ œ œ œ3 3

Cmin7œ œ œ œb œ œ œ

3Cmin7/Bb

œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ

Amin7œ œ œ œ œ

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?Tbn.

17

˙Œ

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˙Œœ œ3

G\.œ# J

œ œ‰ J

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?Tbn.

21

œb ˙œ œ

F\˙

Œœ œ œ3

G/Fœ œb œ œ œA

œb œ œF\ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ

Emin7 A7

?Tbn.

25

˙ œb œ œb œEb7

œ Œ œ# .œ œAmin7 D7 ˙# œ œ œ# œ

Bmin7

˙ ˙E7 Dmin7

?Tbn.

29

œ# œ# œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ3

C#min7 œ# œ# œ œœ#

F#7œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ

Bmin7/Eœ œ# œ œ œ œ œ

Amin7/E

?Tbn.

33

œ Œ ‰ œjœ#

Bmin7/E

œ œ# œœ# œ œ œ# œ

Amin7/E ˙b .œJœ

Bbmin7œ œN

‰ Jœb œ

Bbï

? ..Tbn.37

œ œb œ œ œœb œ œB

bY ˙ ˙bDª Gï

©

ML solo on Dolphin Dance

œœ bit.ly/improvbook2“ Dolphin Dance - ML solo”

9

? 44

Trombone ∑Ebmaj7

∑Bbmin7

∑Ebmaj7

∑Dª G7

?Tbn.

5

Ó ‰ œ œ œb œ3

Cmin7‰ œ œb œ

Jœ

Ab7œ œ œ ˙

Cmin7

˙ œ# œ œ œ3

Amin7 D7

?Tbn.

9œ# œ œ

œ œ# œ œb3

Gmaj7˙ Ó

Abmin7 Db7Ó Œ ‰ œ

œb3Fmin7 œbœ œb œ œ œ

œA œbBb7

?Tbn.

13

œ œ œ œb œN œ œ œCmin7

œ œ œb œœb œ œ œ3

Cmin7/Bb .˙ œ œ œ3

Amin7œ œb œb œ œ œD7

?Tbn.

17

˙ ÓGmaj7

Œœ œ œ ˙3

G\Œ ‰ œ œ J

œ œ œ3 3A/G

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G\

?Tbn.

21

˙ œ œb œ mœ

F\œ œ œ ˙ œ

3G/F

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F\

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Emin7 A7

?Tbn.

25

˙b ÓEb7

‰ jœ œ œ# œ œ œœ

Amin7 D7œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

3 3Bmin7

œ# œ œœ œN œ# œ

E7 Dmin7

?Tbn.

29

œ œ œ# œ œ# œ œœ œ œ#

3 3 3C#min7

.˙ ŒF#7

Œ œ# œn œ œ# œn œ œ œ#Bmin7

œ œ# œn œ ˙ œ œ3Amin7/B

?Tbn.

33

œ# œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ3

Bmin7œ œ œ# œn œ œ œ3

Amin7/Bwb

Bbmin7

?Tbn.

36

œŒ Ó

BbïŒ

œb œ œb œ œb œbBbY

œ œb œ œ œ œ œœ

Dª Gïœ œ œb Ó

©

Below is Chet Baker’s one-chorus solo from a big band album called The Legacy.

Notice that the solo lies at the very bottom of the trumpet, which translates the same for the trombone. Feel free to take most of it up an octave if it is easier. Bars 13 and 14 will present a bit of difficulty in that range, but overall, it’s probably worthwhile to take it up an octave.

Notice Chet’s very laid back feel influenced by the tempo the low range of the solo and his very liberal use of rests. See how his rhythmic speed increases a bit at the climaxing phrase of the song starting in bar 26?

Play Chet Baker’s solo over the three-chorus rhythm-only track for Dolphin Dance.

Chet Baker’s solo on Dolphin Dance

œœ bit.ly/improvbook2

“Dolphin Dance - rhythm only”

10

? 44

Trombone ∑Ebmaj7

∑Bbmin7

∑Ebmaj7

∑Dª G7

?Tbn.

