You're My Everything (Randy Napoleon Transcription/Lesson)
Hey guys!
I bring to you today another transcription, this one comes from my teacher Randy Napoleon! Randy is a master at melodic phrasing, studying his solos can help you understand how his lines sound so great. I've transcribed his solo on "You're My Everything" a classic standard using Nat King Cole's changes rather than the popular Freddie Hubbard changes. Lets look into some of the devices used in his solo to achieve his classic sound.
Target Tones:
Something that Randy does frequently in his solos is the use of target tones. By doing this you can create lines that have direction and movement. Here are a few examples from the transcription:
In example 1 (measures 9-12) you can see some target tone melodies! He starts out targeting the 3rd of Gbmaj7, then encloses the 3rd of F7. The half step between the two target tones Bb and A provides a connection between the phrases that hooks the listener.
Example 2 could be a great ii-V lick! He starts off by encloses the root of Eb7 starting from the b3rd of Bb-7, then jumps to the 5th of Eb7. The line ends on the b3rd of Ab-7, but the main targets tones of this lick are the Db to the Bb, and then to the Cb. See the motion?
Example 3 is very Clifford Brownish. He uses a lot of chromatic enclosures here, but they all revolve around his target tone line. The main line is Db, Cb, Bb, and A. It's very chromatic, but he leaps up to the root at the end of the line to contrast all the pervious chromatic movement.
By writing out your own target tone lines you can drastically improve your phrasing! Give it a shot, write a simple line (quarter notes, half notes) that doesn't have to many leaps. Then connect it with some eight notes (enclosures, scales, etc...).
Motifs:
Another device Randy uses in his solo is motifs. He will take a simple idea and either move it around, or expand on it. Here are a few examples:
In example 1, he takes a rhythmic motif and puts some target tones with it. The target tone lines is Ab, Gb, C, Cb, F, and finally Gb. So this phrase has TWO things that make it great! Crazy.
In example 2 it's a bit more straight forward. His double time run on the A-7 is moved almost verbatim to the Ab-7. This is a great tool for chromatic chord changes, just take a phrase and move it chromatically, easy! Plus, it sounds great too.
There are many more great ideas and lines in his solo, but I'll leave that for you to figure out. I hoped you enjoyed this mini lesson on "You're My Everything!" I'll leave a link below where you can purchase this album if your so inclined (you won't regret it).
Thanks,
Nathan Borton