Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[Old Man Ned]

Apologies for not having much time this week to listen to these so haven't been able to go into the details. But am thinking Vestapol for Dennis Mcmillan's "Woke Up One Morning" and E standard though tuned low for Cecil Barfield's "Love Blues" . And no, not hearing a V chord in "Love Blues" .

All the best,
Ned

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I realized that it has been a really long time since anyone has posted new answers to the Dennis McMillon and Cecil Barfield puzzlers. I'll post the answers now--sorry, it got away from me there.

For Dennis McMillon's "Woke Up One Morning":
   * his playing position/tuning was Vestapol tuning
   * In the tenth bar of his first solo, from :57--:59, he played the run as follows: On beat one, he used the slide to go the fourth fret of the first string. On beat two, he played a triplet, going from the open first string to the third fret of the second string and then the open second string. On beat three he slid into the third fret of the third string and on the + of beat three played the first fret of the third string. On beat four he hit a bent third fret of the fourth string and on the + of beat four he resolved to the open fourth string.
   * I used the wrong start point for the third question on "Woke Up This Morning", it should have been 2:31. In any event, his concluding run starts on the + of beat 1 in the twelfth measure of the form, hitting an open second string. On beat 2 + he goes from the second fret of the second string back to the open second string. On beat 3 + he goes from the open first string to the third fret of the second string. On beat four, he pulls off from the third fret of the second string to the second fret of the second string, and on the + of beat four he hits the open second string. In the coda measure one (measure thirteen), on beat one + he goes from the third fret of the fourth string to the open third string. On beat 2 + he goes from the open fourth string to the second fret of the fifth string. On beat three + he goes from the open fourth string to the open second string. On beat four + he goes from the second fret of the second string back to the open second string, and on beat one of the second measure of the coda (fourteenth bar), he hits the third fret of the second string and lets it sustain, concluding his performance.

This piece is one of my favorite performances in Vestapol tuning ever--everything about it is so outstanding: McMillon's singing, his sparing, but really exciting and effective, use of the slide, his strong rhythmic feel, his abundance of ideas. It's a tragedy that he only recorded four titles. And he recorded late enough that there is a reasonably good chance that he was still around and able to play in the '60s or '70s, though I don't know if anyone knows what became of him. He's another of those "what might have been" musicians, of whom there were so many in this style.

For Cecil Barfield's "Love Blues":
   * His playing position was E position in standard tuning
   * The notes that Cecil Barfield played in his solo from 1:30--1:44, going from highest-pitched to lowest-pitched are: First string--third fret and open, second string--third fret and open, third string--second fret and open, fourth string--second fret.
So it is that for his solo there, Cecil Barfield confined himself to notes in the "blues scale", once again, descending from highest to lowest-pitched: bIII-R-bVII-V-IV-bIII-R.
   * It is true, as everyone had it, that he never played a V chord in the course of playing "Love Blues".

One of the things that I think is most interesting about Cecil Barfield's sound is the notes he chooses to hit in the bass, which Forgetful Jones alluded to in his post. Hitting the open fifth string, a IV note against I chord runs in the treble, and sometimes the open fourth string, too gives the piece an unusual tension. It reminds me a little bit of Robert Pete Williams. Oh, and I added the lyrics to "Love Blues" to the original post on these two puzzlers. The lyrics to "Woke Up One Morning" were transcribed a while ago and are already up in Weeniepedia.

Thanks to all who responded, and I should say that those who did post answers to the questions of how various runs were played, Forgetful Jones and Lyndvs, really did a good job of placing those runs on the neck. I hope folks enjoyed the songs themselves, too. These ones are both really special to me. I'll look for some other songs to post and will stay on top of it better next go-round.

All best,
Johnm



 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have a couple of new puzzlers for those of you who are interested. The first is from Arzo Youngblood, and it is his song, "Swing, Swing".  Here it is:



For "Swing, Swing":
   * What playing position/tuning did Arzo Youngblood use to play the song?

The second song is Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis's version of "Two Trains Running". Here it is:



For "Two Trains Running":
   * What playing position/tuning did Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis use to play the song?
   * At what point in the pulse/bar structure does the signature lick that he begins the song with start and where does it end, before repeating?

