Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[blueshome]

A standard tuned low.
I’m with the Professor on the runs as far as my poor ears can make out.

He sounds like a mixture of BBFuller and Lightning Hopkins. However, I always had a feel the Lightning had listened to Fuller, certainly when listening to his early recordings.

[banjochris]

One thing I would add is that I think he's tuned his bass string down to D (relatively speaking) but didn't quite make it. But it does sound to me as if he's playing a low open 6th with his IV chords.
Chris

[Old Man Ned]

Yeah, I heard that low bass string, first at the 8 sec mark, but just thought he was horribly out of tune. I think I owe Carolina Slim an apology. I'm going with A in dropped D tuning.

[Prof Scratchy]

I did too. But I think banjochris is right about the drop D! Pity, as it kicks my answer into touch!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any other takers for the puzzler on Carolina Slim's "Worrying Blues"?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[eric]

You folks have good ears.  I got as far as A position.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
We've had no responses for several days on the puzzler on Carolina Slim's "Worrying Blues", so I'll post the answers.  Here goes:

For Carolina Slim's "Worrying Blues":
   * His playing position was A position in Dropped-D tuning, as Chris first noted.  You can really hear that low root on the IV chord when he first goes to his D chord.
   * He fretted the long ascending/descending run from :11--:16 as follows:  On the + of beat four, he hits a bent fifth fret of the third string.  On beat one he plays a triplet moving up the second string from the third fret to the fourth fret to the fifth fret.  On beat two, he plays a triplet going from the third fret of the first string to the fifth fret of the second string to the third fret of the second string.  On beat three, he plays another triplet, going from the first fret of the second string to the second fret of the third string to the open third string.  On beat four, he plays a triplet descending the fourth string chromatically, second fret, first fret, open.  On beat five, he hits the bent third fret of the fifth string twice, on 6 +.  And on beat six, he concludes the run with a triplet, hitting the bent third fret of the fifth string and then hitting the second fret of the third string twice, finally resolving into the open fifth string on the downbeat of the next measure.  The length of this run and it's circuitous quality are very Lightninesque.
   * From :19--:21, Carolina Slim brushes the first three strings, while fretting the sixth fret of the third string and the fifth fret of the second string, as both Old Man Ned and Prof Scratchy had it.  Getting that unison between the fifth fret of the second string and the open first string gives the brush stroke a neat buzzy quality.
   * From 1:49--1:52, Carolina Slim starts a slide from the second fret of the fourth string on the + of beat two of a 2-beat measure, arriving at the seventh fret of the fourth string on beat one and filling out the beat by hitting that note two more times for a triplet.  On beat 2 + he goes from the seventh fret of the fourth string to the open fourth string.  On beat three, he plays a triplet going from the bet third fret of the fifth string to the open fourth string and back to the bent third fret of the fifth string.  On beat four, he plays another triplet, going from the bent third fret of the fifth string and hitting the second fret of the third string twice, finally resolving to the open fifth string on the downbeat of the next measure.  Once again, the placement of the run and its sense of taking however much time is necessary to complete the musical thought is very much in Lightnin' Hopkins' style.

I think that Phil's observation that Carolina Slim sounds like a combination of Blind Boy Fuller and Lightnin' Slim is spot on.  Behind his singing, Carolina Slim shows a stronger Fuller influence in his phrasing and timing, utilizing several of Fuller's pet moves in A, but in his soloing, he shows a much stronger Lightnin' Hopkins influence.  And of course, Lightnin' recorded several songs played in A out of Dropped-D tuning, which is something Fuller never did.  It's really a shame that Carolina Slim passed away so young, both for his own sake and for his friends and family, of course, but in a musical sense, because he wasn't presented with the opportunity to come into his own, in a way.  Despite that, he recorded a lot of really strong music, and as I listen to him more, I'm more and more impressed all the time.  He really had a lot to offer.

Thanks to all who participated, and I hope you enjoyed Carolina Slim's "Worrying Blues".  I'll try to find another puzzler to post soon.  Incidentally, I hope those of you who are guitarists will try some of these runs--they're great!
All best,
Johnm   

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It has been a while since I posted a new puzzler, and I have one for those of you who are interested--Kid Prince Moore's "Sign of Judgement".  Here is Kid Prince Moore's performance of the song:



The question on Kid Prince Moore's "Sign of Judgement" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did he use to play the song?
   * In the chorus, tell what chord he is playing and what happens in the left hand the first time he sings the word "sign".
   * In the chorus, tell what chord he is playing and what happens in the left hand the second time he sings the word "sign".

Please use only your ears and your guitars to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any answers prior to 8:00 AM your time on Thursday, February 27.  Thanks for participating, and I hope you enjoy "Sign of Judgement".

All best,
Johnm

[eric]

I think he's playing out of C position with the guitar tuned a couple of steps low, and at the first "sign," he's sliding the C shape up two frets, and at the second sign, he does the same thing with the G7 shape.

[Old Man Ned]

This is a beautiful piece. I've gone around in circles a bit on this one but have come around to it being played out of C in standard but about a whole step low. There's a part of this that reminds me of Rev Gary Davis' 'A Little More Faith in Jesus'.

Still unsure about what's going on behind the 'sing' parts though.

All the Best,
Ned

[eric]

Old Man Ned is correct I think.  I meant two frets, not steps, low.

[Prof Scratchy]

Agree C standard tuned low. For the first 'sign' he could be playing a first position G shape and sliding it up two frets from third to fifth fret. For the second 'sign' he could be doing this too, or maybe it's a first position C shape with the pinky on the third set of the first string slid up two frets?

[frailer24]

Here's my take on it:
Position: C standard, tuned a full step low sounding at Bb.
The choruses are a great example of melody taking the bass for a ride, as he plays:
x3xxx3 slid to the 5th fret behind the first "sign" and:
3xxxx3 sliding up to the 5th behind the second "sign".
Great number that I might decide to cover myself!

[Forgetful Jones]

I think he's playing in C tuned down more than a full step.
1st "Sign" I think he's taking a C-shape (with the pinky on the 1st String 3rd fret) and sliding it up 2 frets.
2nd "Sign" I think he slides a G shape up 2 frets.

I first heard of this song here on WC a few years ago, and instantly loved it. I had never tried playing it until this puzzler came along. The way Prince Kid Moore comes in and out with the bass notes makes it tricky for me to find my groove.

Side notes: His voice reminds me a lot of Mance Lipscomb's. That outro makes me giggle every time I hear it.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
The current puzzler on Kid Prince Moore's "Sign of Judgement" has been up a while and we've had no new responses in a couple of days, so I'll post the answers.

For Kid Prince Moore's "Sign of Judgement":
   * His playing position/tuning was C position in standard tuning, though tuned low, as I believe every responder had it.  Well done!
   * At the first time he sings "sign" in the chorus, he does a pinched double slide on the fifth and first strings, starting out fingering a C chord with the little finger fretting the third fret of the first string and the third or ring finger fretting the third fret of the fifth string.  Both strings slide up to the fifth fret on the word "sign".
   * At the second singing of "sign" in the chorus, he does another pinched double slide from the third to the fifth fret, but this time on the sixth and first strings in a G chord.  These two moves were described right on the money by frailer24 and Forgetful Jones, and as frailer24 noted, the phrases are perfect examples of the melody taking the bass for a ride.  Well done!

I sure like Kid Prince Moore's earnest way of singing the number, and the way he omits beats in the bass is interesting and I think makes the song a good candidate for figuring out, just the way he did it.

Thanks to all who responded, and I hope folks enjoyed "Sign of Judgement".
All best,
Johnm