“Shearing style”

[pcjazz]

This may belong in a different forum section, but here goes. So we have a big band arrangement with a passage in which the melody is written for piano and guitar in the same register and marked “Shearing style.” I am never sure whether that means the guitar should sound an octave above, or below, the piano. There is also a sparse left hand part for the piano, so the right hand can’t play too low. Any thoughts or recommendations? Playing in unison is not very interesting.

[AllanAllen]

What’s the tune?

Shearing Quintet usually had them playing in unison.

[pcjazz]

What’s the tune?

Don’t recall, will check the book next rehearsal. But what’s the difference? “Shearing style” is a thing.

[AllanAllen]

Don’t recall, will check the book next rehearsal. But what’s the difference? “Shearing style” is a thing.

I looked it up on Google and It’s not a guitar thing. It’s a piano thing.

Locked hands, blocked chords playing the melody in unison with both hands.

On the Quintet recordings Chuck Wayne doubles the melody in unison. Maybe you’re looking at a piano chart with guitar written on it?

[mr. beaumont]

Thats tricky, because to me Shearing style probably means "locked hands" playing...so the piano is playing in two octaves...

[PMB]

The sound occurred by accident in a rehearsal of the classic George Shearing Quintet. A piano melody line was meant to be doubled in unison by Margie Hyams on vibes and Chuck Wayne on guitar but Chuck played it in conventional reading style down the octave.

Shearing's locked hands voicings (taken mostly likely from fellow pianist, Phil Moore) were framed by those two octaves. Check out their first hit from 1949, September in the Rain for an example:

Consequently, I'd play the written guitar line one octave lower. Presumably the pianist is required to create their own voicings from the given melody?

[pcjazz]

Maybe you’re looking at a piano chart with guitar written on it?

No, the guitar and piano charts are not the same (except for the treble clef passage in question), and I have seen the same direction on other arrangements. The usual convention is to write guitar an octave lower than it sounds, but arrangers are inconsistent (although some mark the guitar staff 8va). If the arranger wanted us to play in unison s/he would not have had to specify “Shearing style”. On the other hand, we also played an arrangement that called for “tight Freddy Green style” which made me wish I had brought a hip flask.

[Rob MacKillop]

Ivor Mairants published back in 1965 several arrangements of songs arranged in the Shearing style which required three guitars. Not having the ability to record a trio, I performed just one part, which was difficult enough:

You can see the page of the edition this came from, and the second and third guitar parts, on my archtop website: Ivor Mairants – ArchtopGuitar.net

The totality of three guitars and voice got you close to the Shearing style. I’d love to hear it all played together.

Here’s a link to the full score: https://archtopguitar.net/wp-content...s-shearing.pdf