sham-a-ling-dong-ding

[phxguy]

I am trying to figure out this song by Jesse Winchester using the rendition on you tube from Zachary Scott Johnson and am having a heck of a time doing so. It is a beautiful song and I love this arrangement but can't quite get the chords and the fingering. I found some tabs for it but they don't seem to fit with this rendition. If anyone could help I would be very grateful. My wife and I are leaving soon to go to a cabin without internet service and I would love to have this song to work on. Here is the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2J7uIzLxbE

Thanks so much!

[Laughingboy68]

While I don't mind this arrangement, it misses out some of the magic of Mr. Winchester's version a la Elvis Costello's show. That is a song that brings forth emotions like not many others. This one is pretty but doesn't put a lump in my throat like the arrangement Jesse played live. I play a version that's pretty close if you have questions about that one.

Mike

[El Duque]

I'm sure you've prob. seen this
http://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/jesse...chords-s202469

and Jesse playin it elsewhere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueLiSptul6c
- looks like the same chords to me.
maybe Z.S. is just playin the same thing but in a diff. key.



LB68 you got that right.

magic of Mr. Winchester's version a la Elvis Costello's show

.
if that don't do it.....not much is going to.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by phxguy

I am trying to figure out this song by Jesse Winchester using the rendition on you tube from Zachary Scott Johnson and am having a heck of a time doing so. It is a beautiful song and I love this arrangement but can't quite get the chords and the fingering. I found some tabs for it but they don't seem to fit with this rendition. If anyone could help I would be very grateful. My wife and I are leaving soon to go to a cabin without internet service and I would love to have this song to work on. Here is the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2J7uIzLxbE

Thanks so much!

What's maybe throwing you is that he is tuned down, not quite a half-step. So he's playing in D (D-Bm-Em-A) but it sounds more like Db.

JW played it in D but with capo on fret 2 (ie concert E major). It depends on your voice what key you want to choose.

As for the chords, I'd go with JW's original to start with, and I suspect that's what ZSJ was doing too - even if he ended up changing some details.

This is from JW's live version mentioned above (where you can see his shapes pretty well):

6/8 time (2 beats per bar):
Verse:
|D Dmaj7 |Bm7 - |Em7 - | - - |
|A7 - | - - |D - |Em7 A7 |

(x 4; end on D 4th time)

Bridge ("all the poor old old folks")
|Em7 - |A7 - |D - | - - |
|Bm7 - |F#m - |Em7 - |A7 - |
|D Dmaj7 |Bm - |Em7 - |Gm (add9) - |
|D - |Bm7 - |Em7 - |A7sus4 A7 |

|D - |Bm7 - |Em7 - |A7sus4 A7 |

[Laughingboy68]

It's that Gm(add9) that kills me. Breaks your heart every time.

Mike

[Laughingboy68]

I'm pretty sure Jesse uses the A7sus - A7 a couple of times during the verse as well. You also have to try to do the 50's doo wop rhythm on the refrain.

Mike

[Laughingboy68]

The melody that ZSJ sings is different and he skips that killer Gm(add9).

Mike

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Laughingboy68

It's that Gm(add9) that kills me. Breaks your heart every time.

Yes; it's a cliche, but cliches become cliches for good reason...

[Laughingboy68]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Yes; it's a cliche, but cliches become cliches for good reason...

You could argue that almost all music is cliche. There really isn't much that hasn't been done before. That said, if just anyone could write songs that reliably move an audience like Jesse Winchester does we would all be doing it

Mike

[Laughingboy68]

Jon:

I just want to thank you for the solid advice that you routinely display on this forum. I always hope that I'll see your name on posts like this.

Mike

[El Duque]

Jon:

I just want to thank you for the solid advice that you routinely display on this forum. I always hope that I'll see your name on posts like this.

Mike

I "second that emotion".

[phxguy]

Thank you everyone for all your help, it is truly appreciated!

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Laughingboy68

You could argue that almost all music is cliche. There really isn't much that hasn't been done before.

Well, that's the whole art, ain't it? Mixing the familiar with the fresh, with not too much of either - taking account of who your audience is.

[GHS]

Originally Posted by Laughingboy68

While I don't mind this arrangement, it misses out some of the magic of Mr. Winchester's version a la Elvis Costello's show. That is a song that brings forth emotions like not many others. This one is pretty but doesn't put a lump in my throat like the arrangement Jesse played live. I play a version that's pretty close if you have questions about that one.

Mike

I found this video by accident. Outstanding performance. Thanks JonPR. I had most of it figured out but the bridge just had me there. Thanks again for posting your notes.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I'm try to learn this song as well.

I miss Jesse. He was one heckuva songwriter.

scott memmer