All Things You Are – Guitar Tabs
All things you are originally written by Jerome Kern. It’s one of the most common jazz songs and is often one of the first tunes played at a jazz jam session. Oscar Hammerstein II composed the lyrics of all things you are. The song was featured for the musical ‘Very Warm for May’ in 1939, introduced by actors Hiram Sherman and Frances Mercer.
‘All things you are’ is written in the guitar’s Fm7 (F Minor 7) key. Harmonic analysis of the song demonstrates a functional chord progression known as ‘The Circle of Fifths.’ The difficulty level of this song is medium, and you will be playing it in no time at all once you are comfortable with jazz chords.
If you want to play a catchy blues tune on your guitar that your audience will recognize and vibe to immediately, All things you are is just the right song for you!
How To Play All Things You Are?
Playing jazz chords and transitioning fast from one chord to another is not an easy feat to achieve. Mastering the chords will require a decent amount of effort from you, but it will enhance your guitar playing and understanding of The Circle of Fifths greatly.
To start playing the song, ensure your guitar is set to standard tuning ( E, A, D, G, B, e) and hold the Fm7 chord on your fretboard.
Line 1
- For the first line of the song, strum the last 4 strings of your guitar while holding the Fm7.
- This will be followed in quick succession 2 strums of the B♭m7 (B flat minor 7) chord, once plucking the bottom 4 strings only, the second time, plucking only the fourth, third, and second strings of your guitar.
- You will then move to the E♭7 ( E flat 7) chord and pluck it 4 times, once strings 5 to 2, then only the second string, then again strings 5 to 2, and then again the second string only.
- Then hold the A♭maj7 (A flat major 7) for 3 strums, plucking the second, third, and fourth strings once, then pluck the first string of the guitar once, followed by the second, third and fourth strings again.
All of the above needs to be done in quick succession.
Line 2
The second line of the song features 3 chords: D♭maj7, G7, and Cmaj7.
- Firstly, on the D♭maj7, pluck strings 5 – 2, then 2 only, then 4, 3, 2, and then 2 only before moving to the next chords.
- On the G7, pluck strings 4, 3, 2, followed by the 1st string, and then 4, 3, 2 again.
- Moving to Cmaj7, pluck the strings 5 – 4 once and let them ring, and then pluck them in the muted sound before moving onto the next line.
Line 3
For the third line of the song, you have to stay on the Cmaj 7, following the same plucking pattern as above.
- Move from the Cmaj7 to Fm7, picking strings 4 through 1 at the same time, followed by a quick 4, 3, 2.
- You then move to B♭7 for 2 beats, plucking strings 5 through 2 once, then plucking only the 2nd string, followed by strings 2, 3, 4 and then string 2 alone.
- The next chord is E♭maj7, and the plucking pattern goes 2, 3,4, then 1, then 2, 3, 4.
Line 4
The fourth line of the song introduces new chords to the progression.
- For the first bar on the A♭, the plucking pattern is 6, 4, 3, 2, then string 1, then 2, 3, 4, 5, and then 1 again.
- The next chord is A-dim followed by a D7, then a Gmaj7 which concludes the line.
- For the above 3 chords, the plucking pattern may vary depending on your rendition of the song, experiment and see what fits!
Line 5
For line number 5 we mix up the chords again and follow the progression:
Am7sus, Am7, D7, and lastly, Gmaj7.
Keep in mind, though, that these chords extend just a little bit further than the fifth line and incorporate a few syllables of the sixth line as well. You will have no problem playing them if you are playing on tempo and in the right key.
For the Rest of the Song
I understand that following the instructions above is confusing, and remembering all the patterns while keeping in mind all the rapid chord changes may seem like a difficult task.
This way of explanation is for you to get a grip on the fundamentals of the song, and you can always play your own renditions of it whether you are playing for yourself or in front of a crowd.
Writing all the lines down beat by the beat will make it difficult for you to follow. Once you have got the basics down, you can further learn the chords and strumming patterns of the song.
Other Similar Songs
All things you are is a classic jazz tune. Many guitarists learn this song in the early stages of their guitar careers. If you are interested in the jazz genre of music and want to learn more songs of the same type, here is a list for you to refer to
| Song | Artist |
| Crazy He Calls Me | Billie Holiday |
| My Funny Valentine | Chet Baker |
| Summertime | Louis Armstrong |
| Stormy Weather | Ella Fitzgerald |
FAQs
Q. How Do I Master Jazz Chords Quickly?
The key to attaining mastery over chords is practice. If you put in enough time practicing daily, jazz chords will not be a problem for you at all.
Secondly, the jazz chords look harder than they actually are. Only the names are long and complicated. The actual chords are easy to hold and play. Try it out for yourself!
Q. What Guitar Is Best for Playing Jazz and Blues?
There is no specific guitar for each genre of music. All guitar types are capable of playing all kinds of music. However, if you are looking for a signature blues guitar tone, the Fender Telecaster is a good choice to go for.
Final Thoughts
Playing jazz on the guitar has its own special feeling. The music uplifts you and takes you to another world. Knowing how to play jazz tunes, especially ones that are mainstream and easily recognized by listeners, is a skill that proves to be highly beneficial, especially for guitarists looking to make a living out of music.
