As the only child of the late pianist/composer Russ Freeman, I'm sending you compliments and massive respect for untangling the chords of this Gershwin tune for learning musicians. We need more people like you on the planet! Liked, playlisted, and subbed... :)

For a non musician, it’s amazing to see you “thinking out loud” and figuring out a song, which to me always appeared like magic. Thank you for this video!

When I first heard Chet Bakers “But not for Me” it was the first jazz song I heard that really resonated with me as a trumpet player. I said to myself “This is me, in Song form”

Omg! When you said “Look for the Silver Lining” Aimee, I was about to comment, “I just finished transcribing the Chet solo on Look for the Silver Lining, when I was looking for But Not For Me versions other than Chet’s when I came across this…” Your video just saved me a lot of work. Thanks. I play melodica mainly influenced by Chet. And sing and play piano. Been into Chet for 45 years, since I found his albums down in the basement of my home in high school. They were my father’s who died when I was a baby in 1963, my mom never got over it, and saved all his jazz records - my dad also played trumpet. Again glad I found you, this video is terrific.

OMG When you said your life changed when you heard "Chet Baker Sings" - I was right there with you 100%. I've been listening to that CD since the '80s and it is still as fresh as the first time I ever listened to it. I paused your video at 0:26 just to write this comment. I cannot wait to watch the rest of your video but your comments in those first 26 seconds spoke right to my heart and I have to write this comment ASAP. Chet's recording of "But Not For Me", in my opinion, is his masterpiece. His solo, as well as his trumpet performance of both the refrain and chorus, are so full of understated emotion that speaks straight to a person's heart. Chock full of humanity. I transcribed his trumpet playing on this tune, both melody and imrov (I play trombone) having memorized it decades ago. Though my skills are a fraction of his, it still inspires me to find the emotion in me and speak it through the horn. Also, very nice to see the reply from Bud Freeman's only child :-)

0 dislikes, the way it should be. Please do more tutorials for Chet baker sings! Silver lining would be great

I only discovered Chet Bakers version of this tune fairly recently and was super impressed with the arrangement...and hadn't realised he sang so well. Thanks for working through the tune and dismantling the chords.. some wonderful insights gained!

So great! Chet Baker Sings changed my life too. Thank you so much for decoding the mystery of this intro for me (and for every one else)!

You are literally the Bob Ross of Music. I love your calm and transparent approach to music that encourages exploration and learning. Much love

I come back here every single week just to hear you humming this song.

After six years, I keep coming back to this video. What a wonderful experience. Thank you, Aimee❤

Twenty years ago I worked this tune out, played it for awhile and forgot about it. While brushing up on the changes recently, I found this video. You are really sharp! This demonstration is not only helpful for the song in the video, but shows a systematic way of finding tricky harmonizations for any standard. Nicely done!

So agree.... The first time I listened to Check Baker my whole concept of music just changed....I have been buying all his music over the years and never get tire of listening to...Marvellous musician

I've seen a couple of your videos and they have been inspiring. I'm saving this one for later since I can't watch it right now, but I had to comment. I wasn't really into jazz myself until I watched a japanese anime called Sakamichi no Apollon. It's about jazz in japan around 1960~ if I remember correctly, and it made me hear something I hadn't hear before in jazz. Those crazy chord progression that made no sense to me before amazed me, even though I don't really know much about theory, they don't seem strange to me anymore. The soundtrack has songs from Art Blakey, Bill Evans, Miles Davis and of course Chet Baker.. They have a rendition of "Not for me" that I really love, and I hope to be able to play it one day!

My life also changed greatly after chet sings and you said it so naturally i had to like the video lol love that music

This is a well spent thirty minutes. Thank you!

You’re fantastic Aimee thank you for this great lesson

Before the advent of KZfaq. Back in the days when I learned by ear and John Mehegan 60 chord system. Listening to Nat Cole, Oscar Peterson (King). George Shearing, Errol Garner, Ray Charles, Art Tatum, Joe Sample. Watching your tutorials is so perfect in my quest to become happy with my playing. I've followed Dr. K, Christian Fuchs and yourself. You have a special gift for teaching and sharing. Thank you from Dublin Ireland.

The beautiful song for witch I waited. From you, with your sensibility. A rainy Saturday in France today, your song, my piano, " Just the two of us ". Très plaisant.

played this tune on guitar when my school did the girl crazy musical, and i'm so happy to find this beautiful version.

