Topsy - B section chord question.

HotTinRoof · August 2015

B section of Topsy. Terrific tune. Very very close to Stray Cat Strut.

|Fm C7/G | Fm/Ab C7/G | Fm % | Fm G7|

I'm playing it like this at the moment (see attachment) however I think I hear Django playing the F->G->Ab->G melody on a higher string? How are you guys playing this?

Bones · August 2015

Gotta run but FM/Ab is very similar to the other thread that you posted. Ab on the 4th fret. More later...

wim · August 2015

For rhythm? I usually simplify it to just

| F- | F#7 | F- | G7 |

gets out of the way of the soloist this way

Bones · August 2015

Here is maybe a better grille for the B part:

http://djangopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=Topsy

So you could just do the Stray Cat riff twice over the B part but in Fm.

Buco · August 2015

You could, which is what I think @Bones was getting at, do
1x01 | 3x23 | 4x35 | 3x23
or that first Fm could be
133133
T22134 (thumb, middle finger bar, index, ring, pinky) if you're comfortable with this chord grip

HotTinRoof · August 2015

Bones brings up interesting thought. I naturally jumped on the A section exactly like Stray Cat Strut and working my way down the neck with the roots on low E. Are you guys down closer to 1 position? - Cm and Bb on A string.

Wim I imagine you are in first position for this?

Think I may be playing quite a few too many songs too high up the neck. ha

Wim Glenn wrote: »

For rhythm? I usually simplify it to just

| F- | F#7 | F- | G7 |

gets out of the way of the soloist this way

Bones · August 2015

Remember that technically the bass player (if you had one) would probably cover the bass walk down for you. So you are really just comping:

Cm///Ab7/G7/ (equals 2 measures)

Or-

Cm/Cm7/Ab7G7

If I wanted to double the bass line or no bass player I would probably play the SCS riff in Cm like this:

Cm = 8101088x
Cm7 = 810888x
Ab7 = x1110119x
G7 = x109108x

Again, if you have a bass handling the walk-down line and it is up tempo I would never work that hard with my left hand. Just play Cm Ab7 G7(b9) in a position that is comfortable, clean and stays out of the way of the soloist. I tend to try to not be too busy on rhythm because it wears me out on a long gig and muddies up the sound too much IMO.

Same with the B part, just Fm Db7 C7(b9). I'd play that like this:

Fm = 4x35xx

Db7 = 4x34xx

C7 = 3x23xx

Probably a better progression for the B part is:

Fm///Db7/C7/Fm/C7/Fm///

Since if you repeat the Db7 to C7 you are ending on a C7 which technically doesn't really lead back to the Cm in the A part but it is a minor point (pun not intended!)

HotTinRoof · August 2015

Terrific info Bones, thank you. Will give these variations a try tonight.

Bones · August 2015

Hey HTR, I've never seen a grille or lead sheet for this tune so for chords I would just go with what seems to fit the melody and the inversions that have good voice leading (I guess the people with theory knowledge call it?) and stay out of the way of the soloist. As long as all the band mates are 'on the same page' as far as the chord changes go.