The Chetboard

‘Bandera” was one of the first Chet tunes to work it’s magic on me. Amazing tone he got from the guitar! Very young boy wondering “How does he do that?” And then that final lick leading into the concluding, bubbly super-lick!

I was listening to it today...whole bunch of times, actually, working out the fingering (Key of A, mostly in 6’ths) and got to wondering about the tune. Does anyone know anything about the history of the tune? Who wrote it? Was it purely instrumental or are there lyrics to it? Has anyone beside Chet ever recorded it? Was it written solely for guitar or specifically for Chet?

Just wondered about these things.

Bandera is on Chet's Album "CHET" CAS 2182. According to the record label Chet wrote it.

Have a good Chet day!

Wow! So it wasn’t a cover, but Chet’s own composition for guitar only?

I’m amazed!

I’ve worked out some of the chords. Like I said, the melody is in mostly in 6’ths. But I can’t nail that little outro lick just before the final superlick. Anybody figure that out?

And the arrangement sounds a little thin without the backing Chet uses. I don’t really know how to overcome that.