BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
8725 / 18210 · Workshop 70 — From Lead Sheet to Full Solo-Piano Arrangement: Melody First, Bass Second, Inner Voices Third, Chord Symbols Last← prev⊞ allnext →

70.98Apply the workflow to “Mack the Knife”

Use your legal lead sheet/ear-learned melody.

Do not begin from the full swing arrangement we previously designed.

Rebuild it:

  1. melody alone
  2. two-beat structural bass
  3. guide-tone line
  4. walking version
  5. texture escalation
  6. selective block chords
  7. chromatic bass near later cadences
  8. modulation only when the first-key arrangement already feels complete

Now the showstopper architecture grows from the song rather than being pasted onto it.