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  #1  
Old 04-30-2010, 05:28 PM
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Question about a song

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So on Monday I'm getting together for the first time ever to play with a group. They play for fun, so it's not high pressure, but I'm still nervous. I'm looking through the set list and everything's pretty easy - Moondance, Mystery Train, and the like - but here's there's one song I'm confused about: Michael Buble's 'Sway':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG8giVJKQPI

I'm being told the recording is in F#, but I find that - by ear - I want to play the first verse as A - E - A - E - D - E - A - E - D - E - D - E - D - E - A (from the start of the song to the first time the music stops). My question:

Is my ear just bad and I'm playing the wrong notes?
Or is my information bad and the recording is actually in A?
Or is it really in F# and I just don't understand what's going on?

Any help is appreciated - I'm new at working things out by ear.
  #2  
Old 04-30-2010, 06:33 PM
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Wow, 50''s ballroom IS hot!

Sway, at least this version, is in Eb minor. The bridge is Gb, maybe that's why they told you the song was in F#.

A)

Fm7 Bb7| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebm | -|
Fm7 Bb7| Fm7 Bb7 | Ebm | Ebm *** |

repeat A

B)

Db7 | Db7 Db7b5 | Gb |Gb |Bb (no 7!)| Bb| Cb (=B) | Bb7 ***|

repeat A


Tell the guys in your band that if they come up with songs, they also should provide you with chords. I assume there are guitars, keys etc, Don't they need a lead sheet or something?

If there are no horns in the band you might consider raising or lowering by a semitone; that will make it a lot easier.

Have fun.
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  #3  
Old 05-01-2010, 06:49 PM
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Thanks, Chris - that helps. I can hear why playing it in Eb works, but I still wonder why A sounded right to me. Just a bad ear, I guess.
  #4  
Old 05-01-2010, 09:42 PM
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Chris, I don't hear that at all, maybe you are tuned a half step off?

These are the chords I hear:
A7 | A7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | (4x)

C7 | C7 | F7 | F7 |
A7 | A7 | Bb7 | A7 |

A7 | A7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | (2x)

And the notes are just 1 and 5 for each chord (sometimes starting on 5, sometimes on 1):

E A | E A | D A | D A | (4x)

C G | C G | F C | F C |
A E | A E | Bb F | A |

E A | E A | D A | D A | (2x)
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  #5  
Old 05-01-2010, 11:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smeet View Post
Chris, I don't hear that at all, maybe you are tuned a half step off?

These are the chords I hear:
A7 | A7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | (4x)

C7 | C7 | F7 | F7 |
A7 | A7 | Bb7 | A7 |

A7 | A7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | (2x)

And the notes are just 1 and 5 for each chord (sometimes starting on 5, sometimes on 1):

E A | E A | D A | D A | (4x)

C G | C G | F C | F C |
A E | A E | Bb F | A |

E A | E A | D A | D A | (2x)
After looking at this I think you're right about the half step.

http://www.e-chords.com/chords/michael-buble/sway

I really should have been more precise. But you know, recordings ofter are not exactly in tune. This one is pretty high. I shall also give my tuning fork a bath, as well as my ears

Anyway, this is much easier.

But the chords in the URL above are not O.K. Neither are yours.
And I myself made a second error, see below.

So, now for some thoroughness.


As for the A7 instead of Em7 A7| Em7 A7|:

In the intro I hear d - c#, d -# (in notes, played by the piano on beats 1 and 3, the pattern continues). There's also the melody of the horns, coming in with a Bb (note) on beat 1. So A7 on beat 1 can't be OK. The bass plays E, like you said. So we have E (bass) - Bb (horns) - D (piano). All we need is a third to E. In the key scale of Dm, that will have to be g. The chord we have is E - G - Bb - D, a.k.a. Em7b5. Is this case, it works as A7 with two change notes (D and Bb), a kind of double sus-chord.



Anyway, for BrianL, E - A in the bass is always OK.
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  #6  
Old 05-02-2010, 04:52 AM
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Thanks to you both! Sounds like there's more than one way to skin this cat - maybe my ear isn't so bad after all.
  #7  
Old 05-02-2010, 11:25 PM
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Thanks to you both! Sounds like there's more than one way to skin this cat - maybe my ear isn't so bad after all.
Good luck - Let us know how you did on rehearsal!
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