A few years ago, at the request of two generous Kickstarter backers of my 2017 album Malnoia, I set out to write an arrangement for one of their favorite jazz ballads, Blue In Green, from Miles Davis’s album Kind Of Blue. I quickly found out how challenging it is to arrange a ballad — especially this particular one. So much of the power of this recording comes from Miles’s muted, haunting and spare trumpet sound, Bill Evans’s rich piano voicings, and the way in which the musicians almost disguise the melody. However, I persisted, and last week, I finally released my arrangement of Blue In Green as a single on all platforms (have a listen!). In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my process of rearranging Blue In Green and the 5 steps that will help you arrange a jazz ballad and make it your own.
Who wrote Blue In Green?
Most people know this composition from Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, considered one of the most influential jazz albums of all time. The credits attribute the composition to Miles, but this is disputed. Bill Evans said (as quoted in Brian Hennesey, Bill Evans):
“I had been out of the group for a few months, but Miles called me to make this date. He said he had some things sketched out, and I should call round to his apartment on the morning of the date. I took a tune of mine called ‘Blue in Green.’ Now I know that on the album it is credited to Miles, but he did the same thing with two of Eddie Vinson’s tunes, ‘Tune Up’ and ‘Four.’ It’s a small matter to me, but when someone asks me about it I tell the truth.”
Circular Form
An interesting compositional feature is that Blue In Green circular; it’s never quite clear where the melody begins and ends. Furthermore, it has an unusual length of 10 measures:
In the recording, the form is further obscured when, after the theme is played twice (at 1:45), the sequence of chords is doubled and each chord is played twice as fast, resulting in a 5-bar form. Then, on the the second (!) piano solo (3:09), the form is doubled once again, before returning to its original harmonic rhythm on the trumpet solo. Finally, Bill Evans plays the melody twice more, rubato but swiftly.
The whole song already feels like an arrangement, treating the small ensemble as a little orchestra and creating interest and atmosphere through rhythmic variation and instrumentation; this results in the creation of different sections, each with its own character.
How To Arrange A Jazz Ballad In 5 Steps
Step 1: Rhythm
The first thing you can think about when rearranging a jazz ballad is: does it really have to be a ballad? Could it be faster (or even slower)? Could you change the feel or underlying groove? Maybe try a pop groove, an odd meter or a Brazilian style? The possibilities are endless. In my version, I decided to opt for a 6/8 feel, quite a bit faster:
Step 2: Chords
Secondly, you might want to change the harmonies. You could try to come up with different chords that fit the melody but change the character of the piece. You could add chords, but you can also simplify and take chords out. If you’d like some reharmonization ideas, feel free to download my Reharmonization Quick Guide here.
Another approach is to use a bass pedal, which is what I decided to go for: I just added a D bass note underneath all the chords. This creates a suspenseful and brooding atmosphere and raises the tension. You also might get some nice and unexpected dissonances when the original chords clash with the bass note (like the A7 over D in my version):
Step 3: Intro / Outro
The intro and outro of a song is where you as an arranger can really shine. After all, the theme of the song is a given, but the introduction is where you can actually put your composer hat on and invent a new melody or an idea that’s completely yours.
I decided to use the first four chords of the song and came up with a dark and dissonant piano melody in my right hand, which plays over the D pedal in the left. This has almost become a new theme in itself:
Step 4: Instrumentation
Next, you can think about the what each instrument plays. Perhaps the bass could play the melody, and the horn player could play some kind of accompanying pattern. Maybe the piano can play the bass line. Or the horn player can start with a solo rendition of the melody featuring some extended cadenzas. Also, feel free to have different instruments sit out certain sections — sometimes, less is more. I gave the D bass pedal to the bass clarinet, the main melodic pattern to the piano, and an accompanying pizzicato to the viola (although this changes throughout the arrangement):
Step 5: Form
You can really change the feel of a song by flipping the form around. Perhaps one of the instruments can take a solo on the intro chords or some other kind of vamp. Perhaps you can come up with an interlude or an extended coda. In my arrangement, I decided to obscure the melody even more than the original version on Kind Of Blue does — I only reveal it at the very end. In this way, my intro actually becomes its own theme / melody, even though all the solos are on the chord changes of Blue In Green. In my video version, the viola plays the final melody, but in the single, it’s played by the bass clarinet after a brief improvisation. Have a listen to the final result:
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed these 5 simple steps and that they’ll give you some ideas for your own arrangements. My own version of Blue In Green has become almost unrecognizable as derived from the original, much to the shock if the original requesters. But, after all, I’m not Bill Evans or Miles Davis, and only they can sound like they do. It’s the arranger’s job to bring something of their own and make the listener enjoy the composition in a different way, while still honoring and appreciating its origins.
Note that these tips are not limited to jazz ballads: you can apply them to any song, in any style of music. I just found them especially helpful with something as challenging as a jazz ballad.
This list is of course not exhaustive. Feel free to share any other tips or techniques in the comments below!
