Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[eric]

I don't always submit answers to these puzzlers, but I always listen, and appreciate hearing artists unknown to me and especially your breakdown of the tunes.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have a couple of new puzzlers for those of you who are interested. The first is Frankie Lee Sims' "Cross Country Blues". Here it is:



The questions on "Cross Country Blues" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Frankie Lee Sims use to play the song?
   * Where did Frankie Lee Sims fret the descending run he plays in his solo from 1:48 to 1:51?
   * What soloing strategy did Frankie Lee Sims use at the very beginning of his solo?

The second puzzler is Manny Nichols' "Walking Talking Blues". Here it is:



The questions on "Walking Talking Blues" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Manny Nichols use to play the song?
   * Where did Manny Nichols fret the beginning of his solo that follows his first verse, at :36?
   * What did Manny Nichols do when he came to his V chords, and where did he fret them?

Please use only your ears and your guitars to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any responses to the questions before 8:00 AM your time on Sunday, August 8. Thanks for your participation and I hope that you enjoy the songs.

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any takers for the Frankie Lee Sims and Manny Nichols puzzlers? Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[MarkC]

Frankie Lee Sims:

Drop D, D position, but he starts with a bend on the 6th fret on the B string with the A on the first string.

The solo run:
Starts on 2nd string 5th fret bend. I think he plays the C note at the 5th fret G string before shifting his hand down.

Not sure about strategy, but he starts with a 3rd (F#) and fifth (A) on top two strings and slides up three frets to a fifth and flat seventh.

There’s also a Lonnie Johnson-ish G riff in the song.

Manny Nichols:

Great stuff!

In E standard first position. I’m not really sure about the back strums. Maybe just E major, maybe there’s a seventh in there sometimes. I’d have to slow it down to hear it clearly.

The solo:

A -
X07650, lets the two E notes ring. Love the B-Bb-A-G-E walk down.

The five chord sounds like he’s including the open high E, X21200.

I also think I hear some sixths in his E chords in a couple of spots.

[Prof Scratchy]

Agree with Mark! Three frets up strategy on start of FLS instrumental?

[blueshome]

I’m with the others.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any other takers for the Frankie Lee Sims and Manny Nichols puzzlers? Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[David Kaatz]

For Frankie Lee Sims Cross Country Blues, I say he is playing in D, Drop-D tuning.

The descending passage, triplets with a single pickup note, could be played like this
2nd string sixth fret F bent up a little, fifth fret E on down beat, third fret D, first fret C,
on 2nd beat, 3rd string second fret A open G, 4th string third fret F,
on 3rd beat, open G, 4th string third fret F, open G,
on 4th beat, 4th string third fret F, open G, 4th string third fret F,
open D at end of run, on the down beat.
This all could also be played at the fifth fret position, ending on the 5th string fifth fret D.

He employs the '3 frets up' idea in his solo.


For Manny Nichols' "Walking Talking Blues", I think he is playing in E, standard tuning.

His solo starts with an A chord at the fifth fret, he slides into the C# on 3rd string, sixth fret.

He liked to walk up to his 5 chord, from the 6th string, fourth fret, open 5th string, 5th string first fret, landing on the B at the second fret. He fingered a partial B7 chord, just B D# A, then open 2nd and first strings.

[Forgetful Jones]

Quick answers without my guitar handy (and not a ton of time to examine the specific questions).

Frankie Lee Sims I believe is in Drop D tuning. I couldn't really hear the low D note until the end of the song, when I think it's audible during the start of the outro.

Manny Nichols I believe is in standard tuning E position.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
The Frankie Lee Sims and Manny Nichols puzzlers have been up for a while with no new responses so I'll post the answers.

For Frankie Lee Sims' "Cross Country Blues":
   * His playing position was D in dropped-D tuning, as I think everyone had it. Well done!
   * Frankie Lee started the descending run from 1:48--1:51 on the + of beat one of a measure. On the + of that beat one he played a bent fifth fret of the second string. On beat two he played a triplet, going from, I believe, the unbent fifth fret of the second string to the third fret of the second string and from there to the first fret of the second string. On beat three he played another triplet, walking down the third string chromatically, second fret to first fret to open third string. On beat four he played a final triplet, going from the third fret of the fourth string up to the open third string and back again, concluding the run on the downbeat of the next measure with the open fourth string.
   * He began his solo utilizing the "three frets up" idea, as everybody had it.

This is an unusually loose-sounding take from Frankie Lee. I always love his singing and playing, but a couple of times on this one, it almost sounds like the wheels were going to come off, especially in the solo. What a great singer!

