The guitar tab (chords and melody) for “Summertime” is available for download as a PDF.
Summertime
“Summertime” was composed in 1934 by George Gershwin, with lyrics by DuBose Heyward (and contributions by Ira Gershwin), for the opera Porgy and Bess. Premiered in 1935, the lullaby opens the work with a serene, blues-inflected melody that evokes the American South. Though the opera’s debut received mixed reviews, the song quickly took on a life beyond the stage.
Early recordings by Billie Holiday helped establish it as a jazz standard, and it has since been interpreted by artists from Ella Fitzgerald to Janis Joplin. With hundreds of versions, “Summertime” is among the most recorded songs of the 20th century, admired for its modal simplicity and emotional depth.
Video
In the video below, I’m play a chord melody using the chords and melody from the guitar tab.
Guitar Tab
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