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Thread: "Circles" by Don Thompson

  1. #1

    Default "Circles" by Don Thompson

    I think I posted this in the wrong place yesterday, should have asked it here in the Jazz sub-forum...

    Is anyone familiar with a tune called "Circles" by the Canadian piano player Don Thompson. I've heard it on Jim Hall guitar album, with Thompson on piano. Lovely piano part but I also like the melody line that Jim Hall plays on that particular track.

    I've no idea where one would find sheet music to an apparently obscure tune like that and it's just complicated enough (and in F-minor or some darned thing with no open strings) that picking it out on the mandolin is frustrating.

  2. #2

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    Have you tried the slow downer?

    http://www.ronimusic.com/

    That's some amazing software.
    --------------------------------------------------------
    Andy

    "Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886

  3. #3

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    I don't have that particular one but I do use "Transcribe" software that offers a similar function. In thinking about it yesterday I became sorely tempted by the option of both slowing it down to half-speed (which I have done already) and while I'm at it moving the ptich down to E-minor instead of F-minor. Or G major instead of Ab-major, that shows how bad my ear is. I'm not even sure if the darned thing is in a major or minor key!

    But I will try to resist that temptation. Figuring out tunes in awful keys is probably good for soul. But man, you couldn't play a note in this one on an open string on a bet...

  4. #4
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    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    You might ask Don T. yourself.

    Maybe you can contact him through his myspace page

    http://www.myspace.com/donthompsonjazz

    BTW, sounds like Db major and related keys to me (Bb minor, for instance)

  5. #5

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    I may send an E-mail off to Mr. Thompson, good idea.

    If it's really in Dbmaj/Bbmin that explains why I couldn't get my ears around the chords he's playing and why my first attempts at following along on the guitar part (playing out of a Ab major scale) just wouldn't do right!

  6. #6

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    It's a lovely tune. Sounds major to me as well, though there's a demanding cat in my arms at the moment so I'm not trying to pick anything out. Here's the youtube:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHNEPxjtPfw
    --------------------------------------------------------
    Andy

    "Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886

  7. #7

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    I think the piano part in this one must return to the tonic about as seldom as any song I've heard.

  8. #8

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    Well, you know, it's "jazz."
    --------------------------------------------------------
    Andy

    "Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886

  9. #9

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    Hey, I was looking for a reason to mess around with the Chord Wizard from BiaB. I downloaded it from youtube, converted it to an AIFF, and then ran it through the chord wizard. Here's the lead sheet it came up with.

    http://www.ummfish.com/circles.pdf
    --------------------------------------------------------
    Andy

    "Not to know the mandolin is to argue oneself unknown...." --Clara Lanza, 1886

  10. #10

    Default Re: "Circles" by Don Thompson

    Wow, Andy. I have BiaB myself. Never knew it even had that function. Sweet!

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