Play Blues Skies Lead Sheet On Piano
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If you’re looking for inspiration for your solo jazz piano repertoire, then you’ve come to the right place. In today’s Quick Tip, John Proulx continues our “inside the arrangement” series with how to Play Blue Skies Lead Sheet on Piano. Regardless of your playing level, you’ll glean plenty of jazz piano gems in today’s tutorial.
- Blue Skies: Song Facts
- Blue Skies: Song Analysis
- Blue Skies: Lead Sheet
- Blue Skies: Inside the Arrangement
- Blue Skies: Recommended Listening
Blues Skies: Song Facts
The jazz standard “Blue Skies” was composed in 1926 by Irving Berlin. However, its premier in the Rodgers and Hart musical Betsy on December 28, 1926 is an astonishing tale of showbiz sleight. Purportedly, actress and vocalist Belle Baker was unhappy with the solo that Rodgers and Hart had written for her. Therefore, she personally sought out a better tune from Irving Berlin, who already had “Blue Skies” at or near completion. At Baker’s insistence, “Blue Skies” was substituted into the show at the last minute—without the foreknowledge of Rodgers and Hart! Moreover, the audience loved “Blue Skies” so much that they demanded twenty-four encores!¹
Even though Betsy only enjoyed a one-month run on Broadway, Berlin’s “Blue Skies” quickly found additional performance horizons. In 1927, Al Jolson sang “Blue Skies” in The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length motion picture with audible dialogue.² About a decade later, “Blue Skies” appeared in the Best-Picture-nominated film Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938). In 1946, Berlin’s hit song became the title song for the Hollywood movie musical Blue Skies, starting Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
Blues Skies: Song Analysis
In this section of today’s lesson, we’ll analyze the key relationships and song structure of “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin. If you are a PWJ member, be sure to download the included lesson sheet PDF which appears at the bottom of this page after logging in with your membership. In addition, PWJ members can also easily transpose “Blue Skies” to any key using our Smart Sheet Music.
Song Key
“Blue Skies” is especially popular among jazz vocalists. Therefore, as a pianist, you may encounter this tune in just about any key. Harmonically speaking, each of the A sections start on a minor chord. For instance, our lesson sheet begins on a C minor triad. Although your ear will initially hear the opening chord as a ⅰ chord in the key of C minor, this is probably not the simplest way to memorize and analyze the tune. Rather, since the bridge modulates to the relative key of E♭ major, it is probably easiest to think of the A sections as starting on the minor ⅵ chord of E♭ major. Moreover, the final cadence of “Blue Skies” comes to rest on the tonic chord of the relative major.
Song Form
The jazz standard “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin is composed using the standard 32-bar AABA song form. In this classic song structure, each section is comprised of 8 measures. Musically speaking, all of the A sections are based on similar material whereas the bridge or B section introduces contrasting melodic and harmonic material. Other examples of popular jazz standards written in AABA form include “Over the Rainbow,” “I Got Rhythm,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” and “Misty.”
Blues Skies: Lead Sheet
In today’s featured Inside the Arrangement video tutorial, John Proulx presents a captivating solo piano rendition of “Blue Skies.” Since John’s performance includes some instances of reharmonization, let’s first examine the basic piano chords for “Blue Skies.” That way, you’ll be able to better appreciate the harmonic creativity in John’s arrangement.
Lead Sheet with Basic Chords
Here is a basic lead sheet for “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin as it would appear in a jazz fake book. Even though the A section sounds like the tune is in C minor at first, it eventually modulates to the key of E♭ major and even ends there. Therefore, the harmonic analysis below interprets the initial C minor chord as a minor ⅵ chord in the key of E♭ major. However, it would also be acceptable to analyze the A sections in C minor.
Lead Sheet with Reharmonization
Now let’s examine the “Blue Skies” chords that John uses in his arrangement. As you compare and contrast the lead sheets for “Blue Skies” in this section, you’ll start to develop your own arranging instincts on how to use chord substitutions and passing chords in your own playing.
Blue Skies: Inside the Arrangement
In this section, we’ll discuss some of the cool jazz piano techniques that John uses in his solo jazz piano arrangement of “Blue Skies” in today’s tutorial.
