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Ted Greene Arrangement June 5, 1977
Compilation pages with notation by P. Vachon

Ted's Original Lesson sheet
Cute_TedGreeneArr_1977-06-05.pdf

My Compilation Page
Cute_Ted GreeneArr_1977-06-05_notes_grids.pdf

“Cute” is a snappy little tune written by Neal Hefti in 1962.  Ted’s arrangement doesn’t pose too many difficulties for intermediate players, though there are a few little stretches that may challenge your hands a bit.

Some comments and fingering suggestions: (referring to the compilation pages)
Measure 9:     For best economy of motion, finger the Gmaj7 – A7 – G#m7b5 as follow: 
1,3,2,4  to  3,2,4,1  to  3,1,4,2. 
The trick here is to keep your first finger in the same place throughout the first two chords, and then just a slight adjustment for the last chord.  Keep it on the G note of the fifth string and barred across at a slant so that the side catches the C# note on the first string.

As you move to the A7 chord, just pick up the three fingers on strings 4,3,2 and move them over onto strings 5,4,3.  Simple.  Keep the first finger in place.  Now, for the G#m7b5, just slide the fingers that are on strings 5 and 3 down a half-step and then bring your second finger over to the first string.  At this point you will have to make your first finger a straight barre on the 9th fret—that’s just a slight adjustment there.  I think this is the toughest part of this arrangement, so if you get that section smooth you won’t have any problem with the rest of the song.

Measures 13-14:        These two measures are an excellent example of contrary motion.  Notice the chromatic descending intervals with the ascending melody line. 

Measures 21-22:        The Bb13 – A11 – A9+11 could be fingered a couple of different ways.  Ted had very flexible fingers for doing half-barres, especially with his 3rd finger which many guitarists find challenging.  He might have fingered this passage as follows:  3,3,2,1,1 to 3,3,2,1,4 to 2,2,3,1,4. 
I find the barre on the Bb13 tough to get clean all the time, so another option for that is the normal fingering of 3,4,2,1,1.  If you find the A11 with the half-barre tough, then go with using your thumb on the sixth string:  T, 3,2,1,4.  Of course you could always play an optional open A bass note on the fifth string.

Ted provided four alternate variations for the last two chords (A7 to D).  I placed them all at the very end.

Enjoy!
--Paul

 
   
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