Piano Diana Blog: July 2012

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

"I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that, actually."
– Frank Sinatra

Are you familiar with the song, In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning? It was written in 1955. It's played in the Key of C and sounds so dreamy with these rich chords. The first few chord charts are pretty easy and the last one is from one of my music books.

Words by Bob Hilliard
Music by David Mann

Play slowly with restraint in 4/4 time

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning - Frank Sinatra

Intro:  Cmaj7  C7 | Am  C | Cmaj7  C | Dm7 G7

Verse 1:
       Cmaj7     C7           Am/C    C
In the wee small hours of the morning
          Cmaj7      C             Dm7    G7
While the whole wide world is fast asleep
    Dm7   G7      Em7              A7
You lie awake and think about the girl
    Fism7      B7                 |Em7  A7 Dm7 
and never ever think of counting sheep

Verse 2:
G7|       Cmaj7    C7                    Am/C    C
When your lonelely heart has learned its lesson
         Cmaj7   Em7            A7
You'd be hers if only she would call
       Fism7     Fm7          Em7     A7
In the wee small hours of the morning
          Dm7               Gis9   G13  Cmaj7
thats the time you miss her most   of   all

Interlude:
Cmaj7  C7 | Am  C | Cmaj7  C | Dm7 G7  (two times)


G7|       Cmaj7    C7                    Am/C    C
When your lonelely heart has learned its lesson
         Cmaj7   Em7            A7
You'd be hers if only she would call
       Fism7     Fm7          Em7     A7
In the wee small hours of the morning
          Dm7               Gis    G    Cmaj7
thats the time you miss her most   of   all

Outro:
Cmaj7  C7 | Am  C | Cmaj7  C | Dm7 G7

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

********

Artist/Band: Frank Sinatra Tabs
Song: In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning Tab

          C     Dm7         C          Dm7
When the sun is high in the afternoon sky,

        C           Dm7           C    C/B
You can always find something to do;

          Em7      B7            Em7       B7
But from dusk til dawn, as the clock ticks on,

    G     Em7         Dm7    G7   G7/9
Something happens to you.


       C         Dm7            C           Fdim
In the wee small hours of the morning

           C         Am             Dm7    D7/9    G7
While the whole wide world is fast asleep

     F   Cdim       C    C/B       Am
You lie awake and think about the girl 

      D         D7       D7/9      G     D7     G7
And never ever think of counting sheep


            C     Dm7                   C        Dm7
When your lonely heart has learned its lesson

          C      Em7-5 A7sus4        A7
You'd be hers if only   she   would call

       F         Cdim         C  - C/B    A7
In the wee small hours of the mor-ning

            F                G    Fdim   C   Fm  Fdim  C
That's the time you miss her most  of  all.

All Country Tabs

*****

So, here's what I'm playing using the following piano chords:

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning Chords

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning - Frank Sinatra

Intro:  Cmaj7  C7#5 | Fmaj7  C7#5 | Cmaj7  C7#5 | F G13

         Cmaj7  Dm7/G  G7   Cmaj7     Dm7/G

When the sun is high in the afternoon sky,

G7        Cmaj7      Dm7/G       Cmaj7    
You can always find something to do;

          Em6      B7b9        Em7       F#m7/B B7b9 Em7
But from dusk til dawn, as the clock ticks on,

          A7b9         D7    G7   
Something happens to you.


       Cmaj7       C7            C6          C+
In the wee small hours of the morning

           C        C+             Dm/C    
While the whole wide world is fast asleep

        G9/B       Gm/Bb           A7
You lie awake and think about the girl 

     Am6/C         B7             Em       G7
And never ever think of counting sheep


            Cmaj7     C7                   C6       C+
When your lonely heart has learned its lesson

          Cmaj7      Gm/Bb         A7
You'd be hers if only   she   would call

       Dm         D#dim7         C/E  - Gm/Bb    A7
In the wee small hours of the mor-ning

            Dm7                D7  Db7#9   C6   F  Cmaj7

 That's the time you miss her most  of  all.

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Happy Monday!

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Feel The Beat

Shanda Music Beats (Photo credit: Louish Pixel)

TIME AND FEELING

One of the most important elements of melodic phrasing is the placement of notes relative to the basic beat. The three recognized placements of notes and their relation to the basic pulse are:

Ahead of the beat (on top)

On the beat (right on)

Behind the beat (laying back)

Playing ahead of the beat does not mean rushing. It simply means the player is constantly anticipating the basic pulse, but not rushing. Playing on the beat means phrasing your notes so they coincide exactly with the tempo of the rhythm section... the tempo that was counted off. When people play behind the beat, their phrasing will tend to trail the basic pulse or seem to lag. Playing behind the beat can imply a lazy or "laid back" feeling, where playing ahead of the beat usually implies excitement and forward motion. Playing right on the beat gives a solid, secure time.

