Topic: Garfield Akers Cottonfield Blues Pt 2

[Roastfellow]

Can anyone tell me how to play this tune in a way that makes my one guitar sound like the two used on the record? Any reasonable cheat would be greatly appreciated.

[Johnm]

Hi Roastfellow,
I don't know what you intend to do about the vocal, but here is some stuff you could try for the accompaniment:
   * Put on an unwound (plain) third string if you don't already have one on your guitar.  It will let you inflect the higher voice on the guitar more like it is played on the record.
   * Think of what is happening over the I chord as two voices.  Play it out of A, standard tuning, capoed to best singing key.
   * The upper voice goes from second fret third string to fifth fret third string, back to second fret third string down to fourth fret fourth string, notes A-C (slightly bent)-A-F# (slightly bent).  You hold down the index barre across to the fourth string through this whole passage, so anything fretted at the second fret is handled by the barre
   * The lower voice goes from second fret fourth string to fourth fret fourth string to second fret fourth string to third fret fifth string (slightly bent), notes E-F# (slightly bent)-E-C (slightly bent)
   * You might try some right finger damping, placing your fingers right back on the strings and muting them as soon as you've plucked them, or letting them ring slightly before muting them.
Best of luck with this.  Change it as you wish to improve upon it and you will need to vary it, too, as they get into that "worrying" lick that has repeated notes.
   * Oops, I forgot to say you should keep the open A string thumping through the above-described activity.
All best,
Johnm

 

[Roastfellow]

God bless you, John. I've been playing your arrangement non-stop for days. You've made me extremely happy. You really should think about giving lessons or something. Thanks again.

[Johnm]

Well good on you, Roastfellow, I'm glad it's working out for you!  Maybe I'll hear you play it some time.  What a tremendous song it is.
All best,
Johnm

[Marshcat]

Hi, Johnm,
Having studiously avoided standard tuning for two decades, is there any way your suggestions would work in low-bass open A??? Any hints gratefully received...

[Johnm]

Hi Marshcat,
If you go to Spanish tuning out of A (EAEAC#E) and move everything fretted on the third and fourth strings down two frets from the description in the previous post (fifth string will remain the same), it should work.  If you've been avoiding standard tuning for two decades, it's about time to go back.  You are cutting yourself off from too many good sounds.  You can only compensate so much.
All best,
Johnm

[Marshcat]

Thanks for the help! Re open vs. standard tunings, I guess you're right, but as a sufferer from chronic resophonia with a dozen vintage Nationals begging to be in various open tunings, I may just have to keep standard tuning for my (fast approaching) dotage...

Aloha,

Marshcat