Topic: Bo Carter's Guitar Style--Queries and Tips

[banjochris]

It's in standard tuning, key of C, if I remember right. I'm at work so can't go into the chord progression right now, but I always thought the like "I happen to have it in my bag" means that "whatever it takes to get/keep you honey, I know how to do it -- I've got it in my bag of tricks"
Chris

[Dazza]

Thanks Chris for your info. Will try to work it out in C. Chord changes would be helpfull if you get the time. Thanks, Dazza.

[uncle bud]

The basic changes sound like

C E7 A7 D7 G7 C G7
C E7 A7 D7 G7 C
E7 A7 D7 G7
C E7 A7 D7 G7 C

The old I III VI II V I....

Obviously there's more to it than that from a picking and melodic point of view. The D7 sounds like a C7 shape moved up 2 frets, btw.

Nice playing from Bo, as usual.

Oh, and welcome to WeenieCampbell, Dazza.

[Dazza]

Thanks for the welcome Andrew. I appreciate your info about "Honey." Hopefully I can figure most of it out now. Bye from down under, Dazza.

[Dazza]

I have tab of "I'm An Old Bumble Bee" by Bo Carter from a book of about 1960's vintage. I have forgotten the title and author. The song is in A, standard tuning. On this site it is suggested that the tuning for this song should be half spanish. Which is correct? Can anyone help with the book's title and author? Thanks, Dazza.

[banjochris]

The book is called "Masters of Instrumental Blues Guitar" by Donald Garwood, I think was his name. I lent it out years ago and never got it back, unfortunately, and I think it's out of print. In the book Carter's "Bumble Bee" is tabbed out in E, which it isn't. It is in that "half-Spanish" tuning, DGDGBE. The two give-aways for that tuning as opposed to standard tuning are the V chord -- E and D7 have two very different sounds -- and the runs at the end of each phrase. If you listen to "Country Fool," for instance, which is in A, and then listen to "Bumble Bee," you'll hear what I mean -- it's subtle, but there is a difference.
Chris

[waxwing]

This is OT, but just wanted to point out to Dazza and others, that it is not necessary to make a Tag for your name. Anyone can find all posts by you by going to your Profile page and selecting a link there. No problem, I've removed the Tag. We don't really want our Tag index to be filled up with member names, especially since so many of our members have chosen the same name as many of our most talked about subjects.-G-

All for now.
John C.

[Dazza]

Sorry John. I am new to the site and wasn't even sure what a tag was. Regards, Dazza

[Stuart]

Here's the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Instrumental-Guitar-Donald-Garwood/dp/0825600014

Still got mine. I can't remember ever really using it, but upon looking it over, I'm impressed by the amount of work that went into it. It was published in 1968, long before the days of video instruction with the split screen, not to mention the technology that allows us to manipulate audio files. It's not perfect, but I wouldn't discount its contribution in the context of the times.

[waxwing]

No problem, Dazza. Actually, our Tags are one of our most useful tools. You can browse the Tag index by selecting the Tag button in the button set across the top of every Forum page. If you want to see every thread about a certain artists or other topic, check out the Tag index and select the Tag to see a list of all articles with that Tag. If there's no Tag, try the Search function.

All for now.
John C.

[banjochris]

Here's the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Instrumental-Guitar-Donald-Garwood/dp/0825600014

Still got mine. I can't remember ever really using it, but upon looking it over, I'm impressed by the amount of work that went into it. It was published in 1968, long before the days of video instruction with the split screen, not to mention the technology that allows us to manipulate audio files. It's not perfect, but I wouldn't discount its contribution in the context of the times.

I thought it was a great book, too, and one feature of it that was extremely helpful (one we've carried over here at Weenie Campbell) was the list in the back of a bunch of Mississippi John Hurt and Mance Lipscomb tunes with their playing positions. That was extremely helpful when I was first learning.

[Dazza]

Hi Banjochris. Thanks for your advice and sorry to take so long to come back with a reply. Before I made the original post for this subject I was trying to find a referrence to the book on the net, but was looking for "Garfield" and not the correct name Garwood. I'm not surprized I coudn't find it. I got the book through inter-library loan years ago and it was not easy to find here in Australia.
I am not too happy about playing this song wrongly for a couple of years. I always thought I had it right. I have been trying to figure out how I would play it in the new (and correct) tuning. Am I right in thinking that it starts in C7(the same C7 that is in "My Baby"), that the runs are on frets 1, 2, and 3 and that the chord that starts the verse is the same as in Garwood's book but two frets back. Sorry for my poor explanation but I am not real flash musically. Appreciate your advice. Regards, Daryl.

[Dazza]

Thanks Stuart for your info and link. Regards Dazza.

[banjochris]

Hi Banjochris. Thanks for your advice and sorry to take so long to come back with a reply. Before I made the original post for this subject I was trying to find a referrence to the book on the net, but was looking for "Garfield" and not the correct name Garwood. I'm not surprized I coudn't find it. I got the book through inter-library loan years ago and it was not easy to find here in Australia.
I am not too happy about playing this song wrongly for a couple of years. I always thought I had it right. I have been trying to figure out how I would play it in the new (and correct) tuning. Am I right in thinking that it starts in C7(the same C7 that is in "My Baby"), that the runs are on frets 1, 2, and 3 and that the chord that starts the verse is the same as in Garwood's book but two frets back. Sorry for my poor explanation but I am not real flash musically. Appreciate your advice. Regards, Daryl.

That sounds like it's probably right but it's been so long since I've seen the book -- the C7 Bo plays has no C on the bottom and the G (3rd fret first string) on the top.
Chris

[Dazza]

Thanks Chris. The fingering for the song in that tuning seems as though it may be more economical now that I have tried it a few times. Interesting exercise for a novice. I hope I have it right now. Only thing is I thought it sounded more like the original with the capo on the second fret rather than the first as intimated on this site. However I woudn't trust my own ear. Too new to this game. Regards Dazza.