Quite a straightforward session today – it being Jacki’s birthday we learned Happy Birthday in four different keys – sounds adventurous but as it is a song made up from the three chord trick, the root (or one) the fourth and the fifth transposing into other keys is a cinch:
I IV V
C, C7 F G7
F,F7 Bb C7
G,G7 C D7
D,D7 G A7 and so on….
A Teenager in Love was next – this is the four chord trick where, in addition to the I, the IV and the V you add the relative minor vi (lower case indicating minor)
I IV V vi
C, C7 F G7 Am
So many songs have been based on this simple melodic structure which comes from the Blues and then found it’s way into popular song in the 1920s onwards.
Frankie and Johnny was next – based on the version by the singing brakeman – Jimmie Rodgers recorded in 1929. But this sort of ballad is much, much older going from America back to old English folk tunes of love and revenge. This is also the three chord trick.
Then John Denver’s Leaving On A Jet Plane – once again the three chord trick – good practice!
A rather different song is Dream A Little Dream Of Me – functional harmony is a way of describing the way that “standard” tunes were wrote particularly in the first part of the 20th century. We looked at this song in the last session and came to the conclusion that there are a couple of problems with the version that Helen B had originally distributed. Last session I discussed the chord Adim7 (2323) which is used as a passing chord but is described in the song as Adim. Sometimes people do this because as Michael pointed out Adim (2353 ouch! or 5353 ouch again!) is very rarely encountered. At the end of the bridge section which modulates into A it is necessary to move back to the main key of C. The words are “just saying this…” The version we had moves from A through Adim7 to G7 but that sounds wrong. Paul Suggested A to F to G7 which could work. Michael prefers A to Ab to G7 and we will return to this in later weeks. It is a tricky set of chords!
The Bridge section looks like this:
Perhaps practicing in blocks might make it easier, as might alternative voicing such as C (5422) to B7 (4342) – same overall shape and the Fm (5543) to C (5433).
All I Have To Do Is Dream was next – basic structure is the four chord trick but instead of one chord to each bar of 4 beats this is two chords ( 2 beats each) in each bar. The chorus is really a bridge section in functional harmony again descending from F to Em then Dm to G and C – IV to iii to ii to V to I. We were not all singing from the same sheet!
Then another Everly favourite – Bye Bye Love – also written by Felice and Boudleux Bryant. Once again a three chord trick but set in G rather than C
My Old Man’s A Dustman – our version was set in C but the Lonnie Donegan original is in G which should work better. A spoken introduction and then our friend the three chord trick! We didn’t try the jokes. Next time we might try it in G!
Travelling Light – three chords again…
Love Me Do – the earliest and simplest of the Beatle’s songs – guess how many chords? Three again.
Next came a new song suggested by Roger – It’s A Heartache – a hit for Bonnie Tyler. This ascends from C to Em to F to C and then G. This is described as I iii IV I V, the one, the minor third, the four, the one and the fifth, cycling three times before the bridge section. This has an embellishment at the end of every other line, moving from G7 (0212) to Em7 (0202) and back to G7. This is actually G7 to G6 (0202) to G7 but is commonly described as Em7. This song went down well and will be added to the repertoire!
Them I’m A Believer – the Monkees song written by Neil Diamond. Once again the three chord trick. The solo is four beats of G, four of D7, then two of G, two of D7 and two of G and two of D7, then four of G, four of D7, two of G and two of D7 followed by four of G.
Last up – You Are My Sunshine – written in 1933 but using the three chord trick showing that it is not just a rock and roll device.
Ukuleles of the Third Age 