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 Saturday, October 17. Thanks for your participation, and I hope you enjoy the songs.

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any takers for the Arzo Youngblood and Jimmy Davis puzzlers? Come one, come all! Answer just one question or answer them all.
All best,
Johnm

[David Kaatz]

Two Trains Running is in standard tuning, E position. The signature lick starts (the first time) on beat two and ends on the downbeat of the next measure. The second time and subsequent times it starts on the 'and' of beat one.
Cool.

[Prof Scratchy]

I agree with David about Two Trains Running. I'm foxed by the first one though!

[banjochris]

Vestapol for "Swing Swing," out of tune in a good way! Sounds to me like the third and fourth strings are both out, but the third is still a major third.
Chris

[blueshome]

E standard for both. Swing Swing tuned down.

[Old Man Ned]

I'll go for E standard for Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis's  "Two Trains Running". But Arzo Youngblood's 'Swing Swing' It's crazy and I love it. A voice in my head keeps saying 'E minor' tuning but I'm not convinced.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
We haven't had any new responses on the Arzo Youngblood and Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis puzzlers for a couple of days,, so I thought I would post the answers.

For Arzo Youngblood's "Swing, Swing"
   * His playing position/tuning was E position in EAEGBE tuning (though tuned about a full step low)

This was a tough identification. When trying to determine what tuning someone played a piece in that sounds basically like it is played in E position, with the I note of the key that is being played in voiced on the open sixth and first strings, the strings you have to listen for, in particular, are the fifth, fourth and third strings, because those are the three strings that differentiate the sound of the tunings other than standard tuning that end up sounding like E position: Vestapol, cross-note and EAEGBE. What you listen for on those three strings is an obvious open string being sounded. If you know what the pitch of the open string is, you can start eliminating tuning possibilities.
Arzo Youngblood plays an open third string at :01 of his rendition, another at :03, and at :05 he hits the open third string three times in a row. In each instance, it is a minor III note, G relative to a I of E. That eliminates Vestapol as a possible tuning for the song, since Vestapol voices the major third of the open chord on the open third string, and leaves cross-note, EAEGBE and E position in standard tuning as possibilities.
At :08--:09, Arzo Youngblood hits the fourth string twice so that it sustains in a way that only an open string can do. The pitch of that string is that of a I note. That eliminates E position in standard tuning as a possibility, since it puts a bVII note on the open fourth string, leaving cross-note and EAEGBE as possibilities.
At :10--:11, Arzo Youngblood hits a long-sustaining open fifth string that holds through a momentary lull in the constant activity of the tune. The pitch of that sustaining note is a IV note relative to the key he's sounding in, which eliminates cross-note as a possibility, since in cross-note tuning, the open fifth string is the V note of the minor chord to which the guitar is tuned.

What we're left with then is EAEGBE tuning, since of the four possible tunings that end up sounding like E position, it is the only one that puts a IV note on the open fifth string, a root on the open fourth string and a bIII on the open third string. If you get your guitar in that tuning, adjusted to where Arzo Youngblood pitched his guitar, around D on the open sixth string, you'll find out how easily and sensibly the left hand of what he's doing sits in that tuning. Getting what his picking hand is doing is a much taller order! I love this piece and think it's great, such energy, but man, is it ever more difficult to figure out things with strummy, sort of inexact articulation in the picking hand than it is to figure out precise picking, however technical it may be.

For Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis's "Two Trains Running:
   * His playing position was E position in standard tuning, as I believe everyone who responded had it--well done!
   * His signature lick that he opens the piece with starts on the + of beat three in the pick-up measure preceding the downbeat of the form, ends on beat three of the first full measure, starts again on the + of beat three in that measure, continuing through beat three of the next measure, and starts vamping on the + of beat three in that measure, as the vocal pick-ups to the first verse enter there: "But I lo--|| ve"

I sure like this version of "Two Trains Running", as well, and I feel like the way it integrates the vocal with the guitar's responses is really exciting and well done. It ends up having the kind of impact you would think that you would need a full band to get.