Man, you are so good at this. I always learn something and I think it sticks. Thanks for educating us in a way that makes it seem like there is nothing to be afraid of without shying away from the hard work.

This is an amazing video! Despite years of classical training, playing by ear is quite a struggle. Thanks so much, Aimee!

love this ! my life definitely changed when i first heard chet baker sings .. I love the album so much I did a whole gig covering the album which was amazing

I admire you so much! You are an excellent teacher and perfect example for the new generations of musicians! Greetings from Mexico.

I couldn't agree more about Chet and Russ. Just recently Google Music played My Funny Valentine -- a song that has been mercilessly overplayed and subjected to torture by less talented if well-meaning amateurs -- with jazz trumpeter Chet Baker singing it in the most perfect intimate way you might ever imagine it. And Russ Freeman providing quintessential 1950's jazz harmonies and filler runs. It so impressed me I had to look up who the pianist was and read about him (how could I not know? Well, I do now and that's what counts!). It was a singular moment for me where I was hearing that song as if it were the first time. Never again will I quietly cringe upon hearing it because I've heard Chet's rendition which will stay with me for life.

My life changed when I first heard Chet SING and play, which was back in 1989. It was the album Chet Sings and Plays from the film "Let's Get Lost". It was Chet recorded near the end of his life - 1987. Several months later my life changed AGAIN when I acquired the 1950's recordings of Chet and Russ. Besides the great music what really grabbed me equally were the beauty of the LYRICS to all of those songs on both albums.

I fall in love too easily, great video

Thanks for this video, Aimee. I first ran into this song as a drummer, but since then I fell in love with Chet's solos - especially at the beginning - and I have been trying to tab it out for harmonica. Moving the key from the original Eb to Chet's Db (and then possibly another change for harmonica) has been my challenge lately, but I was interested in figuring out chords for the intro (many who cover this song skip the intro)....I had heard the intro lyrics before, probably Judy Garland's version, but it never occurred to me that that was what Chet and Russ were playing over. I wanted to make sure I had the chords correct before I asked my friend, a good jazz guitarist, to accompany me . I really enjoyed your explanations and your thought process. Thanks again

Brilliant and helpful as always, no secret I share your feelings about the Chet Baker Sings albums, they are basically it for me. Grateful bows to you for putting up these incredible videos, love the mirror effect on this one, too cool.

Thx Aimee for a great lesson! Yes Russ Freeman probably made the chord arrangement. In an interview a friend of Chet's said that contrary to popular opinion that Chet couldn't read he did read a bit (just not enuf for studio dates) but he didn't know about chords. I think he sure knew the vocab tho by heart!

What a wonderful lesson in music theory ! Ironic for in an interview Russ admitted Chet knew zilch about music theory. It’s pretty cool Aimee! You’ve just proved Russ was one of the greatest pianists ever.

One of my favourite Chet Baker tunes, one of my fave vids on KZfaq - great work!

Your hearing power is just killing me ! Thanks for your tribute to all the self-taught little pianists like me... I learn so much listening to you, you're just the perfect teacher we'd all like to meet one day. Thanks for being yourself !^^

thank you so much,I've been looking for this in years 👍

Excellent! Very educational and methodic. I teach music and will definitely use this video with my student. Going backwards in the cycle of fifths is really essential for understanding harmony and finding out chord progressions. Thanks a lot!

Totally agree about Chet Baker!

I would love to see a breakdown of Look for the Silver Lining! I transcribed Chet's solo but the piano part is trickier. Also it seems to be in D major which is not the most common key in jazz. Would you happen to know (or guess) why that key was chosen? Perhaps just for the vocals?

Hi I am a total amateur and I only discovered Chet sings and Russ Freeman recently! I fell in love easily with "I fall in love too easily" and I have been sweating not only on transcribing Chet's notes, but Russ Freemans comping! The first one in the right hand I believe has eb g ab c with an f on bass and I kind of figured out the entire first "cycle" of the song. But I think it would be great if you could do some tutorials on that one specific song, it never fails to move me every time I listen to it! Greetings to beadbop too, I love your father's playing!

I just found you, Aimee, after hearing this tune at a Jazz Jam. I am gonna study with you, you are a terrific teacher. I am a guitarist but i play some piano , so I can watch your hands and translate to my guitar. You have great "ears" and I can follow you. Many many thanks ! Love this tune and Chet's cover, so beautiful and touching. PS I saw a video of Judy G. singing it in A major on stage , but her recorded album she is in Ab major.

