5848 / 18210 · Workshop 41 — “Chameleon”: One-Chord Funk, Clavinet Logic, Syncopated Ostinatos, and Building Harmony from a Bass Line← prev⊞ allnext →
41.84Apply it to “Happy Birthday”
Take the melody into B♭ minor.
Keep one bass ostinato through most of the tune.
Intro
bass riff alone.
Phrase 1
melody + almost no chords.
Phrase 2
add clavinet-like syncopated fragments.
Phrase 3
introduce Dorian G natural and octave melody.
Breakdown
bass alone.
Final phrase
F7 briefly activates conventional gravity.
Then:
B♭m6/9.
Again, the transformation comes mostly from groove and texture, not reharmonization.