Country Blues > Country Blues Licks and Lessons

Robert Johnsons's Guitar Style--Queries and Tips

(1/17) > >>

GhostRider:
Howdy Folks:

Sorry about all the posts, but I've lived in a CB vacuum here for ages, and I have lots of questions.

This one concerns Robert Johnson's famous turnaround he used in various forms for all his standard tuning, Key of A tunes (Kind Hearted Woman Blues etc.). Pedal tone on high E string 5th fret coupled with the decending bass line on the D string. I always thought that this was his own idea (maybe it was) until I heard "Mama, Quittin' and Leavin'" by Funny Papa Smith (one of my favorite tunes, I think FPS was the best writer of blues lyrics in the 30's). For over half of the verses, FPS uses the exact same turnaround, although played with a different tempo. Since FPS recorded 6-7 years before Johnson, I?wonder whether Johnson had picked up this, one of his signature licks, from that (Texas-Okla.) area, around which he was known to have travelled.

Do any of you know of any others who used and/or recorded?this A turnaround prior to Johnson's recording? Was this lick? "common" in the Texas area? Or am I just out to lunch.

Eating a sandwich,
Thanks for your patience,
Alex

Rivers:
You mean this one?

002225
005225
004235
003245
002225

At first I thought Scrapper Blackwell, Johnny Temple, Lonnie Johnson, but drew a blank on finding that exact move. I hadn't made the Funny Papa Smith connection until you mentioned it. Piano lick transferred to guitar do you think?

If you don't have it already I'd recommend Yazoo 1073 The Roots Of Robert Johnson, the music, remastering and concept is superb.

GhostRider:
Rivers

Yeah, that's the one.

Alex

waxwing:
And now there is Yazoo 2070? Back to the Crossroads, a companion CD to Elijah Wald's book, Escaping the Delta. There are 11 titles common to both but the new one has another 12 sides, and there are 3 sides unique to the original. Interestingly, Elijah stated, at his book signing, that he was unaware of the "Roots of..." CD when he approached Yazoo to do the companion CD. I just skipped through all the sides on both CDs and couldn't find any with the A turnaround.
Hey, how do you guys like my new avatar? Thanks, Slack.
All for now.
John C.

frankie:
Hi Waxwing - the Jug Stompers rewl!? Try linking to this one:

http://www.donegone.net/images/cjs.jpg

I trimmed the border and shrunk it down a bit.

Re: turnarounds - I don't have that particular FPS tune to hand, but a similar lick shows up in the playing of Ramblin' Thomas, both in A (No Baby Blues) and G (Lock and Key Blues).? They have slightly different contours than RJ's lick - in particular, the run he does in G is a little more stripped down and avoids the flattened 6th degree of the scale altogether.

In No Baby Blues, RT uses some neat counterpoint - a descending line from G to E and an ascending line from C sharp to E.? The sound appeals to me, generally, but probably sounds less 'slick' overall.

I do love Ramblin' Thomas, though.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page