CC Transcription Page:     Rose Room  — 9 October 1939

The “CC xcript page” contains tablature depicting the way Charlie Christian actually played his solo.

Standard Transcription Page:     Rose Room          <  clicking here will link to Garry Hansen’s site (then click on “TAB”) ]

The “standard page” tab has the fingering which would normally be used by most guitarists.

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  (linked with permission)

C&A:

Only seven days after the sextet first recorded Rose Room, Charlie Christian was again featured on this tune on a broadcast from the Waldorf-Astoria.  Taken at a slower tempo, this version follows the same routine as the first except for the final eight bars.

CC’s excellent solo on this version is at least the equal of the one on the studio date and completely different.  And more heavily syncopated—normally he gives the downbeat about 2/3 the value of the beat or a bit less;  here he gives the downbeat around 70% of the value and on a few occasions as much as 75%—and interspersed by lots of triplets for a change of pace.  Also, he plays this version quite a bit bluesier.  Surprisingly, he doesn’t play (the same note) on alternating strings anywhere here.

There’s so much to comment on that it’s hard to even begin.  Every phrase deserves comment.  Every note is perfectly placed on this solo, every sequence leads logically to the next—just beautiful.  Measures 5-7 are particularly noteworthy.   Bars 9-10 contain a motif that Charles used on the Minneapolis “Star Dust” (first chorus, bar 11) two weeks earlier.  After a really nice lead-in at mm 13-15, there’s a sequence at mm 16-19 with a long slide that I’m partial to.   Then there’s the triplets on mm 20-21…augmented fifths on mm 21 & 30…blue notes at bar 25…the upbeat notes at bar 28.  It’s virtually a perfect solo.

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