Topic: Memphis Willie B

[Mr.OMuck]

Flat pick or fingers?

[Thomas8]

Fingers

[Rivers]

The attack on the strings would be a whole lot easier to get with a flatpick than with fingers, to say the least. After a quick search I could not find any pics of him playing with a pick though. So I'll just sit on the fence for now.

[Thomas8]

When he bends I think you can here slight contact with the string which I think could only be produced by playing an upstroke in the right hand which is not really common practise with flat-picking blues-man.
At 2 mins it seems that he moves to the four chord using the old "minor third major third climb" and seems to be playing in both the bass and treble register, he could possibly be hybrid picking or picking a lot with the thumb. Sounds like he was using some heavy finger-picks, I'm not really sure either!
Great Track!

[Mr.OMuck]

Looks like it's Fingerpicks! Heavy on the thumb and played close to the bridge on an arch top.

[Mr.OMuck]

[Mr.OMuck]

Incidentally, further evidence that when Blues players got older and could afford it, they ditched their Stellas and Kays and picked up Martin Dreads or Big Gibsons.

[Mr.OMuck]

In any case, what a fabulous singer and player he was! He gets nowhere near enough attention imo.

[Thomas8]

Hear Hear!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I moved this topic over to the Licks and Lessons board, since it dealt with questions of instrumental technique.  If you're interested in more on Memphis Willie B, you can go to http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=6130.0 , where the lyrics for all the songs on his two Prestige Bluesville albums have been transcribed.  And in the "Notable Omissions" thread, at:  http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=4393.msg49884#msg49884 , there is an analysis of the playing positions/tunings that Memphis Willie B used for his two Prestige Bluesville albums.
All best,
Johnm