About the Tunes taught:

Georgia On My Mind is an amazing song. There are many fingerstyle arrangements. My version is strongly based on Ray Charles's recording. I have adapted his string intro as well as playing this at the end using natural harmonics. Georgia was originally released in 1930. It was a dance tune with lots of "swing." So I added rhythm to the verse and chorus using an alternate bass. I combine this technique with some blues/soul licks here and there. I play it in the key of G and modulate to Bm for the chorus.

Volare is one of the most evocative songs ever. The original Italian song talks about a dream, where the singer paints himself blue and flies away. My arrangement echoes the era when Volare was first introduced. There are lots of harmonic movements that embellish the melody chord structure. I think the real goal of arranging this song was to keep it simple, yet interesting. This is a common but difficult task.

Blue Moon is a combination of Tommy Emmanuel's and my own arrangement. I learned Tommy's version while I was already working on mine. So I made a blend. My intro uses the chord structure from the Ella Fitzgeralds recording and the Frank Sinatra Brass stabs. Plus for the verse I have my own chord movements. I borrowed Tommy's rhythmic ideas as these truly swing. The strength of this tune is the rhythm.

Tu Vuo Fa l'Americano is an Italian song from 1956. There are many versions of this song. It was used in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley. Brian Seltzer has even recorded a rock-a-billy version. I wanted my arrangement to be swinging, danceable and - no fiddling around with changing harmonies but finding the best way to have chords, melody and rhythm work together as a song. I tried also to keep the clarinet/brass lines close to the original. I wanted a nice alternating bass for the rhythm combined with a walking bass line. Putting all the pieces together hopefully gives that swing-band sound.

2 hours 50 minutes. Detailed tab/music PDF file on the DVD.  DVD is region 0, playable worldwide.

Georgia On My Mind 

Volare 

Blue Moon 

Tu Vuo Fa l'Americano