Intro
John starts his performance of “Blues Skies” with a rubato presentation of the melody in its entirety. As such, no further introduction is really necessary. It’s important to note that John has taken the melody up an octave to give his intro a more delicate sound. This also leaves the arrangement plenty of room to grow.
If desired, this rubato intro can be shortened by using the bridge only, as Diana Krall does in her recording. Alternatively, you could simply begin with the sentimental progression, or if you want to start the tune with a jazz swing feel right away, you can vamp on a minor turnaround progression in C minor.
Countermelodies
Throughout his performance, and especially in the rubato sections, John incorporates several countermelodies into his arrangement. A countermelody is an independent voice that responds or reacts to the melody in a complimentary manner. Most often, performers add countermelodies when the primary melody contains long tones or rests.
Pedal Five Technique
In the B sections of “Blue Skies,” John uses a reharmonization technique that jazz musicians refer to as a pedal five or a dominant pedal. This is when the dominant note of the primary key is used as a persistent bass note beneath some other chord changes. In this case, since our primary key is E♭ major, our dominant pedal tone is a B♭. Above of this pedal tone, John alternates between the Ⅰ chord and the minor Ⅳ chord. Notice in the example below that this technique results in a string of slash chords over the 5th tone of the primary key.
Passing Chords & Reharmonization
A basic lead sheet for “Blue Skies” will typically feature the same chords for both phrases of the B section. In fact, some lead sheets will event notate the B section using just 4 measures with a repeat sign. However, John creates gorgeous harmonic expression by reharmonizing the second phrase of the bridge. Specifically, he inserts some secondary 2-5-1 passing chords, a tritone substitution and a hip Lydian Augmented voicing for G♭▵7(♯5). Let’s take a listen…
In measure 21, the chords B♭m7→A13(♭9)→A♭m7 are like a 2-5-1 progression in A♭. However, rather the using E♭7 for the Ⅴ7 chord, John uses a tritone sub voicing instead, which is the A13(♭9). Then, instead of resolving that progression to A♭▵7 in measure 22, he has changed it to A♭m7. This A♭m7 then starts another secondary 2-5-1 progression in G♭ major…A♭m7→D♭13(♭9)→G♭▵7(♯5). John creates additional tension by landing on G♭▵7(♯5) before resolving to G♭6.
Improvisation with Rhythmic Interplay
The excerpt below begins at the solo break that leads into John’s improv section. For the first two A sections, John holds back from playing a predictable left-hand pattern. Instead, his uses a more minimalistic approach which involves playful rhythmic interplay between the hands. The left-hand “stabs” that you hear use a combination of roots, Bud Powell voicings and guide tones.
Improvisation with Walking Bass Line
After the B section, John builds up the momentum of his solo by adding a walking bass line. In the right hand, John adds some blues flavor by occasionally drawing on the E♭ major blues scale and the E♭ minor blues scale.
Ending
One challenge that piano students often face is how to end a tune like “Blue Skies” when playing from a lead sheet. The excerpt below shows how John inserts a melodic tag to setup his ending. A tag is an arranging technique that repeats all or part of the last phrase of the melody to prepare the final cadence of the song. For instance, the listener can hear the melody for “nothing but blue skies” repeated three times before the final “from now on.”
Jazz endings also present great opportunities for creativity. Here, John ends on an E♭m voicing instead of E♭▵. As John explains, his choice of E♭m9 serves to highlight the double meaning inherent in the word picture of “blue skies.” Are the skies “blue” as in clear skies or “blue” as in sad? As a solo pianist, you get to decide!
Blue Skies: Recommended Listening
One of the ways that jazz piano students learn to go beyond the lead sheet on songs like “Blue Skies” is by listening. Therefore, this section contains several recordings of this classic jazz standard, including important historical recordings, vocal renditions and other hand-picked piano recordings.
