Paul Desmond and Dave Brubeck employs a huge range of musical elements, features and compositional devices in this piece, which has contributed towards its success.
One of the most notable elements of Take Five is the uneven time signature of 5/4, in contrast to most jazz pieces commonly found in 4/4 time. A time signature is a sign, found in the form of a numerical fraction, of which the numerator represents the number of beats per measure and the denominator stands for the type of note value that equals one beat. It is found at the beginning of pieces, positioned after the key signature. In Take Five, the key signature 5/4 means that the pieces has five crochets beats per measure and is positioned after a key signature of six flats, E flat minor. Its name ‘Take Five’ is derived from its unusual quintuple time signature. |
Another significant compositional device is the repeated two-chord vamp. Take Five is written in the key of E flat minor. The piece commences with the accompaniment playing Take Five’s special rhythm in a chord progression of Im to Vm7. The tonic chord Im is played for the first four beats of the bar and the last bar is the special effect of a dominant seventh harmony variation, also being the extra differentiating beat to the ordinary 4/4 jazz pieces. A vamp is an accompaniment consisting of a succession of simple chords, in this case switching between E flat minor and B flat minor seventh chords. This affects the solo part as their improvisation would be based on the two-chord vamp instead of the chorus section. The vamp always precedes the entry of the saxophone melody.
The rhythm of the accompaniment is also a crucial element in the composition. With a slight emphasis on beat 1 and 4, this rhythm creates the base for the riff. Rhythm is commonly associated as a regular, repeated pattern of sound varying the length of notes. An example of the rhythm can be found from Bar 1 with a semiquaver on edge of the 1st beat and short staccato crochet notes in beat 3 and 5.
This element can be linked the compositional device groove. A piece is normally classified as having a groove when it includes a “swing” rhythm and is a term to describe the cohesive rhythmic "feel" in a jazz context. Groove can be found in various places in Take Five. The first note of the piece, in the right hand of the piano, with a semiquaver that is played after a dotted quaver rest creates the first groove as instead of going on the beat or the regular quaver off-beat positions, Desmond has placed the note like a semiquaver in a crochet dotted rhythm. As this offbeat note creates a dotted “swing” rhythm with the on-beat left hand bass, Desmond employs groove from the beginning of his piece. However, the most effective groove in this piece is the leading anacrusis of the popular saxophone melody. It consists of two dotted rhythm within the space of 2 beats which definitely sets a “swing” and groove in the piece’s rhythmic mood.
The rhythm of the accompaniment is also a crucial element in the composition. With a slight emphasis on beat 1 and 4, this rhythm creates the base for the riff. Rhythm is commonly associated as a regular, repeated pattern of sound varying the length of notes. An example of the rhythm can be found from Bar 1 with a semiquaver on edge of the 1st beat and short staccato crochet notes in beat 3 and 5.
This element can be linked the compositional device groove. A piece is normally classified as having a groove when it includes a “swing” rhythm and is a term to describe the cohesive rhythmic "feel" in a jazz context. Groove can be found in various places in Take Five. The first note of the piece, in the right hand of the piano, with a semiquaver that is played after a dotted quaver rest creates the first groove as instead of going on the beat or the regular quaver off-beat positions, Desmond has placed the note like a semiquaver in a crochet dotted rhythm. As this offbeat note creates a dotted “swing” rhythm with the on-beat left hand bass, Desmond employs groove from the beginning of his piece. However, the most effective groove in this piece is the leading anacrusis of the popular saxophone melody. It consists of two dotted rhythm within the space of 2 beats which definitely sets a “swing” and groove in the piece’s rhythmic mood.
From the entry of the saxophone head, the left and right hand rhythmic beats of the piano is combined and played by the left hand only. As the tessitura of the left hand bass is lower, this detracts attention from the rhythmic pattern and becomes a riff and a repeated motive. Riff is an ostinato phrase typically accompanying a solo improvisation and a head. From Bar 5, the rhythmic motif becomes a riff accompanying the saxophone head, or as in the score, the right hand of the piano.
Take Five is also a harmonically catchy piece. A notable harmonic pattern in this piece is a modulation in Part B. The piece modulates from E flat minor to its relative major, G flat major and modulates back when the improvisation and the two-chord vamp pattern restarts. This piece is based on blues, pentatonic and dorian minor scales. The catchy saxophone melody in particular is based on an E flat minor blues scale.
Structurally, the saxophone solo and the head are quite short and its odd meter doesn’t allow to stretch rhythmically. Desmond uses articulation to add taste to the melody. Instead of following the “traditional bebop articulation pattern” of tonguing which usually has off beats and accented notes, he ad-libs his own articulations based on the contour of the phrase. Articulation refers to the musical performance technique that affects the transition or continuity on a single note, or between multiple notes or sounds. For example, the opening phrase of the head, Desmond slurs the leading bar and the first two quavers of the next. He then writes staccato for next three notes. The next two beats is written as a dotted slur accompanied by a chromatic smear is a new musical idea in the piece. The accent on the last beat of the bear adds to the groove, even further developing the uneven meter. It forms a stronger arrival on the extended downbeat. The last two beats of Bar 10 develops a motif that is repeated all throughout and even the piece concludes with the motif which four semiquavers slurred with a crochet. The contrast between slurred, tongued and short, detached staccato notes adds to the flow and groove of the piece. Articulation in Take Five is an important factor as the piece loses much of its personality when the markings are omitted.
Take Five is also a harmonically catchy piece. A notable harmonic pattern in this piece is a modulation in Part B. The piece modulates from E flat minor to its relative major, G flat major and modulates back when the improvisation and the two-chord vamp pattern restarts. This piece is based on blues, pentatonic and dorian minor scales. The catchy saxophone melody in particular is based on an E flat minor blues scale.
Structurally, the saxophone solo and the head are quite short and its odd meter doesn’t allow to stretch rhythmically. Desmond uses articulation to add taste to the melody. Instead of following the “traditional bebop articulation pattern” of tonguing which usually has off beats and accented notes, he ad-libs his own articulations based on the contour of the phrase. Articulation refers to the musical performance technique that affects the transition or continuity on a single note, or between multiple notes or sounds. For example, the opening phrase of the head, Desmond slurs the leading bar and the first two quavers of the next. He then writes staccato for next three notes. The next two beats is written as a dotted slur accompanied by a chromatic smear is a new musical idea in the piece. The accent on the last beat of the bear adds to the groove, even further developing the uneven meter. It forms a stronger arrival on the extended downbeat. The last two beats of Bar 10 develops a motif that is repeated all throughout and even the piece concludes with the motif which four semiquavers slurred with a crochet. The contrast between slurred, tongued and short, detached staccato notes adds to the flow and groove of the piece. Articulation in Take Five is an important factor as the piece loses much of its personality when the markings are omitted.