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OK, this is probably the issue for me not just on this tune, but on lots of songs. Long time ago remember a teacher saying something about "passing tones".

I'm a guitarist, but against my own better judgment , on numerous occasions find myself keyboard players seem to get me with this.

It seems like keyboard players will often play the chord with some ascending or descending notes thrown in, a piece of the melody. Sometimes it's obvious when leading to the next chord and I can get myself to ignore it. But many times, for me, the chord seems drastically altered and if I just play the straight chord - say Eb6 or whatever - it just feels wrong. A lot of songs, for me, are defined by little things like these "passing tones".

And the affect is more of an issue with slow songs like this one. At what point do the passing tones create a new chord?



Jazz guitarists and others who play in Chord Solo style also know these things. Joe Pass is just one outstanding example off the top of my head.

Guitarists who have memorized patterns on the fretboard as chords need only start identifying the actual chord tones as relates to those patterns and shapes to begin. For example, the common open E Major shape Barre chord one note at a time spells, 1,5,1,3,5,1 from lowest note to highest in pitch.

Knowing that, you could begin to alter that chord rather easily. Change that 3 to a flatted 3rd and it becomes the common minor Barre chord pattern. Or, if the chart has a Major 6 chord in it, you could raise the higher pitched 5 two frets to a 6. Raising the highest 1 two steps is an Add9. etc.

It is just a matter of starting to think in the notes and not the shapes or patterns.


--Mac

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