Seeking Feedback/Help - Western Swing Jam Chord Book

Scott Shewbridge · Post by **Scott Shewbridge** » 5 Oct 2010 8:06 pm

I am a neophyte/dilletante who is having a wonderful time exploring the Western Swing repertoire. I've been going to the monthly meetings of the Western Swing Society here in Sacramento to play in their jam sessions. Unfortunately, as I've found for all jam sessions (not just Western Swing), often the newer players like me do not have a good shared repertoire. This chord book is an attempt to make it possible for intermediate-level players to do more challenging and interesting songs.

I have put it together in a way that I think respects copyright, so it can be distributed freely when it is finalized. I selected example recordings and put the songs in the same keys, so people can practice on their own at home. The PSG Band in a Box forum was a great starting point for many of these tunes, though sometimes the changes were inaccurate or overly simple. I'm still tweaking things.

This is not meant to be definitive or anything like that. It is only meant to help establish a common "vocabulary" for folks to get together and have fun.

If you are willing to spend a bit of your time, I would like to send some copies out for review and feedback. Any suggestions for improvement will be much appreciated.

Please send me an email through the forum and I will send you a pdf of the book. Hopefully I can collect comments and then make the final version available for free download. This is a labor of love, I will not be charging anybody anything for this.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 5 Oct 2010 8:39 pm

Hi Scott...Yes, I'd love to see your book! I'll send you an email. Thanks in advance.

Rick

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 6 Oct 2010 1:44 pm

Most of the songs you listed are included in the Bob Wills Tiffany recordings set of CD's recorded back in the 40's. To play Western Swing you are going to have to rely mostly on your "Ear". When you get together with Western Swing Musicians they are not always going to play or sing the songs in the keys they were originally recorded in. You need to learn the chord patterns for these songs and then be able to play them in any Key. Steel Guitar classic instrumentals are usually played in the same key as recorded in but a singer is going to call out a key that fits his or her's range.

The song you listed as "Hide Your Face" was written as "Shame On You" which bacame Spade Cooley's theme song.

Scott Shewbridge · Post by **Scott Shewbridge** » 6 Oct 2010 3:08 pm

Mr. Tonnesen - Thank you, very sage advice, I really appreciate it, because I know you have lived it and I know how much everyone appreciates your support of this forum and Western Swing music. I hope eventually to get to the level of proficiency you recommend, I know I would be better for it. Hopefully, some of these efforts will help me and others on that path.

Tom Keller · Post by **Tom Keller** » 6 Oct 2010 5:24 pm

Hi, I would love to see a version of your book.

Thanks

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 7 Oct 2010 5:22 am

Billy Tonneson makes some good points.
Which are based on years of top level experience.

Perhaps you should consider using the Nashville
Number System in your book.

That would allow the users to do as Billy suggests.

You'd have the intervals and any key could be used.

Blake

Scott Shewbridge · Post by **Scott Shewbridge** » 7 Oct 2010 6:51 am

That is such an excellent suggestion! Learn the songs and get more experience with Nashville notation. Fantastic. I will add that.