So What

Miles Davis

tono:

E|--3--|
eighth notes (1 &) are "swing" 8ths: closer to 1 & & . . . .
                                                     DAH duh
what follows is the opening of the tune (after some Debussy-esque
ad-lib piano diddling by Evans), apparently the only pre-composed
part of the song; it's a neat interplay of bluesy bass and quartal
piano chords, both integrated into the following guitar "arrangement":


 Form (32-bar): ||: A (8 measures) - A (8) - B (8) - A (8) :||


 {pick-up measure}  A::    Em7/11 Dm7/11                         Em7/11 Dm7/11
E|-----------------| |----------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|
B|-----------------| |----------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|
G|-----------------| |o---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|
D|-----------------| |o---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|
A|----------5-/7---| |--5==-----7==---5--|----------5-/7----|--5-------7==---5-|
E|--3/5-7-8------8-| |-------------------|--3/5-7-8------8--|----5==-----------|
  1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

                           Em7/11 Dm7/11                         Em7/11 Dm7/11
E|------------------|---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|
B|------------------|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------7==---5-|
G|------------------|---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|
D|------------------|---------7==---5--|------------------|----------7==---5-|
A|----------5-/7----|-5==-----7==---5--|---5/7--/7--/7-5==| ==5==-----7==---5-|
E|--3/5-7-8------8--|------------------|------------------|------------------|
  1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

E|------------------| ------------------
 | 1.     [repeat A]| 2.       [to B->]
E|-----------------| |-------------------|
B|-----------------| |-------------------|
G|----------------o| |-------------------|
D|----------------o| |-------------------|
A|----------5-/7---| |----------6-/8-----|
E|--3/5-7-8------8-| |--4/6-8-9------9---|
  1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &



 B::    Fm7/11 Ebm7/11                        Fm7/11 Ebm7/11
E|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|------------------|
B|---------9==---7--|------------------|----------9==---7-|------------------|
G|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|------------------|
D|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|------------------|
A|-6==-----8==---6--|----------6-/8----|--6-------8==---6-|----------6-/8----|
E|------------------|--4/6-8-9------9--|----6==-----------|--4/6-8-9------9--|
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &

        Fm7/11 Ebm7/11                        Fm7/11 Ebm7/11          [to A->]
E|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|-----------------| |
B|---------9==---7--|------------------|----------9==---7-|-----------------| |
G|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|----------------o| |
D|---------8==---6--|------------------|----------8==---6-|----------------o| |
A|-6==-----8==---6--|----------6-/8----|--6-------8==---6-|----------5-/7---| |
E|------------------|--4/6-8-9------9--|----6==-----------|--3/5-7-8------8-| |
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &  1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &


E|--------------------------------------------------------------|
 ... rest of tune a free-form improv over the same A-A-B-A 32--|bar form: two
 8-bar sections ("A-A") of Dm dorian, 8 bars of Ebm dorian ("B"), and 8 more
 bars ("A") of Dm dorian. The bass starts "walking," the piano comps/
 ad-libs quartal-modal chord voicings, and Miles & the other horn players
 take leads in Dm & Ebm Dorian. (Dorian in Dm: d-e-f-g-a-b-c-d; Eb Dorian
 a half-step higher). . . . Here's the start of Miles' lead, to give you a
 better idea (note that the D dorian scale "fits" whether the chord is Dm7/11
 or Em7/11: both consist of notes from this very scale)--


 {pick-up}  A::
E|-10=====-| |------------------|------------------|------------|
B|---------| |------------------|------10-8----10--|------------|
G|---------| |--7============---|--10--------------|--7-7=------|
D|---------| |------------------|------------------|------------|
A|---------| |------------------|------------------|------------|
E|---------| |------------------|------------------|------------|
  3 & 4 &     1   2   3   4     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &     1 & 2 &