Bill evans autum leaves transcription3/15/2024 You’ll also get my weekly jazz newsletter with practice tips and inspiration Learn the 5 Essential Left Hand Techniques with my free ebook: Left Hand Techniques for Jazz Piano PS – if you’d like to practice “Autumn Leaves” in the traditional key of G minor, here’s a playalong video I made: To me, that’s the most likely answer.īut… if you have a more accurate or verified theory on why Autumn Leaves is now played in the key of E minor instead of in G minor, please let us know in the comments section below. In the “newer” key of E minor, however, the highest note is a more manageable D, which most male and female jazz vocalists can easily sing.Įven though The Real Book was written, for instrumentalists, it may be that one of the Berklee College of Music students was currently playing Autumn Leaves with a jazz vocalist and decided to include that version in The Real Book. (And with female singers, it sounds more operatic than jazzy.). In the “older” key of G minor, the melody’s high note is an F, which is above the comfortable range of most jazz vocalists. So why did The Real Book put it in E minor? (He did enjoy playing in “sharp” keys.) But no, his version is in G minor too. Since the original edition of The Real Book recommended Bill Evans album “Portrait In Jazz” at the bottom of the Autumn Leaves page, I thought that maybe Evans had recorded it in E minor himself. And the older musicians I worked with at the beginning of my career always played it in in G minor as well. Cannonball Adderley’s version, with the famous trumpet solo by Miles Davis, is in G minor. What happened to cause this abrupt change? The answer is this: The Real Book happened.īut the “real” question is this: Why did the original compilers of The Real Book put the tune in E minor? All the jazz greats, after all, played it in G minor. And then, all of a sudden, newer generations began playing it in the key of E minor (the first chord is Am). Several generations of jazz musicians played Autumn Leaves in the key of G minor (the first chord is Cm). (You can read the Autumn Leaves page HERE.) It’s a great question and the fact of the matter is that I don’t really know the answer. That’s the question a reader of my Jazz Pianist’s Guide To The Real Book recently emailed me. Share and Play Anywhere: Headed to a jam session or choir practice? You've got your music with you, always.“Why is Autumn Leaves played in the key of E minor?” Eco-Friendly: Save trees, skip the print! Plus, with digital, you can zoom, highlight, and make notes without messing up the original.Ĥ. Easy Access: Whether you're on your tablet, phone, or computer, your music is just a tap away.ģ. You can trust the notes to be on point.Ģ. Quality Assurance: You're getting the real deal, not some half-baked version. Oh, and a quick heads up on why buying licensed digital sheet music rocks:ġ. So, after you've made it yours, don't forget to swing by the admin area if you're feeling like tweaking the key to your taste. Now, if you're thinking of getting your hands on the music, here's the deal: when you make that purchase, it's gonna land in your library in the original key. This cool feature lets you mess around with the song's key, shifting it up or down by about 3 semitones from its starting point. If it's lighting up in bright white, it's your cue to give it a click. Ever wondered if you can play "Autumn Leaves" by Bill Evans in a different key? Here's the lowdown: Search for the little notes symbol chillin' at the bottom of the sheet music.
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