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Tom Dickson?

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Johnm:
Hi all,
I realized I have the fourth tune, "Worry Blues" on the document CD John C. cited.  I  transcribed "Happy Blues" last year some time.
All best,
John

Janmarie:
Thanks all for the info on Tom Dickson.  Hard to articulate but I really enjoy the combination of base notes and high fingerpicking I'm hearing on these cuts.  I also found an English website that had some information on him:
www.earlyblues.com/WorryBlues.htm

frankie:
I've just been listening a lot to him, lately - I worked out Death Bells a while back, but just got around to working out Labor Blues.  He really seems to have an ear for interesting sounds & positions.  Happy Blues is the one that makes me crazy, though - what great bass going on in that one!  I'm sure that'll take me a while to get going.

If you like TD, you'll probably also like Edward Thompson - he's an Alabama guy.  I wouldn't necessarily call their styles similar, but he kinda gives me the same feeling - gets some neat sounds - Florida Bound has a great break at the end...

Montgomery:
I love Death Bells...I figured that one out a while back. Can you think of any other song that has a similar opening riff?

frankie:

--- Quote from: Montgomery on August 27, 2004, 10:23:40 AM ---I love Death Bells...I figured that one out a while back. Can you think of any other song that has a similar opening riff?

--- End quote ---

Not at all, really.  The contour of the main guitar riff over the I chord bears some resemblance to Charlie Patton's Down the Dirt Road (especially in the last verse).  You might be able to extend something of the resemblance to the riffs over the V chord and turnaround, but that's a pretty typical way of negotiating in the key of C.  That opening riff is as unique as it is great, though, as is his way of using open strings in the bass through the C chord.

Ramblin' Thomas uses some similar ideas with a peculiar C7 that he plays in the middle of the neck for Sawmill Moan and Ramblin' Mind Blues.  Both tunes are in G, but make use of this chord:

e-6-
B-8-
G-0-
D-0-
A-7-
E-8-

You might recognize it as a G7 moved up to the 8th fret.  Pretty clever, but undeniably kooky!  He uses the open D string to create some movement in the bass by playing the 6th string, 4th string, 5th string than back to the 6th.  It's more prominent in Sawmill Moan than Ramblin' Mind Blues.

It sounds like TD is fretting only the 6th and 1st strings at the 8th fret and using the open A and D strings at certain points in the riff to create a little movement.  Very cool.

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