In modal playing, you don’t change chords every bar. Stay on each mode’s chord for 4, 8, 16, or 32 bars — any length.
"Flamenco Sketches" isn't a song with a traditional chord progression; it's a series of five distinct "moods" or . flamenco sketches chords
The structure of "Flamenco Sketches" is built on five specific modal centers. While the underlying harmony is often simplified in lead sheets, the rich textures heard on the record come from Bill Evans's complex piano voicings . Primary Chord Corresponding Mode Cmaj7 C Ionian (Major) Bright, peaceful, and grounded. 2 Ab7sus Ab Mixolydian Darker, "backdoor" dominant shift. 3 Bbmaj7 Bb Ionian (Major) Resonant and stable. 4 D7alt / Eb/D D Phrygian Dominant The "Flamenco" sound; high tension. 5 Gm7 Meditative and bluesy. Harmonic Analysis & Performance Guided Listening: "Flamenco Sketches" & Miles Davis In modal playing, you don’t change chords every bar
: On early copies of Kind of Blue , the titles for "Flamenco Sketches" and "All Blues" were accidentally swapped, confusing listeners for years. Chord vs. Scale Relationship Modal Center Common Chord Voicing Primary Scale/Mode C Cmaj7 / G7sus Ab Ab Mixolydian Bb D D7b9 (Spanish) D Phrygian Dominant G The structure of "Flamenco Sketches" is built on
Voicing: B♭ - D - F - A (or B♭ - D - E - G) (G⁻⁹ or G⁻⁶)