“Honeysuckle Rose” was composed by Fats Waller with lyrics by Andy Razaf in 1929. It’s one of the great swing-era standards, recorded by Waller, Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, Count Basie and countless others. Charlie Parker used its A section changes for “Scrapple from the Apple.”
The form is a 32-bar AABA, usually in F major. The A sections repeat a ii-V (Gm7 to C7) several times before resolving to F, and the bridge moves to the IV chord area with secondary dominants.
Section by section: in the A sections, practice ii-V licks over Gm7 to C7 and resolve to F, targeting A (the third). The repeated ii-V gives you a chance to develop one idea over several bars. In the bridge, outline the move to Bb with its third (D) and then the secondary dominants back to F. Waller’s own playing is joyful and full of humor, so keep the mood playful.
Practice at medium swing. Learn the melody by ear from Fats Waller’s version.
Transposing tip: Bb instruments read it in G, Eb instruments in D.
Arrangement idea: open with a stride piano introduction in Fats Waller’s style, then bring in the band. A gypsy jazz version with acoustic guitars and violin, in the style of Django Reinhardt, is another fun approach.
How to use this Honeysuckle Rose Lead Sheet PDF: print it or keep it on a tablet, mark the form sections and key centers in pencil, and write the guide tones you want to target above the tricky bars. Revisit those notes after each practice session so the tune gets easier every week.
Getting the most from the Honeysuckle Rose Lead Sheet PDF: start by reading the chord symbols without your instrument and humming the roots. Then circle any chord you can’t yet voice or arpeggiate, and make those your warm-up for the week before you play the whole form.
Is it hard to play? It’s beginner to intermediate. Recordings to study: Fats Waller, Django Reinhardt and Count Basie’s versions. Learn more about the composer on Fats Waller’s Wikipedia page, and find more swing-era lead sheets on Minedit.