Early Recordings
One of the earliest recordings of “Blue Skies” dates back to 1926, the year in which Irving Berlin composed the hit song. The recording is credited to the Imperial Dance Orchestra, although this pseudonym was widely used by various labels making it difficult to definitively determine the musicians on the recording.³ Nonetheless, the vocals are attributed to Arthur Fields. Next, we have a 1938 recording of “Blue Skies” from Benny Goodman: Live at Carnegie Hall. This historic concert marked the first time that a big band performed at Carnegie Hall. In addition, Benny Goodman invited members from the Duke Ellington and Count Basie bands, creating a racially-integrated public performance that was rare at the time.⁴ Next, we have a 1941 recording by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra with an up-and-coming Frank Sinatra on vocals.
Imperial Dance Orchestra
“Blue Skies” (1926)
Benny Goodman
“Blue Skies” (1938)
Dorsey & Sinatra
“Blue Skies” (1941)
Vocal Recordings
While there are literally hundreds of vocal renditions of “Blue Skies,” here are three that definitely don’t disappoint. Perhaps one of the most iconic vocal renditions of “Blue Skies” is that of Ella Fitzgerald from 1958, which showcases her virtuosic scat singing. This recording was released on several albums including Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook (1958) and Get Happy! (1959). In the mid 1980s, Cassandra Wilson began her impressive solo career and released a version of “Blue Skies” in 1988 on an album by the same title. That recording features Mulgrew Miller on piano and also appears on her 2002 compilation entitled Sings Standards. Finally, Nicole Henry’s recording of “Blue Skies” represents yet another generation of vocalists continuing the legacy of jazz music in the 21st century. Her recording of “Blue Skies” from Teach Me Tonight (2005) is accompanied by The Eddie Higgins Trio.
Ella Fitzgerald
“Blue Skies” (1958)
Cassandra Wilson
“Blue Skies” (1988)
Nicole Henry
“Blue Skies” (2005)
Piano Recordings
Here are a few piano versions on “Blue Skies” that you’re also likely to enjoy. First, we have a 1964 recording by Hampton Hawes from The Green Leaves of Summer. Next, we have Bill Charlap’s recording of “Blue Skies” from Written in the Stars (2001). Lastly, we Beegie Adair’s 2002 recording from The Great American Songbook Collection.
Hampton Hawes
“Blue Skies” (1964)
Bill Charlap Trio
“Blue Skies” (2001)
Beegie Adair
“Blue Skies” (2002)
Conclusion
Congratulations, you’ve completed Quick Tip on Play Blue Skies Lead Sheet on Piano. With all the tools and tips that you’ve learned in this lesson, you’ll soon be on your way to adding this classic jazz standard to your own solo piano repertoire.
If you enjoyed today’s lesson, then be sure to check out the following PWJ resources:
Courses
- Blue Skies Challenge (Beg, Int, Adv)
- The Sentimental Progression (Int, Adv)
- Jazz Ballad Challenge (Int, Adv)
- Jazz Standard Analysis (Int, Adv)
- Breaking Down a Jazz Solo (Int, Adv)
- Play Piano Lead Sheets with 7th Chords (Int)
- Play Piano Lead Sheets with Shells & Guide Tones (Int)
- Play Piano Lead Sheets with Extensions & Alterations (Int/Adv)
- 32 Colorful Jazz Endings (Int)
Quick Tips
- Jazz Piano Chord Voicings–The Complete Guide (Int)
- Chord Extensions – The Complete Guide (Int)
- Jazz Piano 10 Steps from Beginner to Pro (Beg-Adv)
- Playing Solo Jazz Piano With Jeremy Siskind (Int, Adv)
- 7 Techniques to Spice Up a Jazz Melody (Int)
- Create Inner Voice Movement for Jazz Piano (Int)
- Scales for Improv on 7th Chords (Int, Adv)
- 3 Must-Know Jazz Piano Intros (Int)
- 7 Beautiful Endings for Jazz Tunes (Int)
Jazz Ballad Learning Tracks
Jazz Swing Learning Tracks
Thanks for learning with us today! We’ll see you next time.
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¹ Gioia Ted. The Jazz Standards : A Guide to the Repertoire. Second ed. Oxford University Press 2012, p 42–44.
² “The Jazz Singer.” IMDb.com.
³ “Imperial Dance Orchestra” Discogs.com.
⁴ “Benny Goodman: The Complete Legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert.” Jazzmessengers.com.
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