The Way You Look Tonight--Most Common Key?

[JoeJazz2000]

I see this tune in the Real Books in F, in the Vanilla Book in Eb, and
in a couple of chord-melody arrangement books in both F and Eb. Which,
if either, is the most common key? Thanks,
Joe

[drthoma...@gmail.com]

Learn it in a bunch of keys. I don't think you can really know a song
unless you can play it in several keys.

For a rubato fingerpicked solo guitar version on nylon string, I
prefer C. For a swinging jazz solo guitar version, I prefer G.

[Joe Finn]

"JoeJazz2000" <jphi...@kellnerdileo.com> wrote in message
news:94b6a907-ee97-4440...@s31g2000yqs.googlegroups.com...

It's kind of a singer's song, if you know what I mean. As a result you'll
see it in a variety of keys. ....joe

--
Visit me on the web www.JoeFinn.net

[JoeJazz2000]

> For a rubato fingerpicked solo guitar version on nylon string, I
> prefer C. For a swinging jazz solo guitar version, I prefer G.

Thanks for the reply Tom, and for the good advice. I'm curious, why
those two keys for those two song stylings? Is it where desired
fingerings and chords lay on the guitar (I guess that answers itself)?
Or is it a tonal range you hear? What's different about the way you
play the tune in those two styles? Open strings / chords, or not,
scale patterns? Timbre? To me these choices are as important as
anything in developing an arrangement or improvising. If you or others
can comment further, I'll appreciate it.

[TD]

Both. Probably more often in F.

-TD

[charles robinson]

It's in F in most of the jazz fakebooks so that is the most likely key that
would be used at a jam session. For singers anything might happen. It's a
good idea to learn them in all keys but it is also a good idea to know the
original key or most used key as a lot of guys just call out the names of
the tunes and kick them off assuming that you know where it is played. For
solo guitar anything goes.
Charlie

[jimmybruno]

On Dec 1, 11:18 am, JoeJazz2000 <jphill...@kellnerdileo.com> wrote:

I have played it in both keys. I'm not sure what the original is but
I would guess the original is F major

[Bg]

F and Eb are the keys I've played it in.
Bg

[drthoma...@gmail.com]

If I play it in C, slowly with arpeggiated solo guitar fingerstyle,
making use of open strings in first position, it brings me to tears
about 50% of the time. There are very few songs I know that have such
a key-related effect on me. For that particular mood, it really,
really wants to be in C. But that's just for me. I think it has
something to do with the descending bass line underneath the simple
voicings in first position, which reminds me of my youth, and things I
learned to play when I was a teenager and didn't know any jazz
standards.

If I play it in G, it seems to want to be uptempo and swinging. In G I
play it further up the neck and rarely use open strings, even though
there are plenty available in G. In G, I reharmonize this song a lot
more agressively, and use more "jazz chords".

I don't know why, but I would guess that it has something to do with
the circumstances under which I first learned it in each key.

[brucer]

Eb according to http://www.jazzstandards.com/index.html

JazzStandards.com has alot of info about standards.
Great for cocktail parties...

"JoeJazz2000" <jphi...@kellnerdileo.com> wrote in message
news:94b6a907-ee97-4440...@s31g2000yqs.googlegroups.com...

[brucer]

Sorry Eb is the original key - not the common key.....

[Paul Mitchell Brown]

There are a number of tunes like TWYLT (Eb/F) and Just Friends (F/G)
that are commonly played in keys one tone apart. Perhaps it's a result
of tenor players playing concert lead sheets. Likewise, Autumn Leaves
was written in G/Em but is more often played in Bb/Gm these days and I
wonder if that's due to the landmark 1958 recording on 'Something
Else' where Cannonball would have played the chart in the concert key
on his alto sax and therefore transposed it up a minor 3rd.

[Bg]

On Dec 1, 5:49 pm, Paul Mitchell Brown <paulmitchellbr...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Yup, I think a lot of tunes that have been changed from their original
key, were influenced by Miles' versions.
Bg

[Dave]

brucer wrote:
> Sorry Eb is the original key - not the common key.....

Actually, the ORIGINAL key, as performed by Fred Astaire in "Swing Time" is
D. There's an early version of Sinatra singing it in Db. But his most
famous version is in Eb. FWIW

[jimmybruno]

Now that's far out.... D major. How did you find out?

[Joe Finn]

"Dave" <n...@spam.com> wrote in message
news:hf8qhl$kij$1...@news.eternal-september.org...

As I indicated earlier, it a singer's number. A big band that I work with
has a male vocal arrangement in C. ........joe

[TD]

On Dec 3, 11:55 am, "Dave" <n...@spam.com> wrote:

Learn something new every day, if we look hard enough. Beautiful.

-TD

[Dave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPUAHTWQ6Ps

I've run across a few old songs in D, though I can't remember which ones,
off hand. I've become curious about the original keys, and now I can look
'em up on YouTube. It probably when I was watching an old movie while
noodling on the guitar and discovered a song that debuted in an unusual key.
For example, "Over The Rainbow" is in A. I was thinking Bing Crosby's
"White Xmas" was one of the ones in D, but I just checked and it's in B!

[TD]

I think that the original version of Stella by Starlight was in D and
not G. Looks like things got darker and darker after the post war
period.

-TD

[Dave]

And now everyone plays it in Bb. On YouTube, Anita O'Day sings it in D.
There's a Sinatra version (Stellar [or Steller] by Starlight) in Ab.

> Looks like things got darker and darker after the post war
> period.

Or, as these songs made it into the jazz repertoire, they migrated to flat
keys.