Bottom Chord Music Puzzle

[mahayana]

Hey, have you ever played "bottom" chords, on strings 6-4? The following is an intro I do, I'm not going to tell you the song or even the chord names. Can you figure it out?

(Hint- I arpeggiate chords 1,2,3,5, strike the others once, each chord gets a full measure).

12 10 12 12XX
10 12 10 11XX
10 10 9 11XX
8 10 99XX
8979XX
7978XX
079980

[anders]

I give up. I've played this through a number of times but I can't guess the tune. The chords are someting like:
Em7 D7 Gmaj7/D Cmaj7 F#m7/C B7 Em

Unfortunately that doesn't help me much.

[mahayana]

Hey, thanks for trying this, anders! You really have figured it out. Did you find the "new" inversions interesting?

The verse of this song has chords:

ll: Am6 l D7 l Gmaj7 l Cmaj7 l Am/F# l B7 l Em :ll

Strum those a couple of times, and if you still don't hear it I'll post the name and the rest of the tune.

[anders]

You could probably find that chord sequence in many songs, but since it's in Em I would put my money on "Autumn leaves". I like the intro inversions, nice voicings if you want a mellow sound.

[mahayana]

We have a winner!

I just listened to a jazz duo of violin and double bass (it sounded like a string bass) do a version of AL on my way home from work today. I think it's on everyone's Standards album.

It's a sentimental favorite. "those sun-burned hands I used to hold" always make me think of my first love, the girl I wanted to marry when I was 14. (don't tell my wife!)

There are different ways to do this song than the "moderately, with feeling" straight-ahead slow dance version that crooners favor. I always throw in a few chromatic tone leading chord phrases, I'll post some next, then tell you where they fit (keeping the puzzle theme).

Once more, good detecting anders! Don't forget to post us some of that chord-melody you are working on.

[mahayana]

OK, two beats for each of the first 3 chords, 1 beat for 4, 1 beat for 5, 4 beats for last chord.

XX0222------1
-------------2
XX1021------3
-------------4
XX2010------1
-------------2
XX123X------3
XX0112------4
XX0002------1
-------------2
-------------3
-------------4

[anders]

I need another piece (at least) of the puzzle to be able to figure this one out.

[mahayana]

How about I just reveal the answer? (this way I can practice the "preview" dance to get chords posted over words) here goes:

-----------B7-----------------------Em------------
Since you went away, the days grow long. Soon I'll

Dmaj7 Eb9 Am7------F13-Ab7b5-Gmaj7
hear..................old win-ter's.... song.

that took about 10 minutes, hah!

[mahayana]

I'd be glad to put in the rest of this song, too, if anyone's interested.

Do you play this, or the other "autumn" songs, like September Song, It was A Very Good Year, etc?

[mahayana]

Just another puzzle: if you play Autumn Leaves, have you noticed what well-known flute tune works over the same progression?

[Professor1]

[mahayana]

I'll post the answer in a few days, if no one guesses. A hint would give it away.

How many well-known flute/recorder songs in a minor key are there?

OK, a movie from the 1960s.

[mahayana]

It's the theme from "Mash" that works over "Autumn Leaves." Try it, you might come up with a different kind of solo.

[kawe]

I thought it would be "El Condor Pasa". ;D ;D

[mahayana]

I'm not familiar with that one, Kawe. Could you hum a few bars?