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I done seen better days, but I'm putting up with these - Richard Rabbit Brown, James Alley Blues

Author Topic: Miller's Breakdown  (Read 244506 times)

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Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2100 on: March 07, 2020, 10:47:07 AM »
One more thing that I find interesting about Sign of Judgement is the bass during the 2 "Satan" verses. Moore goes from an alternating bass to a monotonic bass to dropping the bass completely in just a few measures. He does this both times, although there is a slight variation between the two. Cool stuff.

I also found this song much easier to play once I started singing along.

Cheers

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2101 on: April 02, 2020, 10:31:39 AM »
Hi all,
I hope everyone is staying careful, safe and healthy in the current public health crisis.  I realized it's been a little while since we've had a new puzzler, and with so many people having to stay home and perhaps with more time on their hands than usual, I though I'd post the first two-part puzzler in a while.  Both songs are from Babe Stovall, who was born in Mississippi but spent much of his adult life in New Orleans.  The first puzzler is Babe's piece "Maypole March".  Here it is:



For Babe Stovall's "Maypole March":
   * What playing position/tuning did he use to play the song?
   * Given his playing position/tuning, what is somewhat unusual about the bass he plays in the body of the song?

The second puzzler is Babe Stovall's version of "Boll Weevil".  Here it is:



INTRO SOLO

First heard tell of boll weevil, twenty-third of June
Looked over in my cotton field, he was sittin' in a cotton bloom
He had a home, in the cotton bloom

SOLO

Went to the merchant, asked him what he think of that:
I found a boll weevil in my Sunday hat
He had a home, in the cotton bloom

SOLO

Went to the merchant, asked him for a-meal and a mule
"You go home, old nigger, the boll weevil's in your field.
You go home, and let me alone."

SOLO X 2

Went down to the brier patch, heard a great racket
Nothin' but a bull frog, pullin' off his jacket
(Guitar concludes verse)

SOLO X 2

For Babe Stovall's "Boll Weevil":
   * What playing position/tuning did he use to play the song?
   * Babe begins most of his verses with three hammers in the treble from where to where?

Please use only your ears and your instruments to arrive at your answers.  Answer as few or as many of the questions as you wish, and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time on Sunday, April 5.  Thanks for your participation and I hope you enjoy the songs.

All best,
Johnm 
« Last Edit: May 04, 2020, 09:21:56 AM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2102 on: April 07, 2020, 12:12:18 PM »
Hi all,
Any takers for the Babe Stovall puzzlers?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2103 on: April 08, 2020, 04:57:39 AM »
For Babe Stovall's "Maypole March":
   * What playing position/tuning did he use to play the song? -Vestapol
   * Given his playing position/tuning, what is somewhat unusual about the bass he plays in the body of the song?-Is he playing the bass on the open fourth string?


-For Babe Stovall's "Boll Weevil":
   * What playing position/tuning did he use to play the song? - standard G
   * Babe begins most of his verses with three hammers in the treble from where to where? - second string open to second string third fret.

Offline Old Man Ned

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2104 on: April 08, 2020, 12:45:56 PM »
For Babe Stovall's "Maypole March":
   Playing position/tuning I'm hearing in Vestapol/Open D
   What is somewhat unusual about the bass he plays in the body of the song? Is he alternating the open 5th & 4th strings as opposed to the more 'usual' open 6th & 4th strings?

For Babe Stovall's "Boll Weevil":
   This was causing me some turmoil for some reason, but yeah, standard G sounds to fit for me.
   Again, agree with Prof Scratchy on the three hammers in the treble - open 2nd string to 3rd fret.

Offline blueshome

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2105 on: April 09, 2020, 05:15:23 AM »
Now that I’ve got to it, I’m with the Prof.

Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2106 on: April 09, 2020, 04:08:05 PM »
Maypole March- Vestapol tuning, but he doesn't seem to play the 6th string much, which would be unusual for that tuning.

Boll Weevil- Standard tuning, G position. He hammers the 2nd string from open to the 3rd fret (then hits that fretted note again on the 2nd string)

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2107 on: April 15, 2020, 09:05:58 AM »
Hi all,
It has been a while since there have been any new posts on the Babe Stovall puzzlers, so I will post the answers.  Here they are:

For Babe Stovall's "Maypole March":
   * His playing position/tuning was Vestapol tuning, played in the key of the open sixth, fourth and first strings.  Ever responder had this right.
   * Given his playing position and tuning, what was unusual about Babe Stovall's bass alternation is that he almost completely avoids the low root of the I chord, the open sixth string, and chooses instead to alternate between the open with and fourth strings over his I chord.  I don't think he hits the open sixth string at all until the very end of the song, when he hits it when playing a wind-up chord.  Old Man Ned and Forgetful Jones put their fingers on what was unusual about Babe Stovall's bass on the tune.

