'Round Midnight in B

'Round Midnight in B

Round Midnight in B: Monk's late-night masterpiece chains minor key areas with brooding ii-V motion. Dorian and Harmonic Minor define the tonality while Locrian shadows the half-diminished chords — play it slow and let the dissonance breathe. Chords: F#7 – Bm – G#m7b5 – C#m7b5 – Bm7 – E7 – Gm7 – C7 – F#m7 – B7 – Em7 – A7 – G7 – C#7b9 – DMaj7 – Cb7.

'Round Midnight in B

B major mixes barre and open elements. The B chord itself is a barre at fret 2, but E and A are comfortable open chords forming the IV and V. The open B string rings as the root, allowing creative drone-based arrangements. B is a intermediate-level key on guitar because the open B string rings as the root and the open E strings provide the 4th — useful for sus4 voicings and drone effects. This key mixes open and barre shapes, making it a good intermediate challenge that builds fretboard fluency.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to G# (descending minor third), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to B (descending whole step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to G (ascending minor third), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to F# (ascending tritone), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to G (descending whole step), G to C# (ascending tritone), C# to D (ascending half step), D to Cb (descending whole step). 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 Cb to F# by tritone.

Scales for Improvisation

B 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, B Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.