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Author Topic: Miller's Breakdown  (Read 244377 times)

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Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2055 on: August 24, 2019, 06:43:52 AM »
Hi all,
Any other takers for the Smith Casey "Santa Fe Blues" puzzler?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

Offline lindy

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2056 on: August 27, 2019, 09:30:10 AM »
After taking your excellent classes at Port Townsend earlier this month, John, I promised myself that I would make an effort to figure out some of these tunes.

I initally came to the same conclusion as Daddystovepipe, but I wasn't confident enough in my skills to say so out loud. So now I'll ride on his coattails and also vote for dropped D tuned low. I'll also agree with his assessment of chord shapes, but it's hard for me to decide if they're in the 7-8-10th fret position or higher, considering the low tuning.

Lindy

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2057 on: August 27, 2019, 10:20:51 AM »
I think daddystovepipe has it. I haven’t tried this out, but all of the ideas fit. My favourite part of this piece is the way he walks (crashes) into the IV chord. It’s the most compelling train piece I’ve heard on guitar. Wonderful.


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Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2058 on: August 28, 2019, 11:46:52 AM »
Hi all,
I think I'll post the answers on Smith Casey's "Santa Fe Blues".  Here they are:

For Smith Casey's "Santa Fe Blues":
   * His playing position was D in standard tuning.  He never plays a low D from the beginning to the end of his rendition, always either living on the open fifth string when playing in D or alternating between the open fifth and fourth strings.  Moreover, he consistently voices his IV chord, G, with a low root in the bass, and in standard tuning that note is put at the third fret of the sixth string, where it sits very naturally with what he plays in the treble in his G chord.
   * In the passage from :04--:08, Smith Casey is bending the 6th fret of the second string up almost a half-step and then going to the fifth fret of the first string, followed by a repeat of the bend, then going to the seventh fret of the first string.
   * For the the opening of his solo, from :22--:25, Smith Casey takes a "long A" shape up the neck with an index finger barre of the first four strings at the seventh fret and the little finger fretting the tenth fret of the first string, exactly as Daddy Stovepipe had it.
   * In the treble, from :32--:35, Smith Casey is playing his G chord, going from a grace note third fret of the third string to the open second string, then moving from the open first string to the third fret of the second string and back to the open first string.

I think this is a wonderful piece, and quite agree with Prof Scratchy that a high point is the way Smith Casey dropped a bomb, hitting that sharply accented #IV note of the IV chord when he transitions to the IV chord.  I think it's also remarkable the extent to which the playing is simultaneously very free-sounding and very controlled.  Smith Casey really was a master.

Thanks to all who participated, and I hope folks enjoyed the song.
All best,
Johnm 

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2059 on: September 27, 2019, 09:36:29 AM »
Hi all,
I have a new puzzler for those of you who are interested.  It is "Been In The Army Since 1941" by Lawyer "Soldier Boy" Houston.  Here it is:



The questions on "Been In The Army Since 1941" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Lawyer Houston use to play the song?
   * As Lawyer Houston begins the piece, what note of the scale is he playing in the bass with his thumb, and on what string and what fret is he playing it?
   * For Lawyer Houston's guitar interlude from 1:50--1:55, he opens up playing what note in the bass?  Where on the neck is he playing it?
   * True or False:  Lawyer Houston never plays a IV or V chord in the course of the song.

INTRO

Says, I been in the Army, since nineteen and forty-one
Well, I've been in the Army, since nineteen and forty-one
When the Japanese got Pearl Harbor, they issued me a Thompson sub-caliber machine gun

Well, I was in love with a woman, and her name is Ernestine
Well, I was in love with a woman, and her name is Ernestine
She is the most loveliest woman, that I have ever seen

She lives out in California, but Ft. Worth, Texas is her home
She lives out in California, but Ft. Worth, Texas is her home
Said, I still love that woman, that's why I composed this song

GUITAR INTERLUDE

She once have been my wife, but now she's married to another man
Yes, she once have been my wife, but now she's married to another man
She dealt me an ace-high straight, but I did not play my hand

Nineteen and forty-three I went to the Philippines, came back in nineteen and forty-five
Nineteen and forty-three I went to the Philippines, came back in nineteen and forty-five
I only live for that woman, that's why I'm still alive

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 Monday, September 30.  Thanks for your participation, and I hope you enjoy the song.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: October 09, 2019, 10:35:36 AM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2060 on: October 01, 2019, 08:16:38 AM »
Hi all,
Any takers for the puzzler on Lawyer Houston's "Been In The Army since 1941"?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

Offline David Kaatz

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2061 on: October 01, 2019, 09:50:52 PM »
I started trying to play this very briefly yesterday, and now posting after listening to the whole thing, and no guitar in hand.

