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The new tune for our group is: Stella by Starlight.
This is the book of chord melody arrangements we are studying -- Jazz Ballads; Jazz Guitar Chord Melody Solos - Amazon.com
There is a free PDF of the book available online which you can work from if you have not ordered the book.
Our mission is to learn Jeff Arnold's version verbatim and record and share our rendition of it. You may want to modify the arrangement or add an introduction to it, but learning Jeff's arrangement is our primary assignment.
Here is the original introduction of the song should you desire to use it. However, this score is in G Major whereas Arnold's arrangement is in Bb Major.
I managed to find someone who sang this introduction - it wasn't easy!
Last edited by Mick-7; 08-19-2024 at 04:49 AM.
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08-13-2024 12:00 AM
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Okay, I'm in.
How about Sunday Sept.1st for final submissions? It's summer time and and so less practicing gets done on my part anyway.
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That would be our usual two week per tune time allotment.
Originally Posted by alpop
This is a relatively easy arrangement except for the fact that the melody ranges over more than 12 frets, so can only be played in a few keys unless you transpose part of it up or down an octave.
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Thanks for setting this up Mick.
I was away for a few weeks with surprisingly very poor wifi. I'll dig out the book and will try to get back on track.
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Welcome back LP, this musical poker game would not be the same without you.
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I gave it a go. Pretty much what Arnold has written down.
Stream Stella By Star Light1 by DeArmondX155 | Listen online for free on SoundCloud
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Nice one! I will be joining you when I have it memorized. Originally Posted by DeArmondX155
Just curious, are you looking at the sheet music or can you play it from memory?
I'm asking because, for myself, playing it off book forces me to understand the harmony being used.
Keep up the good work!
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Very good! Originally Posted by DeArmondX155
Sounds like you have a good grasp of the arrangement but your timing is a bit erratic. I expect you could correct that by playing the arrangement slower, you played it at a fairly brisk pace and it will sound good at a slower tempo if you play it with feeling.
Did you play Arnold's finger stretcher chord in measure 10?
This one - Em7b5: x-7-5-3-3-x ( you could play this instead: x-1-2-0-3-x )
What's up with that? The arrangement is mostly easy chords and then he sticks that one in!
Last edited by Mick-7; 08-20-2024 at 05:15 PM.
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Originally Posted by alpop
Thanks, I look forward to hearing it.
Do you mean you are learning off the real book first, then learning Arnold's arrangement? I have just been doing what Arnold wrote. I learn it off the sheet until I memorize it. If I was arranging my own chord melody, I would learn the melody line well before I started dropping chords under it. I should do that with these too.
I also like to harmonically analyze it. I am mainly looking at the chord motion. Fourth, minor, third, fourth, fourth etc. I would be interested to know what you look at when you analyze it. One thing I see Arnold likes to do that I never really tried is staying on one chord but just changing the type, extensions and voicing. Like in the 14th and 15th measures where he hangs on the A. I usually drive the harmony off the base, put the melody at the highest pitch and put whatever I want in between, depending on what will carry the melody note and obtain the sound I want. Probably a very basic way of doing it. How do you go about it?
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Thanks, Yes, my timing needs some work, and I still need to smooth the whole thing out. I will try slowing it down a bit. I appreciate the feedback Originally Posted by Mick-7
Very good!
Sounds like you have a good grasp of the arrangement but your timing is a bit erratic. I expect you could correct that by playing the arrangement slower, you played it at a fairly brisk pace and it will sound good at a slower tempo if you play it with feeling.
Did you play Arnold's finger stretcher chord in measure 10?
This one - Em7b5: x-7-5-3-3-x ( you could play this instead: x-1-2-0-3-x )
What's up with that? The arrangement is mostly easy chords and then he sticks that one in!
That one was not so bad for me. I have pretty big hands, and they can spread out pretty far. I had a harder time with the A7b9 x-x-2-3-2-5. I keep muting the second and sometimes the fourth string. My middle finger was already big, and I like to fret 2 strings at a time with the tip, so it is even fatter with calluses. The F7#5 to F7 is also kind of awkward. I could grip it differently if I played it at a slower tempo.
I am not used to some of the grips Arnold likes to use. I try to learn them. What is hard today is easy tomorrow, right?
