I’m Beginning To See The Light: Duke Ellington’s chords vs. the Real Book’s

The Real Book is a great resource, but sometimes we have to dig a little deeper to truly understand how to play a particular tune.

Duke Ellington’s “I’m Beginning To See The Light” is a good example of this.

For starters, the Real Book uses a series of chords in measures 1-3 that are very different from Ellington’s original harmonies. How do you know which ones to use?

I learned more than I expected about this lively tune while making my latest Journey Through The Real Book video, and you’ll come away understanding more about how to play the song yourself, along with insights into reharmonization and Ellington’s ingenious use of harmonic rhythm.

You can check it out here:

I’m Beginning To See The Light: Journey Through The Real Book #171

Enjoy, and “let the music flow!”

Ron

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