Bird Blues Analysis · Joe Hubbard Bass

Bird Blues Analysis

by Joe Hubbard | Feb 3, 2015 | Online Bass Guitar Lessons | 3 comments

Blues for Alice is a Charlie Parker tune (also known as a Bird Blues) that is based on a
traditional twelve bar (I-IV-V) blues progression, but starts off with a major 7th chord
instead of the traditionally seen dominant 7th. I’m going to do a harmonic analysis here,
but let’s not forget that this is just a basic reharmonization of a blues progression- now
stay with me!

The tune starts off with a Fmaj7 (Imaj7) which is followed by a series of II V patterns
leading us into the Bb7 (IV7) chord in bar five. Backtracking to bar 4 where we have a II
V pattern consisting of C-7 to F7; the F7 is a secondary dominant (V/IV) leading us into

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Bird Blues Analysis · Joe Hubbard Bass

bar 5 resolving to Bb7. Preceding that, in bar 3 we have a D-7 to G7 which is an extended
II V pattern.  Before that in bar 2 the E-7(b5) to A7 also functions as an extended II V
pattern. This is what is known as extended or sequential II V chains.

After the IV7 chord Parker descends chromatically using substitute II V patterns
resolving to the G-7 to C7 (II-7 V7) progression in bars 9 and 10. In bar 8 the Db7 points
to the C7 acting as a tritone substitute for G7 which would be the secondary dominant of
the V7 (C7); before that in bar 7, the D7 is the extended dominant related to the G7.
Starting the sequence at bar 6 the Eb7 is commonly used in a Blues to take us back to the
I7 chord. This is how Eb7 (bVII7) functions as what I call a diminished V7 substitute for
C7 (V7). This works nicely resolving to the A-7 in bar 7 as this is a diatonic substitute for
Fmaj7 making the Eb7 to A-7 a V to I resolution.

Looking at this another way, the Eb7 (bar 6) also works as a sub V7 (tritone substitute)
leading into the D7 (bar7). Note that all the dominant chords (bars 6,7&8) are preceded
by a ‘related II chord.’ In a Blues, any dominant chord can be preceded by a related II
chord except I7 and IV7. The related II chord in bar 8 (Ab-7) would be referred to as an
interpolated II chord as the D7 in the previous bar is resolving to the Db7 in bar 8. The
Ab-7 is heard as an inserted related chord before the actual resolution occurs to the Db7
chord. If we analyzed the Eb7 in bar 6 as a tritone substitute pointing us towards the D7
in bar 7, then the A-7 would also function as an interpolated II-7 chord in that context.

Remember that the Blues form is a song form unto itself based on the I – IV – V
progression. Depending on the context, the chords in a blues progression can vary and
contain some harmonic alterations along the way. For study purposes, be sure to check
out tunes like Bluesette, Nothing Personal, Minority and the first section of Jobim’s
Wave.

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