If I get it down better before the end date, I will upload another try.
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Instead of: F7#5: x-6-7-6-6-x >> F7: x-6-7-5-8-x Originally Posted by DeArmondX155
You could play: F7#5: x-6-7-6-6-x >> F13: x-6-7-7-8-x
Since the next chord is Fm9: x-8-6-8-8-x
It's easier on the top strings but probably not worth the position shift:
F7#5: x-6-7-6-6-x >> F7: x-6-7-5-8-x
F7#5: x-x-1-2-2-1 >> F7: x-x-1-2-1-3
But I'm playing it in C major and changing a lot of it so creating different problems for myself.
Hopefully, but I'd say your odds of attaining a "rapture so rare" are not good. Does the guitar you're playing match your forum name, i.e., Dearmond X-155? Originally Posted by DeArmondX155
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I thought your time feel was pretty good, actually. It moved, it didn't feel plodding. If anything you could experiment with being even more elastic. Joe Pass, for instance, plays around with the meter a lot. He slows down, speeds up, and it all goes with making the tune come alive. I guess the technical term is rubato. He also sometimes plays a strong, steady meter. It's all tools at your disposal. Originally Posted by DeArmondX155
Thanks, Yes, my timing needs some work, and I still need to smooth the whole thing out. I will try slowing it down a bit. I appreciate the feedback
Thank you for sharing your version!
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To be clear, I wasn't referring to his time feel when I said his "timing was a little erratic," just that he was hesitant in his playing at times, which as I said, could probably be corrected by slowing down the tempo (that works for me). He played it at a brisk pace for a ballad. Originally Posted by supersoul
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this tune is not just played as a ballad. It is often played pretty up-tempo. I realize this book is "ballads" but in the jazz world, those categories are not very binding on players. I once heard Joe Pass play "Giant Steps" as a bossa nova. "Stella" makes for a really exciting "bop burner" tune. Originally Posted by Mick-7
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Well sure, but Arnold's book is entitled "jazz ballads."
Just about any so-called ballad can sound good played fast, but you'll need to be able to play it well slowly before you speed it up.
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Since when have you become the champion of adhering so closely to the book? Originally Posted by Mick-7
Well sure, but Arnold's book is entitled "jazz ballads."
Just about any so-called ballad can sound good played fast, but you'll need to be able to play it well slowly before you speed it up.
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When I've been learning these arrangements what I'm doing is finding a really straight vocal version.(Someone like Jo Stafford) Originally Posted by DeArmondX155
Then I follow along with my eyes on the book so I can see what is melody and what is filler material.
Then I listen to several other versions until the song is firmly in my head.
I'm glad to hear that you are analyzing the harmony as you go, I am getting a lot out of doing that. Mostly like you say, coming to realize that there is more freedom/options as you go from place to place.
If I make up my own chord melodies I have been very basic as well, so it's doing me good to learn some of these moves.
And yes indeed, some of the tricky shapes become less tricky with practice, then you have a new weapon at your disposal.
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First take... it's got the old hissy-fit audio issue, which I figured out how to fix, however I saved this take because I liked it. I'll post another later with better audio.
Stella By Starlight - Mick 1b - Box.com
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I'm working along on this very slowly but hope to get something posted by Monday. Work and family stuff are getting in the way of music!
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I hear you about the family stuff. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
I'm working on it as well and getting close, so for sure I'll have something by next week as well.
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Here's one I did 6 or 7 years ago that I think was pretty much "roll my own"-I'll post the Arnold arrangement a bit later today.
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Every time I started playing this, I kept hearing a drum and bass in my mind, so i decided to do it with a bit of backing. I try to do these recordings playing from memory, so you will easily spot a few places where the old brain cells didn't snap to quite as quickly as I'd hoped!
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Well done!! Originally Posted by lawson-stone
You have tone to die for as well.
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That's very kind. That guitar and the Fender Tonemaster Twin Reverb never let me down. If I get it even half-right, they will carry the ball over the goal line! Originally Posted by alpop
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Thanks. I am a big fan of Joe., I like the "rubato" feel but try to stay away from, the accidental rubato. Originally Posted by supersoul
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