Analysis of Chick Corea's Spain

This time we're going to analyze Chick Corea's composition Spain, a classic that's required study for intermediate-level musicians. 

Everyone loves this piece by the legendary Chick Corea, and you're sure to end up learning it with your friends. 

Chick Corea's Spain

Chick Corea is regarded as a piano virtuoso, and he was also a prolific composer who shared the stage with the greatest names in music. 

That's why he wanted to create a tribute to Spain, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Caribbean music, but cast in the terms of free jazz.

The Structure of Chick Corea's Spain

Chick Corea's Spain, beyond being something complex from a harmonic and rhythmic standpoint, is actually an intermediate-level piece. 

To dig deeper into this, we'll cover the following three sections that reveal the secret of Chick Corea's Spain. 

Tempo

There are three aspects of Chick Corea's Spain worth highlighting when it comes to tempo, timing, and rhythm. 

So, the tempo sits at a quarter note equal to 130 bpm, with note subdivisions in eighth notes, quarter notes, and half notes that are nothing out of the ordinary. 

Sure, you'll come across the occasional triplet, syncopation, and offbeat that seem to make the performance harder, but the truth is that any intermediate-level musician should be able to play them. So yes, if you manage to learn Chick Corea's Spain, it's because you have a solid intermediate level, though there's still a way to go before reaching the advanced grade and, beyond that, the master level. 

The second aspect is the rhythm, which opens with a clear samba feel that blends almost imperceptibly with free jazz. As a result, any Latino player won't have much trouble following the meter. 

That said, the third relevant aspect is the timing, and this one really is tricky because it's free jazz, but with very specific rules that keep it inside a perfectly square box. 

In this way, the piece never strays from these three rules. Yes, it's Free, but that doesn't mean it's anything goes. 

Harmony

Harmonically there isn't much complexity either, because this piece is in the key signature of B minor, and melodically it moves through the melodic and harmonic scales of that minor key. 

In fact, this composition begins as a copy of the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo, and specifically we're referring to the Adagio movement. This is of course intentional, since the composition is called Spain to evoke the country and the Spanish guitar. 

As for other harmonic features you can find, that's really it: just the harmonic function of B minor alongside the harmonic and melodic scales. There are also some cadences and the characteristic mirror harmony of jazz. 

When you look at the sheet music, you'll realize just how easy it is harmonically. 

Movements

Closer to samba than to jazz, the movements of this composition range from an intro that copies the Adagio from Aranjuez, to the samba in the verses and the free jazz in the chorus of choruses. 

In this way, the aim of Chick Corea's Spain is to establish the close relationship between the Spanish guitar and Caribbean rhythms, but presented in the forms of African American, New York free jazz. 

For all these reasons, there's no doubt that Chick Corea's Spain is a required study piece for intermediate-level musicians, because only this way will they truly be able to enjoy and unlock all the potential they have as they look toward the advanced level. 

Remember that we've left the Chick Corea Spain PDF here for you so you can download it and enjoy it during your practice sessions.