Beginning improvisors should learn to play on the beat. If, later in their musical development, their personalities suggest they play ahead or behind the beat they will at least be able to find the basic pulse because they have played there. Listening to the rhythm section and connecting the flow of your notes to theirs is vital.

When playing behind the beat, players must be careful to keep the quarter notes consistent with the basic pulse laid down by the rhythm section. If they place their notes later and later in the measure, they are guilty of dragging. Phrases that drag often resemble something dying! On the other hand, if the player's notes (phrases) come earlier and earlier in relation to the basic pulse, they are guilty of rushing, which, of course, is also undesirable. Our considerations of time and note placement hold true regardless of the meter - 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8.

Players hopefully will find their own "groove" and learn to play with rhythm sections that play ahead of, on, and behind the beat. The way you place your notes in relation to the basic beat can also produce tension or release.

-- an article from Jamey Aebersold

“My feet shall run because of you, My feet, dance because of you, My heart shall beat because of you, My eyes, see because of you, My mind, thinks because of you, And I shall love because of you”

-- unknown

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Best,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

It's Only A Paper Moon

G        E7    Am7   D7
Say, it's only a paper moon,

 D       D9     G    D7   G    D9
Sailing over a cardboard sea,

G       E7          Am7     D7
But it wouldn't be make believe,

   Am7    D7       G    D7
If you believed in me.


G         E7      Am7     D7
Yes, it's only a canvas sky,

  D      D9    G  D7   G     D9
Hanging over a muslin tree,

G       E7         Am7     D7
But it wouldn't be make believe,

   Am7     D7      G   G7
If you believed in me.



(Bridge:)

    Am7 Gdim Bm    Bm7
Without your love,

        Am7   D7     G     G7
It's a honky tonk parade,

    Am7 Gdim  Bm   Bm7
Without your love,

       G       E7   A9     D7+5
It's a melody played at a penny arcade.



G       E7         Am7     D7
It's a Barnum and Bailey world,

  D      D9      G   D7 G    D9
Just as phony as it can be,

G       E7         Am7     D7
But it wouldn't be make believe,

   Am7    D7       G
If you believed in me.

* * * * * * * * *

	E6	Fdim7	F#m7	B7
	Say, it's	only a	paper moon

	F#m7	B9	E
	sailing	over a	cardboard sea,

	E7/G#	A6
but it	wouldn't be	make believe

	F#7/A#	B7	E	B7
	if you	believe in me

	E	Fdim7	F#m7	B7
	Yes, it's	only a	canvas sky

	F#m7	B9	E
	hanging	over a	muslim tree,

	E	E7/G#	A6
	but it	wouldn't be	make believe

	F#7/A#	B7	E
	if you	believed in me

	E7	A6	A#dim7	Em7/B
	with	out	your	love,

	F#m7	B7	E
it's a	honky	tonk par	ade

	E7	A6	A#dim7	Em7/B
	with	out	your	love,

	G#m7	C#9	F#9	B9
it's a	melody	played in a	penny ar	cade.

	E	Fdim7	F#m7	B7
	It's a	Barnum and	Bailey world

	F#m7	B9	E
	just as	phony as	it can be,

	E7/G#	A6
but it	wouldn't be	make believe

	F#7/A#	B7	E	F#m7/D7
	if you	believed in me.

	E6	Fdim7	F#m7	B7
	Say, it's	only a	paper moon

	F#m7	B9	E
	sailing	over a	cardboard sea,

	E7/G#	A6
but it	wouldn't be	make believe

	F#7/A#	B7	E	F#m7	B7
	if you	believe in me

	E	Fdim7	F#m7	B7
	Yes, it's	only a	canvas sky

	F#m7	B9	E
	hanging	over a	muslim tree,

	E	E7/G#	A6
	but it	wouldn't be	make believe

	F#7/A#	B7	E
	if you	believed in me

	E7	A6	A#dim7	Em7/B
	with	out	your	love,

	F#m7	B7	E
it's a	honky	tonk par	ade

	E7	A6	A#dim7	Em7/B
	with	out	your	love,

	G#m7	C#9	F#9	B9
it's a	melody	playedin a	penny ar	cade.

	E	Fdim7	F#m7	B7
	It's a	Barnum and	Bailey world

	F#m7	B9	E
	just as	phony as	it can be,

	E7/G#	A6
but it	wouldn't be	make believe

	F#7	B7	E	Fdim7
	if you	believed in me.

