Ted Greene Teaches “’Round Midnight” 01/24/2000 - Part 2

Welcome back to part two of my video-taped lesson on “’Round Midnight” with guitar legend, Ted Greene!
After Ted said, “Shall we continue?” There was question as to the real melody in measure 4 in the previous video, I sung the actual melody for measure 4, remembering Linda Ronstadt did with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra here: • 'Round Midnight
You are really in for a treat here as Ted completes the repeated section and starts swinging bridge. Again, we are using the Real Book’s lead sheet to track where we are in the song. Yes! Let’s continue!
“A flat to B natural …” from measure 3 to measure 4, but Ted’s playing covers the changes in measure 4 exclusively, ending with Wes’ melody.
In measure 5, Ted goes for those bigger chords rather than JUST octaves. Too boring! However, the octave notes are there, just dispersed among the other notes in the chords. “By lingering on this bass, the octaves got pushed out of the loop!” “How ‘bout contrary [motion]?” He plays a few examples. What about tight voicings ala The Andrew Sisters or Glen Miller Orchestra? Back to contrary motion, higher up the neck, which ends with a half step approach, from above, to the relative major, GMaj7 to GbMaj7.
Still in measure 6, Ted approaches yet another a half step approach, from above, C9 to Cb9, but changes his mind and plays CMaj9 to CbMaj9. “I think when you give away all the ‘blue’ colors too many times in a row, it loses its impact!” With a few more descending chords, he ends in measure 9 with a major chord, “Wes plays a major 9 chord just for a second!”
“So, then the bridge … is the problem ‘cause it’s supposed to be the same chords that we already had.” Ted starts playing inversions on each beat so you can hear those various notes move “to add interest” as he names off the chords and then the lower chord tones, “…root, 3rd in the bass, 5th”. This is also how he develops his moving bass lines. Ted beautifully swings until he hits the head of the tune, “I’d switch keys for drama!” then modulates DOWN a half step to the key of D minor. Many tunes, for example Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny”, would modulate UP a half step. Modulating DOWN a half step sounds soooo good!
Ted ends this video with some closing thoughts on how to play this song in the new key of D minor. For a little comic relief, he breaks into his favorite ‘cha-lypso’ rhythm using these same chord changes. Our discussion turns to experimenting with different Latin rhythms, but I love ballads and point to back to Linda Ronstadt’s collaboration with Nelson Riddle on this song. We have had a mutual admiration for many of the other songs they recorded together between 1982 and 1983. The song “‘Round Midnight” was on the last of the three albums and was soon afterwards remarketed as a two CD set, titled after this shining star, “’Round Midnight”.

[@nickstasinos]

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[@BrettVaughn]

Thank you so much for sharing these incredible videos. There's so much to learn from Ted

[@dilruba0]

I am so thankful, you share this videos, Nick!!🙏🏽

[@nickstasinos]

You're welcome!

[@etiennewittich9652]

Thank you!

[@AzisAzis]

Petikan gitar nya sangat bagus sekali salam kenal ya 🙏🔔

[@cliberg]

Fantastic! More please!😊