Gang-

Had a request in my inbox from today's client for Abide With Me. I've never played/sung it...I've snagged a lead sheet of Wikifonia that should work fine, but I think hear an error (wow, an error on wikifonia?) in the melody line.

The particulars:

Key of C...

7th bar in the verse..."lord, with me abide."

The chart shows a D7 chord with an f# on the word "Lord" of that section.

Listening to various versions via youtube, it sounds like the chord could be a Dm7, with the melody note of f natural...

What's right? To my ears the D major chords with a F3 in the melody feels correct...

Thanks in advance...

Bill, you are correct, F natural and Dm7.

Tom

Thanks Tom...

I called two guys who have been church organists longer than I've been alive (Sorry, Cass!) and both say the D major with the f# in the melody is correct...

Sheet Music Direct calls for a Dm...
MusicNotes calls for a Dm...

LOL, what is this? Singers choice?

Ugh...

If it’s the hymn Abide with Me, then it should be played in the key of E flat not C. (Never come across a version in C except in easy play books)

If it’s been transposed into C then yes, there could well be an error

Best way is to always play in the key that the music was written for.

Bill

Like I said, I'm getting this at sort of the last minute and just trying to find an accurate version.

Bill-Do you have a comment on what the correct note/chord is in the key of Eb? Does it call for a A# in the vocal over a F# chord or the minor variation?

Hi Bill

In E flat it is an A natural, however I have found a score in C which says F sharp with D7, and after playing it, F sharp is definitely correct, if you play an F natural it sounds terrible.

Here is a link to a score and Midi file played in 1MBand which should convince you http://www.1manband.nl/sheetmusic/index.htm

Hope this helps

Bill

Thanks, Bill!!!

My hymnal had it in Eb and there was no accidental on the Ab in the melody line leaving it an Ab. In Eb the chord is Fmin7 so in C that would translate into Dm7.

Bill,

I just checked another source, http://fakebook.fm/title/a/abide-with-me/ and it looks like it should be an F# and a D7 chord. I stand corrected. Sorry if I led you astray.

Tom

Bill - I hope you received the PDF I sent you this morning. Church people will more often than not go for the II7 resolution to the V7 rather than the IIm7 to V7. After thinking on it a while it came to me that you should ask your client how he prefers it sung. This would ensure you got it right for his ears and show that you know your stuff. BTW, this wasn't the 6:30pm gig was it?

Busy day, bro...

Ps - it's been 42+ years of church music for this OLD man...