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She specialized in low-down blues "because they didn't come up to Harlem to go to church" - Ethel Waters on singing ungodly raw songs for her audience, Nobody Know Where the Blues Come From

Author Topic: Adventures in Cross Note  (Read 14992 times)

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Offline banjochris

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #30 on: February 07, 2007, 12:01:54 PM »
Bukka definitely plays in cross note, but he uses it pretty much only so he can get the G-G# hammer on in his I chord. There's lots of videos of him playing things like "Aberdeen Mississippi" and "Mama Don't Allow" and many others and you can see him holding that first fret note with his index finger.
Chris

Offline waxwing

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #31 on: February 13, 2007, 12:50:11 PM »
I think it was Paul Geremia (or maybe Terry Robb) who pointed out that, after his rediscovery, Booker was so enthralled by the way that Lightnin' Hopkins did that repeating hammer-on from open to first fret on the G stgring in E (see video of Moon Goin' Down) that he started using Crossnote instread of Vastapol so that he could use the technique in many of his songs. If you watch some of the videos of his later performances you will see that he plays whole songs holding the first fret on the third string and often never opens it up, even tho' these songs would be far easier to play in Vastapol.

All for now.
John C.
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it."
George Bernard Shaw

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Offline Rivers

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #32 on: April 09, 2008, 07:01:14 PM »
FYI folks Andrew has put an 'Adventures in Cross Note' page on weeniepedia: http://www.weeniecampbell.com/wiki/index.php?title=Adventures_in_Cross-Note

I was surprised to see we had no tags for 'cross note' so I've tagged this one as well as the more recent thread about playing in this tuning.

Offline banjochris

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #33 on: April 10, 2008, 10:07:42 PM »
A post over at Stefan Grossman's Woodshed had me listening to Fred McDowell's "Big Fat Mama" on the "Long Way From Home" album, and it's in cross note -- I hadn't realized McDowell ever used this tuning.
Chris

Offline Rivers

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #34 on: December 21, 2008, 11:51:51 AM »
JohnM picked up some more cross-note tunes when studying the George Mitchell set:

3-03Bud WhiteWhite HorsesCross-note   Eflat+   1969, 02/02Richland GA
5-27Rosa Lee Hill   Count the Days I'm Gone   Cross-note   Bflat+   1967, 08/23Como MS
5-28Rosa Lee Hill   Roll & TumbleCross-note   C#+   1967, 08/23Como MS
5-29Rosa Lee Hill   Bullying WellCross-note   E   1967, 08/23Como MS
7-15Eddie Hodge   Blood Red RiverCross-note   Eflat-   (unknown)(unknown)

I'll add them to the weeniepedia page.

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #35 on: September 23, 2010, 12:30:14 PM »
All this Charley Jordan action over in the lyrics thread reminded me that the other day I was listening to Henry Townsend's Jack of Diamonds Georgia Rub, which features the signature lick we'd normally associate with Charley Jordan's playing in E, like the tag in Keep It Clean. There's something about Townsend's playing in the song though that sounded to me like he was doing something different overall, particularly staying on the root bass through the IV chord. A more careful listen now suggests to me he is actually playing this out of cross-note tuning. It works very nicely, since the treble notes of the Jordan lick are played the same, and the bass line riffs Townsend does fit very comfortably on the open 5th and 4th strings. He's pitched around G, so if in cross-note tuning, capoed up. My guitar was pitched around D before capoing, so I had the capo at the 5th fret to play along with Townsend.

The best version out there for this song is found on the Blues Images Calendar CD Vol 7 from this past year. And even that one's rough!

I would also add Jack Owens Jack Ain't Had No Water to this list.

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #36 on: September 24, 2010, 06:39:21 AM »
And listening to Keep It Clean again (which I have actually been known to play at one time - sheesh), I realize the above reference is totally wrong. Now I can't remember where the lick actually comes from. Anyway, I'm still fairly sure the Henry Townsend tune is in cross-note.  :P

Offline banjochris

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #37 on: September 25, 2010, 12:06:46 AM »
And listening to Keep It Clean again (which I have actually been known to play at one time - sheesh), I realize the above reference is totally wrong. Now I can't remember where the lick actually comes from. Anyway, I'm still fairly sure the Henry Townsend tune is in cross-note.  :P

It's a lot like the tag of "Hunkie Tunkie," so not far off.   :D

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #38 on: September 25, 2010, 08:32:31 AM »
Thanks Chris. Thought I was losin' it. So many songs, so little brainspace.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #39 on: February 24, 2011, 11:21:52 AM »
Hi all,
Teddy Darby's "Lawdy Lawdy Worried Blues" was played out of cross-note tuning.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #40 on: March 11, 2012, 10:36:22 AM »
Hi all,
I just heard a tune in cross-note tuning that I had never heard before that Prof. Scratchy posted on facebook (thanks, Prof.!)--Johnny Beck's "Locked In Jail".  I know nothing about the player, but it's a very strong effort.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 10:37:36 AM by Johnm »

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #41 on: March 11, 2012, 11:40:56 AM »
Johnny Beck's "Locked In Jail".  I know nothing about the player, but it's a very strong effort.
All best,
Johnm
Neither does anybody else John, except that he was recorded in Houston by Bob Shad for his Sittin' In With label as Johnny Beck The Blind Boy during 1949, the reverse being You Gotta Lay Down Mama.

The first vinyl outing was in 1980 on the Nighthawk compilation Down Behind The Rise of which all note writer Leroy Pierson could muster was "...a prewar ambience emphasized by Beck's choice of acoustic guitar and his individual approach to the instrument".

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #42 on: March 11, 2012, 12:03:55 PM »
Well, that's a coincidence, BH! I just posted on facebook that if anyone knew anything about Johnny Beck, it would be Bunker Hill...Such a shame he remained so obscure, as presumably he was around well into the 50s and maybe beyond that.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #43 on: March 11, 2012, 01:40:38 PM »
Thanks for that information, Alan.  These players who recorded only one or two titles so strongly are sure tantalizing.  It makes you wish you could have heard so much more of their music.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Adventures in Cross Note
« Reply #44 on: June 13, 2012, 08:40:55 AM »
Hi all,
As per video posted over on "Down The Dirt Road", Arthur Crudup played "That's All Right, Mama/If I Get Lucky" out of cross-note tuning.
All best,
Johnm

 


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