Well I had started that about the age of twelve... see my mother had a guitar, my father made her a present of a guitar, and he taught her a few chords, but I first started on a little outfit I made with a cigar box... I made a guitar with a cigar box, had peg keys, bored holes in the head, and I had uh... the strings graduated from fishing twine down on to thread - Johnny St. Cyr, guitarist for the Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers in an interview with Alan Lomax on how he learned to play guitar
I just joined weenie a couple of weeks ago and it has quickly become an invaluable resource for me when working out songs. I have been listening to Peg Leg Howell a lot lately, Walkin' Blues in particular,and JohnM's tuning's list has helped me get closer to playing it in the same spirit as PLH. Thank you! Here is what I have come up with. It is most definately a work in progress. Thanks in advance for listening and for any tips/comments you have to help me get closer to recreating the original as played by PLH. I am still finding my way around in the site and am not sure how much the backporch is being used or whether entries should be submitted as a topic for discussion. In case it is no longer the preferred way of sharing, I have a channel on YouTube (bayrum78) and my version of this song is below. Sorry in advance for any breaches in protocol.
Sincerely, Bayrum78
« Last Edit: September 07, 2010, 04:56:49 PM by bayrum78 »
Welcome Bayrum78! You're sharing protocol is right on - so thanks for sharing. I'd say you've got a very good handle on PLH, I'll have to check out your YT channel.
Yeah, good stuff on the youtube channel. Nate, I was initially a little taken a back by your vocal - thought you were channeling Peg Leg or something -- but I see it is a consistent vocal style, which is really great - it works very well! Really like your version of Green River Blues.
Thanks everyone for listening and for the positive feedback! Have any of you worked out the riffs he is playing behind the I chord? I am more or less strumming rhythmically and at times playing key notes to help keep my vocals (more) on track. He is playing some kind of ostinato figure that is really difficult for these ears to decipher because: a)singing is so pronounced, b)the guitar volume is low and c)the overall sound quality is poor with all of the rice krispie snap, crackle and pops :-)
Blueshome - I would love to hear how you have tackled this song. If available, can you direct me to the right area on (backporch archives/post?) or send me a link if posted elsewhere?
I agree that what Peg Leg is doing under the I chord is hard to hear. I think it's even harder because he doesn't seem to do the same thing twice, just sort of strums and then uses some notes and riffs one finds on the I chord in Spanish tuning, probably randomly. So sometimes he hits the 7th on the top string, sometimes it sounds like he uses a partial chord sliding up on the G (4th fret) and B (3rd fret) strings, and maybe walks that pattern down as well. Another time it sounds like he hits that same chord partial at the 2nd and 1st fret, then the open strings. Anyway, that partial chord position seems to pop up several times. Great song.
Thanks again everyone for the generous and favorable feedback. A special thanks again to JohnM whose PLH tuning has really helped me out. Frank and Chris's links are amazing! I am thoroughly familiar w/their material and to say that really admire their work is an understatement.
Uncle Bud - thanks for your analysis. I will try injecting those broken chord walk patterns into the I section.