Members Vito Corleone Posted June 3, 2012 Members Share Posted June 3, 2012 Getting requests to learn schmaltzy ballads for weddings is par for the course with this band. NP. Half the time we just show up with our parts learned at the gig and walk through them without rehearsal. And I usually just download the sheet music to whatever song it is because it's not worth 5 bucks for me to have to spend 2 hours trying to figure out all the b9/dim6/aug13th chords that these sorts of songs are usually packed with. But the one I'm learning today is some extremely-obscure Stevie Wonder composed thing I've never heard before and for which apparently no sheet music or tab score exists. So it's back to Ear-training 101. 20 min later and I'm finally through the 8 bar intro.... Some days you just really feel like you suck as a musician, ya know?? [/vent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chicken Monkey Posted June 3, 2012 Members Share Posted June 3, 2012 If it makes you feel better, he probably also composed and played the drums, bass, and harmonica on that track :poke:. While blind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wades_keys Posted June 3, 2012 Members Share Posted June 3, 2012 Bwa ha ha ha ha THIS time, make sure you're up in the mix. :poke: This is why I love playing bass sometimes lol. My chart today had a tune in Bb, with one modulation that resolved on Ebmaj7 LOL. Hey, guess what? All I gotta do is hit a whole note Eb. BWA HA HA HA HA HA Have fun keyboard man! :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alan Roberts Posted June 3, 2012 Members Share Posted June 3, 2012 Hater's gonna' hate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 3, 2012 If it makes you feel better, he probably also composed and played the drums, bass, and harmonica on that track :poke:. While blind. No doubt in less time than it's taken me to figure out the frickin' piano part, for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 3, 2012 Bwa ha ha ha ha THIS time, make sure you're up in the mix. :poke: That's just it. I'll spend 3 hours learning this thing and probably nobody will even hear me play it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 3, 2012 Hater's gonna' hate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Piano Whore Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 What's more, right before the wedding, the wedding planner or bride will say "..oh and by the way, we decided to have the band play Wonderful Tonight, instead! Sorry, forgot to tell you!":D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SeniorBlues Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 More than a few of the songs in my new band's current set list are like this. I dig this stuff! Speaking of Stevie, one of the first bands I was considering auditioning for a few years ago had "Creepin'" in their set list. Really? Cool! I spent a fair amount of time on it even though there was no upcoming gig. I just liked the song. I start with a lyric sheet, then play the song back s-l-o-w-l-y up an octave so I can get the bass notes down to determine the basic changes. The extension and alterations usually fall into place, especially if you're thinking in terms of chord functions: ii V I etc. I know you'll get it, but I would be very much interested in seeing if you get a positive response if you try it out at other similar functions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KeysBear Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 the changes are so far off the beaten path from what we are used to in cover bands I completely understand how you'd be banging your head against the wall. Have fun charting it to the end. The melody is insipid. You could probably play one four chord pattern the entire song and no one would be the wiser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Piano Whore Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 RE the intro, sounds to me like 1ma7 6min9 3m9 5sus. The 9 in the 3min is out of the key signature, giving it a min2nd clash. But I'm undoubtedly missing some color in there somewhere and it would take me longer than 8 minutes to nail the exact chord voicings. So you doing good IMO! Come to think of it, there could be a quick passing 6 13th using the sharp 4 in the 3min9- I hear the string part doing a passing sharp1 scale-tone, but the bass notes around there are a little murky to me. But in my case, one of the perks of being semi-deaf and not being able to hear means you get to make your own sh*t up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SeniorBlues Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 the changes are so far off the beaten path from what we are used to in cover bands I completely understand how you'd be banging your head against the wall. Have fun charting it to the end. The melody is insipid. You could probably play one four chord pattern the entire song and no one would be the wiser. unless they're actually familiar with the song . . . or the genre as a whole. Maybe this thread should be about whether or not you honor requests for