Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[Old Man Ned]

To get the ball rolling, though I've only had around 10 minutes on this, I would say E standard, identified by what I hear as 'hammer ons' the 5th and 4th strings at 45:46 mark. Should get a bit more time over the next couple of days to revisit and figure out the last question and possibly change my mind on what I've put above :-)
All the Best,
Ned

[banjochris]

Agree with Ned, and just listening without a guitar in hand I would say that the bit from 1:49-1:52 is the 8th fret of the 2nd string, bent, along with the open 1st string.
Chris

[Prof Scratchy]

Yes, E standard tuned down to D, with the moves OMN and Chris have identified. Great performance.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any other takers for the Lattie Murrell puzzler?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[blueshome]

Nothing to add to what the Prof said

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It appears that everyone who intended to respond to the Lattie Murrell puzzler has done so, so I will post the answers.

For "Blues For Mattie Mae",
   * Lattie Murrell's playing position was E position in standard tuning as every responder had it--well done!
   * What Lattie Murrell played from :45--:46 helped identify his playing position because he first played a double-rolled hammer, open-first fret-second fret on his fifth string, going from a IV note on the open string chromatically up to a V note at the second fret, and then did a double-rolled hammer on the fourth string, open-first fret-second fret, going from a bVII note on the open fourth string up chromatically to a I note at the second fret.  In the course of those two double-rolled hammers he eliminated Vestapol and cross-note as being possibilities because both of those tunings put a V note on the open fifth string, and he eliminated EAEGBE as being a possibility as well, because that tuning puts a I note on the open fourth string.  So in that two second interval, he effectively provided all of the information needed to identify his playing position as E position in standard tuning.  Old Man Ned made this point in his initial response to the puzzler.
   * Lattie Murrell fretted the section from 1:49--1:52 exactly as banjochris described it, brushing the bent eighth fret of the second string against the open first string.

Late Murrell is one of those later Mississippi players whom I wish had been recorded more.  I hope folks enjoyed the song and thanks to Old Man Ned, banjochris, Prof Scratchy and blueshome for participating.

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It's been a while since we've had a new puzzler, so I thought I would post one before the new year.  It is Mae Glover's "Shake it, Daddy", featuring John Byrd as her accompanist.  Here is the track:



The questions on "Shake It Daddy" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did John Byrd use to play the song?
   * Where did John Byrd fret the ascending/descending run from :05--:06?
   * Where did John Byrd fret what he played in the sixth bar of the form, from :20--:21?
   * Where did John Byrd fret the bass run he played from 2:07--2:10?

Please use only your ears and your guitars to arrive at your answers and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time on December 31, 2019.  Thanks for your participation and I hope you enjoy the song.
All best,
Johnm

[mgalup]

Hey Folks,

First, my apologies, as I originally mistakenly posted before the start time of this very thoughtful effort by Mr. Miller. Below are my attempts at the caper!

* What playing position/tuning did John Byrd use to play the song?

-Standard tuning, key of G, no capo

   * Where did John Byrd fret the ascending/descending run from :05--:06?

-B string, chromatic descending and ascending run on frets 0 through 3, interestingly with the low E opening from the fretted G

   * Where did John Byrd fret what he played in the sixth bar of the form, from :20--:21?

-for lack of a more theory-educated way to say this, it’s like a C with a G on top, only made minor-sounding by barring the first frets on the B, G, and D strings


   * Where did John Byrd fret the bass run he played from 2:07--2:10?

-Ascending riff starting on the G on 6th string, to B on A string, open D, E on D, open G, and then a little riff to close that out. Not sure if this should be more specifically the exact notes he played in entirety!

Happy New Year to all and thanks, John, for this really amazing resource!

Best,
MG

[Prof Scratchy]

I’m with mgalup on the position and tuning. Interesting to hear a 12 string tuned to concert pitch for this performance. I agree too with the ascending/descending run. As for the other questions, I’m afraid my hearing aids fail me!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any other takers for the puzzler on Mae Glover and John Byrd's "Shake It Daddy"?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[blueshome]

Nothing to add to the others.  A great 12-string sound, on other songs he’s even higher pitched IIRC. The only other I can think of just now is Barbecue Bob.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
There have been no new responses to the Mae Glover/John Byrd puzzler on "Shake It Daddy", so I'll post the answers:

