Jazz Changes

Herbie Hancock, music · First released on Maiden Voyage (Blue Note, 1965)

Dolphin Dance

Dolphin Dance is a Herbie Hancock tune from his 1965 Blue Note album Maiden Voyage. Its chords float between key centers a major third apart, which makes it a favorite and a challenge. You will hear it on records by Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, Grover Washington Jr. and Hancock himself.

▶ Plays the whole path in order, one recording after another.

  1. 1 Learn the song Herbie Hancock
  2. 2 Hear it as a trio piece Ahmad Jamal Trio
  3. 3 Hear the harmony with nothing else Herbie Hancock
  4. 4 Hear a saxophone lead Grover Washington Jr.
  5. 5 Compare a second pianist's trio Bill Evans Trio
  6. 6 Hear the 1965 bass and drums again Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams
  7. 7 Hear a guitar lead Doug Raney Quartet
  8. 8 Hear a big-band arrangement WDR Big Band, Bob Mintzer

How the tune works

E♭ majorusual key
34 barsA · B · C · D form
C m · G · F · ii–Vs · B · E · E♭keys it moves between

The chart runs 34 bars in four parts and never settles in one key. A is 12 bars. It opens on Cm7 and A♭maj7♯11, makes a quick ii–V toward G major with Am7, D7 and Gmaj7, then walks A♭m7, Fm7 and G7♯5 back to Cm7. Bars 11 and 12, Am7 and D7, point toward G again. B is 8 bars on G: Gmaj7, G7sus4 and slash chords over a G bass, then F7 chords over an F bass and an Em7 A7 ii–V. C is 6 bars. It starts on E♭7, runs Am7 D7 and Bm7, then E7 with Dm7, and finishes on C♯m7 and F♯7, a ii–V in B. D is 8 bars of pedal points. Dmaj7 and Cmaj7 sit twice over an E bass, then D♭maj7, B♭13♭9 and A♭maj7♯5 sit over an E♭ bass, and the last bar is G7♯5. The next chorus opens on Cm7. Writers who have analyzed the tune name E♭, G and B major as its main key centers, and charts often add a four-bar introduction (E♭maj7, D♭maj7/E♭, E♭maj7, Dm7♭5 G7♭9).

The changes as written in the iReal Pro chart shown on AllSolos, in E♭, with key labels added. The 34 bars run in four parts: A 12 bars, B 8, C 6 and D 8. Slash chords name the bass note after the slash.

Key E♭ major
Abars 1–12
Bar 1: C mCm7
Bar 2: A♭maj7♯11
Bar 3: Cm7
Bar 4: GAm7D7
Bar 5: Gmaj7
Bar 6: C mA♭m7
Bar 7: Fm7
Bar 8: Fm7G7♯5
Bar 9: Cm7
Bar 10: Cm7
Bar 11: GAm7
Bar 12: D7
Bbars 13–20
Bar 13: Gmaj7
Bar 14: G7sus4
Bar 15: A/G
Bar 16: E♭maj7♯11/G
Bar 17: FF7sus4
Bar 18: F13♭9
Bar 19: F7sus4
Bar 20: ii–VsEm7A7
Cbars 21–26
Bar 21: E♭7
Bar 22: Am7D7
Bar 23: BBm7
Bar 24: E7Dm7
Bar 25: C♯m7
Bar 26: F♯7
Dbars 27–34
Bar 27: EDmaj7/E
Bar 28: Cmaj7/E
Bar 29: Dmaj7/E
Bar 30: Cmaj7/E
Bar 31: E♭D♭maj7/E♭
Bar 32: B♭13♭9/E♭
Bar 33: A♭maj7♯5/E♭
Bar 34: G7♯5

Bar 8 holds two chords, Fm7 and G7♯5. The same iReal chart also lists a four-bar introduction (E♭maj7, D♭maj7/E♭, E♭maj7, Dm7♭5 G7♭9) that sits outside the 34 bars. Fake books write the last four bars in several ways: the first chord can be D♭maj7/E♭, E♭7sus4 or B♭m9/E♭, and the final bar can be Dm7♭5 or G7♯9.

