Hi All, In response to Alex's suggestion that there be a thread parallel to the "Adventures in Spanish" one, here goes--as in the spanish thread, let's include non-slide pieces only. Delta numbers are okay for inclusion, I think, because there weren't that many of them (at least I think there weren't). I'll just get things started. 1) Old Timey Rider-Clifford Gibson 2) Joe Turner Blues-Bill Broonzy 3) Steamboat Whistle Blues-John Jackson 4) Knoxville Blues-Sam McGhee 5) If You Don't Want Me-John Hurt 6) Dinner Blues-Bo Carter All best, Johnm
Re. Sweet Jivin' Mama. That's an odd one, sounding in A, but played in open D (I think Woody Mann has a different tuning for it, which we can dispute ). Going from memory here, so may be completely wrong.
Hi all, Some more to add to the list-- 1. K.C. Blues--Hobart Smith (whew!) 2. The Train That Carried My Girl From Town--Doc Watson, from the old Watson Family album on Folkways. I think it's the best thing Doc ever did, and that is going some. 3. Big Chief Blues--Furry Lewis 4. Weary Lonesome Blues--Roy Harvey and Leonard Copeland 5. Ice and Snow Blues--Clifford Gibson 6. Vastapol--Elizabeth Cotten 7. Good Gal--Josh White 8. Cigarette Blues--Bo Carter All best, Johnm
I'm very partial to Henry Townsend's early capoed up National modal stuff esp. Mistreated Blues Sick With The Blues Henry's Worried Blues Poor Man Blues Long Ago Blues
Relying on memory here, will check tomorrow if those are all in Vestapol.
Hi Mark, I reckon those tunes, all of which are great, as you say, are cross-tuned, EBEGBE. It's sort of like what Bo Carter did with his G tuning, DGDGBE, it lets you keep all the chordal shapes on the top three strings intact from standard tuning and get the index hammer to the major third at the first fret, third string, when playing in E. All best, Johnm
Clifford Gibson Old Timey Rider Ice and Snow Blues
Big Bill Broonzy Joe Turner Blues
John Jackson Steamboat Whistle Blues
Sam McGee Knoxville Blues
John Hurt If You Don't Want Me Pay Day
Bo Carter Ain't Nobody Got It Ants In My Pants Baby, When You Marry Backache Blues Blue Runner Blues Bo Carter Special Cigarette Blues Dinner Blues Don't Mash My Digger So Deep Fifty Fifty With Me Flea On Me Got to Work Somewhere I Love That Thing It's Too Wet I've Got a Case of Mashin' It Mashing That Thing Mean Feeling Blues New Auto Blues Pig Meat Is What I Crave Ram Rod Daddy Sorry Feeling Blues Sue Cow
Blind Blake Police Dog Blues Down in the Country
Blind Boy Fuller Little Woman You're So Sweet
Robert Wilkins That's No Way to Get Along
Hobart Smith K.C. Blues
Doc Watson The Train That Carried My Girl From Town Sittin' on Top of the World
Furry Lewis Big Chief Blues
Roy Harvey and Leonard Copeland Weary Lonesome Blues
Elizabeth Cotton Vastapol
Josh White Good Gal Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed I Don't Intend To Die In Egypt-land Lord, I Want To Die Easy John Henry
Georgia Yellow Hammers Rip Van Winkle Blues
Blind Connie Williams "Philidelphia Street Singer" Inc. Milky White Way
John Byrd Old Timbrook
Scott Dunbar Memphis Mail
But really Johnm, don't you know any obscure ones?
« Last Edit: January 20, 2007, 12:04:49 PM by GhostRider »
Hey Lindy, You've got that right. Without checking, I think every single tune Connie Williams plays on guitar on that CD is in Vestapol, and he had some great stuff in that tuning that not even Josh White had. That "Milky White Way" is a beauty! All best, Johnm P.S. I'll try to get some obscure ones for you, Alex.
Hi Mark, I reckon those tunes, all of which are great, as you say, are cross-tuned, EBEGBE. It's sort of like what Bo Carter did with his G tuning, DGDGBE, it lets you keep all the chordal shapes on the top three strings intact from standard tuning and get the index hammer to the major third at the first fret, third string, when playing in E. All best, Johnm
Thanks for the insight there John, I did a double take at first until I realised I usually refer to cross-note as E minor / Bentonia. Key thing I've found with Henry's modal stuff is to minimise/eliminate the 3rd In open E/D I've learned where to kill the third dead and can approxiamate the minor tuning pretty good since you don't hear the 3rd (G) much.
The other Henry trick I just love is to go for what I call 'the unison treble whine', bending the 2nd string while the top E sounds open. Played this for another guitar player once who said "man, that is really depressing". Made my day.
How did I get here. Alvin Youngblood Hart played Skip James's Illinois Blues in one of his classes at Port T. The assembled Weenies expected him to be in cross note tuning, he was actually in Vestapol. Did a good job with it; I couldn't make it work that way. This lead on to Alvin's modal style in general, Henry & Skip tunes being cited as major influences.
Could well be Alvin just prefers to 'Vestapol' those minor tuned songs. There is one 'Henry-ish' riff I do (also learned from AYH) that would only seem to work in Vestapol. I will study up and report back.
Hi Mark, You make good points about Alvin Hart and your own experiences playing in Vestapol and open E minor. They can both be played "against type". I've been working on some new accompaniments in open D minor in which I fret the first fret of the third string the entire time and never hit the third string open. I suppose someone could say, "Why don't you just play it in Vestapol? It would sound the same and be easier to play." For some reason though, it feels and sounds better to me in the minor tuning. Incidentally, I heard Alvin Hart do a Henry Townsend number on "Prairie Home Companion" at some point this past year, and it was terrific, the best thing I've ever heard him do. And I've heard a lot of other good things from him! All best, Johnm
Hi - kinda new to the forum.? I was at PT this past summer and had a great time.? I think Barbecue Bob's "Poor Boy A Long Way From Home" is Vestapol.? I haven't actually heard his version though, only the Fahey cover which is in Vestapol (and sounds much like the song Vestapol)
Take care, Pat D.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2005, 09:46:43 AM by Johnm »