BASIC DIXIELAND TUNES

This is a practical selection of tunes most likely to be played by bands you might want play with. It is one man's list, but based on a sense of practicality and years of experience. Many key tunes--eg the multi-part classics--are not played as often as they might solely because so many musicians who "play some dixieland" don't know them. If you know them, you will have a lot better chance of being booked, because band leaders really do want to play them. The "hard-core" hobbiests' list would be very different. Learn the numbered tunes first; the rest are suggested add-ons to enrich your repertoire. When you've gotten this list down, the D-CUP list will lead you further.

    Play-along CDs  -----> click HERE

Fair Warning:

In larger cities, the money-making Dixieland is most likely commercial "Hotel" dixieland: playing various kinds of request favorites for conventions and receptions. Preparing for these requires learning a number of sub-repertoires to play theme receptions: "patriotic", "political rallies", state songs, football and parade tunes, and "shtick" tunes such as "Hail to the Chief" (while the President or CEO or President impersonator comes up to the podium). These are not on the list below.

1. After you've gone Bb  
2. Ain't misbehavin' Eb  
3. Ain't she sweet C  
4. Alexander's ragtime band C, F  
5. All of me C  
6. Am I blue F  
7. Angry Bb  
8. At sundown F  
9. At the jazz band ball Gm, Bb  
10. Avalon F  
11. Baby won't you please come home F  
12. Ballin' the jack Bb  
13. Basin Street blues Bb  
14. Big butter and egg man F  
15. Bill Bailey F  
16. Birth of the blues C  
17. Black and blue Am  
18. Blue turning grey C  
19. Blues my naughty sweety gives to me Gm  
20. Bourbon Street parade Ab  
21. Bye bye blackbird F  
22. Bye bye blues C  

23. Cabaret Eb  
24. Chicago Eb  
25. China boy F  
26. Chinatown, my Chinatown Bb  
27. Clarinet marmalade F  
28. Darktown strutter's ball C  
29. Davenport blues Eb or F  
30. Dinah Ab  
31. Dippermouth blues Bb  
32. Dixie Bb  
33. Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans C  
34. Dr. Jazz Eb  

35. Everybody loves my baby Dm  
36. Fidgety feet Bb,Eb,Ab  
37. Five foot two C  
38. Frankie and Johnny Bb  
39. Georgia camp meeting Ab  
40. Georgia on my mind F  
41. Good man is hard to find,  Bb  
42. Hello dolly Bb  
43. High society Bb, Eb  
44. Hindustan Bb  
45. Honeysuckle rose F  

46. I ain't gonna give nobody none of my jelly roll Bb  
47. I ain't got nobody F  
48. I can't believe that you're in love with me Bb  
49. I can't give you anything but love F  
50. I wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate Eb

 51. I'm confessin' Ab  
52. I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter Bb (C)  
53. I've found a new baby Dm  
54. Ice cream Bb  
55. Ida Eb  
56. If I could be with you Bb  
57. If I had you Bb  
58. In a shanty in old shantytown F  
59. Indiana F  

60. Jazz me blues Eb  
61. Just a closer walk Bb  
62. Keepin' out of mischief C  
63. Lazy river F  
64. Limehouse blues F, Ab  
65. Lonesome road Eb  
66. Louisiana Ab  

67. Mack the knife Bb +  
68. Make me a pallet on thefloorAb  
69. Margie F  
70. Mean to me F  
71. Midnight in Moscow Dm  
72. Milneburg joys Bb  
73. Muskrat ramble Bb (tr Ab)  
74. My blue heaven Eb  

75. New Orleans (Hoagy) Gm  
76. Nobody's sweetheart F  
77. Oh baby F  
78. Original dixieland one-step Bb,Eb,Ab  
79. Riverboat shuffle Gm, Eb  
80. Rosetta F  
81. Royal Garden blues F, Bb  
82. Runnin' wild Bb  
  
