The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Just curious what ones you think work well for guitar, sound good on guitar etc.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I like Stella By Starlight a lot. There's a lot of things you can do with it, make it sound really out, modern, or make it sound really traditional.

    I'm working on some other tunes though, like Reflections and Quiet Now, and those are really great songs that have their own taste to it.

  4. #3

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    I like In A Sentimental Mood

  5. #4

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    For Chord Melody, I like standards with a lot of chords, for me it makes it easier to come up with a chord melody... they kind of write themselves.

    Like 'All the Things You Are' or 'Body and Soul'.

  6. #5

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    I go in cycles with favorites, but I tend to think the same way as Fep...tunes with lots of chords end up being really fun to do.

    I really love "Autumn in New York," "Laura" and "My One and Only Love." I arranged those three about 2 years ago and I still play them often.

    Recently, I've arranged "Goodbye" and I've been reminded of what a beautiful tune that is. "I'm Glad there is You" is next on my list.

    And yeah, "Stella" is a great one. Actually, it's just one of the best songs ever written.

    What can I say, I love a good ballad...

  7. #6

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    Not necessarily my favorites, but the ones I feel I do best:
    All The Things You Are
    Autumn Leaves
    Here's That Rainy Day
    Moonlight In Vermont
    I can do (and am working on) others, but those are my 'go to' tunes when playing solo.

  8. #7

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    Chord melodies that I've recently arranged...

    "Stella By Starlight"

    "You Go To My Head" - My gig is not jazz, but I use a few jazz tunes when the mood is right. This is the ballad I usually go to.

    Chord melodies that I have transcribed or learned from someone else's transcription...

    "The Days of Wine and Roses" - I learned Wes Montgomery's version of this tune. It's instructive in the use of diminished chords to harmonize passing tones in the melody. It's a good technique to use when there are "not enough chords" to keep the harmonic movement going.

    These three I copied from Hank Garland whose style of harmonizing a melody reminds me of Wes...

    "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That, Baby!" - I still play this one, head and solo, exactly like Hank did. Well, same notes anyway...

    "Secret Love"

    "Autumn Leaves"

  9. #8

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    I haven't found any except Prelude to a Kiss!

  10. #9

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    A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square
    I've Never Been In Love Before
    Without A Song
    How Deep Is The Ocean

  11. #10

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    Favourite..? 'Misty'. Best..? The question is too open, there are so many...

  12. #11

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    I love "'Round Midnight" though I've never done/seen an arrangement with a chord melody. I also love the chord progression in "My Funny Valentine" though I've never done/seen an arrangement for a chord melody for it, either. So... nevermind.
    Last edited by zigzag; 11-07-2011 at 04:44 PM.

  13. #12

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    I actually posted a chord melody of 'Round Midnight back when that was the standard of the month.

    It was a fun one to arrange...kinda tricky to improvise on in a solo setting...in a group I like to go for more singing, bluesy lines on this one, but in a solo setting I wanted to make sure I hinted at the chords more...

    Anyway, look it up, and feel free to steal anything you like.

  14. #13

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    "Mood Indigo","Just Squeeze Me", "Moonlight Serenade","Moon Glow","Sunny Side of the Street" "A train" Ellington tunes are great on guitar...Glen Miller tunes too!

  15. #14

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    I prefer Ballads with lots of chords because the more complex harmonic structure leads to more interesting and melodic chord melodies. Some of my favorites are:

    When Sunny Gets Blue
    You Go To My Head
    The End of A Love Affair
    Darn That Dream
    I'm Old Fashioned
    I Remember You
    A Face Like Yours
    Just Squeeze Me
    I've Never Been In Love Before
    Here's That Rainy Day

    wiz

  16. #15

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    Tenderly
    Misty
    Moonlight in Vermont
    Tune Up
    Lady Bird
    Out of nowhere
    You go to my head

  17. #16
    Lady bird and Tune up, really? I arranged those one a while ago since I already knew them, this was when I knew hardly any jazz tunes. And both of those I think are terrible as chord melodies... melodies are too boring. I don't know the others though.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by zigzag
    I love "'Round Midnight" though I've never done/seen an arrangement with a chord melody.[...]
    Well, you're in for a little treat -- Here's a really nice Don Mock arrangement with tons of great counterpoint.



