When the Real Book key is "wrong."

[ragman1]

To be fair, you're playing it like the Funeral from Ipanema.

Oh, I know. I just can't get any woomph in it. But I invented the last chord. That was nice.

[pamosmusic]

To be fair, you're playing it like the Funeral from Ipanema.

we call that tempo “dirge a la ragman”

[John A.]

Just definitely not Ab, like Rick Beato thinks

This one has such an iconic version in Db, if you play with a vocalist they always seem to gravitate there...or at least close to there. I hear it in my head pretty clearly in Db...but I play it in F too. Sits nice for solo guitar. Db is much better for vocals and feels better for just playing some bossa rhythm.

That video is bizarre. He he puts his fingers in the right places, but misnames all the chords, and analyzes it in a completely farkakte way. Really surprised he whiffed so badly, given how theory-savvy he tends to be.

[ragman1]

Just definitely not Ab, like Rick Beato thinks

This one has such an iconic version in Db, if you play with a vocalist they always seem to gravitate there...or at least close to there. I hear it in my head pretty clearly in Db...but I play it in F too. Sits nice for solo guitar. Db is much better for vocals and feels better for just playing some bossa rhythm.

I went on Spotify and played one version after another. There are lots of Jobim recordings... all in F, and he wrote it.

I think Gilberto has a low voice so he plumped for Db. Ella does it in Db but vocalists tend to go for other keys too. Diana Krall does Ab and Bb. Personally, I like F, it works. I loathe playing it in Db, it just seems wrong and messes with my inner sense... which is probably why I can't really do a good version of it in that key.

[ragman1]

Here's one more for Mr. Beaumont, not so funereal. It might drag a bit because I was tired and it should have gone up higher at the end but who's counting.

Just needed zipping up a bit probably. I don't think this tune is such a problem, I think people make too much of it. There are lessons and videos of people analysing the hell out of it, the bridge especially, till they're blue in the face. It's not that difficult if you just play it straight.