Thanks Aimee! What a gem!

Thank you from France....what a work ! I know that i don't know everything in Jazz....Everything to learn !

I'm working on this song anyway (piano and voice), partially because of your video with the jazz rhythms, and I had already decided to include the verse, so this video was a nice surprise for me. I've already worked out my chords (I'm playing and singing this in Bb), but I might try out some of these hipper Freeman chords and see how they sound. And yes...the video was long enough and fun enough. :) One thing I like about your videos is the length. You cover a lot, but it doesn't fee rushed, because you don't try to fit it all into ten minutes. Thanks for a great video. After years of trying putting a lot of different learning techniques to work, I'm going to finally go a little more old school and do some listening and transcribing. Thank heaven I was born in the age of Sibelius software, however so I don't have to try to read my own handwriting! :) It's also handy for producing lead sheets for my sister so we can plan her keys carefully on some songs before I start working out comping arrangements.

Super helpful, thank you so much! I was stuck on the B7 because I kept hearing it as a Bb and it didn't make any sense.

I loved watching and guessing along with you. I also made several mistakes, but was correct more than I would have guessed I could be. This is a very educational approach for someone at my level. Please do more of this kind of thing! Thanks!

Aimee - it is a privilege to hear you work through these changes; its like we are travelling on the same road as you. Most importantly it teaches us to use our own ears, and differentiate the qualities/shades/quirks in so many chord progressions. When the world was born I wonder if God himself had access to your videos! Well assuming He didn't, isn't it just AMAZING how so many sounds can be 'pulled' or 'twisted' to create so may lovely song chord progressions. It is a joy to hear George Gershwin so lovingly recreated for us here in this video, and a joy too to hear you so devoted to your craft. What a fabulous lesson this is. Long live melody and long live music.

YOU’RE awesome !

saw chet at a club in san francisco before his death. it knocked me out!! his sound was gorgeous and filled the whole room.much larger than he is heard on his records. i was stunned to say the least. thank you aimee.p.s. aimee he was with mark levine on piano. i remember you had his music book in high school you had mentioned in an earlier video.

Love your videos! Would be so excited to see one about Chet’s version of “The Song Is You”.

its okay to be wrong in front of thousands of people* what a quote right there and then you just go on with your work thats why i watch your videos Aimee

I am a fan of Russ Freeman. I would enjoy it if you could play along with the song if possible.

Awesome learned a lot , Thanks

Your methodical approach to solving this was interesting and helpful.

Would love to see you transcribe the first couple bars after the solos when Chet Baker comes back to sing. Been trying to figure those chords out forever

Very inspiring thanks Aimee. I think I can do this so will keep at it.

Excellent work on a great tune!

was saying bye bye blackbird is one of the takes for that piece, kind of a sandwich of Melody's.... and they really know how to drop the 5th... I've heard Chet is a very nice person.. doesn't surprise me , play's like an Angel* you have a nice voice, the retro vibrato... very Mary Ford ish ....

wonderful ! thank you !

Thanks for doing this ... this is a very interesting video blog . Best regards from Florence , Italy

I love that you chose your shadow duck moment as the thumbnail for this. :)

I like the chord progression -- it is amazing how humans are hard wired to like how certain chords sound great, while others sound like fingernails on a chalk board. PS: I like your comparison how music is like Math -- it is too bad schools to not emphasize music more in school -- makes brighter students!

wow, aimee. i really enjoyed this video! i learned alot! i love chet. i'm not a musician but have been a jazz geek ( like you said.. jazzer) i always learn something from your videos even though chords, keys etc. at this point are over my head. i'll have to go back to this album (i have in my chet collection ) to listen again.when you played judy garland singing the verse to but not for me it reminded me of frank sinatra's sinatra and strings album (on his reprise label ) he sings a lengthy intro (the verse) to stardust the composer hoagy charmichael wrote . it evidently was seldom played or heard, like judy singing the verse. this version is so unusual because they skip the well known chorus completely and he sings only the verse! judy and frank knew what they were doing!! p.s have you heard chets album "mr. b" on the timeless label? its beautiful with songs like dolphin dance, beatrice, in your own sweet way, strollin etc. ( he had such great taste like judy and frank) he plays with michel graillier, ricardo delfra, and phillip catherine.is it true that chet played by ear and could'nt read music?!! any how thanks aimee for another great video.. thank you! i love the way you study these great artists. i took art classes in college but would have loved to have been in your music class. your an incredible teacher. maybe in my second lifetime!!