For Manny Nichols' "Walking Talking Blues":
   * His playing position was E in standard tuning, as everyone had it.
   * He opened his solo on a IV chord, A, with a big slide into the seventh fret of the fourth string and the sixth fret of the third string, going from there to a unison of the fifth fret of the second string and the open first string. Mark C had this spot on, as did Dave.
   * For his V chord, he liked to walk up the fifth string chromatically from the open fifth string to the second fret and then explode into the upper four strings, simply fretting the first fret of the fourth string, and leaving the first three strings open. A lot of players liked to leave the first string open in a B7 chord in an E blues--Manny Nichols is one of the few I've heard who also liked to leave the third string open. It makes the V chord sound augmented, with that open G string in there, which is the #V of B. It's also kind of Flamencoey-sounding.

Boy, did Manny Nichols play hard from the picking hand and get a big sound! His thumb-struck notes sound like a drum.

Thanks to all who participated and I hope you enjoyed the songs. I'll look for some more.
All best,
Johnm

[MarkC]

Thanks for doing these breakdowns John. I always learn something interesting I try to keep in my toolbox.

[Johnm]

Well thanks for participating, Mark. It's the folks who participate who really make this thread go, from my point of view. I appreciate that engagement with the performances, and I've noted that the folks who participate regularly are pretty routinely right about playing position/tuning on the songs, which is by far the most important thing to be able to identify, I think. If you get that right, answering any of the other questions is pretty much just a matter of hanging in there and trying things until you've got it.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It's been a while since we've had some new puzzlers and I've found a couple for those of you who might be interested. The first is Frank Edwards' "Terraplane Blues". Here it is:



The questions on "Terraplane Blues" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Frank Edwards use to play the song?
   * Where did he fret his signature lick, from :21--:24?

INTRO SOLO

I said, I'm sad and lonesome, Lord, what I'm gonna do
I say, I'm sad and lonesome, sayin' Lord, what I'm gonna do
Say, I'm gon' buy me a Terraplane, I swear and a V-8, too

Hey, I'm, gonna put 'em both there together, put 'em out on the road, take both, sure, mama, got a good heavy load, now,
I'm sayin', I'm sad and lonesome, Lord, what I'm gonna do
Say, I'm gonna step on that 'celerator, 'til that gas come through

Say, my gal, she quit me now, man, both a level lane, didn't wanta come back, afford that Terraplane
I"m cryin', please, friend, please, let me ride with you
Say, I got room for two or three more, I swear, and you, too

She's sayin', "Stop now, Frank. Let's get a sack of flour. How can I stop the Terraplane makin' ninety miles an hour
I"m cryin', please friend, please let me ride with you
Say, I'm gon' treat your 'celerator, 'til that gas come through 

The second puzzler is from Archie Edwards, and it is his recording of "Baby, Please Give Me A Break". Here it is:



The questions on "Baby, Please Give Me A Break" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Archie Edwards use to play the song?
   * What are the first two chords in his chord progression and where did Archie Edwards fret them?

INTRO SOLO

See the little old girl, coming' down from the street, sharper than a tack from her head to her feet
REFRAIN: She got me beggin', "Baby, won't you please give me a break?
Won't you tell me how you think my poor heart could take, baby, won't you please give me a break?"

Like the way you look, baby, crazy about your smile, said the whole world will agree, you a beautiful child
REFRAIN: And I'm still beggin', "Baby, won't you please give me a break?
Won't you tell me how you think my poor heart could take, baby, won't you please give me a break?"

SOLO

Like the way you look, baby, crazy 'bout your shape, when you walk down the street, put my mind in space
REFRAIN: I'm still beggin', "Baby, won't you please give me a break?
Won't you tell me how you think my poor heart could take, baby, won't you please give me a break?"

SOLO

Please use only your ears and your guitars to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time on Thursday, October 7. Thanks for your participation, and I hope you enjoy the songs.
All best,
Johnm

[Old Man Ned]

Frank Edwards is a new one for me. Lovely relaxed feel to his delivery, which for me, brought to mind Sleepy John Estes. I'm hearing this in Open G tuning.

Archie Edwards' "Baby, Please Give Me A Break" I'm hearing in standard tuning, played out of A. First two chords in his chord progression are a D7 shape up at the 9th fret ie
---9
---8
---9

and an A at the 5th fret:
---5
---5
---6
---7

All the Best,
Ned

[Prof Scratchy]

I hear the first one in G standard. I’m having difficulty hearing the signature lick under the harmonica, but it sounds like he could be going from first position G to second position D7 then down to first position C before returning to G.

The second one is in A standard. I hear the first two chords as x0x9 10 9 and x0xx75