AUTHENTIC SKA STANDARD

Since Mr. Morikage, who is participating in this project as a tenor saxophonist, transcribed and sent me Mr. Alfonso’s solo, I’ll provide an explanation.

This song is in the minor blues form.
The definition of the blues is “12 bars” with “a progression to the subdominant in the 5th bar.” Of course, this is not the only way.

Tonic minor chords are treated as minor major sevenths, using the melodic minor scale.

The melodic minor scale is
the major scale with the third lowered to a minor third.
Alternatively,
it is the minor scale with the minor sixth and minor seventh raised to a major sixth and major seventh.

The F# major seventh note is used impressively.

The chord progression in measures 9 and 10
Bb-A7-Ab7-Gm
is a half-step progression.

What this represents is
a parallel key tonic → II7 → V7 chord（Substitute） → Im
chord progression.

This is a standard chord progression for minor keys.

In the 9th measure of the first chorus, I’m playing the D Mixolydian b2b6 scale over two measures.
This is the same as the A harmonic minor scale.

In the second chorus, measure 9 plays the Bb pentatonic scale as written.

Then it resolves by playing the root note.
When playing the underlying chord, it’s crucial to play the root and perfect fifth.
Because the major third and minor seventh are also present in the main chord, playing them on the underlying chord would defeat.

In this way, Mr. Alfonso plays a highly academic solo brimming with musicality.

Ska is music worth exploring.

in Bb

inEb