“Stardust” was composed by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927, with lyrics by Mitchell Parish added in 1929. It’s one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, with famous versions by Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson. Its long, winding melody is a challenge and a joy to play.
The tune is usually played in C major, though it starts away from home on the IV chord, F, moving to Fm and Bb7 before resolving to C. That IV to minor iv opening gives the tune its dreamy, nostalgic quality. The harmony continues through secondary dominants and ii-Vs, with a melody that leaps and turns in unexpected ways. Many performances also include the song’s introductory verse.
For improvisation, focus on the opening move. Play A over F and then Ab over Fm to highlight the shift. The rest of the tune rewards chord-tone playing and melodic paraphrase. Because the melody is so beautiful and distinctive, many soloists stay close to it, adding embellishments rather than abandoning it.
Practice by singing the melody, which has wide intervals that are easier to play once you can sing them. Learn it in C, then in a singer’s key. Pianists should practice the verse as a rubato introduction.
Transposing tip: Bb instruments read it in D, Eb instruments in A.
Memorizing the Stardust Lead Sheet PDF: learn the form in sections, not all at once. Play the first eight bars until you can do them with your eyes closed, then add the next section. Within a week or two you won’t need the page at all, which is the real goal of any lead sheet.
Is it hard to play? The harmony is approachable, but the melody’s wide leaps take practice to play smoothly and in tune. Recordings to study: Louis Armstrong’s 1931 version, Artie Shaw’s 1940 hit and Nat King Cole’s ballad recording. Learn more about the composer on Hoagy Carmichael’s Wikipedia page, and find more classic ballads on Minedit.