Ain't Misbehavin

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Ain't Misbehavin

"Ain't Misbehavin'" is a 1929 stride jazz/early swing song. Andy Razaf wrote the lyrics to a score by Thomas "Fats" Waller and Harry Brooks for the Broadway musical comedy play Connie's Hot Chocolates.

• Performance Notes & Resources below

The song was first performed at the premiere of Connie's Hot Chocolates in Harlem at Connie's Inn as an opening song by Paul Bass and Margaret Simms, and repeated later in the musical by Russell Wooding's Hallelujah Singers. Connie's Hst Chocolates was transferred to the Hudson Theatre on Broadway during June 1929, where it was renamed to Hot Chocolates and where Louis Armstrong became the orchestra director. The script also required Armstrong to play "Ain't Misbehavin'" in a trumpet solo, and although this was initially slated only to be a reprise of the opening song, Armstrong's performance was so well received that the trumpeter was asked to climb out of the orchestra pit and play the piece on stage. As noted by Thomas Brothers in his book Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism, Armstrong was first taught Ain't Misbehavin' by Waller himself, woodshedding it until he could play all around it; he cherished it because it was 'one of those songs you could cut loose and swing with.'

Ain't Misbehavin` is in the The Daily Ukulele — 365 Songs for Better Living book.

Strum a different song every day with easy arrangements of 365 of your favorite songs in one big songbook! The Daily Ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulele-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing.

The Daily Ukulele — 365 Songs for Better Living • INDEX of Songs

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Ain't Misbehavin…

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Performance & Arrangement Notes

This arrangement utilizes a richer harmonic palette of 4-part Jazz chords . These chords offer one a broader range of possible chord voicings and moving lines within the chords. This is in the style of the era, with a little touch of modern harmony.

Typically this type of arrangement a single chordal instrument such as a piano or guitar is playing in an accompaniment role, i.e. comping style with the rhythm patterns improvised in the style of the song. Any additional chordal instruments would have to find their part, as they would have no idea of the rhythmic figures and chord voicings that the main accompanist is selecting. Listen to the iRealPro recording and try to guess what the piano is doing rhythmically and chord wise — you would have to perfectly match that. Basically one would need to find the harmonic and rhythmic space that is not being taken already.

These are the choices that I had to make for this arrangement to be played ensemble, by multiple ukuleles. Rhythmically we have to keep a steady four to the bar to sound together and pleasant. See the video demonstrations below for an example using the simpler basic open position chords version that was created to mesh with the richer 4-part, a.k.a. Jazz chords version.

When performing us a light, staccato down stroke on the one and three and a light accent on the two and four. A light muted up-stroke can follow on the upbeats, the and of two and/or four.

An even simpler approach is to strike the chords, lightly and let it ring for the duration of the chords rhythmic value — either half notes or whole notes. This will give you time to switch.

All three of these comping styles will work harmonically and rhythmically. Creating the illusion of a well-rehearsed band.

Remember the role of an accompanist is to support and showcase the vocalist — it's not about them.

Chord Decisions Made for the Arrangement

• The C#dim7 is really a disguised Secondary Dominant chord, an A7♭9/C♯, a V of II . Basically, A7 to Dm in the Key of C Major . More commonly notated as C#dim7, a diminished seventh chord. This chord used for the Easy version, as you have a better chance of players giving you the C♯ bass note you want for the C C♯ to D chromatic bass line. Advanced players should have no problem with the A7♭9/C♯ notation and voicing and should give you the C♯.
• The Cdim7 is truly a diminished chord.
• Slash Chords — These are the chords like A7♭9/C♯, C7/B♭, Fmaj9/A. The letter after the slash (/) is the bass note you want as the lowest in the chord voicing, typically a bass player will handle this. Any chordal instruments that have the notes available, i.e., piano and guitar, they should play chord voicings with that note as the lowest note in the voicing. On a ukulele with a high string four, you can pretty much ignore that and simply play any available voicing that you know. Bonus points to players with a low string four that play voicings with the notated bass-line/voicings when available on their instrument.
• Altered chords — for the altered chords functioning in a dominant harmonic role. I've used 7♭9 substitutions and not ♯9, ♭5, or ♯ 5 alterations as they would tend to clash harmonically with someone playing basic chords that will have a perfect fifth in them. There will still be a little dissonance with the ♭9, but that is what we want in those chords, as they heighten the feeling of resolution to the next chord. To get a ♭9 simply raise the root of the chord one fret or one half-step.
• The Am , Am♯5 , Am6 chords are the correct names of these chords. You might say, The F is the same as Am♯5 and the D7 is the same as Am6 . Again, it's creating a chart where you increase you chances of getting the desired results form chordal instruments as well as any bass player. Often simpler chord names, albeit harmonically and theoretically wrong will get you the results you are looking for.

One might ask why bother playing all those fancy chords. Simply listen or play both versions, and you make the call. They are worth the effort.

Video Demonstration

A bit more challenging and in the style of the times.

Great YouTube Videos

• Fats Waller – Ain't Misbehavin • Can't go wrong with the composer — great video.
• Louis Armstrong – Ain't Misbehavin • The master at work.
• Ain’t Misbehavin’ in C Bass Line Play Along Backing Track – MySunnybass • This is a great backing track for learning and practicing against.