The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Our standard for Nov 2018 will be Sweet Lorraine (Clifford Burwell/Mitchell Parish, 1928).

    Background:
    Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Sweet Lorraine)

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Whoopee :-)

  4. #3

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    November 2018 - Sweet Lorraine-proxy-duckduckgo-3-jpg

    #jazzjokes
    #theoldonesaretheoldest

  5. #4

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    La Reine Kitsch

    November 2018 - Sweet Lorraine-reine-solaire-bleue-solar-queen-derby-edition-kikkerland-jpg

  6. #5

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    Not an easy tune to solo on it has to be said lol.

  7. #6

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    Very nice take:

  8. #7

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    The only version I’m familiar with is the classic one by Nat King Cole. Also features a short guitar solo by John Collins.


  9. #8

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    Yes, it's funny, this tune. It was written by a producer, I think, rather than a player/composer. It should be a happy tune, given the lyrics, but I think all those tritones give it a rather sad, dreary feel. The trumpet was doing all right but I think John Collins was having some trouble with it.

    Still, as we're posting YouTubes at the moment (!) I do like this one. Basie and Oscar give it a lovely bluesy feel. It might lose a bit of impetus towards the end though; it is quite long :-)


  10. #9

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    Always worth looking a tune upon jazzstandards.com

    Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Sweet Lorraine)

  11. #10

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    Most charts I’ve found for this tune over-specify the chords with extensions, subs and turnarounds that I feel should be decided by the player (or arranger). I created this vanilla-ish chart that I’m using as a starting point. If I haven’t yet decided whether I want to play a chord as a maj6, maj7, or dom7 I’ll just name the triad. I’m experimenting with various extensions, subs and turnarounds as I play it. I’m posting in in case it’s useful to anyone else or if anyone wants to comment on it.

    At this point I’m resisting the temptation to turn everything possible into cycles of fifths. For example, the 2nd bar of the bridge could be played as
    | A-7 D7 G7 C7 |
    which makes a tidy cycle of fifths. But I like the open feel of fewer chords, especially when learning.
    Last edited by KirkP; 11-03-2018 at 03:04 PM.

  12. #11

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    As a word of warning - many people play it in F

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    As a word of warning - many people play it in F
    Easy peasy with iRealPro. November 2018 - Sweet Lorraine

    I’ll probably practice this in several keys.
    Last edited by KirkP; 11-05-2018 at 02:59 PM.

  14. #13

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    I was thinking F too, to get away from the G and C rut.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    Always worth looking a tune upon jazzstandards.com

    Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Sweet Lorraine)
    That was for folks that didn't read the first post in the thread, right?

  16. #15

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    You can watch me struggle getting this tune under my fingers as a solo piece in C. I need more time for improv ideas, but I thought I’d prime the pump on this thread. Why C? Why not? I’ll try other keys too.

    (A certain political figure thinks he invented the idiom “prime the pump” but I’ve been using it since I actual had to do it on my grandpa’s well. November 2018 - Sweet Lorraine)

  17. #16

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    Oh, well done, Kirk! Great! When it's played like that it all makes sense :-)

  18. #17

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    Kirk -

    It's occurred to me you might think I'm exaggerating or that I'm just saying it, etc. I'm not. I think that arrangement was better than some piano versions I've heard. Quite a few of them sound forced in places, especially with the repeated descending harmonies, and the solos likewise because they're geared to 'fit'.

    That arrangement (is it your own?) seems to clarify what's going on and make it tuneful. I liked it a lot, really.

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by ragman1
    Kirk -

    It's occurred to me you might think I'm exaggerating or that I'm just saying it, etc. I'm not. I think that arrangement was better than some piano versions I've heard. Quite a few of them sound forced in paces, especially with the repeated chromatic descending harmonies, and the solos likewise because they're geared to 'fit'.

    That arrangement (is it your own?) seems to clarify what's going on and make it tuneful. I liked it a lot, really.
    That’s nice to hear. It’s my own arrangement. When working on solo arrangements, I try to listen to several versions spanning the life of the tune to get it under my skin. On this one I set the Amazon Music app to stream every version in its catalog and plugged in earphones as I went to sleep. November 2018 - Sweet Lorraine

    I looked at several charts to try to make sense of the changes. One of my favorites is “Anthologie des Grilles de Jazz” because it’s pretty close to vanilla. Then I found a chart for the tune in the iReal app and edited to make my own vanilla chart, as I posted above.

    I like to strip the harmony down to what I think is the essence based on the melody and definitive versions I’ve listened to. It’s an iterative process. I’ll use my vanilla chart to play along with recordings (using the iReal transpose feature), fix my errors, and make note of the ways various performers reharmonize parts of it. Going through that process helps me understand the tune much more that if I used someone else’s chart, and it gives me ideas for my own interpretation.

    When working on my own arrangement, I try to focus on the melody and bass lines and add just enough in-between notes to suggest the harmony. I like to think of the guitar as a choir, with voices that move somewhat independently. I’ve taken a few lessons from Tim Lerch and try to play somewhat in that style, but stripped down to my humble skill level. (By the way, Tim’s two downloadable solo albums are excellent & inspiring. Tim Lerch Store)

    In my listening, I ran across a couple of outstanding versions of Sweet Lorraine that are available on YouTube:
    Kenny Barron
    Till Bronner
    I won’t clutter this thread with the links, but they are worth looking up.
    Last edited by KirkP; 11-07-2018 at 02:54 PM.

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by KirkP
    plugged in earphones as I went to sleep.
    Ah! The learn-while-you-snooze trick. It works too, the brain's far more receptive when not actively occupied.

    I looked at several charts to try to make sense of the changes. One of my favorites is “Anthologie des Grilles de Jazz” because it’s pretty close to vanilla. Then I found a chart for the tune in the iReal app and edited to make my own vanilla chart, as I posted above.

    I like to strip the harmony down to what I think is the essence based on the melody and definitive versions I’ve listened to. It’s an iterative process. I’ll use my vanilla chart to play along with recordings (using the iReal transpose feature), fix my errors, and make note of the ways various performers reharmonize parts of it. Going through that process helps me understand the tune much more that if I used someone else’s chart, and it gives me ideas for my own interpretation.

    When working on my own arrangement, I try to focus on the melody and bass lines and add just enough in-between notes to suggest the harmony.
    Time spent in reconnaissance... and it's certainly paid off :-)

  21. #20

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    While l listen to all your nice versions, in my head I keep hearing Malaika (Fadhili Williams, Miriam Makeba, Harry Belafonte, BoneyM ...)

    I do not think Loraine is based on 4 chords pop song. I think it's based on 3 chords.

    A: C G C G F G C G
    B: F F F F G G G G

    All together, it rminded me of couple of years ago and what I did with one other simple tune, Soleil Soleil/ Soley Soley (Middle of The Road, Nana Mouskouri, Dalida ... , our American friends probably have no clue about all these names ...). Soley ... has somewhat moody intro, but once it gets going .... Don't get me wrong, yes, it is lateral OT, but here it is:

    Last edited by Vladan; 11-10-2018 at 02:56 PM.

  22. #21

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    Your stuff's always fun, Vladan. Free trips round the place :-)

    I think it does go into Am from C and Dm from F though... those are very strong sounds.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by ragman1

    I think it does go into Am from C and Dm from F though... those are very strong sounds.
    Heart wants me there, but head says no.
    The only other chord I would rwally like to hear is G+ as the last chord of B:.

    BTW, I edited chords in previous post, to stay true to form.

  24. #23

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    Here's mine. Acoustic chords + electric solo (both on the ES175). Took a while to get my head round this one, in the end I tried to target the important chords and not get hung up on all those passing chords. Also thinking about the melody seemed to help.


  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by KirkP
    Most charts I’ve found for this tune over-specify the chords with extensions, subs and turnarounds that I feel should be decided by the player (or arranger). I created this vanilla-ish chart that I’m using as a starting point. If I haven’t yet decided whether I want to play a chord as a maj6, maj7, or dom7 I’ll just name the triad. I’m experimenting with various extensions, subs and turnarounds as I play it. I’m posting in in case it’s useful to anyone else or if anyone wants to comment on it.

    At this point I’m resisting the temptation to turn everything possible into cycles of fifths. For example, the 2nd bar of the bridge could be played as
    | A-7 D7 G7 C7 |
    which makes a tidy cycle of fifths. But I like the open feel of fewer chords, especially when learning.
    Or eg. Am7 Abm7 Gm7 C7

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by garybaldy
    Or eg. Am7 Abm7 Gm7 C7
    Right—When you’re moving through the cycle of fifths you always have the option to do tritone subs, change minor-7ths to dominants, etc. ...As long as your bandmates are on the same page.