Kammen and chords

[AGREENBA <AGREENBA...>]

<< Adrianne,
    I have the Piano book and their not there in symbol form. But they aren't 
hard to figure out what the Kammen Bros. or other arranger where looking for 
in the cord. But you have to remember that many of the old books didn't have 
cord symbols. Kostokowsky didn't have cord symbols till Dr. Klez put them 
their. Look at the Beregovski books, no cord symbols. Having cord symbols is 
a newer thing. If you played the music you could figure out what the cords 
are if you were an instrument that needed to know. Bass, cymbal, trombone. 
You figured it out as you go along. 
    Maybe after the Holidays you should bring this up as a discussion on the 
list, "how do you in your ensemble figure out the cords that you are going to 
use? Do you use more of less? Think about how jazz over the years has gone 
from a blues 3 cord thing, to using lots of cords.
 >>
Matt, I've decided to post this for all as I think it applies:

I was replying to the fact that I knew there were no chord symbols but that 
the chords are easy to figure out from the piano book. Therefore, I was 
saying that the chords, in fact, do exist. My ensemble figures out chords 
very easily, with or without. If, say, we're using Beregovsky where there 
aren't any chords, we're using the tradition of the time. Tradition basically 
lays it out that you use certain chords at certain times. The earlier the use 
of the tune the barer the use of chord changes being our philosophy. Sure, 
although rarely, there's ambiguity and choice involved, but we often stick to 
earliest used tradition. You can often easily decipher whether a tune needs 
or begs chord changes - or not. If, therefore, we're playing a tune more 
common to the 1940's then we know we not only can but should use more chord 
changes. Sometimes I'll "cheat" but I know that I'm doing so :-). I will put 
a V chord before a change and know this wasn't done on an early recording. 
Ah, but the digression feels SO good and, hey, if this is all we do to cheat, 
we indulge like having a piece of fudge while on a diet. But I later atone 
and all is forgiven....

And so to clear up any question about my response I was really replying about 
the existence of chords in Kammen, that they are there (just couldn't 
remember for sure since I don't use the piano book) and that they're easily 
figured out and that the response was for those who may have not been aware 
that the chords (not symbols) were there if needed or wanted and that they're 
in the piano book.
Adrianne

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