5

Ó ‰ œ œ œb œ3

Cmin7‰ œ œb œ

Jœ

Ab7œ œ œ ˙

Cmin7

˙ œ# œ œ œ3

Amin7 D7

?Tbn.

9œ# œ œ

œ œ# œ œb3

Gmaj7˙ Ó

Abmin7 Db7Ó Œ ‰ œ

œb3Fmin7 œbœ œb œ œ œ

œA œbBb7

?Tbn.

13

œ œ œ œb œN œ œ œCmin7

œ œ œb œœb œ œ œ3

Cmin7/Bb .˙ œ œ œ3

Amin7œ œb œb œ œ œD7

?Tbn.

17

˙ ÓGmaj7

Œœ œ œ ˙3

G\Œ ‰ œ œ J

œ œ œ3 3A/G

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3

G\

?Tbn.

21

˙ œ œb œ mœ

F\œ œ œ ˙ œ

3G/F

.˙ œ œ œ3

F\

œ# œ œ œ# ˙3

Emin7 A7

?Tbn.

25

˙b ÓEb7

‰ jœ œ œ# œ œ œœ

Amin7 D7œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

3 3Bmin7

œ# œ œœ œN œ# œ

E7 Dmin7

?Tbn.

29

œ œ œ# œ œ# œ œœ œ œ#

3 3 3C#min7

.˙ ŒF#7

Œ œ# œn œ œ# œn œ œ œ#Bmin7

œ œ# œn œ ˙ œ œ3Amin7/B

?Tbn.

33

œ# œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ3

Bmin7œ œ œ# œn œ œ œ3

Amin7/Bwb

Bbmin7

?Tbn.

36

œŒ Ó

BbïŒ

œb œ œb œ œb œbBbY

œ œb œ œ œ œ œœ

Dª Gïœ œ œb Ó

©

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

œœ

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 5-8”

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 9-12”

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 17-20”

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 25-28”

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 29-33”

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 31-34”

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 5-8 - rhythm only

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 9-12 - rhythm only

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 17-20 - rhythm only

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 25-28 - rhythm only

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 29-33 - rhythm only

bit.ly/improvbook2 “Dolphin Dance exercisebars 31-34 - rhythm only

The following sound files correspond to the previously mentioned exercises. On the left column is the recording of the three sections played on trombone. On the right is the rhythm-only track for your practice with these four-bar phrases. As I did with a few of the exercises in the recordings, feel free to take any of them down an octave.

11

“Michael Lake’s book is as comprehensive as it is insightful and practical. I can’t wait to delve into it further and look forward to sharing it with my students. I highly recommend this book for all levels of trombonists and improvisers alike.”

– Steve Davis, Trombonist/Composer/Educator

“Mike has created what has to be one of the most comprehensive tools for learning to improvise specifically for trombone! From the basics to more advanced concepts, great tune selections, and an amazing array of interactive play-alongs and demonstrations. This is a thoughtful, thorough, and dynamic approach to learning trombone improvisation.”

– Nick Finzer, New York Trombonist & Educator

“I’ve studied from a wide variety of books on trombone and jazz but Michael Lake’s book provided me something I’ve never before experienced. Within about an hour of working with one of the tunes in Trombone Improvisation Savvy - a tune I was soloing over with some difficulty in my band - I could now understand and hear the tune’s harmonic structure, I could play well over the most difficult sections, and I finally felt comfortable soloing over the entire tune. Even my bandmates noticed a difference in my playing at our performance.

I really think that when this book gets into the hands of trombone players wanting to ‘crack the improvisation code,’ it will be a must have for all jazz trombone aficionados!”

– Barry Kierce, Jazz Trombone Connoisseur

Also read additional articles, watch videos and check out his recent CDs and other books.

Roads Less Traveled Alto Trombone Savvy

Insights and method for mastering alto trombone

The Electrik Project Michael Lake

Visit www.altobone.com to receive a free piece of Michael’s original music free each month.

Praise for Trombone Improvisation Savvy