Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[banjochris]

I hear: beat the train to the corner and ? the depot down.

[Gumbo]

I hear: beat the train to the corner and I  waved the damper down

could it be Tampa?

[harriet]

phonetically I hear I beat the train to the [cortella] cortell line, flagged the southports down

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I'm now hearing "I beat the train to the corporal and flagged the coppers down".
Whatever precedes the word "down" is a plural.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
   "I beat the train to the corporal and I swear to stop her down"
I'm happy with the tail end of the line now and think that part is right, not so sure about "corporal",  but the sound is right on, I think.

EDITED TO ADD:  I'd beat the the train to the corner, and I swear to stop hers down
Forget "corporal"--don't know what I was thinking/hearing with that.  I'm satisfied with the most recent iteration.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have two new puzzlers for you.  The first is "Hattie Mae", as performed by Andrew Dunham, who also did the very first song we had in this thread, "Sweet Lucy".  Here is Andrew Dunham's performance of "Hattie Mae":



INTRO

Hattie Mae, Hattie Mae, you the sweetest girl I know
Yeah, Hattie Mae, Hattie Mae, you the sweetest girl I know
You made me walk from Alabama, Georgia, Miss'ippi, Gulf in Mexico

Now tell me, Hattie Mae, what can I do to make you take me back, and God knows, you so nice and kind
Hattie Mae, you the sweetest girl I know

Please, Hattie Mae, please take me back
Yes, Hattie Mae, and try me one more time
Taker me, Hattie Mae, and try me one more time

I tell you, Hattie Mae, you try me one more time, I'll do anything in the world, just to get along with you, for you know, Hattie Mae, you the sweetest girl I know
Hattie Mae, you is the sweetest girl I know
Great God Almighty, you're the sweetest girl I know
I walked all the way from Alabama, Mississippi,  to Georgia, Kansas City, to Mexico

Hattie Mae, you is the sweetest girl I know

Here are the questions about "Hattie Mae":
   * What playing position/tuning did Andrew Dunham use to play "Hattie Mae"?
   * Where did Andrew Dunham fret the chordal position he keeps resolving to throughout his rendition.  You can hear it at :07--:08, :14, :17--:18, and elsewhere throughout the song.

The second song is Jim Brewer's recording of "Rocky Mountain".  Here it is:



INTRO

Rocky Mountain, 'way out in the West
Rocky Mountain, it's 'way out in the West
I'm gonna leave you, baby, and God knows it's for the best

I'm goin' away now, baby, I'm goin' where the eagle build their nest
I'm goin' away now, baby, I'm goin' where the eagle build their nest
Well, I'm goin' now, baby, I'm goin' further 'way out West

Rocky Mountain, is a dang'ous place to go
Rocky Mountain, it is a dang'ous place to go
Anybody goed out there, they may not get back here no more

Tell me, baby, tell me what's a-gettin' wrong with you
Tell me, baby, tell me what's a-gettin' wrong with you
I'm gonna leave here, baby, I'm gonna leave it up with you

SOLO (Spoken: Yes, yes)

Rocky Mountain is a terrible place to go
Rocky Mountain, it is a terrible place to go
I"m gon' leave here, baby, and I won't be back no more

SOLO (Spoken: Yes, yes)

Sometimes now, baby, I don't care where I go
Sometimes, sometimes, Lord, I don't care where I go
Well, the way you treated me, I don't care where I go

Rocky Mountain, that is the place for me
Rocky Mountain, that is a place for me
I'm gonna leave here, baby, 'cause I don't feel welcome here

Here are the questions for "Rocky Mountain":
   * What playing position/tuning did Jim Brewer use to play "Rocky Mountain"?
   * Where did Jim Brewer fret the run that he plays from :14--:16?
   * Where did Jim Brewer fret the bass run he plays from 3:06--3:09?

As always, please use only your ears and your guitars to arrive at your answers.  Please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time in the morning on Thursday, June 25.  Thanks for your participation and I hope you enjoy the songs.
All best,
Johnm
u

[One-Eyed Ross]

Ah, c'mon.  Someone jump in here and help me out, would you please?  I'm totally lost on "Hattie Mae"....

