12 Essential Tunes" - how many?

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 21 Nov 2005 10:33 am

I ran across this list of 12 tunes one teacher considers essential to know if you are a jazz guitarist, and I'm just wondering if any steel players know any of this stuff. I'm okay with "Blues", "Rhythm Changes", I used to play "Satin Doll" and "Take the A-Train" eons ago on standard guitar, but the rest, I have no idea. I know I've got the sheet music on my computer, hmmm.... I guess if it just sits there it's not doing me much good?

1. Blues (in F and Bb)
2. Rhythm Changes (Bb)
3. Just Friends (F)
4. Satin Doll (C)
5. Autumn Leaves (Gm or Em)
6. How High the Moon (G)
7. Honeysuckle Rose (F)
8. Cherokee (Bb)
9. There is no Greater Love (Bb)
10. There Will Never be Another You (Eb)
11.Take the A-train (C)
12. All the Things You Are (Ab)

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"The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his own room." - Pascal

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 21 Nov 2005 1:12 pm

4,7 ,8 11 are not played much at the jazz gigs I play on elec bass and guitar. Every one is tired of them.

You should know the blues in any key and also rhythm changes type tunes in any key.

Just buy you a "Real Book" fake book. It has all the tunes you would need to know to work a jazz gig.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 21 Nov 2005 7:59 pm

Blues In "F" - Spencer Davis thing...okay, I guess

Rhythm Changes - Gotta have that one, or Oleo

Just Friends - Which one? There's gotta be a dozen of 'em! Sub "Let's Fall In Love"

Satin Doll - Trite, but too classic and smooth to leave out

Autumn Leaves - Nope, not good jazz, often played too "schmaltzy", sub "Yesterdays"

How High The Moon - Okay as a chord exercise I guess, best at about 150 bpm

Honeysuckle Rose - nope, hackneyed and worn, sub "Take 5" or "Should I?"

Cherokee - Nope, a good song, but too much like #12, sub "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me"

There Is No Greater Love - ? Don't know that one, sub "Get Happy"

There Will Never Be Another You - A keeper!

Take The "A" Train - Nope, way too trite, "Christopher Columbus" is better

All The Things You Are - Trite, but still a good exercise

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 22 Nov 2005 7:40 am

My buddy said,
learn 100 tunes you like from the Real Book

Be able to play them all in C#, even though you rarely will ever need to
All other keys will transpose fine after that one.
But practice them anyway.

He can do it from memory, and is a killer player.

At this point you MAY be an entry level jazz player.
But maybe not...

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 22 Nov 2005 8:00 am

Great topic!!

Some of these tunes, like "Satin Doll" and "Autumn Leaves", are best for a wedding or other "wallpaper" gig.

Caveat emptor - My jazz experience has been confined to the above venues

cheers,
Drew

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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden guitars, 70's Fender Twin, etc.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 22 Nov 2005 11:20 am

I played a Country Club "Society" gig last week and the female singer/ pianist did a blusey tune, "At Last" that I had never heard. Where does this one come from?

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"Gimme a steel guitar, 2 or 3 fiddles and a Texas rhythm section that can swing"..R. Pennington

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 22 Nov 2005 1:13 pm

Etta James. The original recording was on Argo, this was the title tune of the album. More recently re-issued on a double CD set, "The History Of Chess Jazz", and probably elsewhere. If there was ever a thread on "perfect songs", "At Last" would be one of the handful that would get my vote. --Steve

Bruce Clarke · Post by **Bruce Clarke** » 25 Nov 2005 6:55 am

"At Last" was one of Glenn Miller's big hits, featured in the film "Orchestra wives" Nothing to do with any blues that I've ever heard, unless there is another tune of that name

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 25 Nov 2005 7:49 am

1. Sweet Home Alabama.

2. Momma Tried.

3. Honky Tonk Women.

4. Swingin Doors.

5. Swingin.

6. Drivin My Life Away.

7. Family Tradition

8. Hank Didn't Do it This Way.

9. Ammarillo by Morning.

10. House of the Rising Sun.

11. All My Exes Live in Texas. (Medley with Does Fort Worth Ever Cross your Mind.)

12. Elvira.

12a. The Rodeo Song.

Not necessarily in that order.

Don't leave home without 'em.

EJL

Off to GC...

Bill Cutright · Post by **Bill Cutright** » 25 Nov 2005 8:58 am

Taken for what it's worth, I believe the teachers, original, recommendations are excellent choices.

And, its from a teaching and learning perspective that they're important - not so much from the standpoint that they would become a-list repetoire items for your next boot scoot, hillbilly wedding, redneck reunion gig.
(Just kiddin - play about one a week and love 'em...)
The songs there represent a good cross section of harmonic and rythmic variation - playing over chord cycles, minor changes, and chord substituion, etc.
As others have suggested, its kind of a seed list, too and easily could have 30 or 50 more added, but depending on where you are, musically, milking out whats available from those twelve is a pretty big load to start with.

For the sceptics, I believe, you'll find a Big E version of several...

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 25 Nov 2005 11:55 am

Bruce-- We're talking about the same song, although I didn't know until I did a lyric search that Glenn Miller had a prior version of "At Last". I still hear the 1960 Etta James hit on the radio, and have heard a number of live renditions, each time with a female vocalist clearly referencing Etta's version. Definitely not a blues, but as the reissue album's liner notes state, "when Etta James signed with Chess Records, the label decided to pair her raw, bluesy singing with a full backing band and lush orchestration."

Actually, Etta's take on this tune sounds more polished than "raw" to my ears, but it's still soulful, heartfelt and a classic piece of singing.

The tune itself has great chord changes and is well worth learning. --Steve

[This message was edited by Stephan Miller on 25 November 2005 at 11:57 AM.]

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 25 Nov 2005 1:52 pm

The Rodeo Song? Eric,shame,shame..LOL

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 25 Nov 2005 2:21 pm

I think Bill Cutright got the point that alot of others missed.

These tunes aren't listed as popular tunes, or audience grabbers; they are listed because of the lessons contained in each tune.
Autumn Leaves might not be "good jazz" to some, but it is the quintessential lesson in II-V-I change in both major and minor modes.
There's a reason every jazz student in the world has learned "They Will Never Be Another You". You again learn about II-V-I changes in both major and minor modes, but also about how to handle secondary dominant chords properly.
I think it's funny that there exists a parallel thread in which the most important modes are being discussed, with the Locrian Mode being given short shrift... while you can't play either of the above named tunes without it.
Sure, you can try, but... well.....

-John

p.s. The only thing I ever learned playing "Sweet Home Alabama" is how sick I am of hearing it.

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www.ottawajazz.com

Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 30 Nov 2005 12:38 am

At Last, Etta's version, will always be my fave. I have heard others do it, Celine, Cindy Lauper, and even Gene Watson. I have also heard a lot of singers do "It's just a matter of time", but no one will ever touch Brook Benton's version, IMO.

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Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 2 Dec 2005 7:29 pm

Dayna, as a newbie here I just ran across your name somewhere recently in connection with country swing in Sacramento. Where can I find out more about you and your music?