“I Hear a Rhapsody” is a 1941 pop song that became a jazz standard, composed by George Fragos, Jack Baker, and Dick Gasparre. Written in 1940, in 1941 it was a top 10 hit for three separate artists, Charlie Barnet, Jimmy Dorsey and Dinah Shore. “I Hear a Rhapsody” was at the top of “Your Hit Parade” in 1941. It was featured in the 1952 film noir Clash by Night, in which it was sung by Tony Martin. The soundtrack featured jazz notables such as pianist Gerald Wiggins, alto saxophonist Benny Carter, and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. The film, directed by Fritz Lang, involved a love triangle in a small fishing village and starred Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, and Paul Douglas.
In this class we study the harmonic analysis, bass line, the magic formula, guide tones melodies, motif improvisation (with an etude), the diatonic and non-diatonic valid tensions, the chords scales, voice-leading, the diminished scale and the altered scale.
Enjoy and keep swinging!
Video lessons:
Lyrics:
And when I hear you call
So softly to me
I don’t hear a call at all
I hear a rhapsody
And when your sparkling eyes
Are smiling at me
Then soft through the starlit skies
I hear a rhapsody
My days are so blue when you’re away
My heart longs for you
So won’t you stay?
My darling, hold me tight
And whisper to me
Then soft through a starry night
I’ll hear a rhapsody
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4 comments on “I Hear A Rhapsody”
Great lesson as always GrandmasTerrier! 🙂
Trying to understand the function of the valid diatonic and non-diatonic tensions, so they are useful to give a different color during that specific chord, as well as the melody of the song does it with that motif you developed on the exercises right? Damn! this stuff is endless ! Always great to have a little of brain damage with your dives! Blessings!
I always say “focus on 2 or 3 things in your practice session”. Today I wanted to practice playing the melody and incorporate a bass line in between:
Transcription challenge 🙂
Answer and explanation: