Bird of Beauty - Stevie Wonder

[CyrilleB]

Don't get me wrong, most charts in the Chuck Sher books are correct. However, I spotted chords mistakes in some of their charts. Those mistakes are generally small. They still sound fine with the melody, but they're just not the right chords.
For ex. for some tunes, instead of a C7#9#11, they would write C-7b5. The difference is small, just one note. But it just doesn't sound the same (it usually work with the melody, though).
They are also a few (not so many) big mistakes in a few tunes.
As for the structure of "Bird of Beauty", the following chart will play correctly the form of the song on iReal Pro:
Bird Of Beauty - Stevie Wonder

[GregH3000]

That's an interesting take on the Sher transcriptions; you sound like you have more experience with them than I do.

As for your chart, it's perfectly fine and my chords are almost exactly the same as yours now after my changes this evening (what's up with these question marks though; I have no idea what's going on there). My only remaining issue with it is your employing common time as opposed to cut time, which personally, I think is much more in line with the composer's intent judging from how it sounds on the recording.

As unsuccessful as my attempt at nailing this tune down has been over these past few weeks of my learning how to master the irp, if I can get that problem with the endings licked, I still think it will sound closer to the recording (just my opinion).

[CyrilleB]

I used common time for 2 reasons:
1) the drums is clearly playing a back beat, which sound closer to R&B than samba style. There is some Brazilian influence in the song of course, but it's not a samba beat.
2) It would also work with a samba beat, but the samba style in IRP is just too syncopated (particularly the piano comping) and wouldn't work well with that song (especially when there are more than one chord in a bar)

[GregH3000]

OK, so here's another attempt four years on from that. The abbreviated format, as you requested, is Intro, A1, A2, B1, A3, B2, Coda.
The only problem left now is that iRP goes to the coda on the first play of the B section instead of the second. I tried to get around this by making it a first and second ending at the bottom, instead of using the coda symbol, but that didn't work either.

Any suggestions? Bird of Beauty - GH3K - Stevie Wonder

Thanks,
Greg

[CyrilleB]

This is the way iReal pro works with codas and second endings. The player cannot handle both. So you need to choose either one but not both in the same chart. A while ago, I've reported this issue, but I guess it must be too complicated to change it.
I've made a chart of that song as well (see the thread below) and the player can play the structure of the song correctly.

[pdxdjazz]

OK, so here's another attempt four years on from that. The abbreviated format, as you requested, is Intro, A1, A2, B1, A3, B2, Coda.
The only problem left now is that iRP goes to the coda on the first play of the B section instead of the second. I tried to get around this by making it a first and second ending at the bottom, instead of using the coda symbol, but that didn't work either.

Any suggestions? Bird of Beauty - GH3K - Stevie Wonder

Thanks,
Greg

First, the reason for that early (your opinion) coda jump:

The player is doing what it is supposed to do.
The coda rules are: when you arrive at the “jump from” coda sign on the FINAL player repeat, make the jump and end.

With the player repeats set to 1x, the first play is the FINAL.

2x won’t work as too much gets repeated.

On a simpler less complex and lengthy chart, you could add another condensed B section at the end and take the coda from there.

With only 12 systems available to work with, there just aren’t enough spaces into which to enter chords for a readable chart when formatted like your chart.

(Check out CyrilleB’s nice chart here: https://www.irealb.com/forums/showth...6359#post56359 )

PLAYER CHARTS vs. READER CHARTS
https://www.irealb.com/forums/showth...5854#post25854

That said, I wrote out a player only version of your chart’s arrangement for you.

Bird of Beauty - GH3K 1 - Stevie Wonder


)BOB

[GregH3000]

I have (and love) CyrilleB's chart (which sounds a lot cooler now that I finally have the Blues styles downloaded), but I wanted to keep the Samba style in 2/2, and he thought 4/4 was better for emphasizing the Rnb back beat and omitting the over-the-top syncopation for the keys (can see his point, but trying to stay true to the sheet music and the composer's original intent.

On the coda issue, I think I have finally come to accept that since I usually keep everything but the jazz stuff on one play, it's never going to do what it's not programmed to do.

Haven't listened to your splendid revision, but looks fantastic, if a wee bit crowded. I don't care about the readability aspect as I'm not performing anymore anyway, and I'm usually looking at the sheet music to play along with iRP track. Thank you very much for your kind assistance, sir!

happy playing,BOB
Greg