Like Someone In Love in A#
Like Someone In Love in A#
Like Someone in Love in A#: Van Heusen's accessible ballad rewards clean Bebop Major vocabulary and gentle Dorian color on the minor ii chords. Mixolydian smooths the dominant passages — an ideal standard for building bebop fluency. Chords: A#Maj7 – A#6/a – C7/E – F7/f – Dm7 – C#7 – Cm7 – F7 – F9#5 – Fm7 – A#9 – A#9#5 – D#6 – D#aug – Am7 – D7 – GMaj7 – G6 – Gm7 – C7 – F7#5.
Like Someone In Love in A#
A# (Bb) major requires barre chords rooted at fret 1 on the A string or fret 6 on the E string. Despite the barre demands, it is a common key in funk, New Orleans R&B, and brass band music. The open D string can ring as the major third for added color. A# is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open D string is the major 3rd of Bb, adding a bright color if allowed to ring. Expect to rely on barre chords throughout, which builds hand strength and unlocks the entire fretboard.
Voice Leading
The bass line moves through A# to A# (ascending unison), A# to C (ascending whole step), C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to D (descending minor third), D to C# (descending half step), C# to C (descending half step), C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to F (ascending unison), F to F (ascending unison), F to A# (ascending perfect fourth), A# to A# (ascending unison), A# to D# (ascending perfect fourth), D# to D# (ascending unison), D# to A (ascending tritone), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to G (ascending unison), G to G (ascending unison), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to F (ascending perfect fourth). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The mix of stepwise and leap motion balances smoothness with harmonic drive. When the progression loops, the bass returns from F to A# by perfect fourth.
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.