For "Shake It Daddy, John Byrd:
   * played the song out of G position in standard tuning, as all who responded had it--well done!
   * played the ascending/descending run at :05--:06, ascending chromatically on the second string from the open string to the third fret and then descending chromatically back to the open second string, 0-1-2-3-2-1-0, as Mark had it, and John Byrd did open up on the sixth string during the run, freeing up his third finger to fret the third fret of the second string and otherwise assigning a finger to a fret for the run, and free-handing it.  It's a very "smart hand" move.
   * fretted what he played from :20--:21 at 1-0-0-3, moving from the fourth string to the first string, left to right.  It would be possible to assign some kind of abstruse chordal designation to this combination of notes, like Eb augmented, but what he is doing is essentially going from the C major chord that precedes this chord to a C minor, with the minor third, Eb, voiced at the first fret of the fourth string.  I expect he vacated the first fret of the second string he had been fretting in the C chord and just moved his index finger over to the first fret of the fourth string, leaving his little finger fretting the third fret of the first string, where it had been in the C chord.
   * played the bass run from 2:07--2:10 like so:  Third fret of the sixth string to second fret of the fifth string, open fourth string, second fret of the fourth string, open third string, second fret of the fourth string played twice, open fourth string played twice, second fret of the fourth string, open third string, second fret of the fourth string, open fourth string, following with a big treble brush stroke of the top of a G chord.  The run covers the third measure of the form and the first three beats of the fourth measure in that verse.

I sure wish that Mae Glover and John Byrd had been recorded doing more titles together, because the ones they did were all stellar.  John Byrd was seriously under-recorded, given his level of skill and invention.  He's one of my absolute favorite 12-string guitar players in the style.

Thanks to the folks who responded to the puzzler and I hope you enjoyed the song.

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have a new puzzler for those of you who are interested.  It is "Worrying Blues", by Carolina Slim (James B. Harris), a really nice Post-War player who died really young.  Here is the song:



INTRO

Laid down last night, man, I couldn't take my rest
Laid down last night, man, I couldn't take my rest
My mind started rambling, like a wild geese out in the West

My baby's gone and left me, and just what's worrying me
My gal has gone and left me, man, just what's worrying me
I start blue and disgusted, worried as a man can be

SOLO

I laid down last night, I was happy as a man could be
Laid down last night, I was happy as a man could be
And all at once, you know, the blues started to worrying poor me

The questions on "Worrying Blues" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Carolina Slim use to play the song?
   * Where did Carolina Slim fret the long ascending/descending run he plays from :11--:16?
   * Where did Carolina Slim fret what he plays from :19--:21 in the first line of the song, after the word "night"?
   * Where did Carolina Slim fret what he plays he in his solo, from 1:49--1:52?

Please use only your ears and instruments to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time on Monday, January 27.  Thanks for your participation, and I hope you enjoy the song.
All best,
Johnm

[Old Man Ned]

Here's what I'm hearing for Carolina Slims Worrying Blues:

 Playing position/tuning: A standard, sounds like he's tuned a whole step low
 Where did Carolina Slim fret the long ascending/descending run he plays from :11--:16?
--------3-5-3----------------------
-5-3-5-------5-3-1----------------
---------------------2-0------------
------------------------2-0---------
----------------------------3-3-3-0
-------------------------------------
ending on the 5th string
   * Where did Carolina Slim fret what he plays from :19--:21 in the first line of the song, after the word "night"? I'm hearing this as an A chord; 1str open; 2nd str/5th fret;3rd str/6th fret
   * Where did Carolina Slim fret what he plays he in his solo, from 1:49--1:52?
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
-------------------------2-2--
-7-7-7-7-7--2---0-----------
----------------3---3-3------0
-------------------------------
ending on the 5th string.

Or at least that's what I jotted down last night! Hope it makes sense.

All the best,
Ned

[Prof Scratchy]

* What playing position/tuning did Carolina Slim use to play the song? - A standard

   * Where did Carolina Slim fret the long ascending/descending run he plays from :11--:16?
----------------------3---------------------------------------------------
---2---3---4---5---------5---4----3----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------5----2---------------------------
---------------------------------------------------5---2---0---------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------3b---3b--3b----0---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
   * Where did Carolina Slim fret what he plays from :19--:21 in the first line of the song, after the word "night"?

abbreviated A chord on open first string, 2nd string at 5th fret and 3rd string at 6th fret

   * Where did Carolina Slim fret what he plays he in his solo, from 1:49--1:52?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------0----1----2--------------------------------------------------
---0---4-------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------0----------------------------------------