    Here's the direct link:


  19. #18

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    How Deep is the Ocean
    I fall in love too easily
    Someone to Watch Over Me
    Somewhere Over The Rainbow
    A Nightingale Sang In Barkley Square
    Embraceable You
    How Long Has This Been Going On
    And I Love Her
    For No One
    She's Leaving Home
    For Free (Joni Mitchell)
    Lots of tunes by Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb...
    I like to do a mash up of My Funny Valentine and Stairway to Heaven
    a mash up of Someone to Watch Over Me and In a Sentimental Mood
    It Might As Well Be Spring and Happy Birthday

    David

  20. #19

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    Nice choices Truthhertz. I especially like the happy birthday mash idea. A cool way to acknowledge a birthday and get back into the set.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by jckoto3
    Well, you're in for a little treat -- Here's a really nice Don Mock arrangement with tons of great counterpoint.

    Very nice... and done on a LP, too... sweet.

  22. #21

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    At the top of the list currently would be Peel Me A Grape and Bewitched.

  23. #22

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    Here's my latest set list (alphabetical order) for a solid hour of solo playing. I use my T-5 clone in this context, so I can get jazz tone for the standards, acoustic-like tone for the two contemporary covers, and Chet Atkins-style mellow twang for 'Sleepwalk'.

    All The Things You Are
    Autumn Leaves
    Georgia On My Mind
    Here’s That Rainy Day
    I Don’t know Why (Shawn Colvin)
    Misty
    Moonlight In Vermont
    Polka Dots and Moonbeams
    Sleepwalk
    Somewhere Over The Rainbow
    Summertime
    Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)
    There Will Never Be Another You
    Till There Was You
    Plus 3 originals

  24. #23

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    Current chord melody arrangements in set list

    Satin Doll
    Round Midnight
    Witchcraft
    Stella by Starlight
    Softly as in a morning sunrise
    Honeysuckle Rose
    Body and Soul
    Lady is a tramp
    Autumn Leaves
    Autumn in New York
    Misty
    Aint Misbehavin
    Always
    Beautiful love
    Blue Monk
    Besame Mucho
    Girl from Ipanema
    Cheek to Cheek
    Can't help lovin dat man
    Fly me to the Moon
    Girl Talk
    Lets do it
    Night and Day
    Lullaby of Birdland
    Learning the blues
    Making whoopee
    Moonglow
    Paper Moon
    Nuages
    Polka dots and Moonbeams
    Moonlight serenade
    Shadow of your smile
    Stomping at the Savoy
    Take the A train

  25. #24

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    On my radar over the past few hours is Indian Summer.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by zigzag
    I love "'Round Midnight" though I've never done/seen an arrangement with a chord melody.
    I think 'Round Midnight is the best jazz song ever written. When I play it solo around the house, I play through just the melody once with no chords, then just the chords with no melody, because both are gorgeous in their own right. I haven't gotten an actual chord melody version under my fingers.

    That video with Don Mock was great. One of the best uses of a Les Paul I've heard too- I've never been able to get settled with one of those for some reason. Gene Bertoncini has a lovely chord-melody rendition of 'Round Midnight; it doesn't seem to have been posted to anyone on YouTube but it's worth hearing. It's on either "Quiet Now" or "Body and Soul" (must-have records if you like chord melody guitar, Gene is a quiet monster).

    Other favorite chord melody tunes I've worked on- besides many of the ones already mentioned- include Angel Eyes, Beautiful Love, Crystal Silence, Lawns, Naima, The Nearness of You, Shadow of Your Smile, Shenandoah Lullaby, When I Fall in Love.