“Where It At?” (PDF) from the Trombone Shorty album, Parking Lot Symphony

Short, sweet, and in Bb minor.  Here is a Trombone Shorty solo simple enough to be memorized and perhaps even be used as a warmup exercise.  Previously, I featured “We Gonna Make You” as a solo to memorize, but the key of Eb required some dexterity.  However, “Where It At?” works within the middle octave range without pushing the boundaries of the instrument, and its phrasing could really loosen up the lips when played slowly to focus on a clear tone and articulation.

The use of the 9th, 11th, and flat-13th chord extensions add some tension to the melodic lines over the tonal chord progression.  By resolving to the Bb chord tones, the tension creates a sense of motion that shapes the phrasing.  In the 6th and 7th bars of the solo, Shorty riffs on the Gb to F resolution by using the half-step approach to the Bb (major) chord; Eb to D natural, Cb to Bb.  Again, take this solo slowly to internalize and stress the quality of the phrasing.

Here’s a YouTube video of Trombone Shorty performing on Austin City Limits:

Recommended reading: Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews.  Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers.