Fun Fact: The gorgeous Duke Ellington composition In A Sentimental Mood begins with an ascending melody formed from a pentatonic scale. These same pickup notes (F, G, A, C, D, F, G) could also lead into the Gershwin classic Someone To Watch Over Me, but would land on another starting chord and go into a whole different tune altogether. (See Idea #29 “Chromatic Pickups”, notated on page 44 of my book Amazing Phrasing-Keyboard, found here): https://www.amazon.com/author/debbiedenkemusic
The following solo piano arrangement of Duke Ellington’s ballad is in the standard key, with an improvised salute to Leon Russell’s A Song For You nestled inside. Both pieces use similar chords in the key of D minor/F major. I used contrary motion to harmonize the opening phrase in various ways, plus you can see additional ideas from the “birds eye view” of my hands on the piano keys. Find an explanation of certain techniques included below the video. Click link to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cHzp5ZPFnYI
0:05-0:10 LH plays contrary motion with single notes
0:10-0:18 See LH Easy Tip #1 where the bottom note of a minor triad moves down in the following video:
0:39-0:43 LH Contrary motion starts on Ab7 moving down to Dm
1:16 Bridge begins in key of Db
1:46-1:50 LH Contrary motion starts on Bm7(b5) down to F
1:57-2:03 Easy Tip #2 moving 5th used on Gm chord
A7 (b9) transition into new tune
2:34 A Song For You easy tip #1
3:46 Back into Bridge of In A Sentimental Mood
The ending moves the opening phrase of 6 notes in keys:
Ab, F, D, and ends in B (roots move down by minor 3rds)