Not-Quite-So-Dumb Tune Game

[Bongo Boy]

Beginners: if you haven't read The Dumb Tune Game, I certainly recommend it. For me, it's a little bit different way of looking at things that relate scales to fretboards to ear training. At least that's my simple-minded take.

Looking thru my fake book last night, I ran across Jingle Bell Rock--a little tune in C that, at least if you've grown up in the US, you're intimately familiar with--I don't know if it has deteriorated the social fabric of other places around the world.

I think Jingle Bell Rock is a great Dumb Tune that's maybe not quite so dumb as Mary Had a Little Lamb, but one I feel still may meet the objectives of the article. Perhaps you have your own ideas of what would make a good 'moderately dumb' tune for the Game?

[Guni]

Hi Bongo,

Jingle Bells certainly is a good tune for this. BTW: I guess it's well known by now all over the world. At least, it's one of the favourites in German / Austrian shopping malls during Christmas time (low licensing fees I guess :D ).

hehe, I remember when we did the dumb tune game at Berklee. I had some very weired teacher at that time (anyone who knows Al Define knows what I'm talking about :D ).

Anyway, we went through some tunes, Jingle Bells, Marry had a little lamb, etc ... then 'Frostie the snowman' !!! - This is certainly nothing I grew up with back home. Al was so upset that I didn't know that one. So he gave me 1 week to learn it. I went to the library and checked it out. Next lesson he came in and the first thing he said was 'Ok, play me Yankee Doodle in Gb'.

'erm, Yankee Doodle, dunno that one'

' well then get the hell out of here and learn it for next week'

Most amazing lessons ever..... :D

Guni

[EricV]

Hey Guni...

My favorite christmas carol would be "The First Noel". There also are beautiful versions of that by Gary Hoey and by Eric Johnson ( his version is titled "The First No-well"... it´s amazing ).

A good reference these days would be Hoey´s "Ho!Ho!Hoey!" CD´s which I mentioned before. He covered all the popular christmas songs... would have been cool if ya had those CDs back at Berklee, huh ? =)
Eric