Chord Books for Musicians
From time to time the subject of chord books pops up like this one.
Dear Fred, I have lost a valuable songbook of good standards. It is entitled "The Satanic Changes", and wish to replace it. Perhaps a kind muso could point me in the right direction. Kind regards to your good self .....Maurice Gavan. (09/03/2008)
Sounds interesting, I'd like a copy too, if you could pass the info on to me, please.
Best regards,
Pete Major (Les Bull Jazz Band)
When looking for lost and out of print tomes I'm a big fan of
Abebooks.... It's a website contributed to by a large proportion of UK and overseas second hand booksellers, and Jon and I have both successfully got music from it.
The sheetmusic warehouse (also on the net) might be worth a try too. Musicians have been using dodgy "under the counter" fakebooks for years. The modern legal ones (like Chuck Sher) tend to be comprehensive, but cluttered with alternative chord changes that make them a bit of a nightmare to read. They're also very expensive.
Sue Parish
I also received this email from Charles Wilson which generated quite a bit of response and which I thought could be of use to other musicians, so I'm reprinting the answers here
Q. Could anybody help me
I am trying to obtain a copy of the jazz chord book known as the Australian
Book, perhaps some kind person has a spare copy that I could buy, or someone
could put me in touch with where I can obtain it new if still available from the
publisher.
Many thanks
Charles Wilson
Trumpet player with the River City Jazzmen and Tuxedo Jazz Bands.
I've been told that this Chord Book is not a particularly reliable source for using in jazz bands. The French chord book (The Grilles) is far more accurate, but is expensive if still available. If someone is after a pretty reliable set of chords, it might be a good idea to speak to Andy Maynard (banjo/guitar) with the Delta Jazz Band (Sonny's old band) he has compiled over the years a pretty concise book of chords. He does a lot of transcribing for my band.
Cheers Pete Lay
The late Dick Whatnot had a copy but as it was black print on a Red Background impossible to photocopy. Have you got the French version?
Jon Penn
The 'Australian Chord Book' that Charles Wilson is seeking is probably mine.
There are two Chord Books and Two matching Lead Line books for trumpet (or any other Bb instrument), as well as a Bass Clef Lead Line book to match the second Chord Book.
My Chord and Lead Books are specifically intended for use with jazz bands, and have been used here in Australia for over 25 years - and there are quite a few satisfied users in UK and USA too.
I know of two other 'Australian Chord Books' which are compilations of chords taken from many other books, and whilst they are both very big they have a lot of wrong chords in them (but not many of those are from my books).
Warm regards
Eric Holroyd
Jazzwise Publications supplied my copy. You can email
herb@giant.net.au for more information.
Cheers Mart Rodger
My response to Charles Wilson's request might be of interest to others, so perhaps you could consider publishing it. Could the book be "Eureka! The Chord Book" originally published in Oz? Available from Jazzwise Publications (was £44), 2b, Gleneagle Mews, Ambleside Avenue, LONDON SW 16
6AE, Tel 0845 345 7027.
HOWEVER (in my opinion) while some tunes are spot on for key and chords, far too many others are massively adrift. The best published chords I have found are "Les Grilles" also known as "The French Book(s)". At about £50 fairly recent copies are owned by Mal Horne and Ged Hone. It's a scholarly work of over 1500 tunes, each one accompanied by a list of recordings.
Alternatively I would be happy to send him chords for individual tunes; during a period of nearly 50 years I've assembled a collection of over 2100 tunes and am constantly augmenting and amending it. If possible I work from early recordings for jazz tunes (disadvantages are poor sound quality and limitations of my own harmonic sense) and from sheet music for Tin Pan Alley tunes (disadvantage can be hack arrangers' distortions of original chords for simple or complex piano versions). I love verses, though they were often omitted on records.
John Muskett
Hi Fred,
Useful resourse but I was still unable to locate a copy of 'The French Book' which sounds superb - any more clues?
Best regards,
Pete Major
Hello again Fred
Have just spoken to Ged Hone on the phone and his contact for "Les Grilles...." was:
Philip Baudoin Tel: 0033142557888
5, Cité du Midi,
75018, PARIS, Fax: 0033142554706 France
English is spoken at Maison Baudoin. Bonne chance a M. Major.
Cheers, John Muskett
This book "Eureka! The Chord Book" by Herb Jennings is available, still as far as I know, from Jazzwise Direct Catalogue, reference FB046T
Roy Swift
Burtie Butler of the
"Jazz Pilgrims" has put a chord book on line at the following link
http://www.jazzpilgrims.co.uk/Jazz%20Pilgrims%20page%20twelve.htm
The chords are not identical with "The Australian book", for instance
, but over 2000 tunes are available in alphabetical groups.
Another link will get fake sheets for Bb instruments and chords in concert, Again they are one band's working chords.
Personally I use PG Music's "Band in a Box" to prepare fake sheets as a basis for the band to improvise . Any on line tunes in that format need careful investigation however, as the chords and the melody lines may be quite wrong.
JohnPembery, Wisbech.