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Hello All,
Welcome to the Solo Guitar Arranging Group! This is song thread #5, Moon River, which was the winner of a recent poll of song suggestions for the group to work on.
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, please indicate so in your post (e.g. indicate "c&c welcome" 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.
There are separate thread for our first four songs. If you want to post a video or recording of one of those, it’s never too late. Please do so in those threads and help keep them going!
I've attached a lead sheet of Moon River if it would be helpful. It is in the key of G, but of course any key can be used.
We hope everyone will join in and participate however you choose.Last edited by PaulW10; 05-02-2018 at 05:22 PM. Reason: Added lead sheets; labelled as study group
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05-02-2018 03:10 PM
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FYI, the original from Breakfast at Tiffany's is in F (transposes to I forgot what key in the last choir-sung chorus), and the chords are a bit different from what you have there. [I haven't listened closely to the Andy Williams version, but maybe it matches your changes.] Anyway, this is the way I hear the changes in the original guitar part (I didn't transcribe the orchestration):
Originally Posted by PaulW10
| F | D min | Bb | F / A |
| Bb | F /A | Emin7b5 | A7 |
| Dmin7 | F7/C | Bb | Eb7 |
| D min | Bmin7b5 E7 | Amin7 D7 | Gmin7 C7|
| F | D min | Bb | F / A |
| Bb | F /A | Emin7b5 | A7 |
| Dmin7 | Dmin/C | Bmin7b | Bb7 |
| F/A | Bb6 | F/A | Bb6 |
| F/A | Dmin | Gmin7 C | Bb Bb/A Bb/G| F ||
This gives some of the background to the chart/score for the song. Basically, Mancini wrote a rough sketch of the song, not a full score. There are images of it online; it's in C with just the melody. It got transposed, harmonized, and arranged at the recording session to fit Audrey Hepburn's voice. Anyway, sorry to be so long-winded about this, but for this song, I think it's best not to use a chart, and instead listen to a few versions, pick a version you like, and grab those by ear. Personally, I grabbed the original because I knew it had a guitar part and I like the spare/folkie feel of it.
John
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Thanks John! I just added lead sheets transposed to keys of C and F. The chords still don't match what you have above but at least the melody line will be there. Originally Posted by John A.
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What doesn't match? I see no real differences in the changes. What am I missing? A few differences are mainly due to conventions in naming. Originally Posted by PaulW10
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Until this point I actually hadn't compared the lead sheet to what John noted. I was just trying to say the added transposed lead sheets had the same chords as the first lead sheet and I didn't change anything to match what John noted. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
The differences do seem to be subtle on paper, but perhaps they change the flavor of the song when played?
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I’ll prime the pump. Here’s my rough once through in C. Maybe I can post something more interesting later.
And the chart I used.
It’s my edit of an iReal Pro chart. I think I changed a couple of dominant chords to major 7ths. The melody has some big jumps, so the challenge is to find chord voicings that allow each portion of the melody to be played while keeping something interesting going on in the bass. The middle notes are just enough to define the chord type and hopefully supply some nice inside voice motion. I like to practice tunes with various rhythms before I lock in on any preferred interpretation. I’ve tried this one in swing, bossa, and even 5, but here I just played it as a straight waltz.Last edited by KirkP; 05-03-2018 at 12:05 PM.
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That was really enjoyable KirkP! I liked the upbeat rhythm and the overall sweetness of the chords. It's definitely in the spirit of the movie version. When I heard your version it made me realize the way I've been practicing it up until now is possibly a little too dark sounding. I may have to revisit my own interpretation before I post it. Originally Posted by KirkP
I’ll prime the pump. Here’s my rough once through in C. Maybe I can post something more interesting later.
And the chart I used.
It’s my edit of an iReal Pro chart. I think I changed a couple of dominant chords to major 7ths. The melody has some big jumps, so the challenge is to find chord voicings that allow each portion of the melody to be played while keeping something interesting going on in the bass. The middle notes are just enough to define the chord type and hopefully supply some nice inside voice motion. I like to practice tunes with various rhythms before I lock in on any preferred interpretation. I’ve tried this one in swing, bossa, and even 5, but here I just played it as a straight waltz.
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Gold-Finger!
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OK, here's my first crack at it.
John
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NICE John!! Very cool. I really liked your chords, and the improvised section was really nice and melodic. Very enjoyable. And, I couldn't physically see it to be sure, but that sure sounded like some whammy bar to me!! Cool!!! (either that or you have incredible vibrato skills)! Originally Posted by John A.
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Thanks Paul. Yup, there's whammy in there. Sometimes I catch myself wiggling the neck of my strat for Frisell-like effects (which I do on my other guitars pretty much unconsciously), and I have to stop myself ("schmuck, use the whammy!") Funny thing about playing "melodically", I took a stab at it a couple of days ago, and every time I tried to play something a little busier I shifted into 4/4 inadvertently. I had to stick with simpler stuff to keep from doing that, and I guess the tune really calls for that anyway. But I'm still gonna keep practicing to see if I can pull off something a little more adventurous in the solo without the time falling apart (and to clean up the overall execution a bit). Originally Posted by PaulW10
John
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Here is my first hand of "Moon River"-more of a thinking through the tune than a finished setting of it. I have a hard time thinking of more than one way to play some of the phrases, but I found a few new ones while doing this. A couple of times I surprised myself.
Also... when in doubt, I play the L5ces. Like a good horse carries a poor rider, the L5 always seems to know the way home.
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Nice one Lawson. I like reharms. Not harmful at all this time. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
John
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Great relaxed take, lovely jazz strat tone. Maybe they aren't a complete abomination Originally Posted by John A.
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Originally Posted by John A.
Agreed, lovely chord choices.
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Nice! Nylon and this song are just perfect. Originally Posted by jazzdan
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Pretty stuff. Sometimes the song just gives us all we need. Loved it. Originally Posted by KirkP
I’ll prime the pump. Here’s my rough once through in C. Maybe I can post something more interesting later.
And the chart I used.
It’s my edit of an iReal Pro chart. I think I changed a couple of dominant chords to major 7ths. The melody has some big jumps, so the challenge is to find chord voicings that allow each portion of the melody to be played while keeping something interesting going on in the bass. The middle notes are just enough to define the chord type and hopefully supply some nice inside voice motion. I like to practice tunes with various rhythms before I lock in on any preferred interpretation. I’ve tried this one in swing, bossa, and even 5, but here I just played it as a straight waltz.
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Everything I played in 3 was cheeseball, so I consulted my rubber bracelet marked WWGGD? (What would Grant Green do) and played the tune in 4...so it got bluesy too...or something.
Hope you enjoy...phone was off auto rotate again.
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Such a lovely song and I enjoy playing it on nylon. I always think of Audrey Hepburn when I play it and that's a nice place to be
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Very cool. I never would have thought of trying it in 4 (despite lapsing into 4 in several false starts). But I think your house might be sideways. You might want to get that checked out. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
John
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Wow. Now that’s fresh. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Thanks Lawson,
It was probably fresher 50 something years ago when Grant did it
But it was too good of an idea not to steal.
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Cool, I hadn't heard that before. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Thanks Lawson,
It was probably fresher 50 something years ago when Grant did it
But it was too good of an idea not to steal.
John
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