ENDEIT

Alto saxophone solo · 1946

Charlie Parker: Ornithology

Key
G major
Tempo
221 BPM UP
Rhythm feel
Swing
Style
Bebop
Choruses
1
Form
A16B16

Charlie Parker's solo on “Ornithology” has 194 notes in 35 seconds (5.5 notes per second), spanning 22 semitones from G3 to F5. The average tempo is 221 BPM with a swing feel. About 51% of the melodic motion is stepwise (one or two semitones).

Notes

194Notes
35sSolo length
5.5Notes per second
G3–F5Range (22 semitones)
51%Stepwise motion

Pitch-class distribution

Most frequent intervals

  • -1 ×37
  • -2 ×31
  • +3 ×20
  • -3 ×20
  • +1 ×19
  • +2 ×11

Changes played over

A1
Gmaj7
Gmaj7
Gm7C7
Gm7C7
Fmaj7
Fmaj7
Fm7
A♯7
B1
D♯7
D7
Gm
Cm7♭5D7
Bm7
E7
Am7
D7
A2
Gmaj7
Gmaj7
Gm7C7
Gm7C7
Fmaj7
Fmaj7
Fm7
A♯7
B2
D♯7
D7
G
Am7D7
G/BA♯7
Am7G♯7
Gmaj7
Am7D7
I1

Record

Record
Boss Bird Disc 1 · Proper Records
Recorded
1946-07-29
Line-up
Howard McGhee (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Jimmy Bunn (p); Bob Kesterton (b); Roy Porter (dr)
Composer
Parker
Solo length
00:39-01:15

Source: Weimar Jazz Database, Jazzomat Research Project (HfM Weimar), ODbL 1.0.