[Dixielandjazz] remembering the lyrics

[pat ladd]

 How do you ever set a tempo? The words don't indicate it.>>

Hi Larry,

I reckon they give a pretty good indication. How could you ever play Misty 
or A  Nightingale sang in Berkely Square in anything but a romantic slowish 
style?. The treatment will of course  vary within certain parameters 
depending on what you are doing. Probably a lot slower backing a singer 
trying to wring every nuance out of the words and a bit more upbeat if there 
are dancers. You wouldn`t play either tune in the same manner as, say 
`Music, music,music` You don`t even need the music at all to realise that. 
The lyrics are enough on their own..

Sure I wouldn`t for a moment suggest that the lyrics are the only pointers. 
Beethoven managed reasonably well without a lyric writer but adding the 
lyrics of `Story of a starry night` to Tschaikowsky`s  "Pathetique" Symphony 
certainly did no harm and reinforced the romantic theme.

Needing to know the words for the blues?  Everyone knows they all start 
off... `Woke up this morning with an awful aching head......"

Cheers

Pat