Recently I watched the film, De Lovely, about Cole Porter. It was so cool to watch another creative person doing his thing, and there were so many pianos in this film. I loved that. There were times in the film where the piano chord harmonies that the character was reaching for were so delicious it just made me want to write, and play with sounds.
The next day I was in the studio working on a mix, and I picked up a guitar while waiting for the bounce to render, this great chord melody emerged. I was calling it, December Song. It felt cozy and warm, like by a winter’s fire, and it was Dec. 28th 2017. I recorded it and looked forward to notating it on score paper sometime.
The song was rolling ’round in my head as I got ready for bed and instead of a rubato chord solo arrangement I heard it with a full band, in time with a 12/8 feel. The next day I recorded another version with a batch of instruments including bass guitar, drums, sleigh bells, and organ, to sound like a full band and I really liked that version too. I thought it would be cool to write lyrics and do a singer songwriter guitar & vocal version too sometime.
I sent it to my cousin who said, may I suggest a title, In December, cuz it already fits the melody. I jumped in with, In December, as the starting lyric point and wrote the lyric. To me the song sounds like a well loved standard. Like it’s always been. Perhaps it’s my, “Yesterday”, I keep wondering what song is this? Have i heard it before? But it is mine, and my Dad would have loved it because he loved solo guitar arrangements.
For guitarists: It sounds more complicated than it is. It doesn’t even use unusual chord voicings. It’s quite easy to play as far as where your hand needs to go. So give it a go. It always takes your playing to a new level to finger through a chord solo arrangement and it teaches you so much to learn how to play it legato, smoothly, letting everything ring and connect.
When I was just starting with guitar lessons with my friend, the great teacher, player, Lou Sabini, lent me his Howard Roberts, Johnny Smith, Buddy Fite and Barney Kessel records. He said take these home and listen to them over and over again, this is great guitar playing.
I notice my students find it much harder to play clean, and accurately than to play fast, and haphazardly only because no one has ever asked them to slow down, and play with intention, play deliberately, and play with feeling. Playing a variety of musical styles increases your playing skills and insures you will grow as a player/musician.
Get the notation/tab: here.
The download includes the PDF, youtube video, Guitar Pro file, and MP3.