Question about the last few measures of “Somewhere over the Rainbow”

[Michael]

Hey Johnny, I’ve learned Greensleeves–great song 😎 and have almost learned “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and it I noticed, while watching you play it, it sounds like you got creative and played those last few measures an Octave higher and then when you were almost finished playing the song, you went back to the Octave that the song started out it in, is this right? Both of these songs are simple and very, very beautiful; thanks!

[john]

Yes, simple can be beautiful!!!
I actually played the 2nd half of the bridge up the octave and the entire “A” section up there as well and then just went down top the low register at the very end (when you wish upon a star etc).

[Michael]

Cool–I just wanted to make absolutely sure that’s what I heard and if I decided to do the same thing on my alto that was acceptable–I had actually thought of something similar before I saw you play it LOL. I was going to combine the two songs into 1 video to upload to the blog before month’s end…..as I have finished your ebook!!! I took me 6 and 1/2 months, but were talking hours and hours and hours and hours of learning it. Don’t know if you agree or not, but I think while it’s good to “stretch ourselves” from time to time when it comes to learning to play songs, we have to be careful that were not trying to play things beyond our abilities. The danger, from what I see/learned as a student player; is that it can be easy to develop bad habits if we don’t have the ability to play those songs in the first place—learn to walk before we run.
When I book my lesson with you late this month/before December 8th, it will be on the Improvisation based off of the lessons here on your home page; want to make I sure I get on the right foot before starting Killer Blues.

[john]

Some exercises thru the book are more difficult than the songs at the end of the book so you won’t be over your head by playing those songs…it should be a good and fun work out by then… probably more fun than the exercises!

[Michael]

For sure, both of those songs I’ll upload into 1 video on the blog before month’s end and they were both very easy to learn/pick up. I wasn’t “stretching myself” at all learning them, both of those songs are very, very beautiful, great fun and they’re perfect for a student sax player like me to learn at the end of your ebook for sure (I may look for some google images of Dorothy with a Saxophone or something to put on the video LOL 🙂 –I was making reference to something Mr.Baker (local band director) told me regarding a mistake student players, like me–on any instrument–can make and that is to try and play things beyond our ability, simply because were tying to sound like the person who turned us on to our instruments. Is it realisitic to think I could play right now the theme song from the Peter Gunn TV show? That song is way over my head right now. I don’t think the notes are, but the technique-growling for that long sure is……..but I LOVE to hear you play it! In a year or so from now, we’ll see if I can play it. His point to me was we have to learn to walk before we can run.

[Author]

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