Why Charlie Christian's A Smo-O-O-Oth One fascinates me endlessly.

**brent.h** · 12-05-2025, 03:07 AM

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**Christian Miller** · 12-05-2025, 05:24 AM

I like how it ends on Db7.

Everyone plays F afterwards when we play it on the gig. Benny Goodman too avant garde.

You know, much this era of jazz is built from the bass line, not the chords. It’s the way they play rhythm changes back then as well. Take Lester Leaps In for example and listen to how Walter handles the bass line. It’s not the school changes and it’s very much variations on a set bassline, 1-3-4-#4-5

A Smooth One is sort of that backwards

If you know the bass line there’s standard ways of filling in the chords. According to Iverson they didn’t really have chord symbols back then - players filled in chord from the left hand of piano sheet music. So the bass is much more ‘locked in’ in this music.

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**AllanAllen** · 12-05-2025, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

I like how it ends on Db7.

Everyone plays F afterwards when we play it on the gig. Benny Goodman too avant garde.

You know, much this era of jazz is built from the bass line, not the chords. It’s the way they play rhythm changes back then as well. Take Lester Leaps In for example and listen to how Walter handles the bass line. It’s not the school changes and it’s very much variations on a set bassline, 1-3-4-#4-5

A Smooth One is sort of that backwards

If you know the bass line there’s standard ways of filling in the chords. According to Iverson they didn’t really have chord symbols back then - players filled in chord from the left hand of piano sheet music. So the bass is much more ‘locked in’ in this music.

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Fine, I'll link your video.

**AllanAllen** · 12-05-2025, 12:12 PM

I like to do Bdim Bb6 Am(b13) F

Bdim: 7x676x
Bb6: 6x576x
Amb13: 5x556x
F: 5x356x

Then I get to pedal F on top of everything.

**aquin43** · 12-05-2025, 12:28 PM

It reminds me of "hut sut rawlson on the rillerah"

**aquin43** · 12-05-2025, 02:15 PM

The bridge definitely. The verse has so few different notes that it will fit as well, certainly over the iReal chords.

The hut sut song also dates from 1941.

**Christian Miller** · 12-05-2025, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Fine, I'll link your video.

Nuts I forgot I did that. I was just thinking, ooh that would make a good video.

Nah it's fine, I'll just do the same thing again with a slightly different focus and a new thumbnail. It wouldn't be the first time.