David Oakes: Arrangements and Transcriptions
These pages are dedicated to helping classical guitarists learn the language of jazz and to share some of my arrangements. This information will be geared to people playing nylon string guitars using classical/fingerstyle techniques. There will be no tab here. Music reading is required to learn this material.
Written out chord melody arrangements will be regular additions. I will also post some arrangements and transcriptions from some of my former teachers and other great jazz/fingerstyle guitarist.
This will be a free site, all I ask is that you send me feedback on any of the information that will be posted here. I look forward to getting to know you.
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Chord Melody Solos
Chord melody solo based on "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles"
Forever Blowing Bubbles PDF
I am using Jimmy Wyble's two line techniques and moving into walking bass lines and then adding some four to the bar comping while all the time implying the melody. My feeling about this arrangement is that it brings a very full pianistic quality to the arrangement.
Chord melody arrangement"Prelude #2"
Prelude #2 PDF
Prelude #2 by George Gershwin, is an arrangement that I did years ago. I still love the contrapuntal qualities as well as the bluesy feel of this music.
Chord melody solo based on "It Had To Be You"
It Had To Be You PDF
A chord melody arrangement that plays off of the melody some improvised figures included.
Chord melody solo based on "Black Orpheus"
Black Orpheus PDF
This arrangement incorporates material that I have learned from Jimmy Wyble's contrapuntal concepts. Check out the 2 etudes and you will see where many of these ideas came from. Mostly improvised with hints of the melody. Read through the Wyble Etudes #1 and #2 and find the phrases that I used in the Black Orpheus solo.
Chord melody solo based on "Autumn Leaves"
This arrangement also uses some of the same concepts that I have learned from Jimmy Wyble. This arrangement also hints of the melody while it is mostly improvised over the changes. The sound file is close to the printed page but not exact. I tried my best to play what I wrote! Enjoy -
Chord melody solo and reharmanization based on "Autumn Leaves"
Autumn Leaves reharmanization PDF
This arrangement came about as a result of my study with the late great Ted Greene. Ted's arrangement was in a different key. Also Ted's arrangement was for electric guitar and didn't cross over well to the nylon string instrument. This revision transposed many of his ideas, revoiced many of his chords, changed fingerings and simplified some of his chord voicings. I tried to keep the essence of Ted's ideas and voice leading. He was such a master of chord melody guitar playing.
Improvisation based on "Alone Together"
Alone Together PDF
I made this arrangement after hearing about Ted Greene's untimely passing. We had worked on Baroque improvisation and had analyzed Bach's music during the time that I studied with him. I have also had the opportunity to spend some time with Joe Diorio learning how he used Bach's ideas in his improvisations. This solo uses three different themes from the Courante from Partita #1 for solo violin the Fugue from Sonata #1 and an excerpt from Jimmy Wyble's Etude #1. I reworked the themes loosely around the melody and harmony from "Alone Together". I use this arrangement quite often as an introduction to the tune. I added a few bars of the tune at the end to show how I might transition into the jazz standard in swing time.
Improvisation based on the changes to "I've Never Been In Love Before"
I've Never Been In Love Before PDF
This is a new arrangement of mine using many of Jimmy Wybles techniques for two line improvisation. What I like most about thist arrangement is the fact that even though I don't state the melody, it is still in the arrangement as Jimmy's two line techniques imply the melody beautifully.
Chord Melody based on the tune "You Do Something To Me"
You Do Something To Me PDF
This is a new arrangement of mine posted July 5,2009 using many of Jimmy Wybles techniques for two line improvisation. What I like most about thist arrangement is the fact that the melody becomes part of the counterpoint.
Chord Melody arrangement of the choro "Divagando"
Divagando PDF
Brazilian choro music is one of my favorite styles of music to play. This arrangement would work in almost every solo guitar gig that I could ever imagine.
Trading 4's with James Seaberry (March 25, 2010)
James Seaberry Material PDF
This lesson evolved from a series of emails where we sent ideas back and forth and they finally ended up in a great arrangement.
Ted Greene Material - An arrangement by Ted Greene and David Oakes (March 28, 2010)
Ted Greene Material PDF
This pdf is an arrangement that I worked on during my lessons with Ted in early 1991. He made his own arrangement shortly after this lesson in March of 1991 and that arrangement is available on his tribute web site.
An arrangement by Ted Greene (March 29, 2010)
Ted Greene Material 2 PDF
This pdf is an arrangement that Ted shared with me in the fall of 1991. I needed to decipher the chord boxes and write it out in order to learn the arrangement.
An arrangement by Ted Greene (April 1, 2010)
Ted Greene Material 3 PDF
This pdf is an arrangement that Ted shared with me during the time I studied with him. I noticed that this arrangement wasn't posted on his tribute site. The movement of the inner voices in this arrangement are fantastic.
A composition by Ted Greene (April 1, 2010)
Ted Greene Material 4 PDF
This pdf is an composition that Ted wrote shared with me during the time I studied with him. I noticed that this composition wasn't posted on his tribute site. This was one of my favorite "Ted Sheets".
A single line solo by Ted Greene (April 2, 2010)
Ted Greene Material 5 PDF
This pdf is an written out single line solo based on the common chord progression "Just Friends". I transposed the solo, worked out lots of fingering issues and learned to" to play it fingerstyle. It was a change in direction with my chord melody lessons but a very valuable lesson even to this day.
Rethinking an arrangement by Ted Greene (May 24, 2010)
Ted Greene Material 6 PDF
This pdf is an written out chord melody based on a chord melody arrangement by Ted Greene.