“Daahoud” is a composition by trumpeter Clifford Brown, recorded in 1954 by the Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet. It’s a hard bop favorite with a sophisticated chord progression and a melody that showcases Brown’s fluency and lyricism.
The tune’s A sections open with chromatic ii-V movement, with chords shifting by half steps before resolving. The bridge moves through more ii-V progressions in other keys. The form is 32 bars, often played at medium-up tempo.
Section by section: in the A sections, practice the chromatic ii-Vs as pairs, connecting them with half-step voice leading. A single ii-V lick shifted down by half steps outlines the movement clearly. In the bridge, target the third of each new key center. In the final A, return to the chromatic movement and resolve with a strong phrase. Clifford Brown’s solo on the original is a model of clean articulation and logical, melodic lines.
Practice slowly, then increase tempo. Learn the melody by ear and transcribe a few bars of Brown’s solo.
Transposing tip: horn players should get a lead sheet in their key, since chromatic ii-Vs are tricky to transpose on sight.
Getting the most from the Daahoud Lead Sheet PDF: start by reading the chord symbols without your instrument and humming the roots. Then circle any chord you can’t yet voice or arpeggiate, and make those your warm-up for the week before you play the whole form.
Using the Daahoud Lead Sheet PDF on gigs: keep a concert-pitch copy and a copy in your instrument’s key, label the intro and ending on the page, and note the tempo and feel the band usually plays. Small notes like these keep you calm when a tune gets called on the spot.
Is it hard to play? It’s intermediate to advanced. Recordings to study: the Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet’s 1954 recording. Learn more about the composer on Clifford Brown’s Wikipedia page, and find more hard bop lead sheets on Minedit.