Analysis of Wave progression

[beagle]

I have recently been working on Jobim's "Wave" and am having a bit of trouble playing convinvingly over the A section. I don't really understand how the chord progression works in this tune - is anyone able to help with an analysis?

For those who don't have it handy, here is the A section of the tune:

EM7 | Cdim | B-7 | E7(b9)
AM7 | A-6 | G#13 G#7#5 | G#-7 C#7(b9)
F#9 | C7 B7 | E-7 A7 | E-7 A7


The song is nominally in the key of E major, but it doesn't seem to spend much time in that key. About the only thing I can identify in this song is the long ii-V-I in bars 3-5 and the short ii-Vs in bars 8, 11 and 12. I can see a couple of voice leading lines suggested by the 3rds and 7ths that seem to negotiate the changes; in particular if you start from the D# in the EMaj7 chord at the start there is a line which either stays where it is or drops down a semitone all the way down to the G in the A7 at the end. Apart from that I don't really have much of a clue. Any comments are welcome.


Thanks,
Rob
_________________
Schagerl Sig. James Morrison
Selmer Paris Chorus 80J

[Fleebat]

Hey, Rob

There are lots of common "moves" in "Wave" that are a little disguised, but simple if you break it down to the actual functions or transitions. One of the things that throws people with this tune is that the vamp is minor, but the "head" is in major. We'll clear that up later on.

First, I'd look at the A section in four-bar chunks. The first four bars can be seen like this: The E is stated to establish the tonic for one bar. Immediately, everything then starts "pulling" or setting up the IV chord (Amaj7). Look at bars 3 & 4 - Bm7 to E7b9. This is simply a ii/V for the upcoming Amaj7. That move is very common in blues and many other forms as a way of getting from I to IV.

Now check out the Cdim in bar 2. Think first of the bass note, C. It's leading by a half-step to the root of the upcoming Bm7 chord. This is often a clue that the diminished chord is functioning as an altered version of a secondary dominant (in this case, an F#m7b5, or the Vm of the upcoming Bm7). It's really a cool way to get into the whole setup for the IV chord (coming up in the second four bars). So, everything from bar 2 to bar 4 can be seen as driving (harmonically) toward the IV chord.

Once you get to the IV (Amaj7), you run into another very common device, this time using the iv MINOR chord (bar six) to move from the IV to the I. You can find countless pop and jazz tunes that use this. To make this make more sense, consider bar seven simply an E chord (just for a minute, for analysis' sake). Look at the 2nd four-bar chunk now... we have:

Amaj7 Am6 (E) C#7

Hold that thought for a sec, while we look at the last four bars of the section.

Stick your finger over the C#m7 in bar nine. You're left with F#7 (the II of our parent key). Now do the same with the first chord in bar ten (C9). You have the B7 or the V in our parent/home key. Think of these two bars (for a minute) as simply a II/V of the D (we're home!).

Now for the C#m7 in bar 9: it's just a secondary dominant (V of II) to the F#. In bar 10, the C is really just named Bb to suggest a chromatic bass line. The function of this chord is as an F#, or V of V. Another secondary dominant. The C can best be seen as a tritone sub, in that case.

Now go back to bars 7 & 8 (you were holding that thought, right?) The C# (bar is the V of the F# FUNCTION in bar 9. There's just a transition to the C# minor before the move to the F#.

So, if we take the tune apart to its FUNCTIONAL harmony, or the actual directions things are moving in, we might see a skeletal progression like this:


First four:
Emaj7
Cdim(functions as altered V of upcoming B-7)
B-7 (ii chord setting up the move to the A in bar five)
E7 (V chord continues this setup)

Second four:
Amaj7 (the IV chord of the key. Very much like it's used in blues)
Am (common transition from the IV chord back to a functional I)
G#7 (with alterations... a "sneak attack, where the ear has been set up to expect the I chord, but this serves as a secondary dominant, the V of the upcoming C#.
That C# is the VI, a VERY common way of setting up a ii/V or II/V. Again, look at the "payoff" measures of a blues progression; this is extremely common).

Last four:
C#-7 (secondary dominant, the V of II, or F# in this case)
F#7 (the II chord... part of a four-bar II/V progression)
C9 (functionally an F#7. It's tritone sub, which gives all the juiciest altered tones of an F#7. This is simply a kind of hidden secondary dominant, the V of V, or B in this case).
E-7/A13 (back to I, or i, the original vamp).

Even more skeletal:

I (VI of the IV) (ii of the IV) (V of the IV)

IV (iv minor trans. back to I) (V of the VI chord) VI chord

(V of the II)/II) (trit. sub for V of the V/V) (i/IV vamp)


If you learn to look for secondary dominants, or "V of...* chords), lots of progressions will start to make more sense. Try listening and making yourself hear the "functional" moves the progression makes. It's easy to get hung up in trying to make every chord "stand for" something. Often, as in this tune, some are merely V/I moves to the functional "landing places."

Wave is a great tune. Hope this is helpful.

Rusty Russell

[beagle]

Rusty,

Thanks very much - that was a really great response. It's given me a lot to think about and will hopefully help me to solo better over the tune.

Rob
_________________
Schagerl Sig. James Morrison
Selmer Paris Chorus 80J

[PH]

You know what was fascinating to me when I finally saw and heard it (and something Rusty hints at above)? If you look and listen closely you will find that the "A" sections of Wave are actually a very interesting harmonic variation on a 12-bar blues chorus!!!

[BeboppinFool]

[PH]

I wrote a big band chart on this for a vocalist once and her key was C. I kept the chart and use it myself. The tune actually lays a lot better on trumpet (or flugel) in C than in the conventional G. It is a pretty wide range. This singer had a good set of pipes and she could only cover the octave plus a sixth range in that one key without strain.