Covering the "Wedding March" et alia ~ song ~ not all that easy

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So, because a friends daughter will be getting married soon and at the town hall via the Mayor I was looking into the “Here comes the bride” song.

I figured I’d pull a lead sheet with full lyrics and chords - no, not at all : )

So, from what I understand from an hour or so clicking and hoping, and pending on what my search engine(s) may decide to allow through… that one verse/chorus is “it”.

  • There are many parodies
  • There is an extensive History of the classic music with very different lyrics in Deutsche
  • And there are many re-written narratives on how and why the “White Dress” and etc.

I don’t feel alone in my - not knowing this, as evidenced in all the many “forums” discussions, and of mostly folks not answering, or able to answer the question.

I’m a fan of digging into old “Phrases”, where from, origins and etc. This appears to be a more “modern” era mystery for as much as I could find out this morning.

So, what I may do, is arrange a “flat pickers” version, with the one verse/chorus that all somewhat know. Since that long walk down the hall/aisle is typically <1min… and is usually not sung, just “music” - it does not need to be much.

  • The application is an ad hoc acoustic quickly whipping out the acoustic guitar and in single voice (more if lucky) - squeaking out that song fragment.

I put this here since many here seem very knowledgeable about these - normally, not much known/discussed of music, music interest stuff : ) And it is an official “Covers” sight. Hahhh… let “this” get indexed in the search engines with all the rest.

  • Or not.

From what I found - there’s nothing to find and they blame the Germans and English for it all, lol!! : ) (tongue in cheek - meaning the music, and white dress trend start, “origins” ?).

So, maybe the, arguably, the “model” of a “Traditional” wedding (ala “Norman Rockwell”, “Americana”, secular, ism…) - is an Americanism? so to speak. I find it an interesting revelation.

  • You don’t know what you don’t know, Uno? : )

Tso, derUgo!

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Interesting! I found a ukulele teacher I like who has taught it. Pretty sweet, simple version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFTu0puIozE

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That’s a great job. Thank you. And from December 2024 - so, folks do actually read my small novels as posts : )

  • So, with that good sight you cite - there’s no way anyone’s no going to learn it. Again, great stuff. Well, almost as great as your’s too - wow - glad I took the time; that’s quite a curriculum - I am sure you know, don’t need me to say so.

When I see stuff like that - those lessons - I think of “Bach for Bass” - 4 strings, chordal, melodic, drone strings, and done that octave lower in that tuning - just saying : ) (who cares really, what I think, but, I see the Bass as a melody driver, so, where that comes from).

So, in case anyone else see’s this post now, here’s Wagner’s stuff (out of copyright I believe : ) ):
PDF for Wagner’s stuff per this sight “classical…” and is a link, not the file - they seem to be giving it away:

  • It’s a Notation, then Tab - one print or save for two in one file

=====================================================

Other, more from my academic geek side, pub dom stuff and etc:
And, what I did not know and why I’ve always, over the years used my research skills as far as they may take me:
“…
Richard Wagner’s Bridal Chorus, more commonly known as Here Comes the Bride or Wedding March, is a song often played during the entrance of the bride at weddings. The song was made popular when it was used at the wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal of England, in 1858…”

The song was only 8 yrs old or so at that time (1850 rocking the charts), so “popular” music I would presume for that period. : )

I’ll add that, had I known that it was in any manner of speaking a song that was anything but a piece of music - I would not have engaged it, such as this. I’m not a huge fan of dragging the past with me into the future. And, it seems from this good sight - I am no alone! Wonderful!

However, too - in all my years of music - only just this research in Dec '24 had heard of anything concerning the music.

When I first engage “guitar” - I was jammed into a classical music curriculum - and have a love of neo-classic, but otherwise - don’t mind to engage it per it’s good context - “wedding festivities”.

What “i” would do then, otherwise, is play, “She’ll be coming 'round the mountain” which I think I covered. However, I just last week, in my archive gazing found, and sort of all but “re-did” it - “Oh Susanna”:

  • So, rather than open a new topic - for context e.g., put it there : ) (It could be a wedding preamble?.. maybe… : ) )

It’s just so “weird” how songs so “old”, so to speak, still get played, Wagner, or old “Cowboy Songs” like “Susanna”. That song has quite a contemporary (define contemporary : ) ) history (Susanna) - a most played, covered recorded type melody, lyric. Gotta luv, pub dom! and Traditionals/Spirituals! (Been great Rock and Roll sources over the years.)

So, “this” Susanna - I redid this as “how I’d do it” - which, well, why else cover a song? imo.

Mid-track in this bounce - vocally, I know I am “on key” but there’s a texture, or harmonics, pitch that I don’t care for, but could just be “me”, hearing “me” and would otherwise - if to vain : ) - do another gang vocal with it or instrument (sing with me ism). However, I do not. I am just not that vain : ) lol!

  • Some may not realize? that when a singer can’t quite “hit” a Note, so to speak : ) some instrument parallels it in the track : ) hahhh… I’ll leave that there, a separate topic. (Can’t play fast, add a syncopated guitar!)

So, yes - I think folks might get a kick out of a different song at that moment (wedding march) - if amiable to it; I think I would have been, if someone more “out of the box” had been there.

However, -we were as out of the box as could be, I think - “Riviera” Hotel Chapel (now gone) in LV NV. It may not be for everyone, but if have no money for a big party and cheap relatives, then, LV is ready for yah, 24x7x365!

  • Yeehaw!
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