Autumn leaves

**Evan Mahoney** · Apr-20-2008, 6:05am

Anyone tried this one yet? Almost got it.http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/Skin/Default/PostIcons/icon11.gif

**simplygoodmusic** · Apr-20-2008, 7:35am

Haven't done it, but its a tune I always thought fit the mando perfectly.

**mando.player** · Apr-20-2008, 7:41am

I presented this tune last week for the CoMando tune of the week. I had a lot of fun coming up with my own improvised line. We did it in Em/G. I've got some backing tracks if you want some thing to play against. They play the head once and the changes two more times at 120BPM.

**brunello97** · Apr-20-2008, 11:04am

Thanks for posting this. I was thinking about (and listening to) this the other night even though we are just now getting spring leaves at all. I have quite a few versions but none on the mandolin. It is a great song.

Mick

**mando.player** · Apr-20-2008, 11:56am

You can download this zip file if you want the backing tracks. The zip contains an MP3 that goes through the head once and the changes two more times. There is also a PDF that contains the notation/tab for the head (w/chord diagrams). The second page of the PDF is an embellished version of the head using notes from the G/Em scale.

**Lefty&French** · Apr-20-2008, 12:34pm

This tune? (French swing band with a little "Dawg flavor"...)

http://www.dailymotion.com/ilipus....c-river

**mando.player** · Apr-20-2008, 12:40pm

That's it.

**mandolirius** · Apr-20-2008, 1:10pm

Been in my repetoire for years, chord solo version. But it sounds great in any arrangement. Jethro's version was the first one I heard on mandolin.

**mando.player** · Apr-20-2008, 1:19pm

I think Jethro did it in Dm. Autumn Leaves gets the double article treatment in the Fall 2001 issue of Mandolin Magazine (Stiernberg & Carr).

It's a great tune for beginners since it basically stays in one key and the changes are mostly major and minor ii-V-I cadences. It's a good vehicle to learn about jazz. I know it's been very helpful for me.

**mandroid** · Apr-20-2008, 2:59pm

I've got a simplified version written (organ book) in E minor [G].

Em,G Am,A7,B7,a Cdim, and D7.

is all the chords used in that arrangement.

Readily Transposes to Am [C]

**Brad Weiss** · Apr-20-2008, 3:28pm

le voila #- - #one of the first tunes I learned, and still a favorite.

**mando.player** · Apr-20-2008, 3:43pm

Nice work Brad. I guess another reason this is a great tune to learn is that there are tons of spaces to improvise on the melody. What kind of mando is that black A?

**Brad Weiss** · Apr-20-2008, 3:56pm

Originally Posted by (mando.player @ April 20 2008, 16:43)

Nice work Brad. #I guess another reason this is a great tune to learn is that there are tons of spaces to improvise on the melody. #What kind of mando is that black A?

Thanks, Charlie! The black mandolin is one made by Andrew Mowry (more shots #
here. #But this tune was played on my Phoenix Europa Neoclassical, made by Rolfe Gerhardt

**Geoff B** · Apr-20-2008, 4:39pm

I just posted a solo version on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAJNs0lS4Us

**Bruce Clausen** · Apr-20-2008, 10:32pm

Nice work, everyone! It's a great tune for acoustic strings. Although, Brad, I feel like your version owes something to Miles and Cannonball, no? Lots of ways to skin a cat. I've reloaded on my Sound Click page an old duo version I recorded years back:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands....t=music

Thanks for listening.

BC

**Brad Weiss** · Apr-21-2008, 4:32am

Originally Posted by (Bruce Clausen @ April 20 2008, 23:32)

#Although, Brad, I feel like your version owes something to Miles and Cannonball, no?

Well, I copped that intro phrase from them, yes. #But don't say it too loud, lest their ghosts come back to haunt me for such shoddy playing!!

**duuuude** · Apr-21-2008, 11:06am

Funny you should mention Autumn Leaves, I just spent the last few days getting "comfortable" with it since it always gets called in jams and I could never get my head around it. What did it for me was the lyrics, once I included the lyrics it all started to flow, well, that and playing it outa the proper position, which also lent a more natural feel.

**mando.player** · Apr-21-2008, 11:12am

Mike,

What position are you playing it out of? I pretty much play everything in first position. I know the tune well, so it would make a nice vehicle for moving up the neck.

You comment on Autumn Leaves being called out a lot made me think of something Don Stiernberg said about it. He basically called it the Blackberry Blossom of the jazz world.

**Lefty&French** · Apr-21-2008, 11:49am

Bruce, very very fine music! I listened to the five pieces and was really impressed.
By the way, "Valse à Deddy" was written by Emile CARRARA (1915-1973), and "Um a zero" should be titled "Un à zéro".
Please, pardon my poor english.

**David Horovitz** · Apr-21-2008, 12:33pm

Originally Posted by (mando.player @ April 21 2008, 09:12)

What position are you playing it out of? #I pretty much play everything in first position. #I know the tune well, so it would make a nice vehicle for moving up the neck.

I'm working on this one and having a great time. The chord solo Don presents in the Fall 2001 Mandolin Magazine plays up and down the neck, giving lots of nice ideas. Then he shows the chords for comping and finally a nice improvised jazz line, as he calls it, with lots of chromatic runs and a cool arpeggiated figure at the end.

**Bruce Clausen** · Apr-21-2008, 12:36pm

Merci bien, Philippe! Vous etes a Paris? Si oui, je pourrais vous faire visite en juin. (Pardon, je n'arrive pas a trouver les accents.) Passez-moi un PM si vous voulez.

Quite right, composer of Deddy is Carrara. Um a zero is, I believe, the correct Portuguese spelling. (And your English is fine.)

BC

**Don Stiernberg** · Apr-21-2008, 12:59pm

I think my reference to Autumn Leaves being the Blackberry Blossom of jazz was dealing with the tonalities they have in common---G and Em, or I and vi if you will...

They do get called a lot too, but that's because they sound good and offer a lot of possibilities to the player..

Another way to look at it is if you can find improvisational language for Blackberry Blossom, doing the same for Autumn Leaves shouldn't be a problem--same tonalities! A G major A section and relative minor bridge

Hey didn't Mike and Hamilton record Autumn Leaves? And also Blackberry Blossom? Maybe on the same CD? Worth checking out.

What's Goin' On by Marvin Gaye--that goes from I to vi, but right in the first phrase.

Happy Pickin' and Good Notes.

**mando.player** · Apr-21-2008, 1:11pm

Thanks for the clarification Don. I didn't have the email handy to go back and reference.

The CD is New Words (Novas Palavras). I'll have to track it down and add it to the library. Should be fun comparing the tunes.

**luckylarue** · Apr-21-2008, 2:04pm

Thanks Don, for the great article in Mandolin Magazine. I working on the jazz lines for this tune - beautiful stuff!

Brad - Very inspiring - that old Gibson sounds phat!, man.

**duuuude** · Apr-21-2008, 3:31pm

"What position are you playing it out of?"

I play alot of stuff up the neck, above the 7th fret, since I like the tone I get fooling around up there, but it never seemed to flow as easily as when I dropped down to first position. Maybe the open strings were helping, or just being closer to the chord forms I use, but once I learned the lyrics and changed position I couldn't believe why I ever had any problems in the first place. Just one more monkey off the back, now it's time to work on rhythm for Tears and Django's Castle, two more that have always given me fits.