Lovely video, thanks for everything.

Maybe that weird chord could be like Gb7(#11)/Bb? It doesn’t really make sense in context, but maybe it makes as much sense as having a natural 9th on a #9 chord.

do the whole album!! chet baker sings

On the fourth bar, I think subing the Ab7 for a B9 is really beautiful. Just a thought, btw you swing :)

simply amazing!

quality fucking content right here

Hy Aimee, great work :-) i think the 2nd bar chord is Fmin7(b5)

love that this video still has zero dislikes. RIP Chet

Big like

The intro, the A flat and C melody, sounds like E.T. theme .

Reminds me of "I Love a Piano" maybe it was more the Judy Garland? I will check out the original. God Bless.

I absolutly love Chet Baker!

...rare instances where algorithims lead to great places!

This was great, thanks! :)

Beatrix was the very first newspaper advice columnist. Who cares, right? Gershwin wrote this in the 20's(?) so this was newsworthy then. thanks for the videos, I play along every day on trumpet

Hey Aimee! Thank you for your videos - I found them as a great learning resource as a guitar player (especially those related to figuring out chords/melodies by ear and building lines, where I can play along following what you're doing on keyboard). I've been recently thinking more and more about trying out playing an actual piano - just to extend my musicianship, maybe get a different perspective on phrasing or improve my aural skills... I thought it would be really great topic you could cover on your videos - something like 'how you could improve as a musician with a piano when it's not your primary instrument'. What should one focus on? What shortcuts can be taken? What would be most efficient way to 'use' the instrument in such case? I'd love to hear your opinion :) And please don't stop sharing your videos, they're awesome!!!

amazing!

Just wondering, I here some other filler chords at the beginning after the first Db and also in the in the F major section, right after the first F, any ideas as to what those are? I cannot for the life of me figure it out

At last! Thank you.

Now the video is available in Italy also... I had to call the euroburocrats and tell them: you are fired!

I'd play some augmented arpeggio to the F...C+/E...or A7b13#9. Maybe Abm. There goes the mellowness. Sorry, Chet.

How have I only just found this video?! I should have known you would have covered this at some point Aimee, I was just looking at the trumpet sheet music and then trying to work it out on the keyboard. I was finding that I have to play a tone lower on the keyboard to what the transcription says. Does this mean a trumpet is not in Concert pitch but instead in Bb? I love this song and I can't wait to start learning the trumpet intro and solo on bass as well as work out what the bass is actually playing during the rest of the song.

Hi I been in office depot to have a copy of the 25 top music you suggest they don't know how to doit do it can you reply how to do it I'm new to these sorry

I love Chet!

I just LOVED that 'gotcha" chord at 18:53. It's like being slapped in the face, except without the pain. Great lesson, Aimee! (P.S.--Chet Baker's life was "interesting" to say the very least. I wonder if this recording was before or after he got dentures?)

Give us part two

isn't Russ Freeman the lead guitarist in the Rippingtons?

28:14

I just saw the movie born to be blue. I was kind of upset they didn't feauture this song... 😢😢😢

hello, I am Greg. please help me! I bought a DVD on the circle of fourths. I watched the dvd 3 times a day for 21 straight days. then I practiced what I saw on the dvd twice a day for 10 days without watching the dvd. then finally I practiced 3 times per day step by step right alone with the dvd. now I can play the entire circle of fourths , left hand only, right hand only and with both hands at the same time and I can play it in root position, in 1st inversion and in 2nd inversion. now that I have mastered the circle of fourths, can you please tell me what can I do with this knowledge, how do I use what I learned? Thank you in advanced Greg.

In the thumbnail of this video your hand makes a shadow which looks like a donkey sticking it's head around a corner. (Unless of course you actually own a donkey, I wouldn't put that past somebody as hip as yourself). Ps, your content is amazing, you are the best

Yep. George Gershwin was ahead of his time harmonically imho The Sarah Vaughan version of this intro is highly recommended too. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q9ePq9JmyauZXWg.html

Woo

Has this video been taken down by the youtube? I cant watch it

Aimee This video is not available

22:58

Blend of the two musians is delight bye bye blackbird

this video isn't available 😥

i think you bit off more than you can chew. Russ Freeman played music in an extremely sophisticated way, with a lot of complex harmonizations that are not obvious, and not in common use these days.