Originally Posted by
johnparrott
What should we call this kind of chord simplification, Ralph...Izzification?
To the original poster who wanted to play this in a way that kids could enjoy and (I think) sing along with, I'd say, have fun and keep it simple.
You could also learn the official chords, if you can find them, and take the time to play it both ways for the kids while they sing the melody. Take a poll on which one they like better.
The Iz ukelele version has touched a lot of people and revived the number; sure, it's an example of chord reduction, but I find it lovely and moving in its own way, even after a few hundred listenings. It makes me wonder where we'd all be if only Iz had tried it on the mandolin...
Jazzers are also no strangers to altering or simplifiying changes to standards, and it's not always resulted in improvement, to my ear. Lots of dimished and augmented chords that were heard in film or Broadway versions have hit the scrap heap over the years because they sound "old-fashioned", and now no one's sure how the original versions of some tunes sounded . I must confess, I too transgress, and will probably continue, as long as there's a book on the stand and we're trying to get through the gig.
You're right Bruce. Jethro's version, which is on the "Tea For One Record as part of a Medley with "When You Wish Upon a Star", is a great example of what Ralph's talking about when it comes to keeping an ear open to harmony. His chord changes are quite different in many places than most jazz and fakebook versions, and to me they really light up the song.
As for the kids, well... play them Homer and Jethro's early King Records rendition, It's atrocious oversimplification at its very best. Corrupt a minor today! It's your civic duty! It goes,..
"Somewhere over the rainbow-ho, way up high;
There's a land that I heeerd of, onst in a lull-a-buy"
and so on...
All the best,
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