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Curt Sheller • All Things `Ukulele and Jazz Guitar

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St. Thomas

St. Thomas, 2 page(s)

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St. Thomas

St. Thomas is perhaps the most recognizable instrumental in the repertoire of American jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who is usually credited as its composer. However, it is actually based on a traditional nursery song from the Virgin Islands, which Rollins' mother sang to him when he was a child. As such, it has a distinct Caribbean vibe to it.

The Sonny Rollins song arranged for uke "C" Tuning and a low "G".

Chart for Song

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FREE PDF download, 1 page, Updated: 6/26/2005

FILE: StThomas(uke).pdf
FILE SIZE: 51.58 K

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St. Thomas is more of a solo instrumental, than a song you can strum chords along to.

I use a lot of triads when playing this song. Some cool arrangements can be discovered just doodling around on the ukulele with triads.

As a “jazz” standard St. Thomas uses 4-part contemporary, a.k.a "jazz" chords. St. Thomas uses a wider range of chords than your typical rock, pop or folk song. You'll definitely need to venture beyond the third fret of your instrument to play this arrangement.

When venturing in solo ukulele and “jazz” chords, a core set of chords and a solid foundation on how chords are constructed is needed to be successful.

How I Learned these “Jazz” Chords... Learning these more advanced chords doesn't take some mythical secret knowledge. All it takes is knowing how chords are created - where they come from. I learned them over many years. Using the information I ultimately put down in my book A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele. Study how to make any chord you will ever need to play using the tried and true chord formulas that the pros use. They're all in this book.

Core Chords - The Big Six - Building a Solid Chord Foundation

Lesson Code: UL42
Published: 2005-01-02
Updated: 2011-09-21

Lesson Info

Core Chords is a series of lessons for building your 4-part chords. These chords commonly called jazz chords, are really just 4-part chords used in a wide range of musical styles.

The Big Six chords include: Seventh 7, Major Seventh maj7, Minor Seventh m7, Half Diminished Seventh or Minor Seven Flat Five diminished 7 (m7b5), Diminished Seventh o7 and Augmented Seventh +7. These six chords form a core set of chords.

Lessons Link

click on below link for complete lesson.

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A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords - VOLUME I Commonly referred to as "jazz" chords. A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords Volume I provides detailed information on voicing 4-part chords.

Beyond learning the basic Ukulele chords, most Ukulele players struggle with advanced chords. Commonly called "jazz" chords, these more sophisticated voicings find a wide use in all forms of music.

This volume of A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords presents a highly organized and efficient approach to the mysterious subject of advanced chords. Chord dictionaries are not the answer. Even chord theory does not offer any insight into unraveling the complexity of advanced chords.

NEW 2nd Edition includes example chord progressions based on standard chord progressions and songs.

Tunings: C low or high “G” - (GCEA or gCEA).

For more information and samples checkout the A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords book information.

Play-along Resources

The Learn Jazz Standards web site has a nice selection of songs for to play-along to.

toon_Singers

No lyrics for St. Thomas.

Sonny Rollins - St. Thomas

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Jim Hall & Ron Carter - St. Thomas

This is my favorite recording of St. Thomas by a guitarists.

Web Resources

Guitar Related Resources

  • Pat Donohue teaches "St Thomas" (part 1 of 2)

    Guitar great Pat Donohue, known to all from radio's "A Prairie Home Companion," teaches Sonny Rollins' "St Thomas" in dropped-D tuning. Part one of an advanced lesson from the DVD "Rags to Rock."

Related Information for: St. Thomas
  • St. Thomas

    "St. Thomas" is perhaps the most recognizable instrumental in the repertoire of American jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who is usually credited as its composer. However, it is actually based on a traditional nursery song from the Virgin Islands, which Rollins' mother sang to him when he was a child. As such, it has a distinct Caribbean vibe to it.

  • Sonny Rollins - St. Thomas
  • Sonny Rollins - Tenor Sax Solo on "St. Thomas"

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Lessons, TABS and Songs are intended FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

Portions of copy regarding particular songs is from WidipediA, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

AGCUKE1STD-cover-rotated

Hard Copy Book: $12.95
PDF Download: $4.95

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele

Exploring Jazz Chords takes the core chords from A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele and shows their use over a variety of common chord progressions based on songs from the standard jazz repertoire.

Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation using Seventh, Major Seventh, Major 6, Minor Seventh, Minor Sixth, Diminished Seventh, Minor Seventh Flat Five and Augmented Seventh chords.

Songs include: All of Me, All of Me - Variation, Autumn Leaves, All the Things You Are, Days of Wine and Roses, There Will Never Be Another You, Back Home In Indiana, Someday My Prince Will Come, Have You Met Miss Jones, Summer Samba, Sweet Georgia Brown, Sweet Georgia Brown - Variation, Yesterday, and It’s Only A Paper Moon

More info and complete samples of entire book.


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Content is always being added and updated. So check-in often. Thanks, Curt

UL42 - UL420_ST_THOMAS.PHP | Updated: Friday, 30th March, 2012 @ 04:33pm

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