Footprints (composition)

"Footprints" is a jazz standard composed by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and first recorded for his album Adam's Apple in 1966. The first commercial release of the song was a different recording on the Miles Davis album Miles Smiles recorded later in 1966, but released earlier. It has become a jazz standard.

Rhythm

File:Wayne Shorter.jpg

Wayne Shorter in 2006

Although often written in ³
₄ or ⁶
₈, it is not a jazz waltz because the feel alternates between simple meter and compound meter. On Miles Smiles, the band playfully explores the correlation between African-based ¹²
₈ (or ⁶
₈) and ⁴
₄. Drummer Tony Williams freely moves from swing, to the three-over-two cross rhythm—and to its ⁴
₄ correlative.

The ground of four main beats is maintained throughout the piece. The bass switches to ⁴
₄ at 2:20. Ron Carter’s ⁴
₄ figure is known as tresillo in Afro-Cuban music and is the duple-pulse correlative of the ¹²
₈ figure. This may have been the first overt expression of systemic, African-based cross-rhythm used by a straight ahead jazz group. During Davis’s first trumpet solo, Williams shifts to a ⁴
₄ jazz ride pattern while Carter continues the ¹²
₈ bass line.

The following example shows the ¹²
₈ and ⁴
₄ forms of the bass line. The slashed noteheads indicate the main beats (not bass notes), where one ordinarily taps their foot to "keep time."

<score lang="lilypond">

{

      \relative c, <<
       \new Staff <<
          \new voice {
             \clef bass \time 12/8 \key c \minor
             \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100       
             \stemDown \override NoteHead.style = #'cross \repeat volta 2 { es4. es es es }
      }
         \new voice {
             \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100      
             \time 12/8
             \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { c'4 g'8~ g c4 es4.~ es4 g,8 } \bar ":|."
      } >>
      \new Staff <<
         \new voice {
             \clef bass \time 12/8 \key c \minor
             \set Staff.timeSignatureFraction = 4/4
             \scaleDurations 3/2 {
                 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 8 = 100       
                 \stemDown \override NoteHead.style = #'cross \repeat volta 2 { es,4 es es es }
             }
      }
         \new voice \relative c' {
             \time 12/8
             \set Staff.timeSignatureFraction = 4/4
             \scaleDurations 3/2 {
                 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 100      
                 \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { c,8. g'16~ g8 c es4~ es8. g,16 } \bar ":|."
             }
      } >>
 >> }

</score>

Harmony

Harmonically, "Footprints" takes the form of a 12-bar C minor blues, but this is masked not only by its triple time signature but by its avant garde turnaround. In the key of C minor, a normal turnaround would be Dm^7(♭5), G⁷, Cm⁷. But Shorter doubles the harmonic rhythm of the turnaround, and the progression reads: F♯m^9(♭5), F^7(♯11), E^9(♭5), A^7(♯9), Cm⁷. In jazz jam sessions and for educational purposes, players often choose D^7(♯11) D♭^7(♯11) Cm⁷ as turnaround, which also fits with the original melody.

Notable covers

• Kenny Barron included the composition in his 2004 studio album Images.