John Coltrane s Solo on Take The Coltrane Transcription & Analysis by Seth Carper In 1962 John Coltrane and Duke Ellington went into the studio to record an album for Impulse!, simply titled Duke Ellington & John Coltrane. The bassist and drummer from both men s groups rounded out the quartet on various tracks. One of the most exciting numbers on the record is Ellington s riff blues, Take The Coltrane. Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones, both from Coltrane s quartet, play bass and drums on the cut. Ellington plays only two choruses, leaving the bulk of the improvisation to Coltrane. Ellington obviously wanted Coltrane to feel free to stretch, choosing not to comp behind Coltrane s solo. Coltrane tempers this freedom with one of his clearest solos of this period. As with many of Coltrane s solos, there is a sparse amount of motivic material present. This recording simultaneously displays Coltrane s deep sense of the blues tradition, while pushing toward a more open, modal sound over the blues progression. Motives The opening phrase can be thought of as the seed of the entire solo. Much of what follows derives from the first two measures. Rhythmically, the cell starts on a strong beat (1 or 3), and consists of a quarter note and two eighth notes, followed by another quarter note. This motive is easy to follow through the first eight measures as Coltrane sequences it through the and (Fig. 1). The motive returns in this relatively pure form in mm. 33-4, 63, 81-83, 89-90 and 167-168 (Fig.2a- e). Measures 90-91 also contain a rhythmic compression of the figure (Fig. 3).
Fig. 1 Motive 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 A 7 77 78 79 a. 80 3359 34 3 b. 77 81 63 7882 8379 80 84 5 c. 81 82 83 84 85 Tenor 86 Sax 87 88 3 159 160 B7 161 B 7 162 77 78 3 79 3 80 d. 85 89 163 90 86 164 9187 165 88 16692 B7 B 7 A C F A 81 82 e. 3 83 3 84 89 93 167 90 168 94 91 95 169 92 170 96 A C F A A C F A 93 101 94 102 95 103 96 104 The second 105 motive, found in 106Figure 4, is related 107 to the first motive, 108 but replaces the initial quarter note with two eighth notes, resulting in a total of four eighths on a strong beat followed by a quarter note. This idea is usually built on one of the triadic or pentatonic 109 figures 110 seen below. 101 102 111 103 The motive begins 112104 to take shape in mm. 9-10, and is heard fully formed by m. 29 (Fig. 4). 113 114 115 116 Fig. 4: Second motive 2 3 4 5 6 Tenor 7 Sax 8 85 93 86 97 94 87 98 95 88 99 100 96 B7 B 7 3 3 89 97 90 101 98 91 102 99 92 103 100 104 97 105 98106 99 107 100 108 109 110 111 112 105 106 107 108 113 114 115 116 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 3
Coltrane periodically extends the eighth notes in this second motive, usually with the sequencing or juxtaposing of pentatonic and triadic melodic material. Figure 5a shows an example of the sequenced triads, while Figure 5b shows an example of the pentatonic and triadic material in tandem. b. 29 30 A 7 77 78 79 80 Fig. 5 a- b 81 a. 29 (C) 82 30 (C) 83 31 (G) 84 32 (C) (D) A 7 C Pentatonic (D) 34 35 85 86 87 88 This second version is taken one step further to a third variation, wherein B7 B 7 both quarter notes are replaced with eighth notes. This would seem unrelated to 3 3 89 90 91 92 the original motive if not for the fact that the first two eighth notes of each group of A C F A four eighth notes are the same pitch. The repeated pitch gives the sense of a single 93 94 95 96 quarter note, referencing the sound of the original motive. This version appears in mm. 103-107 and mm. 155-158 (Fig. 6a- b). 97 98 99 100 101 102 Fig. 6: Third variation of motive 103 104 105 106 107 108 3
151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 Triads, Scales, & Arpeggios Throughout the solo Coltrane straddles the line between a modal approach and tonal approach to the blues. His first chorus begins with a modal sound, addressing the and chords of the first eight measures with Mixolydian pitch content. In the ninth bar of the first chorus, Coltrane plays up the D Mixolydian scale from the third, seamlessly connecting the improvised line to a C pentatonic (also pitches of D Mixolydian), and then returns to the first four pitches up an octave. This could be looked as V- ii- V back pedaling, or as all material. Either way, he ends the line with a second inversion G triad followed by a C pentatonic pattern (Fig. 7). Fig. 7: G triad and C pentatonic, mm. 11-12 11 12 This combination of triads and pentatonic scales is used liberally throughout the solo. The three triads used are G major, C major, and D major, outlining the three primary chords of the blues, and the combined the pitches of these triads account for six of the seven pitches in the home key of G. The triads are usually used in first and second inversions, which creates the interval of a fourth, resulting in a more open and modal sound. Figure 8 shows one of the longest uses of the pairing of the three triads in mm. 29-37. Fig. 8: G, C, and D triads
