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Hi all, I'm trying to get started playing from fakebooks and lead sheets and was wondering if anyone had any ideas for intros and endings to songs. Something you use to "spice" it up a bit. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Well, I guess there are a billion ways. If you're final two chords are V-I, you could turn it into V7-I. If the final chords are ii-I you could change it into ii|V-I or combine it into ii|V7-I. In the end it just depends on what you're playing and what kind of ending you're after.

Yes, there are many, many approaches. I agree. Arjen touched upon an important point, CG - "it just depends what you're playing and what kind of ending you're after." One of the best way to go about this is to become so familiar with the tune that it creates, within you, a certain idea that you are driven to for either the intro or ending. It's not so important that you know exactly what it is you're going to play, but the basic idea is something you will want to allow to come to you. Then you can try implementing that idea with certain techniques such as the suggestion that Arjen makes. For example, what do you hear before playing the tune? Play the first four bars several times, and then develop a sense of what you would like to precede it. This is a subject all its own and it deserves attention. It's a lot of fun to explore as well.

for tonal music, most endings always have cadence like V-I or VI-I.

A very simple way to intro a song is to take part of it and play that part prior to starting the song. For example, the song Silent Night, you can play the part that goes "sleep in heavenly peace" and then start the song.

Right, Bob, or you could precede the same song with the ending to "Misty"

!!!!! (hmmmm, am I kidding?)