songs that are not in the band's wheel house. I've been asked to learn "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" by Dean Martin and a couple others. I hardly know where to begin, but everyone else can handle it and it's worked for them for some venues. So I'd better figure out how to approach it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 What's more, right before the wedding, the wedding planner or bride will say "..oh and by the way, we decided to have the band play Wonderful Tonight, instead! Sorry, forgot to tell you!":D Well, at least the chords are pretty easy for that one.... This one has been a doozy. She's changed her mind every day and as much as we've tried to 'guide' her into a format, she keeps changing. Finally we said "look...it's a week out. You've got to nail it down once and for all. We're rehearsing on Tuesday and nothing can be changed after that..." We also have a list of "suggested wedding" songs on our song list that we've played before and can work up on pretty short notice, but don't REALLY know. Of course, she asked for about six of those.....can really fault her that because they are on our song list but still....she had to pick SIX of them? Oh well. Such is life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 the changes are so far off the beaten path from what we are used to in cover bands I completely understand how you'd be banging your head against the wall. Have fun charting it to the end. The melody is insipid. You could probably play one four chord pattern the entire song and no one would be the wiser. Yeah. I'm used to a lot of this stuff, and part of me enjoys the challenge...but at some point it comes down to how far do you go for a one-off... ...there's some just random chords in the middle of the third chorus that sound like a key change but they really aren't.....we'll probably just leave them out and play a straight chorus and out. But now part of me is also determined.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 Maybe this thread should be about whether or not you honor requests for songs that are not in the band's wheel house. Well. That's what we do. Actually, it's one of things I enjoy most about playing weddings is that people will ask for stuff that's just completely out of left field and I enjoy the challenge. This one is crazy though. In addition to this we're playing a bunch of country ballads. So go figure. But this is obviously a special song for them. I'm sure they are familiar with it. But I also doubt they'll notice if we change a chord or two here or there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 Well, here you go. I'm done with it. This is close enough for me. Here's my transcription of it in all my slash-chord glory. You theory-purists can do what you want with them: Intro/Chorus: Bbmaj9 Gm9 Am7/D Eb/FBbmaj9 Gm9 Am7/D Ebmaj9 Eb/F Bbmaj9 Verse: Gm/C Dm7 Ebmaj9 Fm7 Fm7/BbGm/C Dm7 G9 A7 Dm7 Eb/F Bridge: Gbmaj7 Dbmaj9 Emaj7(add6) Bmaj9Gbmaj7 Dbmaj9 Emaj7(add6) Bmaj9 Halfway through 3rd chorus modulate up half step. Vamp on bridge until out. Ta-Da! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KeysBear Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 But this is obviously a special song for them. I'm sure they are familiar with it. But I also doubt they'll notice if we change a chord or two here or there. Exactly, it's a message song, not a sing along. It was that random passage you referred to that made me give up on it and declare it pseudo jazz. That 1/2 step modulation added nothing to the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 Exactly, it's a message song, not a sing along. It was that random passage you referred to that made me give up on it and declare it pseudo jazz. Actually, that random passage just turned out to be a 1/2 step modulation that I didn't correctly at first. Pretty simple. The thing is, Stevie has written these same chord patterns a thousand times, so he just cranks this stuff out in his sleep. But for those of us who don't play Stevie songs all day long, every day.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SeniorBlues Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 Well, here you go. I'm done with it. This is close enough for me. Here's my transcription of it in all my slash-chord glory. You theory-purists can do what you want with them:Intro/Chorus: Bbmaj9 Gm9 Am7/D Eb/FBbmaj9 Gm9 Am7/D Ebmaj9 Eb/F Bbmaj9Verse: Gm/C Dm7 Ebmaj9 Fm7 Fm7/BbGm/C Dm7 G9 A7 Dm7 Eb/FBridge: Gbmaj7 Dbmaj9 Emaj7(add6) Bmaj9Gbmaj7 Dbmaj9 Emaj7(add6) Bmaj9Halfway through 3rd chorus modulate up half step. Vamp on bridge until out.Ta-Da! Generally I don't care for slash chords, but if the next chord is the same as the previous one, except for a change in the bass note . . . well why make life difficult. Same thing for using a root position chord in your RH to indicate both the extension and the inversion. Maybe you all can live your lives without a maj7(add6) . . . or whatever you want to call it. I can't. Listen to the second chord in the bridge of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". . . . . makes