The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I would like to know your opinion about your favourite slow ballads to be rendered in the chord melody style.

    Thanks.

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  3. #2

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    I think any well-known ballad standard is going to sound good. But some may be easier to do than others. I've been messing about with Skylark (in Eb) for the practical standards, and it has some awkward spots in it.

    Then again I think most tunes will contain a challenge in them somewhere, if you are trying to create a solo version.

    Autumn in New York and Old Folks are a couple that I have done in the past. Old Folks was probably the first proper solo version I did of any tune. I mainly copied it from a version by Kenny Burrell (on the album Tin Tin Deo), which taught me a lot!

  4. #3

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    I'm a bluesy guy, so "God Bless the Child" is among my favorite subjects for chord melody treatment. Here's Ted Greene doing it.


  5. #4

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    all the ones mentioned so far are good chord melody tunes. I've never played Old Folks, but I play all the rest

    I wanted to suggest Angel Eyes. that was one of the first ones I learned. Wes plays a classic version of it, which is why I always liked this one


  6. #5

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    polkadots and moonbeams?

  7. #6

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    When Sunny Gets Blue

    That's All

    The Nearness of You

  8. #7

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    My favorites slow ones to do solo are Blue In Green, Nearness of You, and Goodbye.

  9. #8

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  10. #9

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    Amazing textures...

  11. #10
    Yeah. "Nearness of you" is always great. Also, for simplicity's sake, "I got it bad and that ain't good" is real doable and very nice.

  12. #11

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    I think the tunes with frequent chord changes are easier to play chord melody style. I'll pick Body and Soul as a good one.


  13. #12

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    Body and Soul sure is a good one...I need to play that one more often.

  14. #13

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    In addition, to the ones mentioned above. I'd add Good Bye Pork Pie Hat and Alone Together, and I love some of the great movie tunes. I borrowed this musician's arrangement of the " The Summer Knows"




  15. #14

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    Beautiful, Rob.

  16. #15

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    'Round Midnight is one of my favorites

  17. #16

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    'Misty' and 'My Romance'

  18. #17
    destinytot Guest
    Then there are tunes that are most often played as 'burners' but whose lyrics say 'ballad', eg. Just Friends or This Time The Dream's On Me.

  19. #18

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    Moonlight in Vermont is a good one, IMHO.

  20. #19

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    But Beautiful.

  21. #20

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    "Green Dolphin St." where the 1st chord is C major. Lays easily on the fingerbd. Often played briskly, but worth playing slowly.

  22. #21

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    Here's That Rainy Day.

  23. #22

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    Here's That Rainy Day.

  24. #23

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    Since I have trouble playing fast, slow ballads are a big deal for me! I especially enjoy these:

    Misty
    In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
    Body and Soul
    How Insensitive
    Embraceable You
    Here's That Rainy Day
    Moon River
    Somewhere Over the Rainbow
    Unforgettable
    When you Wish Upon A Star

  25. #24

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    +2 for Misty. Such a beautiful song.

  26. #25

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    Lawson - Good list. Working today on The End of a Love Affair, This Is All I Ask, and Here's That Rainy Day.