“Take the ‘A’ Train” was written by Billy Strayhorn and became Duke Ellington’s signature theme after the band recorded it in 1941. The title comes from the New York subway line that ran up to Harlem, and the tune swings just as hard today as it did then. It’s a must-know for big band and small group players alike.
The form is a 32-bar AABA, usually in C major. The A section starts on C6, then jumps to D7#11 for two bars. That II7 chord, a dominant on the second degree, is the sound of the tune. It resolves through Dm7 and G7 back to C. The bridge moves up to F major and then sets up a ii-V back to C for the final A section. It’s simple on paper, which means the whole challenge is swinging it and making that D7#11 sing.
Improvisation-wise, treat the D7#11 as D Lydian dominant (D, E, F#, G#, A, B, C). The G# is the note that gives it that bright, slightly surprising color, so land on it on purpose. Over the C6 bars, the C major pentatonic is your friend and keeps things swinging. On the bridge, outline Fmaj7 with arpeggios and then use the D7 to G7 as a chance to play bebop lines with chromatic approach notes. Keep your eighth notes swung and accent the off-beats.
For pianists, the classic Ellington intro is a short descending figure built on whole-tone sounds. It’s worth learning because it sets up that D7#11 color before the melody even starts.
Practice by playing along with Ellington’s recording and singing the melody until it’s second nature. Then improvise one chorus using only chord tones, and one chorus quoting the melody. Faster versions exist, so build tempo gradually with a metronome on beats 2 and 4. Read more about the composer on Billy Strayhorn’s Wikipedia page, and explore more swing-era tunes on Minedit.