Si Tu Savais: Tune of the Month, August '06

Jack

Hi all,

I thought we'd do a ballad this month...

Some charts:
[img]http://nuagesdeswing.free.fr/jouer/images/si_tu_savais.gif[/img]
A rhythm track for the chart above can be found [url=http://nuagesdeswing2.free.fr/sons_playback/si_tu_savais.mp3]Here.[/url]

An alternate chart in Cm:
[img]http://www.hotclub.co.uk/gypsyworld/images/4/4f/Situsavais.gif[/img]

The Django version was Bm, but somewhere along the line many began to play it in Cm. A possible explanation lies with the second chord in the chart above-going to the iv chord in Cm lets you use this closed chord, avoiding the open strings of an Em in the same position:

---3-------
---3-------
---1-------
---3-------
---3-------
---1-------

That said, if you're in Bm and want to use a iv chord, this voicing works well for Em:

----------
---5-------
---4-------
---5-------
---4-------
----------

Also, the dim chord in bar 6 is often played just as G7 (in Bm) or Ab7 (in Cm).

The melody (in both Bm and Cm) can be found [url=http://www.hotclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3496]Here,[/url] and a vocal version of the tune can be found attached below (thanks to Francois Ravez).
If you've got the Bireli Live in Vienne DVD, there's a great version on it:
[url=https://shoppingcart.djangobooks.com/item--Bireli-Lagrene-DVD-Zone-1-Live-Jazz-a-Vienne--bireli_dvd_new.html][img]https://shoppingcart.djangobooks.com/media//images/product_category/Bireli.jpeg[/img][/url]

The Bireli intro starts with a Bm6/9 stab, like so:

--9
--9
--7
--6
--x
--7
you can hear it [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop-up/B00005RFJB001003/ref=mu_sam_wma_001_003/002-1061800-0744804]Here.[/url]
before moving down to the G, F#, and F chords. Try letting the G string ring out as an open string while descending (the rhythm is open to interpretation):

------------------------------------------
--3----------2---------1--------2---3--2
--0----------0---------2--------3---3--3
--3----------2---------1--------2---2--2
------------------------------------------
--3----------2---------1--------2---2--2

and then the classic intro, which can stand on it's own or could be thrown on the end of the above intro (again in Bm):
Bm C9/G | Bm C9/G |

The Bm is just a root position barre chord; the C9/G is just the standard Gm6 shape, aka Em7b5:
--3----
--3----
--3----
--2----
--x----
--3-----

More to come...it's late here.

Best,
Jack.

Jack

For all the tab hounds out there:
http://www.hotclub.co.uk/ptab/Si_Tu_Savais.ptb

By the way, Si tu Savais has a similar chord progression to the American standard Angel Eyes by Matt Dennis, so if you're looking to steal some ideas, you might try finding some recordings of that tune as well. A quick search turns up this DVD, which should feature some great playing, though I can't say I've seen it:



Best,
Jack.

BluesBop Harry

Here are the lyrics to this great song:

Si Tu Savais
by Georges Ulmer

Je vois au loin le jour qui se lève
Un jour sans joie, sans raison
Je pleure en pensant aux heures trop brèves
Aux heures d'amour, d'abandon

Si tu savais combien j'ai pleuré
Si tu savais comme tout a changé
Ô mon Amour ! Oui, tu reviendrais
Si seulement tu savais

Combien je suis seul depuis ton départ
Combien j'ai souffert dans mon désespoir
Ô mon Amour ! Oui, tu reviendrais
Si seulement tu savais

Que tant de plaisir et tant de joies
Pourraient revenir sur un mot de toi

Si tu savais combien j'ai pleuré
Si tu savais comme tout a changé
Ô mon Amour ! Oui, tu reviendrais
Si seulement tu savais...

I think it was Dexter Gordon who said he wouldn't play a tune if he didn't know the lyrics.

BluesBop Harry

Here's my attempt at an english translation:

"I see far away the day that rises
A day without joy, without meaning
I cry while thinking of the too short hours
The hours of love, of carelessness


If you knew how much I've cried
If you knew how everything has changed
Oh my love! Yes, you would come back
If you only knew...


How alone I am since you left
How I've suffered in my hopelessness
Oh my love! Yes, you would come back
If you only knew...


How much pleasure and how much happiness
Could come back with one word from you


If you knew how much I've cried
If you knew how everything has changed
Oh my love! Yes, you would come back
If you only knew... "

So now you know the words and are truly ready to play it.

François RAVEZ

Hi Jack,

Your post on a different forum reminded me of this : a transcription by the late Paul VISVADER.

Fingerings to be edited by someone.

Best

François RAVEZ

JazzDawg

Maybe, it's the dreary wet weather today, or feeling a bit under the weather, but I've finally gotten around to learning this tune. It's just so beautiful. One of the primary sources for my listening is none other than Jack's group, Swing Caravan recording on the CD 'Get It Fresh' (available here: http://swingcaravan.com/store.htm.

The cut is so well done. Just wanted to give you thanks. The rest of the CD is pretty good too. Getting a real workout today, and it's lifting my spirits.

I'm doing it in Cm, following the grille laid out in Colin's book. Really, a nice tune to play when you're a bit blue.

Jack

Glad you're liking it! It's been so long since we recorded the CD that it's hard for me to be objective about it. Definitely a sad/beautiful rainy day kind of tune, though...

If you play it in Bm, you can add in a little descending thing over bars 5 & 6 :

Bm Bm/A Bm/Ab Abdim (or G7)

You can do it in Cm, but the open string A makes it easier in Bm...

-2--
-3--
-4--
-4--
-o--
-x--Bm/A

another nice change for the first four bars of the bridge:

G | G G/B| Bm Bm/maj7 | Bm7 Bm6 |

---
--8-
--7-
--5-
---
--7-G/B

---
--7-
--7-
--4-
---
--7-Bm

---
--7-
--7-
--4-
---
--6-Bm/maj7

---
--7-
--7-
--4-
---
--5-Bm7

---
--3-
--4-
--4-
---
--4-Bm6

best,
Jack.

JazzDawg

Thanks. I'll give it go in Bm, too.

Are you doing that Bm / Gm6 in the intro and outtro? Sounds like it to me.

Jack

JazzDawg wrote:

Are you doing that Bm / Gm6 in the intro and outtro? Sounds like it to me.

Yep!

sansoucie

Thank you for posting this! I have always liked this song since I discovered it a couple years ago and have always wanted to learn the vocal version, but I'm having a hard time understanding the format its presented in... If it wouldn't be too much trouble I would greatly appreciate some help or just a chord sheet.
Thank you!

Jim Kaznosky

Nice to see this bumped. Guillaume, who posts here, pulled this out one night when we were playing and the beauty of this song was revealed to me. A few weeks later, I saw Adrian Moignard and Benoit Covert open their Saturday night set at Django A Go Go in NYC with this tune. Stunning.
I thought I knew it when I pulled it out last Thursday at loose jam with the other guitar player in my band and realized I was really simplifying this and missing some of the essential harmony. I went back to the drawing board and started to transcribe the Django/Stephane version of this.
While most of his recordings can be a clinic, this one resonated with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZY6PBuXcNw

So are most folks playing the first four bars from the Bmin chord form at the second fret or from the form at the seventh fret? My ear can discern this from the recordings.