	F#7	B7	E	Fdim7
	if you	believed in me.

	F#7	B7	E	E6
	if you	believed in me.

* * * * * * * *

Here's what I'm playing:

	G	Ddim	Am7	D6 D9
	Say, it's	only	a pape	r moon,

	Am7	D9	G	D7	G
S	ailing o	ver a c	ardbo	ard s	ea,

	Bm7-5	B7 C	Am7
	But it w	ouldn't be m	ake beli	eve,

D7	Am7	D7	G	Gdim Am7
If	you bel	ieved in	me.

	G	Ddim	Am7	D6 D9
	Yes, it's	only a c	anvas sk	y,

	Am7	D9	G	D7	G
Ha	nging o	ver a	mus	lin t	ree,

	G Bm7-5	B7	C	Am7
	But it w	ouldn't be	make bel	ieve,

	D7	Am7	D7	G
If	you beli	eved in	me.

Bridge:

	Am7		Cm7	Gmaj7
With	out	your	love,

D9sus	Am7	D9	G
It's a h	onky t	onk par	ade,

	Am7		Cm7	Gmaj7
With	out	your l	ove,

D7+5	G Dm	E7	A9	D9+5
It's a	melody p	layed at a	penny a	rcade.

	G	Ddim	Am7	D6 D9
	It's a B	arnum and B	ailey wo	rld,

	Am7	D9	G	D7	G
Ju	st as p	hony as	it c	an	be,

	Bm7-5	B7	D7	Am7
	But it w	ouldn't be	make bel	ieve,

	D7	Am7 D7	G
If	you bel	ieved in	me

Monday Music Quote:

"I sing like I feel." -- Ella Fitzgerald

I really like this song. I've heard it sung by many different artists. Do you have a favorite "Ella" song?

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Best,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

How To Play The Bebop Scale

Spike Spiegel 1/ 6 scale Stylish Collection box by MEDICOM side 1 (Photo credit: Doc_Brown)

"Make friends with scales, especially the bebop scale. It's the "glue" of the jazz language. Don't leave home without it!" -- Jamey Aebersold

Awhile back I wrote a post on Classic Bebop. There's a neat section in one of Jamey Aebersold's books on scales, especially the Bebop Scale. Let's talk about it.

The bebop scale contains one added tone to each of the four most used scales.

Dominant 7th, C7 = C D E F G A Bb B C (The red tone is the added tone.)

This scale is often played descending and would look like this:
C7 = C B Bb A G F E D C

Don't allow the B natural (added tone) to fall on a downbeat. The added tone must always come on the upbeat in order to give it the jazz sound we are used to hearing. This is also called the 7th scale.

Good notes to begin/start a phrase with are the chord tones: 1, 3, 5, and b7. When you begin a phrase with the 2nd, 4th, or 6th notes of the scale on a downbeat, you must use additional chromaticism somewhere in the phrase in order to make the B natural fall on the upbeat. 3rd's and 7th's like to fall on beats 1 and 3. This makes your phrases sound more natural.

There are also Bebop scales to be used over major, minor and half-diminished as well as the dominant 7th listed above.

MAJOR = C D E F G G# A B C
MINOR = C D Eb E F G A Bb C
HALF-DIMINISHED = C Db Eb F Gb G Ab Bb C

D- = G7 = Bo
These 3 scales share the same bebop scale:
D E F F# G A B C D
G A b C D E F F# G
B C D E F F# G A B

Using the simple half-step chromaticism (which we are referring to as the bebop scale) allows your lines to have shape and contour which more closely resembles those of the jazz masters. Since the scale has 8 tones, it helps to naturally place the chord tones ON the beat rather than have them scattered all around. Most people notice an immediate uplift to their melodic lines when they begin using the bebop scale; especially if they are used to listening to jazz music. They can tell the similarities.

The dom. 7th bebop scale can act as a substitute for the minor ii chord. Example: C7 bebop scale (C D E F G A Bb B C) could also be played over the G- chord and vice versa. The chords are interchangeable over the scale. Often, while G- to C7 is being sounded the soloist will use the single bebop scale: C D E F G A Bb B C or you could think of it as a G- bebop scale: G A Bb B C D E F G. They're the same.

Learn this SOUND in different keys. You sing it without knowing what you're singing!

Look at transcribed solo books and label examples of bebop scale usage. I think you'll be surprised how often this scale SOUND is used in jazz.

Article Credit: Jamey Aebersold

For additional reading, check out:

How to Play Bebop - Volume 1
How to Play Bebop - Volume 2
How to Play Bebop - Volume 3