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Thread: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

  1. #1
    Registered User Ron Cox's Avatar
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    Default Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    I've been trying to work out Dream a little Dream of me and am stuck where I should be playing what I think is an E flat in the chorus second stanza

    Does anyone have a simple tab they could help me out with? I'm only an intermediate player, but I work really hard at it and want to learn this tune to accompany a vocal. My chords are passable, but I'd really like to work the melody line.

    I appreciate any time you can spare.

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    What key?
    Not all the clams are at the beach

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    Market Man Barry Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    I have the music for ukulele. I play that one....

    https://ukutabs.com/t/the-mamas-and-...e-dream-of-me/
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    Registered User Ron Cox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    So that would be any note in C or strum the chord....

    The original has an E flat (stars fading...) hand written next to an E minor chord. The notation (written in G) has an E flat note that just doesnt sound right when I play it (A string, 6th fret). Everything else seems good though. I was pretty pleased with myself for pulling it off as well as I did since my ability to read music is pretty bad and I hadn't practiced in months due to an injury this past October (hand slammed in the car door).

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    Registered User Ron Cox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Was trying to add an image of my sheet music to this thread

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    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    It's a familiar tune to many of us, but without knowing exactly what measure and beat you mean it's pretty hard to help. What you need is not a tablature arrangement or a hand-written copy, but the melody line as published by the composer. That's the point of departure for the variations different singers come up with. Hope you can find it.

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Musescore.com has an arrangement for piano in C. There's a player and you could stop the playback at the appropriate spot and transcribe the incorrect tone to the key you need. Ignore the bass clef
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
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    Clark 2 point
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    Registered User Ron Cox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    I think what I have now is the notation in G (1 sharp). The note that vexes me is the first note of the bridge. My score has it as an E flat, and the chord listed is as well

    I was curious how others played it and am more familiar with tab at this point, but can work with the notation.

    Thanks for the link though.

  9. #9
    Registered User Ron Cox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    @Bill, wow! What a neat app! It didn't technically solve the problem, it gave me several different versions by various contributers and the on the fly transposition. I'm working really hard on learning to read music (I still tab things out by hand but each time I do, I dont have to refer to my cheat sheet as much).

    Can't wait to explore the other songs there.

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    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Cox View Post
    I think what I have now is the notation in G (1 sharp). The note that vexes me is the first note of the bridge. My score has it as an E flat, and the chord listed is as well.
    Sounds right to me. With the tune in G major, the bridge is in Eb.

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    Registered User Julian Morris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Ermmm... with the song in G the bridge has to be in E.

    So first part
    G F#7 Bbdim D and so on
    Bridge
    E C#m F#m7 B and so on

    Or thereabouts
    That Bbdim chord I don't know if that's the right name but it is made up of the notes Bb, E, C# and optionally G so the mandolin fingering would be 3240 or 3243

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    I just googled it and went to images and see well over 150 images of the sheet music, enough sheet music to keep me from working all day. Something there has to be useful.
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    Registered User Ron Cox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    I'll try it out when I get home. Really digging the song.

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Cox View Post
    I'll try it out when I get home. Really digging the song.
    It is really great. Now you got me going. I will work on it tonight.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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    Registered User Ron Cox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    The melody line was killing me since i don't read music that well. I had originally asked if some had the bridge tabbed out so that I could see what I was doing wrong.

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Ooops. I suspect most of the stuff Google bellied up is in standard notation. I stopped looking after about ten or so.

    Let your ear be your guide.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
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    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Julian Morris View Post
    Ermmm... with the song in G the bridge has to be in E.
    No, in Eb. Here's a nice slow straightforward version, where the first section is taken in C, the bridge in Ab.



    Same move down a major third in tunes like Smoke Gets in your Eyes, Easy Living, etc.
    Last edited by Bruce Clausen; Jan-06-2017 at 12:40am.

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    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Is it valid to think of it transitioning to the bridge by the Caug(aug5=G#)? Or is that just making up something?
    Phil

    “Sharps/Flats” “Accidentals”

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    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Sorry to say I can't quite see where the augmented chord comes into the process, Phil.

    The change is from one key to another key. When we change keys, we most often use the new key's dominant seventh chord (its V7) to prepare the listener. In the Doris Day version, the two keys are C and Ab. At the end of the second A section (bar 16) we hear the melody note C sung and held for two beats; for the rest of that bar the orchestra plays an Eb7 chord, the dominant of Ab. Then the voice enters at bar 17 (the bridge) in the new key. At the end of the bridge, a G7 chord leads us back to C major. The dominant chords smooth the transitions for the listener, and help the singer too.

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    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Thanks Bruce. I appreciate your comments and follow your explanation of dominant sevenths to lead to the new key. I guess I was just trying to rationalize the composer's choice of Ab as the new key (a key that obviously I wouldn't have thought of).

    I'm always amazed at how the great composers find surprising (to me anyway) ways to get where they're going. And how they decide where they want to go in the first place.
    Thanks again.
    Phil

    “Sharps/Flats” “Accidentals”

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    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    This has got me thinking about that question of "where the tune goes." Lots of well-known standards change keys during or between sections. Just to focus on major-key AABA tunes, here are some of the places we find ourselves when we get to the bridge. Keys are the ones I'm used to. Lots more examples could be added.

    Up a minor third: The Way You Look Tonight (Eb to Gb)
    Down a minor third: When Sunny Gets Blue (F to D)

    Up a major third: Prelude to a Kiss (C to E)
    Down a major third: Come Fly With Me (F to Db)

    Up a semitone: Body and Soul (Db to D)
    Down a semitone: Sophisticated Lady (Ab to G)

    Up a fourth: It Might as well be Spring (C to F)
    Down a fourth: San Antonio Rose (G to D)

    Some of these connect distant keys in terms of key signature. For example, going from F to Db involves adding four flats, C to E adds four sharps. Composers and orchestrators have come up with ingenious ways of making the transitions. But when you go up or down a fourth, the new key is a close relative.

    I can't think of a tune whose bridge goes up or down a tone (adding two sharps or flats). Any suggestions?

    [Apologies to the OP for taking the discussion in a new direction.]

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  24. #22
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    In the Ella (and Louis) version, the bridge goes to Ab (from C), in the Cass Elliot version, the bridge goes to A - - been a souce of confusion on many a bandstand, depending on what version the singer and band members reference. I like Ab, me.
    Will Patton

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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Yea the Vocal Range of the Singer , is who has the greatest influence over the Key it's performed in.
    writing about music
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    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: Ella or Cass, Dream a little dream of me.

    Yes this is a bit off-topic, but probably of interest anyway:

    After I was into music technicalities enough to recognize when something odd was happening, I heard Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line" for the first time in years. Even though the sheet music (that I've seen) doesn't show it, he not only walks the line but walks each verse around the circle of fifths. I've never worked out the specifics, but assume that if, say, it starts in the key of C, the following verses go thru G, D, A, E, etc., while his voice adapts amazingly!
    - Ed

    "Then one day we weren't as young as before
    Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
    But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
    I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
    - Ian Tyson

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