Things Ain’t What They Used to Be - Duke's Blues (Patreon)

Originally composed in 1942 by Mercer Ellington, the son of the legendary Duke Ellington, Things Ain’t What They Used to Be quickly became a jazz standard and a go-to tune at swing and bebop jam sessions. It’s most often heard in a medium blues feel, and countless jazz greats have recorded it, including the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Johnny Hodges, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others.

I adapted this tune into a fingerstyle arrangement in E major, which sits really well on the guitar and allows the melodic lines and chord movements to flow more naturally. I also added a classic blues ending in place of the original two bars of silence, giving the piece a more fitting finish.

Hope you enjoy my take on this classic! Keep groovin’. Cheers!