7354 / 18210 · Workshop 56 — “Mack the Knife” Prelude: Walking Bass, Two-Beat-to-Four-Beat Escalation, Chorus Building, Modulation, and Making Repetition Grow← prev⊞ allnext →
56.82Apply it to “Happy Birthday”
This time we use it as a mock nightclub arrangement.
Intro
C-A7-Dm-G7.
Chorus 1
two-beat swing.
Chorus 2
walking bass, light fills.
Chorus 3
melody in octaves.
Chorus 4
block chords + shout tag.
Modulation
A♭7 → D♭.
Final chorus
D♭ major, bigger texture.
False ending
D♭6.
Pause.
Short tag.
D♭6/9.
This is exactly how an extremely simple melody can support a full performance.