'Round Midnight in A

'Round Midnight in A

Monk's iconic ballad masterpiece with dense chromatic harmony and descending bass lines, one of the most recorded jazz compositions of all time.

'Round Midnight in A

A major is a rock and blues cornerstone. The open A string delivers a strong root, while both E strings ring as the fifth. Classic A-D-E progressions practically play themselves with open cowboy chords. The open high E is the fifth, reinforcing power. A is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open A string is the root and the open E strings provide the fifth above and below, creating a massive low-end anchor. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through C# to C# (ascending unison), C# to C# (ascending unison), C# to A# (descending minor third), A# to F# (descending major third), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to A# (descending half step), A# to A (descending half step), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G# (ascending tritone), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to D# (ascending whole step), D# to A (ascending tritone), A to G# (descending half step), G# to D# (descending perfect fourth). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from D# to C# by whole step.

Scales for Improvisation

A major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, A Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.