Hi,

I can think of at least two "chord changes" incidents I've had which are insignificant compared to the number of times I've played wrong chords in jams when I didn't know the song :) Both are true or as us fisherman say: "only true lies!"

The Jazz Pianist: I was playing guitar at the Sans Souci Niteclub in South Carolina and young black jazz pianist would play the late shift after I got done which started at 10:00pm. One night I stuck around after my show and listened. After the first set he asked me to play with him. On the first song he didn't even bother to say the song or the key, he just started playing. On that number, which I didn't know, I played single note riffs in the right key- he gave me no solo and ignored me. The next song, Girl from Ipanema, I knew the chords at least well enough to back him somewhat. I started playing chords and after a couple bars he yelled out, "Wrong chord," then he said, "No" even louder and finally he banged the keys with both hands and stopped. Then he yelled, "you don't know how to play it, get out of here." So I left, somewhat humiliated but in retrospect- he may have been trying to show me up. I couldn't tell. If I had told him he was wrong, who knows what would have happened!!!

The Picky Fiddler: Having played bluegrass for many years I ran into a traditional fiddler who was busking on the street here in Florida. He was good and knew a bunch of tunes but he was a sloppy player. So I agreed to play with him the next time he played. So we'd start playing and he would frequently look over at me and say, "wrong chord." Since this was a song I knew I was befuddled and we'd keep playing and he'd say "wrong chord" again and just stop playing. He couldn't tell me what the right chord was when I asked but he said he'd just have to show me later. So every other fiddle tune he's say "wrong chord" and just stop playing. Finally I had enough, I said Show me." He took my guitar. Where I was playing C/// for four beats he played C/Am/ and I'd played the same song with other people and never seen an Am in that measure. The problem was he played guitar and had his own chord changes that were different from the standard versions for every song and fiddle tune! He told me there was no reason for me to play with him until I learned the right chord changes!!!

Richie