As you may know by now, I just released a new CD called "ADVENTURES IN STICKOLOGY" featuring nine spectacular guest guitarists. One of the tracks is a gypsy swing style tune featuring the Stick with my good friends Stephane Wrembel on guitar and David Langlois on washboard. Yup, washboard! David plays a 1950's vintage zinc model with attachments including a pie tin a sieve and his grandma's fondue pot. He swings his butt off.
I wanted to play an old standard style tune, but honestly, some of those melodies don't exactly feel near and dear to me. So I juxtaposed a more friendly Beatles' "Blackbird" for the head (melody) onto the chord changes to "I'll Remember April".
For this months column, let's analyze the progression of the latter.

| GMaj7 | GMaj7 | GMaj7 | GMaj7 | Gm7 | Gm7 | Gm7 | Gm7 |
Keys=--------G Major------------|---------G minor-------|


| Am7 | D7 | Bm7b5 | E7 | Am7 | D7 | GMaj7 | GMaj7 |
-------------G Major (pretty much)-----------------|


Cm7 | F7 | BbMaj7 | BbMaj7 | Cm7| F7 | BbMaj7 | BbMaj7 |
------------------Bb Major-----------------------------|


| Am7 | D7 | GMaj7 | GMaj7 | F#m7 | B7 | EMaj7 | Am7 D7 |
-----------G Major---------|------E Major------|-G Major-|


| GMaj7 | GMaj7 | GMaj7 | GMaj7 | Gm7 | Gm7 | Gm7 | Gm7 |
------------G Major-------------|--------G minor--------|


| Am7 | D7 | Bm7b5 | E7 | Am7 | D7 | GMaj7 | GMaj7 ||
|------------G Major (pretty much)------------------|

To solo, we must navigate through 4 key changes
G Major
G minor
Bb Major and
E Major

G minor is also the relative minor of Bb Major, so we can now simplify to: G, Bb and E.
Each is a minor 3rd (1 1/2 steps) apart.

Starting at line 3:
Bb Major;
It's relative minor is G minor. The parallel Major is G Major, the next key.
G Major
It's relative minor is E minor. The parallel Major is E Major, the next key.
Got the idea? This is one easy way to analyze and approach a more sophisticated progression .

For new CD information please visit www.steveadelson.com or www.stick.com/videoscds/cds/adelson.html