Solo Guitar Tune #4: The Shadow of Your Smile

[John A.]

It seems like the activity has tailed off on Tenderly, so I'm taking the liberty of firing up the next tune, the Shadow of Your Smile.

Here's the prime directive from PaulW10:

Hello All,

Welcome to the Solo Guitar Arranging Group! This is song thread #3, Tenderly, which was one of the finalists in a poll by the group.

Players of all levels and abilities are welcome to participate here. Please join us!

The idea is to start a different song thread periodically and encourage everyone to post a video or recording of how they would play/arrange that particular tune for solo guitar (i.e. with no other accompaniment).

Group Guidelines

Here are general guidelines for the group.

1. All levels of players are strongly encouraged to participate, from beginners on up. We hope the group may even be rewarded occasionally, if not often, with contributions by seasoned pros and prominent guitarists. However, no matter your skill level you are strongly encouraged to join in. If you are open to hearing constructive comments and suggestions from the group, indicate #c&cwelcome in the title of your post.

2. The arrangement can be easy and simple, or elaborate and complex, or simply playing it on the fly. It’s all about each person’s own interpretation and approach.

3. After posting the arrangement, each person is encouraged to also post (in a video, on a recording or in writing) their approach to the song, or to specific parts of the song. This explanatory content can be in as much or as little detail as desired (or none at all). If the person is seeking specific help from the group this is a good place to ask for it.

4. Written notations of the arrangement are certainly not expected. Each person can decide how to handle any such requests from the group.

5. Future song selections and frequency will be made based on suggestions received and what appears to be a consensus. I’ll try and post a lead sheet for each song selection if that would be helpful. Of course, people can still play the song in any key (or keys) they choose.

6. Encouragement to each person for their contributions are encouraged. Unless the performer indicates a willingness to hear criticisms (see #1 above), participants should not offer criticisms of individual performances. Advice should only be offered if the person specifically asks for it. Even then resist criticizing anything to do with the interpretation or "artsy" side of the performance and comment on techniques and tips instead (for example playing a particular passage or suggesting chord embellishments, etc.)

7. Participation in group discussions is encouraged for all, even if a person does not want to personally post their own arrangements at present for whatever reason.

Goals of Group

1. To encourage each other to become better solo guitar players and to share knowledge and skills in a friendly and helpful setting. If we individually work up an arrangement and then bring it to the group, it will be invaluable to see how people handled the song or specific parts of the song. We will all enhance our guitar skills and vocabulary. New ideas or approaches would even be useful to the most advanced players.

2. To increase our repertoire of solo guitar songs.

3. To build confidence in playing for others, sharing our skills and in recording ourselves.

Since there is a new thread for each song, there is no time pressure to keep up with the group. People can post to each song thread when they’re ready to.

Tunes so far: The Days of Wine and Roses, Here's That Rainy Day, Tenderly. There are separate thread for those. If you want to post a video or recording of those songs, it’s never too late. Please do so in those threads and help keep them going as well!

I've attached an iRealPro printout of the changes if that would be helpful.

We hope everyone will join in and participate however you choose.
Cheers,
John

[John A.]

... And I happen to have gotten a bit of a head start on Shadow of Your Smile, so here goes. In terms of concept, I'm mainly focused on keeping a sense of motion (to a fault in this case, as I speed up quite a bit). The little contrapuntal phrase that I start with is lifted from a Barney Kessell live video I came across on youtube. The rest of the first half of the head is an arrangement I came up with. The second half is a little less arranged. I've been practicing the tune quite a bit (hadn't played it much in past), and messing around with different somewhat fungible harmonizations of the melody and fills, and this is made up of a few of those, plus some bits of note ornamentation of the fly. The first half of the second chorus is improvised, with no real plan for what I would do. The last half is more or less the same as in the head, with an improvised ending.

There's been a fair amount of pronouncements pro and con Strats (mainly con, as usual), and I felt like a little equal opportunity was in order so that was part of the inspiration here. That, and once again I was playing at night and didn't want to bother anybody, so a solidbody was called for, and it's the only one's I've got. I recorded into Garageband while video-ing myself with my MacBook's built in webcam and monitoring with earbuds to keep the noise down. This is actually a real PITA. I don't do well wrangling two bits of software at the same time, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to get a clean(ish) take and get it all sync'd up into a video. Oh well. I may try another, but let's hear some of yours first.

Cheers,
John

[lawson-stone]

I have love and played this tune for many years. It was about the 3rd jazz tune I tried to learn when I started out 25 or so years ago playing jazz. I posted a clip of SOYS a couple years ago, and thought I'd post it here while I'm working on refreshing my take on the song. Just a basic CM finger style take. The guitar is the Aria Pro II PE180.

[alltunes]

Here's the lead sheet from 557 Jazz Standards PDF

[wengr]

I'll be watching this one closely as I really like this tune.
All I can do with it personally is fumble though an arrangement that I purchased from a website, so it seems odd to post that here, but I will be watching all the submissions and trying my best to steal as many ideas as possible.

