Hi guys,

I'm in a high school jazz band at Troy High School (Troy, MI) and I'm a junior there playing piano for the band. I'm auditioning for the Civic Jazz Orchestra of the Detroit Symphonic Orchestra for their piano position and I received a part of a musical score that I am required to play. It is called Eye of the Hurricane by Herbie Hancock. I've included a picture with what my dilemma is... I've no idea how to read those chords if anyone could give me a brief explanation I would gladly appreciate it!

Thanks,

John

This is usually in F minor, don't know why they transposed it. I played this a long time ago, if you like (and are better at aural perception than reading) I can re-submit the link to the recording. This is the original leadsheet (from the actual recording) http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9804/hurricane0ss.jpg


So transposing in Cminor it would be Cminor, F13, Bbm7, Eb13 etc...

In response to your post, reading chord symbols is a matter of reading the intervals within them. That's not all however, it is knowing 'voicings' for specific chords, for instance voicing F13 with Eb - G- A- D or Cm7 with Bb - D - Eb - G. This is nothing new as the romantic composers used even more complex voicings.

I'm surprised you have been called for an audition if you don't know about chord symbols or voicings to be perfectly honest, but I wish you the best of luck as this is quite a difficult piece to improvise on.

I noticed you put a G in the F13. I like to make my students aware that little changes like that, for theory purposes, should be notated in the chord symbol itself; in this case F13+9. Otherwise, people ask me why I play a G with an F13.

John... As I'm in a good mood, I'll write the notes out for you in tonic position. That'll give you a chance to fiddle around. This is by no means encouraged by me but its a website, you're in america, and you'll find out sooner or later why I don't ecourage just naming chords with no underlying theory

E+7#9 = E G# C D F / Bb13 = Bb D F Ab D F G (voiced Ab D G) / Eb9sus(4) = Eb G# Bb Db F / Abmin9 = Ab B Eb Gb Bb / DbM9 = Db F Ab C Eb / C7#9 = C E G Bb D# (voiced E Bb D#) / AM7b5 (strange) = A C# Eb G# / Bbm9 = Bb Db F Ab C

There is no change, the 9th is part of the chord extension (Tonic - 3rd - 5th - b7 - 9th - 11th - 13th). In 13th chords the 11th is omitted unless its a sus 13 chord.

I'm quite aware of that.. That's why I put "for theory purposes". There is a sound difference between F13 and F13 with a 9.. so since it sounds difference, it has a different name.

Thats my stance which has always worked for me.

Ahhh a fantastic and challenging piece. Best of luck with it. Learn those blues scales too.
Think I might pull this piece out for my combo. Some Herbie charts are quite challenging and complex..even for the experience jazz musicians. Especially some of the funk tunes. Lots of half beats.
Best of luck!