"Rocky Mountain" I suspect is down in C with a capo on 2nd fret (Key of D)....or maybe just D position and played up the neck with a C shape...but I know it seems to live at frets 5-7 most of the time.  The first run starts on an A note, I think 4th string, 5th fret (or 7th fret without capo), and descends from there, but I get lost a bit.  I'm close, but not quite there.  (probably would help if I'd not watch World Cup matches while playing)....

[frankie]

Ah, c'mon.  Someone jump in here and help me out, would you please?  I'm totally lost on "Hattie Mae"....

Hattie Mae is definitely the tougher of the two...  and I do completely LOVE that way this song sounds - EVERYTHING about it! A couple of observations:

1) On the top three strings, the whole song consists of a single "D7" chord shape moved up and down the neck. Expressed relative to G position in std tuning (not what I think the tuning is, BTW) he uses these shapes:

xxx767 - I7

xxx545 - kind of a nasty V7 flat 9

xxx323 - extra, extra nasty Idim - becomes his tonic chord - he puts a little squeeze on the 3rd and 2nd string when he sits on it...  LOVE IT!!!! fun-kaaaay....

2) from the perspective of determining the tuning and position, the whole performance seems to suffer from pathological string avoidance of both the 5th AND 4th strings. The top 3 strings are always fretted.

3) his more or less regular bass note is on the 6th string, ringing out as the 5th below the tonic.

Put all together, these observations seem rule out spanish tuning and G position in standard tuning.

Still left on the table are standard tuning, A position and half spanish tuning. Maybe one of you guys hears something that will cinch it.

[Old Man Ned]

Unfortunately am travelling for work and without my guitar for this one.  Subsequently, I'm not going to touch Hattie Mae!  Love it though.  Rocky Mountain though, I'm going to take a stab at and say A in standard tuning.  It reminds me a bit of Lightnin Hopkins.  If not A then E...i'm useless without my guitar to hand, but i have had a couple of beers and only listened the once so that's my excuse.

Ross:  I completely understand regarding the distractions of the World Cup...the ladies certainly do bring another dimension...or dimensions to the game.......that is what you meant isn't it?

[One-Eyed Ross]

Ned, I just love futbol.  I do announcing for one of the local high schools during their seasons, and watch two different MLS teams....  Too many years living in Germany, I guess. 

[banjochris]

Rocky Mountain sounds like key of D but not drop D. He slides into the low G for his IV chord, which you could do at the fifth fret in drop D but I don't hear the low D note and it doesn't sound like he moves around to catch the B on the 5th string. It's definitely not C position because he walks up the V chord (in this case a barred A7) from the open strings up to the first and then second fret a couple of times.

My instinct on Hattie Mae is A position standard tuning, I can't really articulate why that over half-Spanish. It sounds to me like Dunham is trying to imitate Walter Davis' piano sound in this number (and doing a great job). That little bass move he makes, playing I believe the bVII note of the scale and going back to the V (I don't have a guitar with me but I think that's it), really sounds like Davis to me.
Chris

[blueshome]

Without a guitar my first thought on Hattie Mae was A standard with the the positions a la Frankie.

I favour D standard for rocky Mountain, one phrase just caught my ear to trigger this.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any other takes for the "Hattie Mae" and "Rocky Mountain" puzzlers?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[Gumbo]

haha! So you're all doing this without your guitars, now!!

Rocky Mountain sounds like D standard
the run from 0.13-0.16 goes
2nd string .. 222 222 20. 0...............22.2
3rd string .. ................3 .30 230 2...22.2
4th string ...................................0..22.2

Hattie Mae sounds great!!

[David Kaatz]

I'm pretty much agreeing with Frankie on Hattie Mae. Sounds like standard tuning to me, up a half step, starting that lick with this shape:
9 
8
9
x
x
x

then descending 2 frets with the same shape, then descending again but I'm not sure about the last shape of the form

In the bass, I hear a brush from the 6th string to the 5th string root note.

Still have to work on Rocky Mountain

Dave