[lawson-stone]

I'll be watching this one closely as I really like this tune.
All I can do with it personally is fumble though an arrangement that I purchased from a website, so it seems odd to post that here, but I will be watching all the submissions and trying my best to steal as many ideas as possible.

Nothing odd about it! If that's where you are with the tune, run with it. Mine started out as one I learned from a purchased book of arrangements, and it has evolved over time so now when I play the tune I don't always know how it will come out. Go with what you have, and try to advance a step or two in the process.

[wengr]

I learned from a purchased book of arrangements, and it has evolved over time so now when I play the tune I don't always know how it will come out.

Well all right then. I'd love to see mine evolve to that point as well. I've never posted a vid before, but I'll figure it out. Thanks.

[Gramps]

I'll be watching this one closely as I really like this tune.
All I can do with it personally is fumble though an arrangement that I purchased from a website, so it seems odd to post that here, but I will be watching all the submissions and trying my best to steal as many ideas as possible.

Post your version of the arrangement. It's good practice and if you're like me, it makes you play it all the way through as well as you can at this time. It can be a benchmark for you to measure progress.

You won't find a more forgiving audience and you'll learn from it.

[PaulW10]

... And I happen to have gotten a bit of a head start on Shadow of Your Smile, so here goes. In terms of concept, I'm mainly focused on keeping a sense of motion (to a fault in this case, as I speed up quite a bit). The little contrapuntal phrase that I start with is lifted from a Barney Kessell live video I came across on youtube. The rest of the first half of the head is an arrangement I came up with. The second half is a little less arranged. I've been practicing the tune quite a bit (hadn't played it much in past), and messing around with different somewhat fungible harmonizations of the melody and fills, and this is made up of a few of those, plus some bits of note ornamentation of the fly. The first half of the second chorus is improvised, with no real plan for what I would do. The last half is more or less the same as in the head, with an improvised ending.

There's been a fair amount of pronouncements pro and con Strats (mainly con, as usual), and I felt like a little equal opportunity was in order so that was part of the inspiration here. That, and once again I was playing at night and didn't want to bother anybody, so a solidbody was called for, and it's the only one's I've got. I recorded into Garageband while video-ing myself with my MacBook's built in webcam and monitoring with earbuds to keep the noise down. This is actually a real PITA. I don't do well wrangling two bits of software at the same time, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to get a clean(ish) take and get it all sync'd up into a video. Oh well. I may try another, but let's hear some of yours first.

Cheers,
John

That was really great John. I love some of those chords you're using. I especially like the one you use on the first melody note after the lead in on smile (i.e the shadow of your SMILE). It's unexpected and really works. There are many more voicings you use throughout that are really nice. And the improv section was really nice to hear too. I'd like to work on my ability to do that type of thing.

And the strat tone sounded great too. I can't understand someone coming up with a con about a strat? Really? I love the sound of strats. However, you could be like Lawson in his last Tenderly post and use some whammy bar. I like whammy bars! (I'm not kidding I really do).

[joe2758]

what's at least as beneficial to me, if not more so than the encouragement and constructive criticism, is having this sort of deadline and some kind of "skin in the game."

Meaning I know I'm going to post something in a month and I want to do the best I can do. I don't want to post a video that sucks, but I don't want to be practicing a tune for 3 months before I can play it.

It changes how I practice for the better. It also ensures I am applying my ideas to tunes and not like, " I'll practice this sequence and use it some time."

Anyway, it's a really great thing ESPECIALLY for any of us who don't perform regularly or at all

[John A.]

That was really great John. I love some of those chords you're using. I especially like the one you use on the first melody note after the lead in on smile (i.e the shadow of your SMILE). It's unexpected and really works. There are many more voicings you use throughout that are really nice. And the improv section was really nice to hear too. I'd like to work on my ability to do that type of thing.

And the strat tone sounded great too. I can't understand someone coming up with a con about a strat? Really? I love the sound of strats. However, you could be like Lawson in his last Tenderly post and use some whammy bar. I like whammy bars! (I'm not kidding I really do).

Thanks Paul. I often do use the whammy, but it's usually not a conscious decsion; it kind of just happens, but in this case happens not to have. The anti-stratism (said in my best Seinfeldian "anti-dentite bastard" voice) is over on the gear subforum. They don't like our kind over there.

Re: improv, the only way to do it is to do it. Try to think in terms of "melody on the top two strings; harmony below that." Also, you can get a ton of mileage out of fourths and out of just wiggling your finger around on the top voice of a chord.


John

[John A.]

I have love and played this tune for many years. It was about the 3rd jazz tune I tried to learn when I started out 25 or so years ago playing jazz. I posted a clip of SOYS a couple years ago, and thought I'd post it here while I'm working on refreshing my take on the song. Just a basic CM finger style take. The guitar is the Aria Pro II PE180.