Thanks to all who participated in the puzzlers. I think they were both pretty hard, especially the Arzo Youngblood identification. I hope folks enjoyed the tunes, and I will look for some more to post before too long.

All best,
Johnm   

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have two new puzzlers for you from a pretty neglected player: Sonny Scott. The first is his song "Black Horse Blues" and the second is "Highway No. 2 Blues". To the extent that Sonny Scott is known by fans Country Blues fans, he is probably best known as a sometime guitar duet partner of Walter Roland; the two duo released some records as "The Jolly Two". Here is "Black Horse Blues":



INTRO

I want to go horseback riding, I don't want to go by myself
Lord, I want to go horseback riding, I don't want to go by myself
I'm goin' to buy me a buggy, so I can take somebody else

Now, hitch up my buggy, saddle up my black mare
Lord, hitch up my buggy, saddle up my black mare
Because you can find me ridin', Lord, on the road somewhere

Lord, I got my stable now, partner, horse is all I need
I got my stable now, partner, horse is all I need
I got money in my pocket, Lord, to buy my black horse some feed

Lord, I rode my horse from Texas, stopped in New Orleans
Lord, I rode my horse from Texas, I stopped in New Orleans
I saw a pretty black mare, baby, pretty as ever seen

Lord, I like my milk cow, but I love my horse to death
Lord, I like my milk cow, but I love my horse to death
So you give me back my black horse, and you can have the rest

My horse got a tail, baby, just as long as my right arm
My horse got a tail, baby, just as long as my right arm
Lord, I rode my horse from Texas, and I'm going to ride him home

The questions on Sonny Scott's "Black Horse Blues" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did he use to play the song?
   * Where did Sonny Scott fret his signature lick fill that he plays in the third, seventh and eleventh bar of each verse?

Here is "Highway No. 2 Blues":



INTRO

My baby quit me, and she's throwin' my trunk outdoors
My baby quit me, and she's throwin' my trunk outdoors
Say, "Come back tomorrow mornin', and get all your dirty clothes."

Ain't got nowhere, just to lay my weary head
Ain't got nowhere, just to lay my weary head
Lord, somebody, done took that good woman I had

If I had my pistol, I'd go down in the woods
If I had my pistol, I'd go down in the woods
Yell out to Jericho, wouldn't do that man no good

Lord, I whupped my woman, oh Lord, I blacked her eyes
I whupped my woman, and Lord, I blacked her eyes
I would've cut her throat, but I was 'fraid she'd die

SOLO

Catched my baby, was on the Highway No. 2
Yeah, my baby, was on Highway No. 2
Lord, the way she treats me, oh Lord, won't never do

SOLO

The questions on Sonny Scott's "Highway No. 2 Blues" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did he use to play the song?
   * Where did Sonny Scott fret his signature lick in the third, seventh and eleventh bars of each verse, and place the signature lick in the count of the the measure.
   * Name a blues song from the period that shared the same sung melody as "Highway No. 2 Blues"

Please use only your ears and your instrument to arrive at your answers and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time on Tuesday, November 10. Thanks for your participation, and I hope you enjoy the songs.

All best,
Johnm

 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any takers for the two Sonny Scott puzzlers, "Black Horse Blues" and "Highway No. 2 Blues"? Come one, come all--answer all the questions or just one.
All best,
Johnm

[blueshome]

Black horse in D standard. Riffs around 5th and 2nd frets with /d shape.

61 Highway, E standard capped up. Melody of Bug Juice, Kid Prince Moore.

[David Kaatz]

I didn't work on Black Horse.
Highway no 2 Blues I think is standard tuning, A position.
The lick starts on the 5th fret, 1st string, and descends to the 2nd fret, 3rd string. It starts on the 'and' of beat one of whichever measure he starts it in.
The melody sounds like Robert Johnson's Dust My Broom.

[Prof Scratchy]

I agree with blueshome for Black Horse - D standard. His signature lick seems to be based on an A7 chord at first position.
I think Highway 2 is in A standard, agreeing with David. I haven’t worked on detail of the arrangement yet, and I’m not sure of the song with a shared melody.