Soft Winds – Fletcher Henderson
A small-group swing classic that's been recorded in a countless variety of settings and arrangements. We will be exploring this important jazz standard in many ways over the next few months. For now, we are showing you its origins, and one way it can be found on our Guitar Corner.
- Recording: Benny Goodman - Benny Goodman Sextet
- Recorded on: November 22, 1939
- Label: Columbia (35320)
- Concert Key: A-flat
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Clarinet - Benny Goodman
- Vibes - Lionel Hampton
- Guitar - Charlie Christian
- Piano - Fletcher Henderson
- Bass - Artie Bernstein
- Drums - Nick Fatool
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
An all-time classic, which has been played in many different keys, tempos, and arrangements. It's a 16-measure blues, which expands the usual blues changes by staying on the IV chord for four measures, followed by four measures of the I chord.
Our Concert Condensed Score reflects the arrangement of the original recording in the key of A♭. The guitar has the melody, with vibes and clarinet harmony notes above. Click on Guitar Corner for more details about the arrangement.
This recording has an intro based on the last two measures of the melody. There is also a coda that tags these last two measures. In this arrangement, the melody descends while the bass rises at the beginning of this two-measure phrase. The first two guitar chords in the intro may look like they clash with the bass notes, but their smoothly chromatic motion, coupled with the way they resolve to the tonic, really makes them work out.
Our Concert Condensed Score reflects the arrangement of the original recording in the key of A♭. The guitar has the melody, with vibes and clarinet harmony notes above. Click on Guitar Corner for more details about the arrangement.
This recording has an intro based on the last two measures of the melody. There is also a coda that tags these last two measures. In this arrangement, the melody descends while the bass rises at the beginning of this two-measure phrase. The first two guitar chords in the intro may look like they clash with the bass notes, but their smoothly chromatic motion, coupled with the way they resolve to the tonic, really makes them work out.
This version of Soft Winds is master take B; take A has a slightly different arrangement with pickups around the melody phrases both times, instead of only on the second time (check out Guitar Corner for more about the arrangement).
These first studio recordings of Soft Winds come from Charlie Christian's second studio session with Benny Goodman's sextet.
These first studio recordings of Soft Winds come from Charlie Christian's second studio session with Benny Goodman's sextet.
Our Concert Condensed shows how the instruments react on the original recording. Everything is shown where it sounds, so, on guitar, you would play 8va. Charlie Christian plays a chordal intro; the written notes, 8va, are the top note of his chords. At A, Charlie plays single line melody notes. The vibes and clarinet harmony notes are above the melody. In measures 13-14, Charlie plays harmony notes.
Charlie continues playing the melody for the repeat of the head, also adding a three-note pickup to each phrase in unison with the clarinet (Benny Goodman). There is no guitar solo on this recording, but Charlie is featured prominently on the melody.
Charlie continues playing the melody for the repeat of the head, also adding a three-note pickup to each phrase in unison with the clarinet (Benny Goodman). There is no guitar solo on this recording, but Charlie is featured prominently on the melody.
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- Recording: Jeanfrançois Prins - Three Guitars
- Recorded on: April 4, 2008
- Label: jazzleadsheets.com (JLS 1047)
- Concert Key: F
- Vocal Range: , to
- Style: Swing (medium)
- Guitars - Ben Cassorla and Jeanfrançois Prins
Video
- Description
- Historical Notes
- Solos
- Piano Corner
- Bass Corner
- Drum Corner
- Guitar Corner
- Inside & Beyond
- Minus You
Listening to our audio excerpt, you'll hear the three guitars together playing this classic jazz standard. Now your job is to learn all three parts and to be able to play your part in place of the Guitar 1 or Guitar 2 recorded part with the appropriate MP3 track. Recording and listening back to your performance will help make sure you've got your phrasing together with the other two recorded guitarists.
If you are an inexperienced guitarist, see the Guitar Corner tab for more tips.
If you are an inexperienced guitarist, see the Guitar Corner tab for more tips.
Don Sickler: Recording these easy 3-Guitar arrangements gave me a chance to get guitarists Jeanfrançois Prins and Ben Cassorla out to the Rudy Van Gelder Studio to record them. One recorded two of the tracks and the other one the third. I know they recorded Guitar 1 and Guitar 3 together first (in separate isolation booths). Then one of them added the 2nd part.
Based on The Jazz Messengers' influential 1955 recording, this three guitar arrangement of Fletcher Henderson's Soft Winds adapts the parts of trumpeter Kenny Dorham, saxophonist Hank Mobley and bassist Doug Watkins onto a convenient and sonorous register of the instrument for an easy-reading yet hard-swinging time. With individual notation and tablature for each part and play-along tracks for parts one and two, students can both easily learn their written parts and develop the proper swing feeling and phrasing to play them with; a fantastic package for any budding jazz guitarist.
The third part is always present; you can remove Guitar 1 clip or Guitar 2 clip. Learn guitar 3 by playing along with it.
Suggestions for the inexperienced Guitarist: The easiest way for you to get started would be to explore the Guitar 2 part and MP3 no guitar 2 track. First you want to make sure you have the notes together on the guitar, so just be able to play the part note after note, not worrying about the rhythms until you've got the notes together.
Once you have the notes on the guitar, just put on the MP3 track and go for it! Listen carefully to Guitar 1, making sure you are phrasing with him as you play Guitar 2.
Once Guitar 2 is comfortable for you, check out Guitar 1, where you are playing the melody. Try the same procedure, using the MP3 no Guitar 2.
When Guitar 1 is comfortable, get Guitar 3 together in the same way. There is no minus Guitar 3 track. You need Guitar 3 (the bass part) to start the arrangement, and hold the other 2 parts together. Once you've learned the Guitar 3 part, play it along with Guitar 3 using the Complete Mix track.
The third part is always present; you can remove Guitar 1 clip or Guitar 2 clip. Learn guitar 3 by playing along with it.
Suggestions for the inexperienced Guitarist: The easiest way for you to get started would be to explore the Guitar 2 part and MP3 no guitar 2 track. First you want to make sure you have the notes together on the guitar, so just be able to play the part note after note, not worrying about the rhythms until you've got the notes together.
Once you have the notes on the guitar, just put on the MP3 track and go for it! Listen carefully to Guitar 1, making sure you are phrasing with him as you play Guitar 2.
Once Guitar 2 is comfortable for you, check out Guitar 1, where you are playing the melody. Try the same procedure, using the MP3 no Guitar 2.
When Guitar 1 is comfortable, get Guitar 3 together in the same way. There is no minus Guitar 3 track. You need Guitar 3 (the bass part) to start the arrangement, and hold the other 2 parts together. Once you've learned the Guitar 3 part, play it along with Guitar 3 using the Complete Mix track.
Related Songs
Email Send Soft Winds to a friend
Send this page to a friend via email. Add your name or email in the first field. In the second, add one or more email addresses, separated by a comma.
Fletcher Henderson
December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952
Jazz historians often name Fletcher Henderson as one of the fathers of swing. Fletcher's band included nearly all of the greatest swing artists. Today he is credited not only with writing arrangements that helped pioneer swing and jazz forms but also discovering many of the best musicians of the swing era, including Louis Armstrong and Lester Young. Read more...
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