Source: AllSolos: Dolphin Dance (iReal Pro chart in E♭)

Listen in this order

Play all 8 on YouTube ↗

The path starts with Hancock's 1965 record, then moves through a piano trio, Hancock alone, a saxophone-led band, a second piano trio, the 1965 bass and drums with Hancock, a guitar quartet and a big band. Each step gives you one thing to hear and one thing to try.

  1. Step 1 · Learn the song Now playing

    Herbie Hancock 1965

    Maiden Voyage

    E♭ major · 4/4 · swing · 119 bpm (medium)

    Listen for
    Freddie Hubbard's trumpet solo runs from 1:14 to 3:24. Under the final bars of the form the bass stays on a low E♭ while the chords above it change.
    Try this
    Play the first 12 bars of the chart (the A part) on piano or guitar along with the record, one chord per bar and two in the split bars. Smaller version: play only the root of each chord, once per bar.
    Apple Music ↗YouTube ↗

  2. Step 2 · Hear it as a trio piece Now playing

    Ahmad Jamal Trio 1970

    The Awakening

    Listen for
    Only piano, bass and drums play, and the track lasts about five minutes. After the horn solos of the 1965 record, notice how the pianist carries the tune and the chords alone.
    Try this
    Play bars 13 to 20 of the chart (the B part), one chord per bar, slowly. Smaller version: play only the first two bars, Gmaj7 and G7sus4.
    Apple Music ↗YouTube ↗

  3. Step 3 · Hear the harmony with nothing else Now playing

    Herbie Hancock 1974

    Dedication

    Listen for
    With no bass or drums, the chord changes are easy to hear. Keep the chart in front of you and count how many times the 34 bars come around in eleven minutes.
    Try this
    Play the chart alone at a slow tempo, one chord per bar, and keep the time yourself without a metronome. Smaller version: play bars 1 to 12 only.
    Apple Music ↗YouTube ↗

  4. Step 4 · Hear a saxophone lead Now playing

    Grover Washington Jr. 1976

    A Secret Place

    Listen for
    A saxophone leads, and a percussion player sits beside the drummer, which the 1965 quintet did not have. The track runs a little under nine minutes.
    Try this
    Play bars 1 to 12 of the chart along with the record, one chord per bar and two in the split bars, and notice how the band's groove changes the feel of the same chords. Smaller version: clap the beat through the first minute.
    Apple Music ↗YouTube ↗

  5. Step 5 · Compare a second pianist's trio Now playing

    Bill Evans Trio 1977

    I Will Say Goodbye

    Listen for
    Compare this trio with Ahmad Jamal's: the same three instruments and a different pianist. This take runs about six minutes against Jamal's five.
    Try this
    Play the last eight bars of the chart (27 to 34) with a low E held under the first four chords and a low E♭ held under the next three. Smaller version: play only those two low notes with a simple triad on top.
    Apple Music ↗YouTube ↗

  6. Step 6 · Hear the 1965 bass and drums again Now playing

    Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams 1977

    Third Plane

    Listen for
    Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums both played on the 1965 record. Here they work with Hancock as a trio, so there is no horn between you and the rhythm section.
    Try this
    Tap the beat and count the 34 bars with the chart, calling out A, B, C and D as each part starts. Smaller version: count only the first 12 bars.
    Apple Music ↗YouTube ↗

  7. Step 7 · Hear a guitar lead Now playing

    Doug Raney Quartet 1988

    Something's Up

    Listen for
    The guitar takes the lead role in a quartet with piano, bass and drums, and the track runs about nine minutes. Use the chart to keep track of where you are in the 34 bars.
    Try this
    If you play guitar, play the chart's chords for bars 1 to 12 with shapes you already know, one per bar and two in the split bars. Smaller version: play only the root and the third of each chord.
    Apple Music ↗YouTube ↗

  8. Step 8 · Hear a big-band arrangement Now playing

    WDR Big Band, Bob Mintzer 2026

    Live video on the WDR BIG BAND YouTube channel

    Listen for
    A full band plays the tune and two players take solos, Johan Hörlén on alto saxophone and Andy Hunter on trombone. Use the chart to hear where the written band parts give way to a solo.
    Try this
    During one of the two solos, follow the chart bar by bar and call out A, B, C and D as each part begins. Smaller version: follow only the first 12 bars of a solo.
    YouTube ↗

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