q=240 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Bb Coltrane's Solo A 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 37 Coltrane made ample use of the pentatonic scale throughout his career. In B7 17 18 19 20 this solo, it can be heard in the classic 1-2- 3-5 pattern (heard mostly with C- D- E- G) as well as other less obvious variations (Fig. 9). Other distant key related uses of the 21 22 23 24 38 39 40 7 4 B7 pentatonic scale and triads are discussed later in this paper. B 7 25 26 27 28 Fig. 9: Pentatonic variations 42 43 44 7 117 118 119 120 29 22 30 2 31 32 46 47 48 A 7 7 121 122 Tenor 123 124 Sax 2 33 34 35 36 50 51 52 Bb Coltrane's Solo 7 125 126 127 128 A 7 4 54 37 55 38 56 39 40 7 B7 B 7 129 130 131 132 Bass 117 118 119 120 3 58 133 59 134 60 41 C 7 42 43 G&7 44 A 7 135 136 137 138 139 77 140 78 141 142 79 121 122 123 124 80 6245 6346 64 47 48 7 C 7 Transcribed by Seth Carper 143 125 49 5081 144 145 51 82 126 146 52 83 127 84 128 66 67 F 7(#9) 68 A 7 A C E A A 7 53 54 55 56 147 148 149 150 129 130 131 132 85 86 70 71 72 87 88 B7 B 7 7 D 57 58 59 60 Bass 5 151 152 153 154 C 7 G&7 159 160 161 133 134 3 135 3 136 137 89 90 162 91 92 74 75 76 A C F A 155 156 157 158 61163 62 63 64 164 165 166 138 C 7 139 140 141 142 93 94 95 96 A C E A 143 144 A 7 97 98 145 99 146 100 65167 66 168 169 67 68 170
As a way of connecting his more modal and angular lines to the blues tradition, Coltrane uses diatonic scale fragments, diatonic seventh chords and the 38 39 40 bebop B7 scale. The most B 7 commonly used scale fragment is a four note group moving from F# up to B. This is generally preceded or followed by one of the pentatonic or 42 43 44 triadic figures already discussed (Fig. 10). Diatonic seventh chords help ground the solo in the key, and Figure 11 shows a few examples of Coltrane s use of those 46 47 48 arpeggios. In mm. 77-79 Coltrane combines the C pentatonic scale with a chord, 50 resolving 51 the line with 52a G scale fragment that leads to the third of G. Each of the three devices highest pitches resolves to the next highest pitch, A- Bb- B (Fig. 12). 54 55 56 Fig. 10: Diatonic scale fragment with pentatonic or triad figures 58 59 60 C 7 G&7 9 10 62 4 63 64 C 7 22 23 A 7 4 66 67 68 117 C E A 45118 46 119 120 47 4 A 7 117 118 119 120 70 121 71 72 D 122 123 124 121 74 125 122 123 124 75 126 76 127 128 A 7 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 A 7 129 133 130 134 131 135 136 132 137 Bass Bass 133 138 139 134 140 135 141 136 137 142 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 F 7(#9)
4 Fig. 11: Diatonic seventh chords Tenor Sax 24 26 97 9 Take the CoLtrane 117 118 119 120 T. Sax 121 122 John Coltrane's 123 Solo from 124 Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, Impulse! A-30 Fig. 12: mm. 77-79, All three devices. 3 Tenor John Sax Tenor Coltrane's Sax Solo Composed by Duke Ellington 2 2 q=240 Composed by Duke Ellington Transcribed by Seth Carper q=240 125 126 Transcribed 127 by Seth 128 Carper A 7 77 8 9 80 2 3 Coltrane uses the bebop scale in a few different 4 2 3 4 3 instances. Each time, the 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 129 13081 131 132 scale is used as a link between some of the devices discussed above. Figure 13 Bass 82 83 84 B7 B7 B 7 B 7 5 6 7 8 77 78 79 80 133shows some of these 134 instances. 135 136 137 85 Fig. 13: Bebop scale 86 87 and fragments 88 B7 B 7 41 41 42 42 43 43 44 44 A 7 A 7 9 10 11 81 82 83 84 12 138 139 89 140 90 141 3 91 1423 92 A C F A 45 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 85 86 87 88 13 14 15 93 94 95 16 49 96 143 144 145 146 F 7(#9) B7 B7 49 B7 B 7 50 51 52 50 51 52 3 3 89 90 91 92 53 17 5397 98 18 99 19 100 A 54 54 55 55 56 56 20 147 148 149 150 C F A 101 102 103 93 94 95 96 57 57 58 58 59 60 104 151 21 152 153 154 22C 7 23 G&7 24 105 106 107 108 59 60 C 7 G&7 97 98 99 100 61 61 62 62 63 63 64 64 155 156 157 158 C 7 C 7 25 26 27 28 109 110 111 112 65 65 101 66 102 66 67 103 67 68 68 104 A A (C) (C) C E (G) C E A (C) A (D) 29 30 31 32 A 7 113 114 115 116 A 7 A 7 In the fifth chorus Coltrane makes a A 7 marked 105 106 107 change to 108 69 69 70 70 71 71 72 72 a bluesier sound, C Pentatonic D (G) 33 34 35 36 Bb Coltrane's Solo using the G minor D pentatonic scale as a blanket over the first eight measures (Fig. 5 6 7 8 14). Take the CoLtrane 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 109 110 111 112 73 73 74 74 75 75 76 76 113 114 115 116 G
