9.

Cheek to Cheek Track 9 on the CD

I first heard this tune on a faded old cassette tape handed to me by a former student. It was an
arrangement of this song by a guitarist named Guy Van Duser. When I first it heard I thought,
"Boy, those guitarists play very well together." Then I learned that it was one guy playing (no
overdubs), or recording trickery of any kind. When I picked up my jaw off the floor, I went and got
myself some "humble shoes" and walked to the CD store to find as many recordings as I could.

I am told Bing Crosby sang this song in one of his famous musicals, Top Hat. I've also heard it
played as incidental music in other films as well. The song's lyrics refer to being in Heaven and
dancing "Cheek to Cheek"; to my mind an innocently romantic sentiment.

I liked it his performance because it was very light and happy. Hearing it made me smile. I love
the way the performance makes no attempt to be "hip" or "cool." Instead, he goes straight for
"corny." But in a way that I thought was very cool. Years later, I came across a book by Guy Van
Duser for Mel Bay Publications called Stride Guitar. I learned a few pieces from it and gained
some insight to his style.

This arrangement is a tribute to his accomplishments.

Performance Notes
As you practice, see if you can determine which notes are the melody, accompaniment, or bass
line. Through most of this piece, the "two-beat" bass line is played by the pick. All of the melody
and accompaniments are played with the pick-hand fingers. Beats "1" and "3" of the bass line
(notes that are written "staves down" and played with the pick) will usually be the root and 5th of
the chord, while beats "2" and "4" will be the 3rd or another chord tone. Playing the bass line
alone will outline the chords in the piece by themselves and serve to give it a musical "skeleton".
If you know the song, the melody will be obvious. It's a good idea to listen to some recordings of
this song. Notice that the melody is written "staves up" so you can see it fairly clearly.

-Using a "pick and fingers" technique will make it a challenge to keep the melody balaced with
the bass line. The bass will naturally come out louder so your technique has to compensate.

-Make sure that there is a strong quater note feel in the bass part because that is the backbone
of the arrangement. If it doesnt feel pretty solid, it won't sound as good.

-In Measure 18 (the 1st Ending) the B is deliberately played on an open string to give you time to
make the position switch. Similar use of that little trick is also used in in the 2nd ending. Take
advantage of that small moment where your hands are free to keep the sound nice and smooth!

-In Measures 26 and 27 there is a very tricky pick hand technique where the "c" (pinky) finger
plays a pickup note that leads to the next note played by the "a" (3rd) finger. To complicate
matters, you also have to get the bass note with the pick on the downbeat all at the same time as
the "a" finger (measure 27).

-Prepatory fingerings (where you place your fingers where you will need them before you get
there) work great in this tune. There are very few places where you play a static chord fingering.
 Track 9 on the CD

Cheek to Cheek
by Irving Berlin
(0:00 ~ )

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"Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln