Topic: Sweetheart Blues

[Norfolk Slim]

I'd be interested to know what you chaps make of this....

Apologies for singing!

[frankie]

Nice song, Norfolk Slim - one thing that appeals to me in it is that you're working with a form other than a 12-bar.  Don't apologize for singing - it's an essential part of the music.  The more you do it, the better it gets.

[Slack]

Sounds like a good blues to me - an original piece I assume?  Your voice is fine - but like many of us - you just need to sing more.

Cheers and thanks for posting.
slack

[a2tom]

I'm with Frankie on the form of the tune.  Really ear catching.  If I counted right it's 13 bars per verse?  All the singing up in the beginning though, with sort of an extending turnaround toward the end of each verse?  Any chance of writing out the chord progression you've got going there?

I also like the stompin' bass work.

As for the singing, I'm with the others - Sing Out!

Great stuff - thanks for posting it!

tom

[Norfolk Slim]

Thanks for the comments.

Frankly- I hadn't thought very much about the structure.  It was a progression that just sort of happened whilst noodling bits of other tunes.  One day I realised that I wasn't just noodling but had a steady progression- so I decided to try to put some words to it!

I'm pretty hopeless at chords and theory but its something like this...

A7 / A7 / A7 / A7-Ab7-Ddim / A7
E7 / D7 / A7 / A7 / E7 / D7 / A7 turnaround / E7

The precise structure probably wanders a bit as I play :-)

Even my wife hasn't heard this...  You guys aren't 'real' people so its okay!

[MotorShip]

Hey....

What?s wrong with this?!
I can only agree with the others coments erlier. Good work and playing, myself I sing like the?

Keep on...... I hope that I can pick up that fingerwork you got.

[Johnm]

Nice job, Simon.  I like the originality and the fact that the form and phrase-lengths are specific to the song, while the feel is still very much in the Blues vein.
All best,
Johnm

[Jimbo]

Sounds good to me N/Slim - as a fingerstyle player I'm anxious to learn blues in similar style to your playing, which sounds great.  How long you been playing? Any tips?
Good luck with the writing....

(PS If we waited for enthusiastic support from spouses, we'd let far too much grass grow under our feet)

[Norfolk Slim]

Thanks for the further comments everyone.

Jimbo- I'm not sure if this is the right bit of the forum for a lengthy discussion, but I first had classical guitar lessons 20 years ago!  Blues playing has only been for the last 5 years or so though. Hard to think of any specific tips- but the song is definitely inspired by the songs of Robert Johnson, Lightning Hopkins, Chris Smither and Ben Andrews- so you could do a lot worse than listen to those guys, or find books or lessons on Johnson, Hopkins etc.  Other people on this forum with far wider knowledge than me can doubtless point you to many other starting points as well!