5367 / 18210 · Workshop 36 — “Caravan”: Phrygian-Dominant Color, Dominant Pedals, Harmonic Minor, and When a Dominant Chord Becomes the Home Sound← prev⊞ allnext →
36.103Apply it to “Happy Birthday”
Now another complete transformation.
Take “Happy Birthday” and put it in C minor.
Intro
G pedal.
Phrase 1
melody over G Phrygian-dominant environment.
Do not resolve.
Phrase 2
same pedal, stronger ♭9/♭13 color.
Phrase 3
rhythmic climax; perhaps sus→dominant.
Final phrase
finally:
G7♭9 → Cm6/9
The familiar melody becomes almost theatrical because the entire arrangement delays “home.”