Topic: Songs you should be able to play and can't

[frankie]

CM's Crow jane is a real pisser.  I have occasional bouts of success, followed by longer bouts of failure.  The hardest thing for me to sing over is the IV chord, with that riff in the bass.  Yikes.

Stuff I've never been able to render satisfactorily:  anything by Mississippi John Hurt, Scrapper Blackwell, Blind Blake, Henry Townsend.  Just can't do it.  I'd much rather just listen to them!  I love trying to play their music, but it never sounds right to me...

[Slack]

CM's Crow jane is a real pisser.? I have occasional bouts of success, followed by longer bouts of failure.? The hardest thing for me to sing over is the IV chord, with that riff in the bass.? Yikes.

Yep, I stumble on that bass run wihtout singing on top!

Stuff I've never been able to render satisfactorily:? anything by Mississippi John Hurt, Scrapper Blackwell, Blind Blake, Henry Townsend.? Just can't do it.? I'd much rather just listen to them!? I love trying to play their music, but it never sounds right to me..

Yes, this looks familiar    ..with the possible exception of Scrapper Blackwell - I have hopes for Trouble Blues.

[Blue Poodle]

I have had trouble playing even the basic version of "Diddy Wah Diddy".  The thumb roll thing takes a while to get used to.  It's only recently that I have started to be able to approximate it.

[slidnslim]

Theres a whole lot of songs for me! As I can't play a note in
 standard tuning! I think Son Houses "Depot Blues"
 has got to be my favorite song,but I can't pick on it at all!

 Kenny,

[Rivers]

Thought I'd revive this topic since we've probably all come some way since then.

Alex, you mentioned Dryland Blues. If you're still having trouble with it rush out and get Johnm's The Guitar of Furry Lewis DVD. I've been working with it this morning and it's coming together thanks to the excellent detailed analysis and demos. Watching it though the first time without the guitar I thought 'that looks pretty easy'. Then I went through it again with the guitar and was shocked at how much I learned.

Personally I tend to lapse into 'the old generic blues' when left to my own devices, sludge really, a mix of Lord knows what. I really benefit from slowing it right down and trying to pick it almost like it was meant to be picked. There's a big difference between playing a generalized 'blues song' and capturing the spirit of a real classic song that, incidentally, just happens to be a blues. The devil is in the details.

You all should pick up the DVD, great job Johnm, thanks!

Rivers.

[GhostRider]

Alex, you mentioned Dryland Blues. If you're still having trouble with it rush out and get Johnm's The Guitar of Furry Lewis DVD.

Yikes, that would also mean I'd have to rush right out and get a DVD player as well.

And I'm still having trouble.

Thanks for the advice, Riv. I really should get into the 2000's

Alex

[Rivers]

If you've got a USB port on your PC you can pick up a USB external drive for around $50 these days.
I got an LG brand reader/writer. Works great and came bundled with video playback software. Plug and play, almost.

[dave stott]

oh wow...

I thought I was the only one having issues with various tunes..

The current bane of my playing existence is: MJH's tune: Mermaids Flirt with me..

I seem to have finally gotten Big Bill's tunes: Mississippi River Blues and Willie Mae down, albeit at half the speed of Big Bill. Long Tall Mama is another one in whihc I have yet to reach the warp speed in which Big Bill plays it.

Dave
 

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for the good words on the Furry Lewis instructional video, Rivers.  I have long felt that Furry's playing is terribly under-rated, mostly because he was . . . funny!  I'm afraid Furry didn't fit the mold of the impassioned tortured soul playing the Country Blues, but if you really listen to what he did, he was a great player.
all best,
Johnm   

[CF]

I can play the guitar part for BB Fuller's 'Looking for My Woman' but I'll be damned If I can sing the last of the verse lines over the E/A chords/riffs . . .