Song With The Most Chords ?

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 30 Aug 2004 9:05 pm

I was thinking about something that my mentor "Pee Wee" Word told me one time, that the tune, "Little Rock Getaway" was a tough song to learn. He said that he counted the chords one time and that song had 30 something chords in it and that you had to practice it a lot to be proficient with it. I got to wondering, what song has the most chords that any of you have seen and how difficult is it to play. I'm anxious to see what replies I'll get with this one !

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[This message was edited by John P.Phillips on 30 August 2004 at 10:07 PM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 31 Aug 2004 3:56 am

You can have a round of major minor and 7th chords and get 30 different chords pretty easily.

But the tough songs have many passing and hybrid chords, not just shifts in key of simple chord changes.

Like the ones a major minor chord make perfect sense in.

Thad Jones A Child Is Born has 17 different chords
Gerswins A Foggy Day has 14
Vernon Duke's April in Paris has 28!

John Bresler · Post by **John Bresler** » 31 Aug 2004 6:54 am

I once had the privelege to play with one of Willy Nelson's guitar players, the late Carl Lawrence, who could play a different chord with every beat. I believe you're talking about chords included with the original music, tho. I'd vote for "Crazy", maybe.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 31 Aug 2004 8:08 am

I was having difficulty following the chords in "Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out." When I charted out the chords I discovered that everyone of the eight notes of the scale served as the root for at least one chord. That's less than 30, but I was just counting the root major and minor chords, not 7ths, etc. Somehow it seemed neat that the song used every note of the scale in its roots.

Tony Harris · Post by **Tony Harris** » 31 Aug 2004 8:35 am

How about the jazz standard "All The Things You Are"? (All The Chords There Are?)

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 31 Aug 2004 8:38 am

"Giant Steps".
About 8 bars and about 26 chord changes.
Thank goodness Coltrane didn't write a bridge to it.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 31 Aug 2004 9:05 am

"Tie a Yellow Ribbon"

Jennings Ward · Post by **Jennings Ward** » 31 Aug 2004 9:39 am

Forgive spelling} [ LIEBERSTRAUM] a bunch o
f chords.......Jennings

Play steel for the sound of it.....

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David Spires · Post by **David Spires** » 31 Aug 2004 9:56 am

I used to nickname "All The Things You Are" as "All The Chords You Know"...

It certainly has a lot of them, anyway...

Sincerely,

David Spires

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Steel Guitarist for Jo Dee Messina: Carter D-10 8&7 / MSA Classic D-10 8&5; Line 6 Pod XT; Jagwire Artist Series Strings; Walker Professional Players' Chair; Peterson VS-II Tuner; and Goodrich Matchbro & LDR Pedal
[This message was edited by David Spires on 31 August 2004 at 10:56 AM.]

David Spires · Post by **David Spires** » 31 Aug 2004 9:58 am

Well - Tony,

I obviously neglected to read your post before I posted! Way to beat me to it. Good song, though.

Oops...

David Spires

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 31 Aug 2004 10:05 am

Hey, Jennings, no fair getting into classical music with this. Wagner was just warming things up for Chopin and Rachmaninoff, who were just warming things up for Stravinski and Shastokovich, who were just warming things up for...well eveyone that came later. The motto finally became "repeat no chord." But then the audiences stopped repeating their attendance.

[This message was edited by David Doggett on 31 August 2004 at 11:06 AM.]

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 31 Aug 2004 10:30 am

As far as (many) chords are concerned, ANY song can be made complicated...even a simple ditty such as SILENT NIGHT. A jazz pianist friend of mine, (studied at Berkley), illustrated this to me as he played an entirely different chord to every note of that melody. Man, it sure sounded nice, but I'm sure very few musicians, (including steel guitar players), could tackle something like that! Just illustrates what a formal education in the finer aspects of music theory and harmony can produce.

[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 31 August 2004 at 11:31 AM.]

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 31 Aug 2004 10:39 am

"How Insensitive" has a lot of chords...

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 31 Aug 2004 10:50 am

I don't know if it has the most chords, but "Killing Me Softly" has a lot. It's actually a great song to jam on, cause you have to keep track of them all while you're improvising.

A lot of the post surfing era Beach Boys songs like Wouldn't It Be Nice and Heros And Villians have quite a few too.[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 31 August 2004 at 11:51 AM.]

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 31 Aug 2004 10:54 am

Lush Life by Billy Strayhorn

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 31 Aug 2004 11:48 am

Tony's candidate is also mine and if you include the verse (In G) and the main tune (In Ab) there are not only quite a few chords but it's also a very good exercise in modulating from one key to another..

My Wife Pat has just mentioned "Carefree" "Body and Soul" and "you go to my Head" as her choices
Baz

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Steel players do it without fretting

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Lincoln Goertzen · Post by **Lincoln Goertzen** » 31 Aug 2004 12:19 pm

"Cherokee" or "Misty" would probably get my votes.

I figured out a way to play "Cherokee" Chet Atkins-style on a six-string, though. Great fun.

I'm still trying to figure out the melody to "Misty". The only version I've heard was an improvised MIDI version.

Lincoln

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 31 Aug 2004 2:03 pm

All the things you are has 19 different chords
plus a few repeats.

My Favorite Things has 12 different chords

How High The Moon 14 different chords

My Funny Valentine 20 different chords

Prelude to A Kiss ha 23 different chords

My One And Only Love by Wood/Mellin has 27 chords

Lush Life seems to be in the lead with 29,
not counting Cb maj 7 as different than B maj7

Funny thing about the musical logic of these old chestnuts. You can really get a feel for how passing chord theory works in practice.

And you know it was a complicated but properly working usage of theory,
because we still hear the tunes played.,
[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 31 August 2004 at 03:23 PM.]

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 31 Aug 2004 2:31 pm

For Jon Light: Thanks for remembering Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life: it has a change on (most) every beat. HJ my sample at www.steelguitarbyhughjeffreys.com

Chad Karnitz · Post by **Chad Karnitz** » 31 Aug 2004 3:00 pm

Most definitely Lush Life. That song is a real b$tch to play.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 31 Aug 2004 3:13 pm

All the Thngs You Are was my first choice, but since at least 3 other people have suggested it, how about "Tenderly"?
I haven't counted them, but there are quite a few changes in that one.

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 31 Aug 2004 3:16 pm

For Jon Light: A jazz trombone player buddy of mine delights in using this poker-faced routine when someone new wants to hire him for a gig:

"That'd be great.... but I only know 2 songs, y'know."
(slight pause)
"And what two songs are they ?"

"Bill Bailey, and Lush Life. "

-John

Chuck Fisher · Post by **Chuck Fisher** » 31 Aug 2004 5:29 pm

Achey-breaky Heart. Its not that its supposed to have a lotta chords, I'm just bored.

Bob Cox · Post by **Bob Cox** » 31 Aug 2004 5:34 pm

Thats all that matters to me

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 31 Aug 2004 5:42 pm

"Land Of A Thousand Dances"?