2 Fig. 14: G minor pentatonic Substitutions 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Coltrane uses many of the devices mentioned above to effectively communicate his substitutions. Most of these substitutions are clearly defined, with tritone substitution in the third and fourth measures of the form before the chord progression moves to the subdominant. Out of the fourteen choruses of the solo A 7 Coltrane uses the tritone substitution before the IV six times. Each time he uses the device with a different melodic contour (Fig. 15a- f). There is a seventh use of this device at the same place in the form, mm. 149-150, but this use is likely based off F#7, the tritone substitution of (Fig. 15g). Fig. 15a- b: Tritone Substitutions 57 58 59 60 C 7 G&7 a. 15 16 61 62 63 B7 64 C 7 b. 27 28 65 66 67 68 A C E A A 7 69 70 c. 71 72 B7 D B 7 73 74 d. 75 76 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 A 7 45 46 47 48 2 37 38 39 40 B7 B 7 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 a few significant exceptions. The most common substitution Coltrane employs is the
129 130 131 132 Bass 133 134 135 136 137 e. 87 88 B 7 f. 123 124 F 7(#9) g. Another more adventurous substitution Coltrane uses is found in mm. 41-44. In place of the IV- I progression usually found in blues at this point, Coltrane inserts 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 a series of descending minor seventh chords. These function as upper extensions to the IV (Gmin7/C), III (F#min7/B) and biii (Fmin7/Bb) chords. The biii, Fmin7/Bb, resolves to the ii (Amin7) chord normally heard in the ninth measure of the blues progression. In m. 45, Coltrane also begins his line on the fifth of the Amin7 (Fig. 16a). Coltrane uses the same pattern in mm. 89-92, the last measure implying an A diminished scale 2(Fig. 16b). The resolution is deceptive, however, as he moves from this point into substitutions that are even more dense. Tenor Sax 3 37 38 39 40 Fig. 16a- b: 37 Upper extension 38 seventh chord 39 substitutions 40 77 78 B779 80 B 7 B7 B 7 a. 81 41 42 4282 43 43 83 44 84 44 A 7 45 46 47 48 45 46 47 48 85 86 87 88 B7 B 7 49 50 51 52 b. 49 50 3 51 3 89 90 52 53 54 55 56 The next few 91 92 A C F A substitutions are difficult to analyze. It is likely that Coltrane s 53 93 94 54 95 55 96 56 matrix changes are the source of some of these substitutions. Coltrane devised a 57 58 59 60 C 7 G&7 97 57 98 58 99 59 100 60 C 7 G&7 61 62 63 64 C 7 101 61 102 62 103 63 10464 C 7 65 66 67 68 C E A A 2 A 7
series of substitutions, often referred to as his matrix, that moves in alternating minor thirds and fourths. The key centers of the substitutions outline an augmented triad. For example, in place of Cmaj7- Amin7- Dmin7- - Cmaj7, Coltrane would insert Cmaj7- Eb7- Abmaj7- B7- Emaj7- - Cmaj7. The clearest example in this solo is found in mm. 93-96, where Coltrane outlines part of an A pentatonic in 93 followed by an E half note, which is perhaps from a C triad, proceeding to an F pentatonic and ending with a bebop- pentatonic combination over Ab. The third of the Ab resolves to the third of the in measure 97 (Fig. 17). Fig. 17: Matrix Sub 1 A C F A 93 94 95 96 The other use of this matrix substitution in mm. 69-71 is less clear. It 4 appears that Coltrane is implying a similar A- C- Eb- Ab root movement, but is possibly based solely 117 on the intervallic 118 relationships 119 (Fig. 18). 120 Fig. 18: 65Matrix Sub 2 66 67 68 121 A 122 123 C E A 124 A 7 D Measures 143-147 provide an extended tritone substitution the, as 125 126 127 128 69 70 71 72 A 7 129 130 131 132 Coltrane uses an Ab pentatonic scale (Fig. 19), or as an A. This longer use of the Bass pentatonic sound 133 adds to the modal 134 flavor of 135 the solo. 136 137 Fig. 19: 138 Tritone substitution 139 Ab 140 Pentatonic 141 142 143 144 145 146 F 7(#9) 147 148 149 150
Phrasing It is worth discussing a few points regarding Coltrane s phrasing. Many of his early musical experiences were with rhythm and blues bands, giving him a firm grounding in the AAB rhyme scheme of the blues. This can be heard clearly in the first and tenth choruses (mm. 1-12 and 109-120). Even when the rhyme scheme is not explicit, Coltrane s phrasing often occurs in clear four- bar phrases. This clear phrasing helps keep reinforce the blues form, even when the implied harmony may be more adventurous. It is also interesting to note how many of the phrases described throughout this analysis begin and end on the downbeats as opposed to the syncopations of other improvisers of the era. Despite this seeming lack of syncopation, the solo swings nonetheless. This solo serves as a great bridge between Coltrane s blues tradition and his later modal explorations. Bibliography Coltrane, John. Duke Ellington & John Coltrane. Impulse! A- 30, 1963.