Nice one, Lawson.

John

[Fusionshred]

That sounds great, despite it having no discernible fusion/shred content.

John

Thank you! LOL! I have musical schizophrenia.

[John A.]

what's at least as beneficial to me, if not more so than the encouragement and constructive criticism, is having this sort of deadline and some kind of "skin in the game."

Meaning I know I'm going to post something in a month and I want to do the best I can do. I don't want to post a video that sucks, but I don't want to be practicing a tune for 3 months before I can play it.

It changes how I practice for the better. It also ensures I am applying my ideas to tunes and not like, " I'll practice this sequence and use it some time."

Anyway, it's a really great thing ESPECIALLY for any of us who don't perform regularly or at all

Yes, me too. In most domains I work better on a deadline than if simply left to my own devices. In music, that and structuring my practicing around learning music rather than technical exercises has been the key to making progress. [I realize there are plenty of teachers who say you need to give equal time to technique, studying and applying harmony, overall musicianship, etc., but I'm old. Life is short. Play tunes.]

John

[Fusionshred]

Yeah that was really great!!

thank you!!!

[pingu]

That first C# on smile ....

Is new sound to me

It's the natural 5 of the F#-7 chord right ?

I'm so used to a F#-7b5 there !
with its b5 the C note

I mean it is lovely
But it's quite unusual isn't it ?

Anyone else ?
or Is it just me

[joe2758]

It was the first thing I noticed, Pingu. I play Bb dim there-- don't like the -7

[pingu]

just had a thought

Lullaby of Birdland (in Em) is similar in that harmony ?

[ragman1]

That first C# on smile ....

Is new sound to me

It's the natural 5 of the F#-7 chord right ?

I'm so used to a F#-7b5 there !
with its b5 the C note

Are you saying you change the melody from C# to C?

[John A.]

It was the first thing I noticed, Pingu. I play Bb dim there-- don't like the -7

I just tried the Bb dim and didn't much like that with the rest of the progression, but didn't try any further reharmonization. Looking forward to hearing you come up with something cool. Maybe it helps to think of that F#min an Fmin11? Kind of takes away the expectation of a iimin7b5. Another way of looking at it is that the F#min is as vi of A major (not ii of E minor), given that the full progression is F#min B7 Emin7 Amaj. Anyway, if you listen to recordings, the melody note is clearly C#, and the bass note is clearly F#. There is definitely more than one way of looking at the harmony of this song.

EDIT: What I'm saying here about Amaj really doesn't make sense on second look. It never is in Amaj, but the A7 maybe implies it's not quite in E minor either. I think the best of way of looking at it is that the harmony and melody are not fully diatonic to any of the tune's keys of the moment. There be chromaticism.

John

[joe2758]

I wasn’t sure i’d have time to come up with something post worthy, but I’ll start working now. If I don’t I’ll just post something showing the Bb dim.

I was thinking B7/dim scale for first two chords

[lawson-stone]

I just tried the Bb dim and didn't much like that with the rest of the progression, but didn't try any further reharmonization. Looking forward to hearing you come up with something cool. Maybe it helps to think of that F#min an Fmin11? Kind of takes away the expectation of a iimin7b5. Another way of looking at it is that the F#min is as vi of A major (not ii of E minor), given that the full progression is F#min B7 Emin7 Amaj. Anyway, if you listen to recordings, the melody note is clearly C#, and the bass note is clearly F#. There is definitely more than one way of looking at the harmony of this song.

John

I don't see the problem with the F#m7. If I keep changing chords to something I'm comfortable with, then I end up only playing in my comfort zone. This is the right chord, I've listened to a lot of performances of this tune, the all play a straight-up F#m7 there for the head. Maybe in the solo section, but the reaction of "Hey I appear to have learned the song wrong" is always another option when we hit these unexpected chords.

Might help to realize this is not a true minor key song. In G Major, C# gives a nice #11 sort of sound.

[joe2758]

it’s not that crazy to play Bb dim it has two common tones woth F#min. It’s just a personal taste thing, I like sharper/meaner harmonies. The F# min is more cool/pretty. Allgood.

[lawson-stone]

it’s not that crazy to play Bb dim it has two common tones woth F#min. It’s just a personal taste thing, I like sharper/meaner harmonies. The F# min is more cool/pretty. Allgood.

Not crazy at all. But I think the tune is already a bit tensed at the outset because F#m7 naturally resolves, though B7, to E Major. But resolving to Em kind of comes as a surprise, because it then moves to Em7/A7 resolving to G shifting to C before another harmonic shift happens. It's kind of "All the Things You Are"-ish.

[ragman1]

It was the first thing I noticed, Pingu. I play Bb dim there-- don't like the -7

Just tried it. I played A13 (5x567x) - D7b9 (x5454) - Em9 (0x400x)*. Dom cycle, backdoor into E, all the notes under the fingers :-)

* Or Em/M7 (0x100x) if you're feeling adventurous