Key of E, standard tuning.
Opening bass note G#, 4th fret 6th string.
For the guitar interlude, I think he is playing the same G# as above.
True, no IV or V chord.

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2062 on: October 02, 2019, 01:44:48 AM »
I find these one chord songs the hardest to figure out. It does sound like he’s playing in the key of E, but maybe not in standard tuning. The overall feel reminds me of Li Son Jackson, so I wondered if he could be in G6 tuning, tuned low - but that’s just a guess.


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Offline Old Man Ned

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2063 on: October 02, 2019, 01:30:49 PM »
I was wrestling with this one last night and sounds like it got me in the same hold as Prof Scratchy. I've been swithering between E or G in, despite tinkering about with my low strings, I'm going for standard tuning in E.

Really not sure about the bass note....a dampened E on the 6th string at the start and a dampened B(?) on the 6 string for the interlude. Agree, no IV or V chord. Only confident about the last answer though.

All the best,
Ned

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2064 on: October 02, 2019, 06:28:26 PM »
Hi all,
My apologies to those who have already posted on the puzzler--I had a misprint in the third question which I have since corrected.  I had the guitar interlude starting at 1:40, and it actually starts at 1:50.  At least the question will make more sense now.
All best,
Johnm

Offline blueshome

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2065 on: October 04, 2019, 03:30:12 AM »
Not really sure but I felt it had a cross note feel.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2066 on: October 06, 2019, 11:46:00 AM »
Hi all,
Any other takers for the Lawyer Houston puzzler, "Been In The Army Since 1941"?
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2067 on: October 08, 2019, 09:01:37 AM »
Hi all,
It looks as though everyone who intended to respond to the puzzler on Lawyer Houston's "Been In The Army Since 1941" has done so, so I will post the answers now.

For Lawyer "Soldier Boy" Houston's "Been In The Army Since 1941":
   * His playing position was E position in standard tuning, as Dave and Old Man Ned had it.
   * As he begins the song, Lawyer Houston is hitting a IV note in the bass.  Playing in E position in standard tuning, that would be an A note, which he hit on the open fifth string.  One of the peculiarities of the song is that pretty much from beginning to the end of his rendition, he hits that IV note on the downbeats of measures, going to the open sixth string I note for weaker beats.
   * At the beginning of his guitar interlude, at 1:50, Lawyer Houston is hitting a bVII note in the bass, D, and getting it on the open fourth string.  It's apparent that his strategy for the body of the song was simply to hit open strings in the bass on the sixth, fifth and fourth strings, and reserve fretting for melodic passages only.  This approach also made it possible for Houston to free-hand everything in the left hand and avoid playing and holding down chords in the left hand altogether.
   * It is true, as everyone had it, that Lawyer Houston never hits a IV or V chord in the course of the rendition.

Lawyer Houston's rhythmic feel is different than that of R. L. Burnside, but the droniness of his approach and almost complete lack of chordal information is similar to that of Burnside and other Hill Country players.  Houston was from Texas, I believe, and Lil' Son Jackson's sound in DGDGBE tuning also somewhat anticipated the Hill Country sound.  It's entirely possible that the Hill Country sound was already happening in the late '40s or early '50s, but just didn't get recorded much, though John Lee Hooker and Dr. Ross both anticipated that sound, too, and were from Mississippi.  And I would guess that Fred McDowell was already playing with that kind of sound, too, at that time.

Thanks to those who participated in the puzzler, and I hope folks enjoyed the song.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: October 10, 2019, 06:30:57 AM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2068 on: November 09, 2019, 08:57:05 AM »
Hi all,
We haven't had a puzzler for a while and I have a new one for folks who are interested.  It is "Blues For Mattie Mae" by Lattie Murrell.  Here it is:



The questions on "Blues For Mattie Mae" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Lattie Murrell use to play the song?
   * Describe how what Lattie Murrell frets at :45--:46 helps identify his tuning/playing position.
   * Where does Lattie Murrell fret what he plays from 1:49--1:52?

Please use only your ears and your guitars to arrive at your answers and please don't post any responses before 8:00 AM your time on Tuesday, November 12.  Thanks for your participation and I hope you enjoy the song.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2069 on: November 13, 2019, 08:09:40 AM »
Hi all,
Any takers for the Lattie Murrell puzzler?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

 


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