This reharmonization is of a traditional English song, Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon and Garfunkel in their 1966 recording.
The melody is a famous example of the Dorian mode, using the major 6th in a minor key. In this case, that is a B natural in the key of D minor:
This Dorian mode would lend itself well for a harmonically stripped-down arrangement, almost like a modal jazz composition. Think “Footprints” by Wayne Shorter, or Miles Davis’s So What. Herbie Hancock actually did a great cover of Scarborough Fair, on his 1996 album “The New Standard”. Although not technically modal, it harkens back to that era of 60s modal jazz.
I decided to go in the opposite direction, and rather than taking the modal route, I went for an harmonically dense arrangement. I think it creates an interesting contrast with the simplicity and purity of the melody. However, I did use a couple of ‘So What’ voicings. See if you can spot them:
While improvising, I came up with a repetitive chord progression of Ebmaj7 and Abmaj7, which became part of the intro, interludes, and outro of this arrangement. Using these kind of vamps can be a powerful tool, especially when the rest of the arrangement is harmonically dense. It allows for a little bit of breathing room and freedom during improvisations.
I hope you enjoy this one! If you’d like to play this one yourself, you can join our community here, and get access to all reharms and reharmonization resources.
Here is my version of Scarborough Fair, reharmonized:
