“Take the ‘A’ Train” – Duke Ellington

Below is the lesson for “Take the ‘A’ Train” by Duke Ellington.

Helpful Tips

“Take the ‘A’ Train” is a jazz standard. I loved it from the first moment I played it in the ‘Real Book’ in music college. This arrangement has a laid back groove/feel. There is a repeating pattern in the rhythm of hitting on beats 1 and the & of 1. Take a look at the notation and count out the rhythm (in eighth notes: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) while watching the performance video. This arrangement is just the ‘head’ (the two main melodies of the tune). It follows a standard AABA form, which is 32 bars in length.

Part 1 – Performance


Part 2 – For Premium Members

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