Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Walk Between The Raindrops


Bilbo
 Share

Recommended Posts

I was working on my book all day today and needed to unwind so, with Basschat learner readers in mind, I transcribed Will Lee's bass line of Fagen's 'Walk Between The Raindrops' off his classic 1982 recording 'The Nightfly'. The chart is fairly easy to read but it is the groove that carrise the learning opportunity. The chords are mine so, if I am wrong, please let me know.

The second chart is amended to include Mat's changes....good call, Mat.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='592496' date='Sep 7 2009, 09:07 PM']I was working on my book all day today and needed to unwind so, with Basschat learner readers in mind, I transcribed Will Lee's bass line of Fagen's 'Walk Between The Raindrops' off his classic 1982 recording 'The Nightfly'. The chart is fairly easy to read but it is the groove that carrise the learning opportunity. The chords are mine so, if I am wrong, please let me know.[/quote]


Cheers bilbo more fagan and the dan please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A great line and played with a fabulous feel from Will Lee, if you listen carefully you can hear that the part is doubled on a synth bass. Donald and Walter were some of the early users of sequencing, on Gaucho first I think, and then Donald used it on Nightfly too. It was a seminal album for me and it's what got me listening to Jazz.
Thanks mate... :)

Edited by jakesbass
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Bilbo for a great transcription of a great tune.

Chords:

Bar 1 is F13 (listen to the keys).
Bar 8 - underlying harmony suggests a minor II-V so Em7b5 - A7b13 going into Dm9-G13 in bar 9. A lot of II-V's in this tune move as min9-dominant 13.
Bars 11-12 should be Cmaj7 / F7 / Em7b5 / A7b13 (the b13 is hinted at by the guitar but is consistent with the harmony).
Bar 18 - chord symbol needs to be Gb or see the next point below about enharmonics.
Bars 23, 24, 34, 38, 56, 61, 62, 72, and 76 - either the chord needs to read Gb or the notes should be changed eharmonically to match the existing root of the chord symbol.
In addition these chords sound like tritone moves from the root C7 leading into the F7/(9) and don't sound like aug7 chords - perhaps the #5 would be better written as a b13?
Bars 20 and 58 - I hear this as a min7b5.
Bar 45 is Em7b5.
Bar 74 is Bb7(9?).
Bars 91-92 - there is a common high C for all but the last chord then it's unlikely that they're all straight 7 chords.
Perhaps - Gb7#11, F7, E7b13, Eb13, D7, then Dbmaj7, leading into...
Last chord's a CMaj7#11 (top note of the chord on the keys).

The above are my best guesses and of course could be wrong!

I also remember that transcription in Bassist years ago, which as I vaguely remember was also very good.
The weird thing about this tune is that I can hardly hear Will Lee's bass as it is so locked in with the doubled keyboard line. For a long time I though it was just keyboard.

As a general note Lucas Pickford's website has transcriptions for Green Flower Street, The New Frontier and The Nightfly, which apart from a few glaring mistakes are pretty good.
Got to www.lucaspickford.com and have a look at all the other great tunes - most done by others but he obviously has "ear chops" for days!

I'm not up to much today so I'm going to tackle IGY and Ruby Baby and stick them up here if anyone's interested.


Cheers
Mat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='jakesbass' post='592656' date='Sep 8 2009, 08:39 AM']A great line and played with a fabulous feel from Will Lee, if you listen carefully you can hear that the part is doubled on a synth bass. Donald and Walter were some of the early users of sequencing, on Gaucho first I think, and then Donald used it on Nightfly too. It was a seminal album for me and it's what got me listening to Jazz.
Thanks mate... :)[/quote]


Yes, it's Greg Phillanganes who doubles up on keyboard bass. Or did Will double up Greg's line?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='XB26354' post='594581' date='Sep 10 2009, 10:29 AM']Thanks Bilbo for a great transcription of a great tune.

Chords:

Bar 1 is F13 (listen to the keys).
Bar 8 - underlying harmony suggests a minor II-V so Em7b5 - A7b13 going into Dm9-G13 in bar 9. A lot of II-V's in this tune move as min9-dominant 13.
Bars 11-12 should be Cmaj7 / F7 / Em7b5 / A7b13 (the b13 is hinted at by the guitar but is consistent with the harmony).
Bar 18 - chord symbol needs to be Gb or see the next point below about enharmonics.
Bars 23, 24, 34, 38, 56, 61, 62, 72, and 76 - either the chord needs to read Gb or the notes should be changed eharmonically to match the existing root of the chord symbol.
In addition these chords sound like tritone moves from the root C7 leading into the F7/(9) and don't sound like aug7 chords - perhaps the #5 would be better written as a b13?
Bars 20 and 58 - I hear this as a min7b5.
Bar 45 is Em7b5.
Bar 74 is Bb7(9?).
Bars 91-92 - there is a common high C for all but the last chord then it's unlikely that they're all straight 7 chords.
Perhaps - Gb7#11, F7, E7b13, Eb13, D7, then Dbmaj7, leading into...
Last chord's a CMaj7#11 (top note of the chord on the keys).

The above are my best guesses and of course could be wrong!

I also remember that transcription in Bassist years ago, which as I vaguely remember was also very good.
The weird thing about this tune is that I can hardly hear Will Lee's bass as it is so locked in with the doubled keyboard line. For a long time I though it was just keyboard.

As a general note Lucas Pickford's website has transcriptions for Green Flower Street, The New Frontier and The Nightfly, which apart from a few glaring mistakes are pretty good.
Got to www.lucaspickford.com and have a look at all the other great tunes - most done by others but he obviously has "ear chops" for days!

I'm not up to much today so I'm going to tackle IGY and Ruby Baby and stick them up here if anyone's interested.


Cheers
Mat[/quote]
yes I'm interested Mat...or should I say...BRAINS FROM TRACY ISLAND!!!!!
dan. dan. dan. dan.dan.dan.darrrrrrr!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

bar 12 odd note
the Rhodes plays Eb..the chords is Em7(b5) to A7 (#5,#9)

outro chords bar 91 -92

F#dim Fm7 Em6 Ebm6
then
D7(#9) Db7(#9,#11) Cmaj9 (#11)

this was from Paul Scott's transcription in famous British periodical "Bassist"
I think I said it was Soul Man
sorry Mr Scott

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...