This week’s post features a guitar arrangement of the jazz standard, “The Days of Wine and Roses” written by Henry Mancini.

Following is a brief harmonic analysis of the piece, designed to help you identify the cadences (eg. II-Vs) that make up the overall chord progression along with their corresponding scales. A proper understanding of this information is crucial in to properly learn and ultimately improvise over any jazz standard, not to mention create an arrangement for it.

Here is a summary of the harmonic activity for “The Days of Wine and Roses” broken down into 4 measure segments. A PDF with the entire arrangement is available for download at the very bottom.

Please be sure to watch the video lesson if possible with your guitar in hand for additional “technique” related info and a better overall understanding of the arrangement.

Analysis Measures 1-4:

• 1. Fmaj7: Imaj7 / Ionian.
• 2. Eb9#11: bVII7 / Lydian Dominant
• 3. Amin7: III-7 / Phrygian. This is a double function chord because it is also acting as the secondary II- of the II.
• 4. D7alt: secondary V7 of the II-7 / Super Locrian

Analysis Measures 5-8

• 5. Gmin7: II-7 / Dorian.
• 6. same as previous.
• 7. Bbmin-maj7: IVmin-maj7 / Melodic Minor. Forms a II-V cadence with the upcoming chord.
• 8. Eb7#11: sub V7/VI7 / Lydian Dominant. NOTE: Bbmin7 and Eb7 form a tritone substitute II-V of which the Eb7 resolves half step down to the D-7 in meas.10 (which in turn is delayed by the upcoming A-7).

Analysis Measures 9-12

• 9. Amin7: III-7 / Phrygian.
• 10.Dmin7: VI-7 / Aeolian.
• 11.Gmin11: II-7 / Dorian.
• 12.C7: V7 / Mixolydian.

Analysis Measures 13-16

• 13. Emin7b5: Secondary II-7b5 of the VI-7 / Locrian | A7alt: Secondary V7 of the VI-7 / Super Locrian. .
• 14.Dmin7: VI-7 / Aeolian or preferably Dorian (since it is a double function chord acting as the sec. II-7 of the V) | G13: secondary V7 of the V / Mixolydian.
• 15. Gmin7: II-7 / Dorian.
• 16. C7alt: V7alt / Super Locrian.

NOTE: Measures 17 through 28 are harmonically the same as measures 1 through 12, therefore won’t be repeated here.

Analysis Measures 25 – 28

• 25. Amin7: III-7 / Phrygian.
• 26. Dmin7: V-7 / Aeolian
• 27. Bmin7b5: #IV-7b5 / Locrian
• 28. Bb7#11: sub V7 of the III-7 / Lydian Dominant. Since it is a tritone substitute of E7, it resolves down by half step to the upcoming Amin7.

Analysis Measures 29 – 32

• 29. Amin7:III-7 / Phrygian | Dmin7: VI-7 / Aeolian.
• 30. Gmin9: II-7 / Dorian | C13: V7 / Mixolydian.
• 31. Fmaj6: Imaj7 / Ionian.
• 32. Gmin7: II-7 / Dorian | C7alt: V7alt / Super Locrian.

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Listening to various arrangements of a given standard is recommended whenever learning a new piece as it will broaden your understanding of the different ways it can be interpreted. Here is a list of some of my favorite renditions of “The Days of Wine and Roses” . Please keep in mind that these are just a few I’ve been able to get my hands on. If you know of other great ones, please be sure to mention them in the comments section.

SUGGESTED DISCOGRAPHY

• Pat Martino /  ” Exit “
• Wes Montgomery / “Boss Guitar”
• Bireli Lagrene / “Standards”
• Bill Evans / “Turn Out The Stars”
• Jimmy Raney & Doug Raney
• Keith Jarrett / “At The Blue Note III”
• Joe Diorio / “Stateside”
• Joe Diorio / “20 Century Impressions”
• Lenny Breau / “Cabin Fever”
• Lenny Breau / “5 O’ Clock & Mo”
• Joe Henderson / “Straight No Chaser”

Your Comments are greatly appreciated! Feel free to post any questions you may have or any insight you would like to share regarding this lesson.

MORE CHORD MELODY LESSONS:

How to play “Just Friends” with Chord Melody

How to play “There Will Never Be Another You” with Chord Melody

How to play “Out of Nowhere” with Chord Melody