83. Saint James infirmary Dm  
84. Saint Louis blues G  
85. San F  
86. See see rider Bb  
87. Shine Eb  
88. Sleepy time down South, When it's Eb  
89. Sleepy time gal F  
90. Some of these days F  
91. Someday sweetheart F  
92. Someday you'll be sorry Eb  
93. South Eb  
94. South Rampart Street parade Eb,Ab (keys of out choruses vary greatly)  
95. Struttin' with some barbeque F  
96. Sugar F  
97. Sugar blues Bb  
98. Sunday C  
99. Sweet Georgia Brown Ab (F)  
100. Sweet Sue, just you F

 101. That's a plenty Dm, Bb  
102. There'll be some changes made Bb  
103. Tiger rag Bb,Eb,Ab  
104. Tin roof blues Bb  

105. Waiting for the Robert E. Lee C,F  
106. Washington and Lee swingBb  
107. Way down yonder in NO F  
108. When my sugar walks down the street F  
109. When the Saints F  
110. When you're smiling Bb 111. Whispering Eb  
112. Who's sorry now Bb  
113. Wolverine blues Bb  

Second Priority Tunes 
Alabama jubilee Bb  
Alabamy bound F  
All by myself Bb  
Amazing grace F  
Baby face C  
Beale Street blues Bb  
Cake walkin' babies from home Bb  
California, here I come C  
Careless love F  
Carolina in the morning C Charleston Bb  
Curse of an aching heart Bb  
Home Eb  
I want a little girl F  
I'll be a friend with pleasure Eb  
It's a long way to Tipperary Bb  
It's a sin to tell a lie C  
Just a little while to stay here F  
Melancholy F  
New second line Ab  
Old fashioned love F  
Once in a while (Louis') Bb  
Panama Eb,Ab  
Please don't talk about me Eb  
Poor butterfly Ab  
Rockin' chair Eb  
Sailing down the Chesapeake Bay F  
Second line F  
Sheik of Araby Bb  
Smiles Bb (Ab)  
Somebody stole my gal Eb  
That da-da strain Bb  
Trouble in mind F  
Undecided C  
Weary blues F, Bb  
World is waiting for the sunrise C (Bb)  
Yes sir, that's my baby Eb  
You've got to see mama every night Bb
 
Here's some more specific guidance to beginners.
A. Basic tunes non-dixieland jazz players would more likely know.  Run this list by prospective substitutes.
1. When you're smiling (Bb)
2. Indiana (F)
3. Sweet Georgia Brown (Ab or F)
4. Do you know what it means (C)
5. I've found a new baby (Dm)
6. Honeysuckle rose (F)
7. Sheik of Araby (Bb)
8. Bill Bailey (F)
9. Basin Street blues (Bb)
10. After you've gone (Bb or C)
11. All of me (C)
12. Ain't misbehavin' (Eb)
13. Avalon (F)
14. Bye bye blackbird (F)
15. Darktown strutter's ball (C)
16. Five foot two (C)
17. I can't give you anything but love (C)
18. It had to be you (F, G, Ab)
19. Rosetta (F)
20. Mack the knife (Bb, C, segue to other keys)
21. Saints (F, G, segue to other keys))
22. Hello Dolly (C, Bb)
23 Georgia on my kind (F)
24. Undecided (C)
25. Cabaret (Eb)
 		 B. Basic dixieland clssics non-dixielanders need to learn to play dixieland gigs.
1. Bourbon Street parade (Ab)
2. Dinah (F, Ab)
3. Fidgety Feet
4. Good man is hard to find (Bb, C)
5. Hindustan (Bb)
6. Lazy river (F)
7. Muscrat ramble (Bb, Ab)
8. Royal Garden blues
9. Saint James Informary (Dm)
10. Somebody stole my gal (Eb)
11. Shine (Eb)
12. Sister Kate (I wish I could shimmy like) (Eb)
13. Sleepy time down South (Eb)
14. St. Louis blues (G)
15. Struttin with some barbeque (F)
16. That's a plenty
17. Tiger rag
18. Washington and Lee swing (Bb)
19. Way down yonder in New Orleans (F)
20. Wolverine blues (Bb)
21. Margie (F)
22. Sweet Sue (F, G)
 

 

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Revised 9/21/07