Standard guitar arrangement: Wonderful World

[Jim Cohen]

Here is my jazz-guitar, chord melody arrangement of What a Wonderful World: http://youtu.be/vPmp9LASr7M

I welcome your constructive criticism as this is my first serious attempt at a chord-melody on guitar. I know I need to come up with different ways to play the same passage each time it arrives, rather than repeating myself. Also, I'd like some suggestions for what else I could play on the Bb7 instead of holding it unchanged for so many (4) beats. In my mind, I hear perhaps 4 chords changing there (one per beat), while hanging on to the high D note throughout, but I don't know how to source those chords. Will appreciate any advice on that or any other aspect of the arrangement.

Many thanks in advance,

Jimbeaux
p.s. Yeah, yeah, I know I need to clean up the mess in my study...

[Jeff Garden]

Beautiful version of a beautiful tune, Jimbeaux...nice background for my Monday morning coffee. What model guitar is that?? Sounds perfect for chord melody work.
I see you've had to switch to 6 string until the study gets cleaned up and there's room again to set up your steel

[Jim Cohen]

Thanks, Jeff. The guitar is an Ibanez AF105NT.

[Rick Barnhart]

Excellent, Jim. That's one of my favorite melodies.

[Earnest Bovine]

Very nice, Jim.

what else I could play on the Bb7 instead of holding it unchanged for so many (4) beats. In my mind, I hear perhaps 4 chords changing there (one per beat), while hanging on to the high D note throughout,

Staying on the B flat for 4 beats is OK; that chord is a nice distinctive thing about this tune. The A flat note probably doesn't have to be there every time; that chord isn't usually a 7th in most arrangements. Here are a couple of alternatives:

[Earnest Bovine]

You can always listen to Ted Greene for inspiration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZENkj7C7Bw

[Sam Conomo]

loved it jim,a lot of work as usual.
good onya.
sam.

[Joe Casey]

Jim just a thought,for your next Cd, you should play,Guitar and Steel and Bass with a Drum machine.Or add a Drummer..Call it "Me ,Myself and I..Add your son on any reed inst of his choice I think it would be a great project for you..

[David Coplin]

Great tune and nicely done Jim, I agree with Earnest,
there is nothing wrong with sitting on the B flat for 4 beats . Keep em coming !

David

[Jim Palenscar]

Great job- never 'spected the Night Life tag at the end~))

[Jim Cohen]

Great job- never 'spected the Night Life tag at the end~))

What else would you expect from a C6 steeler, Jim? Somehow all this stuff gets integrated into the same computer in my head... lol.

[Jim Palenscar]

loved it~~)

[Peter Freiberger]

Just beautiful, Jim!

[Bo Borland]

nioe Jim

[Sam Conomo]

i find i have to play chord melodies first on the guitar then put them on the steel,i seem to memorize em faster.And have a better core understanding of the harmony.
then it only takes two months to learn and not two years ha ha.
sam.

[Mike Neer]

JIm, if you'd like to spice up that bar of Bb, here's a suggestion or 2:

/BbMaj7 - Bm7 E7 /Em7 - A7b9 etc.

BbM7.. 6 x 7 7 x x
Bm7... 7 x 7 7 x x
E7..... 7 x 6 7 x x
Em7... 7 x 5 7 x x
A7b9.. 6 x 5 6 x x

This one is kind of different but sounds good:

/C9 - B7#9 F13 /E7 - A7b9 etc.

C9..... x 3 2 3 3 x
B7#9.. x 2 1 2 3 x
F13.... 1 x 1 2 3 x
E7...... 0 x 0 1 3 x
A7b9... 5 x 5 3 2 x
A11.....5 x 5 4 3 x
C#dim...x 4 5 3 5 x
D6......x 5 4 4 3 x

Anyway, I hope you don't mind these little suggestions. The beautiful thing about playing chord melody is that you can play any chords you want, even if it is a completely unrelated chord. The bottom line is how it sounds. If you ever get a chance, listen to Richie Beirach's reharm of ATTYA.

[Anne Marie O Keeffe]

That's just beautiful Jim. I so love that song.

[Paul Graupp]

AMOK...I see you !! Good music can always be found around good folks and JC is surely one of those !!