Downtown Canon is one of my absolute favorite songs that Walter recorded. The lyrics really transport you to an emotional place even if you've never been in the narrator's shoes. The chords are complex in a way that really helps create a depth of feeling; they're not outright happy or outright sad, so the lyrics change how the same chords hit you as the song progresses. Walter's bouncy bass line with its muted thumping tone gives it an energy that is somewhat unsettling compared to the rest of the music. The bass keeps you on your toes and makes you feel a bit conflicted -- it's optimistic and weary at the same time. Going back to the lyrics, "I'm leaving with all I need, but less than I deserve" really showcases that feeling. Also, fun fact: the song on the album is actually pitched slightly sharp, about 13 cents, which catches your ear as well.
I spent some time really breaking this song down trying to figure out how to make it translate to playing it on a single instrument rather than having a full band of instruments add the color of the chords. My friend Chris figured out some of the chords, but it didn't sound quite right. I sat down at the piano and really broke it down chord by chord, looping each chord and playing with chord voicings to get the right approximation of what the song was trying to say. Once I finished, I realized that it was very similar to what my friend had come up with, but one different note in a chord here or there made a world of difference in how it felt. That really shows how meticulously crafted songs like this are.
I have attached a sheet just listing chord names, and I have also attached sheet music...
1) On the chord sheet, note that the chord names in the intro are not really accurate to the arpeggio pattern being played -- I decided it would be more confusing to try and list those chord names since it overall is just following the pattern of the second half of the chorus. The sheet music shows the individual notes to play.
2) The sheet music is not laid out in the most accurate way, it's just a guide. I used MuseScore to take a MIDI file I recorded of me playing the chords to generate the sheet music, and then I added some info to it. The measures, rests, etc. may not be accurate at all, so stick to just the notes to see how each chord is played, and you should be able to piece it together with the record.
3) The chords I listed are just simple block chords. Use them as starting points only! If you listen to what the Rhodes does in the recording, you'll see how other notes get thrown in for color, the voicings of the chords change as the song progresses, etc. It's jazzy music, don't be a stick in the mud, have fun with it!
EDIT -- I also posted a video of me playing this song which you might enjoy, but even if not, it also might be helpful in learning, so I figured I should link it here as well. https://www.walterbeckermedia.com/forum/everything-else/my-cover-version-of-downtown-canon
Nice! Thanks for this.
[Hmmm..my aging ear tells me that chord at "knew what it's all about" (on "knew),
and "Dizzy", "records", "remind", "kikin'" etc.
Wanted to throw in a harmony on this, Dan. Ok, I did ... in the privacy of my own home.
Hey should we consider doing the obscenely complicated round-robin treatment on posters' covers? Matt ( or anyone): there must be some nifty app or web script that makes it easy to record one's "track" and mix it in with what's there. I reckon the original musician should get veto power, and maybe specify instruments or general parts etc...you know, like a real producer. I suggest quality shouldn't matter -- we could never top the Banyon Tree fan CD of yor (sorry: what was the name of that CD again?) -- but if there's an easy way to do it quick and dirty....well, that would make it just like us, Amirite?
Ok, so I think we're on the same page on Downtown Canon, which is good. I think my differences from you come down to nomenclature more than an actual argument. I don't have software on this computer to do sheet music, but I'll give you what I have for chords:
Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db
II cracked the code and I knew what it’s all about
Fm7 E7 Fm7 Ebm7 We found the loft on Greene Street Swept that bad boy out
Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db Alsatian wine — playing records way past four
Fm7 E7 Fm7 Ebm7 Making some crazy soulful love on the hardwood floor (Where did our love go?)
Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db
You hung the picture of young Dizzy on the wall
Fm7 E7 Fm7 Ebm7 According to me that was the best day of them all
Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db Fm7/Ab Fm7/Db Sweet sweet words like honey from the tongue
Fm7 E7 Fm7 Ebm7 Yes there was magic then in every song we sung
Fsus2
Hey — don’t let ‘em kid you
Gm7/F Stay cool it’ll be all right
Bb/F Don’t trade today for tomorrow
C/F Tomorrow for tomorrow night
Fsus2 You chop wood — carry the water
Gm7/F Sometimes it be that way
Gm7 C/G No lie — the downtown canon
Gm7 G7sus4(13) So wild so fresh so free
Gm7 G7sus4(13) Stand by the downtown canon
Gm7 Eb7sus4 I say that it’s got to be
So, essentially that's just triads over a pedal bass a lot of the time, especially in the chorus where the triad is arpeggiated. The first half of the chorus is over pedal F, the second half over pedal G, and then it resolves to the Eb.
The second and fourth line of the verse looks like:
Fm7 = (Eb F Ab)/F E7 = (D E Ab)/E Fm7 = (Eb F Ab)/F Ebm7 = (Db Eb Gb)/Eb
Parenthesis is the triad I'm playing in the right hand / bass note.
The chorus sounds like:
Fsus2 (F G C)/F
Hey — don’t let ‘em kid you
Gm7/F (F G Bb)/F Stay cool it’ll be all right
Bb/F (F Bb D)/F Don’t trade today for tomorrow
C/F (G C E)/F Tomorrow for tomorrow night
Fsus2 (F G C)/F You chop wood — carry the water
Gm7/F (F G Bb)/F Sometimes it be that way
Gm7 (F Bb D)/G C/G (G C E)/G No lie — the downtown canon
Gm7 (F Bb D)/G G7sus4(13) (F C E)/G So wild so fresh so free
Gm7 (F Bb D)/G G7sus4(13) (F C E)/G Stand by the downtown canon
Gm7 (F Bb D)/G Eb7sus4 (F Bb D)/Eb I say that it’s got to be
This also feels like a good time to talk about the intro figure to this song.
Before Circus Money came out, Walter encouraged us to spend our discretionary dollar to purchase the track Blood of the Prophet (parts 1 & 2) by Max Romeo from the iTunes store. If you did, and subsequently delved into Max Romeo, you may know where I'm going here. If not, check out the intro to Revelation Time:
And compare to Downtown Canon. I definitely see an homage being paid there. Also, I never was really into reggae, mostly because I didn't like the kind of people that hung Bob Marley posters in their dorms but never seemed to be listening to Bob Marley. Listening to Max Romeo opened my eyes and prepared me to receive Circus Money. Anyway, just another example of Walter processing various influences into his music, much like Horace Silver → Rikki Don't Lose That Number.
I missed this until just now. I can't wait to get home to the piano and run it through. I've done something similar, and I'd like to compare and maybe post what I've got. If there are differences, it would be interesting to see how they compare and all that. Maybe if we like the results, we can work on the Walter Becker Fakebook I've always believed should exist.