Friday Freebie: Take Five

Dave Brubeck, featured on TIME magazine cover, "The Man on Cloud No. 7". November 8, 1954 Music: The Man on Cloud No. 7 (cover story) TIME, November 8, 1954. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Awhile back I posted the chords to Take Five Dave Brubeck.

The exciting sound of 5/4 meter has become a more common part of jazz ever since pianist and composer Dave Brubeck and alto sax player and composer Paul Desmond created Desmond's standard "Take Five".  Most players think of 5/4 as a group of three beats, followed by a group of two (1 2 3 1 2; 1 2 3 1 2 etc.) Listen to Brubeck's great recording of "Time Out" to expand your understanding of how to play jazz with five beats in the measure. Meanwhile, practice this piece slowly and, if you need to, hands separately until you get the feeling of this rhythm.

L.H. / R.H.

DA/ADF#

DBb/BbEbG

DA/ADF#

DA/G#BE, then play (B,Bb,A single l.h. notes)

(Repeat the above)

DA/ Ab, A, D, A, F, D (r.h. are all single notes)

DBb/BbEbG

DA/ Ab, A, D, A, F, D

DB/G#BE

DA/FAD

DA/G#BE

DA/ACF

D/BbEbG
Bb/BbEbG

A/DGA
A/DGA (octave higher)

DA/DFA

DBb/G, A, G, F, E

DA/DFA

DBb/G,A,G,F,E,C,Bb

A/D, E, F, G, A, B, C#, D
G/C,D,C,Bb,A,F,G

A/DGA

A/ADE

DA/ADF#

DBb/BbEbG

DA/ADF#

DBb/GCE

DA/ADF#, to DFA in r.h.

DBb/BbEbG, to EGBb

DAb/EbAbC

DA/ADF#

DA/Ab, A, D, A, F#, D
DA/Ab, A, D, A, F#, D
DA/Ab, A, D, A, F#, A

D/GAD, to F# in r.h.

The distinct sound you hear in the l.h., D-A-D-A-D-A is played with an eighth note, quarter note, eighth, quarter, quarter, quarter in many of the measures.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet played a big role in popularizing jazz music in the 1950s. With Brubeck's catchy melodies, and adventurous use of odd time signatures, the scope of jazz music's appeal was forever widened.

Cast Your Fate to the Wind
Take Five







"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King