For Babe Stovall's "Boll Weevil":
   * His playing position/tuning was G position in standard tuning.  Once again, every responder had this right--good hearing!
   * Babe Stovall's three hammers in the treble at the beginning of most of his verse accompaniments are from the open second string to the third fret of the second string, exactly as Prof Scratchy had it in his initial response, and as Old Man Ned, blueshome and Forgetful Jones noted, too.

I think that Babe Stovall's playing has been under-examined by most of us present-day players of this music.  He had some really original sounds in the way he played in G position in standard tuning and in other playing positions as well.
Thanks to all who participated in the puzzlers, and I hope folks enjoyed the tunes.

All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2108 on: May 16, 2020, 12:05:02 PM »
Hi all,
It's been a while since we had a new puzzler.  I thought I would do two this time, for which the only question will be the playing position/tuning used by the musicians to play their songs.  The first one is "Remember Me", by Charles Caldwell, and here it is:



INTRO

Will you remember me?  Can you remember me? The last time I saw you,
I caught you by the hand, do you remember me?  You said I'd be your man

SOLO

Can you remember me?  The last time I saw you
I caught you by the hand, do you remember me?  You said I'd be your man

SOLO

Do you remember me?  The last time I saw you
I caught you by the hand, do you remember me?  Said I would be your man, that I would be your man, that I would be your man

Do you remember me? 

 The second is from J B Lenoir, and it is his "Born Dead", recently posted in the "The Wordless Voice" thread.  Here is "Born Dead":



INTRO

Lord, why was I born in Mississippi, when it's so hard to get ahead?
Why was I born in Mississippi, when it's so hard to get ahead?
Every black child born in Mississippi, you know the poor child was born dead

When he came into the world, the doctor spank him, the black baby cried
When he came into the world, the doctor spank him, the black baby cried
Everybody thought he had life, and that's when the black baby died

He will never speak his name right, the poor baby would never speak his mind
Lord, he will never speak his name right, the poor baby, he will never speak his mind
The poor child will never know his mind, why in the world he's so far behind

Lord, why was I born in Mississippi, where it's so hard to get ahead?
Lord, why was I born in Mississippi, when it's so hard to get ahead?
Every black child born in Mississippi, you know the poor child was born dead

The only question for each song is what playing position/tuning was used to play the song.

Please use only your ears and your instruments to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time on Monday, May 18.  Answer for one or both songs, and I hope you enjoy the songs.

All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: May 29, 2020, 03:58:44 PM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2109 on: May 19, 2020, 08:40:39 AM »
Hi all,
Any takers for the Charles Caldwell and J B Lenoir puzzlers?  Go for both or answer just one.  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2110 on: May 19, 2020, 10:23:13 AM »
I'll say Spanish for Charles Caldwell and Drop D for JB Lenoir.

Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2111 on: May 19, 2020, 03:04:54 PM »
Charles Caldwell may be in Spanish around A
JB Lenoir may be in standard tuning E position

I'm not too confident in either answer, but Caldwell is especially tricky to my ears.

Offline banjochris

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2112 on: May 19, 2020, 05:13:24 PM »
I'm pretty sure they're both played in standard tuning.

I think Caldwell's in Em capoed up to A and never hits the first string except at the very end of the tune - the main lick fits perfectly on an Em chord and the open 4th string, with the open 2nd string used as drone and the main melody played on the 3rd string.

Lenoir sounds like regular old E position to me with a fancy IV chord, playing that Lightnin'-esque B note on the 2nd fret of the 5th string for his turnaround.

Great songs.
Chris

Offline blueshome

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2113 on: May 21, 2020, 06:36:28 AM »
Spanish at A for Caldwell and E standard for JB.

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Miller's Breakdown
« Reply #2114 on: May 21, 2020, 11:29:10 AM »
Yes on reflection, and with a guitar to hand, I’ll now go for E standard for JB. I was led astray by Alabama March!

 


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