The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    I have ignored my chord melody skills for the past few years because my focus is on playing combo jazz. Still I like to play the following in the CM style:

    - ATTYA (All the things...)
    - Misty
    - Girl From Ipanema
    - That Old Feeling
    - Stella
    - Alone Together (not full-on CM, but pretty close)
    - Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You
    - I'll Close My Eyes
    - I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

    Of the above tunes, I think Misty, That Old Feeling and Stella are most naturally suited to chord melody.

    ATTYA is funny...it's almost easier to play it as CM than to just play the melody! (esp on guitar in standard key of Ab)

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  3. #27

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    Since I switched to a duo with a double bass its been all chord melody, I was fed up with backing Sax and Trumpet and especially singers with their attitudes. Last 5 years it's been all instrumentals with the Duo, challenging to come up with so many arrangements, but very educational as well. Best thing I ever did for my Guitar playing.

  4. #28

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    Darn That Dream
    Bewitched
    On The Sunny Side Of The Street
    The Nearness Of You
    Polkadots & Moonbeams
    It's Only a Paper Moon
    In a Sentimental Mood
    Moonglow
    Misty
    The Glory Of Love
    All of Me
    Teach Me Tonight
    If I Had You

    Not exactly chord melody, but I do a prearranged 24 bars of chord solo on Route 66 that's fun to play.

    More chord melodies that I am working on or that I plan on working on soon:
    Isn't It Romantic
    How Deep Is The Ocean
    Body & Soul
    Blue Skies
    Fly Me To The Moon
    Cheek To Cheek

  5. #29
    These are some of my favorite ones that i didn't see mentioned as much:

    All of you
    blame it on my youth
    Desafinado
    Don't blame me
    Dreamsville
    Easy living
    Have you meet miss Jones
    I got it bad and that ain't good
    I thought about you
    It could happen to you
    Until the real thing comes along
    Just in time
    Last night while we were young
    Lover man
    Lullaby of birdland
    Mood indigo
    My foolish heart
    My old flame
    P.s. I love you
    Stardust
    Sunday kind of love
    The song is you
    We'll be together again
    What's new
    When lights are low
    When you wish upon a star
    You are too beautiful
    You brought a new kind of love to me
    You don't know what love is
    Last edited by matt.guitarteacher; 11-01-2014 at 01:41 AM.

  6. #30

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    "Georgia On My Mind" may be my favorite. (That is, my favorite chord melody of those that I do.)
    "ATTYA" is the necessary one I will probably tinker with for as long as I play.
    I play "Thanks for the Memory" for my mom, which she really enjoys. It's not the greatest tune but it's a fun lyric to sing and fun to play too.
    I also enjoy "I Could Write a Book" and "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You."

  7. #31

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    Here's one I started work on last night, completing a lead work sheet - the beautiful Billy Reid song, I'll Close My Eyes. Working on it in the key of F.

  8. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
    I play "Thanks for the Memory" for my mom, which she really enjoys. It's not the greatest tune but it's a fun lyric to sing and fun to play too.
    I also enjoy "I Could Write a Book" and "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You."
    "Thanks for the memories" is a guilty pleasure of mine as well. Always think of my grandparents. There are actually a lot of tunes like that for me, that are maybe more fun to play than listen to. I mostly play for myself anyway.

  9. #33

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    I like many of those mentioned above as chord melodies.



    But some special to me... I like those challenging tunes... when I hear how it should sound - the character and try to find the way make it...

    'When Your Lover Has Gone' - it has a modal touch in harmony many subs are possible but at the same time it should cound simple, and I like playing it a bit not in straight aheady jazzy way, I first heard it in 'Alice doesn't live here any more' performed by Ellen Burstyn... and I try capture that solitary and simple spirit of her performance but I am never satisfied...

    Also I like to play 'But Not For Me' inspired byhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnfUN6bBAg4 this Ella's rendition - -though Billie's version is also ever in my mind...

    I really love playing 'But Beautifil' inspired by Tony Bennet/Bill Evans version...

    Randy Newmans 'Louisianna 1927' - trying to play it with a jazzy, not just folk guitar..

    'Swanee River' or as it was changed to Mississippi in 'My Minnesota Home' performed by Meryl Streep and Lilly Tomlin


    'Namely you' I never heard - just started to play over backing track from aebersold cd - fast swing version... my daugther liked it, so made arrangement for singing and soloing.

    Sometimes I pick others' arrangement but not from score but those I heard.. at least some turnarounds, or ideas

    For 'My Romance' I really love Vince Lewis' Rendition and just picked from his video


    I really love playing with variations both chord melodies arrangements of Henry Alden from 'Sweet and Lowdown'

    I love Russel Malone's playing of hymns - did not try yet, but I will for sure.


    I would like to play with bass player - this would be my 'dream jazz ensemble' but in my case it would be just sparse chords, I would love to communicate in counterpoint with bassist, play lines - one of my favourite jazz guitar record ever is Jim Hall/Ron Carter records
    Last edited by Jonah; 11-01-2014 at 07:44 PM.

  10. #34

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    What a great thread. One of my favorite things is to have a tune suggested I've never heard and then getting the lead sheet and "discovering" it for myself. I'll definitely go over all the replies for one's to try.

    A few of my favs I didn't see listed yet...

    Alfie's Theme

    Emily

    September Song

    Tenderly

    Smile

    Michelle

    Til There Was You

  11. #35

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    Every new tune I learn, I try as a chord melody arrangement; most work, those with a fast head or the blues don't work too well, but there are exceptions. One that wasn't mentioned which worked out well for me is Girl Talk by Neill Hefti. The most recent arrangement I've done is Coltrane's Moments Notice (fast head but chords can be done in same position). Georgia, Stella and 'Round Midnight seem to be the most popular for this in this thread. I do them and they work well as chord melody arrangements. Also, you don't have to do every note of the melody as a chord. I've found it best to do like a piano player does with a melody note with chords following it rythmically below while the melody note sustains (if required).

    Some others:

    Triste, Wave, Manha da Carnival, There will Never be Another You, Yardbyrd Suite, In a Sentimental Mood, Shadow of Your Smile.

    Gary

  12. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher
    "Thanks for the memories" is a guilty pleasure of mine as well. Always think of my grandparents. There are actually a lot of tunes like that for me, that are maybe more fun to play than listen to. I mostly play for myself anyway.
    I think the lyrics are fun: "You might have been a headache but you never were a bore..." I like clever, talk-y lyrics that ascend stepwise like that. They're infectious and you don't mind hearing them repeat (-which is why so many new lyrics have been added to the original over the years....)

  13. #37

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    +1 for stella

  14. #38

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    Stars Fell On Alabama, A Nightingale Sang......., Moonlight In Vermont. Georgia On My Mind, Desperado (simple chords but nice melody), Danny Boy, Shenandoah are all favorites and I always enjoy playing Wes's 'While We're Young'. Been trying to do something with 'One For My Baby' for a long time but haven't nailed it yet. I mostly like saloon song ballad type things - think smokey, Peter Gunn, 50's cocktail lounge stuff.

    So many tunes, so little time!

  15. #39

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    Here's a couple that I don't think have been mentioned. While I'm coming at this from a sax player perspective these seem to fit the bill for great guitar tunes. I've always enjoyed playing these on gigs.

    Whisper Not
    Willow Weep For Me


    Great list here folks, thanks for getting me started.
    Ralph