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what are 'standards'


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The term 'Standards' does indeed reference a number of popular songs - mostly in Jazz (I Got Rhythm, Stella By Starlight etc...) that musicians are expected to know. As different genres of music get older and more established then they start to create their own list of 'standards' e.g. a few weeks ago I was at a jam night that featured a lot of Metal players - it was expected that I could play x bt Metallica, and y by Ozzy Osborne etc...

They just tend to be the most popular tunes to play within a given style.

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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1401481941' post='2464174']
The term 'Standards' does indeed reference a number of popular songs - mostly in Jazz (I Got Rhythm, Stella By Starlight etc...) that musicians are expected to know. As different genres of music get older and more established then they start to create their own list of 'standards' e.g. a few weeks ago I was at a jam night that featured a lot of Metal players - it was expected that I could play x bt Metallica, and y by Ozzy Osborne etc...

They just tend to be the most popular tunes to play within a given style.
[/quote]
Cheers

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  • 1 month later...

Standards refers to the Great American Songbook, old songs from shows, films, jazz tunes etc. The idea is that all players will know a lot of standards and the right keys they are in - this way a scratch band who don't know each other can form a quartet etc to play a wedding or function or whatever. One guy might shout "Girl From Ipanema" and the band just gets on and plays it…The way to learn standards is to get in a function band or watch them and see what they play. As said before new ones get added when they are popular enough.

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CH161 is right but there are Blues standards, Rock standards, Folk standards and Reggae standards etc. It is all about having a generally recognised set of tunes that 'most' people know. There is no absolute consensus and, as a Jazz performer who works with different artists every week, I can tell you that not everyone knows the list of tunes that everyone is supposed to 'know' and every little clique of musicians has its own list. A handy fake book or ireal book covers a multitude of omissions but, for rock, pop etc, these are harder to come by as charts are less common and you really are expected to know the tunes.

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