the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 Generally I don't care for slash chords, but if the next chord is the same as the previous one, except for a change in the bass note . . . well why make life difficult. Same thing for using a root position chord in your RH to indicate both the extension and the inversion.Maybe you all can live your lives without a maj7(add6) . . . or whatever you want to call it.I can't. Listen to the second chord in the bridge of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". . . . . makes the song. I call 'em what I need to so that they are quickly understandable to me. For example, I called the Dbmaj9 in the bridge as such just so I could be more "correct" here. But on my own notes I'm calling it a Fm7/Db just because my brain will go to the correct voicing quicker that way. Sometimes it depends on the voicing. In that case I'm playing a Db in the left hand and Ab/C/Eb/F in the right. So my brain sees that as Fm7/Db rather than Dbmaj9. I gotta notate it however it's gonna get me through the song with the fewest mistakes. Especially since I'm 99.9999999% certain no one will ever ask for this particular song again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drewl Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 Free music theory in high school for two years really paid off for me.Bring it on, funny chorded blind man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 That 1/2 step modulation added nothing to the song. Ah yes. The key change. 9 times out of 10 I think keys changes are just used to "take a song to the next level" when it doesn't go there by itself. A Cheap Trick, in other words. OTHO, Stevie Wonder probably uses key changes more than any other songwriter. Some to better effect than others. In this song--which certainly isn't one of his greatest compositions, IMO--it feels like a cheap trick to give the song a climax it doesn't otherwise have. But--especially on his earlier stuff---I feel like Stevie is one of the only songwriters who uses a key change to good effect. When he keeps modulating up and up at the end of "Golden Lady", for example.....that feels like nirvana to me. I want it to never end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 We whip lots of stuff up either on the fly or in a short time. the secret is in the arrangment. Our lead singer has a great voice, he also is a very fast study on throwing a cover together with out all the 24dollar chords. Typically they wont even notice you fast tracked the arrangment as long as the melody and the chord progression jives , and the vocals are great. He is a songwriter by trade, and has arranged a gazillion songs to fit his solo acoustic format. Your bride is really looking for the words and melody, not every stevey wonder slick keyboard lick. Capture the vibe of the song and call it good. Most of us could woodshed for a year and not be able to play wonders stuff note for note. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Piano Whore Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 I am recalling the first country band I was ever in- young guns, at 31 I was Grandad- after a day of rehearsal the 17 year old guitar player excitedly told his Uncle Eddie who dropped by "We learned a song today with 6 chords!!" Uncle Eddie said "you don't NEED all them chords! When they play live they don't use all them chords!" I have seen alot of bands since then (country or otherwise) follow that same train of thought. Not sayin' the world will come to an end if you leave out a 9th or whatever...AM saying that if you get TOO far off, someone of actual importance is eventually going to show up at a gig and mark you and your band as dumbass hicks. I'm not going to let any of my bands come off like that. It's nice to be in a outfit that learns stuff right on their own, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted June 4, 2012 Members Share Posted June 4, 2012 I am recalling the first country band I was ever in- young guns, at 31 I was Grandad- after a day of rehearsal the 17 year old guitar player excitedly told his Uncle Eddie who dropped by "We learned a song today with 6 chords!!" Uncle Eddie said "you don't NEED all them chords! When they play live they don't use all them chords!" I have seen alot of bands since then (country or otherwise) follow that same train of thought. Not sayin' the world will come to an end if you leave out a 9th or whatever...AM saying that if you get TOO far off, someone of actual importance is eventually going to show up at a gig and mark you and your band as dumbass hicks. I'm not going to let any of my bands come off like that. It's nice to be in a outfit that learns stuff right on their own, though. I think my point is ,, its gotta sound good, but it doesnt have to be a note for note cover. Hell superstition has like 8 or so different keyboard tracks in it http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/superstition-clavinet-part-dissected/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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