Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[Vermonter]

For Larry Johnson on youtube: thanks, Stefan!

[Old Man Ned]

Bit late with this as I've been away with my work but I'm hearing this in C standard. For the bass run signature lick, which he plays from :18--:21, and throughout the song I'm getting something like:
-----------------------
-----------------------
---------0------------
--0-1-2-----------0--
3----------3----2----3
--------------3---------

Where did Larry fret what he played over his IV chord from :57--:58?
Is this an F chord at the 1st fret. doing something like:
-------------
--1-----3--1
--1h2--3--2
--3-----3--3
-------------
1------------
for want of a better way of describing it.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It appears that everyone who intended to post answers to the Larry Johnson puzzler, "Say What You Mean" has done so, so I will post the answers.

For Larry Johnson's "Say What You Mean":
   * His playing position was C position in standard tuning, as all who responded had it--well done!
   * Larry Johnson played his bass signature lick from :18--:21, and throughout the song, like so:  On the + of beat 1, he plays the third fret of the fifth string.  On beat 2, he plays a triplet, walking up the fourth string chromatically, open, first fret, second fret.  On beat three, he plays another triplet, going from the open third string to the third fret of the sixth string and then to the open fifth string.  On beat four, he plays another triplet, going from the first fret to the second fret on the fifth string and then to the open fourth string, resolving back to the third fret of the fifth string where he began the run on the downbeat of the next measure.
   * Larry fretted what he played over the IV chord, from :57--:58, as follows:  On the + of beat one of the measure, he begins a thumb roll from the third fret of the fourth string, following through with the thumb and brushing the third fret of the third and second strings on beat 2.  On the + of beat 2, he returns with the thumb to the third fret of the fourth string, beginning another thumb roll, following through with a brush of the third and second strings in which the third string has a hammer from an index finger barre at the first fret to the second finger fretting the second fret of the third string, and the index barre frets the first fret of the second string.  By rocking to 3-3-3 on the fourth through second strings on beat two, Larry is essentially going to a momentary Bb chord, which functions as the IV of the IV chord, F.  It's a move that J B Lenoir especially liked and used a lot.  Old Man Ned pretty much had this move figured out.

Thanks to those who participated, and I hope folks enjoyed the song.

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have a new puzzler for those of you who are interested.  It is George Henry Bussey's "Looking For My Woman".  Here is the track:



The question on "Looking For My Woman" is:
   * What playing position/tuning did George Henry Bussey use to play the song?

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 Tuesday, July 17th.  Thanks for participating and I hope you enjoy the song.
All best,
Johnm

[Prof Scratchy]

I?ll say A standard, tuned very low to sound in E.


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[Old Man Ned]

I initially thought E tuned very low as I'm hearing it follow the chord progression found in Crow Jane but the more I listen the more I'm hearing George Henry Bussey's "Looking For My Woman" played out of G tuned about a step and a half down.

Love this tune. Made me go back and listen to the other Gearge Mitchell recordings of George Henry Bussey.

[Forgetful Jones]

I think its in A position tuned way down low.

[joe paul]

I'd say A tuned low too. Nice, I'll have to listen to his other tunes.

[blueshome]

Basically Richmond Blues which is normally played out of A. So A well low Works fine.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It looks as though everyone who intended to respond to the George Henry Bussey puzzler has done so by now, so I will post the answer. 

George Henry Bussey played "Looking For My Woman" out of A position in standard tuning, tuned a full fourth low, sounding in E.  A way you could differentiate from the sound of what he's playing as being in A position rather than G position tuned a minor third low is that in the 6th bar of the song's 8-bar progression, he goes to a V chord, hitting the low root of the V chord on the 6th string.  In A position in standard tuning, the low root of the V chord, E is available on the open sixth string.  In G position, standard tuning, the lowest note available on the 6th string is the VI note, E, so he couldn't have hit that low V note had he been playing out of G position in standard tuning, tuned low.

One thing I remember being impressed by in the George Mitchell recordings was that the musician most commonly covered by the musicians that George Mitchell recorded was Blind Boy Fuller, and this was not just by musicians from the Carolinas, but also players from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Memphis.  Mitchell's recordings really made clear what an enormously influential musician Blind Boy Fuller was.

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

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I've come up with a new puzzler for all who are interested.  It is Robert Curtis Smith's "Calvary", and it can be heard on the attached link, courtesy of Stefan Wirz, who put up the link four months ago.  I was fascinated to hear it, because I didn't know that Robert Curtis Smith had been recorded in the years since the '60s when he had an album come out on Prestige Bluesville and several tracks come out on Arhoolie, as well.  It turns out that Robert Curtis Smith had re-located to Chicago, and at the time when the recordings on the link were made, he had made a decision to play only religious material.  I've very much enjoyed this newer material, as I had his blues.  "Calvary" begins at 11:38 on the attached link, and runs to the end of the link.  Here it is:



INTRO

REFRAIN:  Calvary, Calvary
Calvary, Lord, Calvary
Calvary, Calvary
Surely He died on Calvary

REFRAIN:  Calvary, Calvary
Calvary, Lord, Calvary
Calvary, Calvary
Surely He died on Calvary

Can't you hear Him, calling, "Father"?
Can't you hear Him, calling his Father?
Can't you hear Him, calling his Father?
Surely He died on Calvary

REFRAIN:  Calvary, Lord, Calvary
Calvary, Lord, Calvary
Calvary, Calvary
Surely He died on Calvary

SOLO

REFRAIN:  Calvary, Lord, Calvary
Calvary, Lord, Calvary
Calvary, Calvary
Surely He died on Calvary

The questions on Robert Curtis Smith's version of "Calvary" are:
   * What playing position/tuning did Robert Curtis Smith use to play the song?
   * Where did Robert Curtis Smith fret his IV and V chords for the song?

Please use only your ears and your guitars to arrive at your answers and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM on Tuesday, August 7.  Thanks for your participation, and I hope you enjoy the song.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any takers for the Robert Curtis Smith puzzler?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[Prof Scratchy]

This is a tough one. I?ll say standard tuning round about F sharp, with a B9 for the IV and Cs9 for the V.


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[Old Man Ned]

It certainly is a tough one. At the moment, I'm at G, standard tuning, but that my change as I've no idea on the positions of the IV or V chords yet.

[Johnm]

Prof and Old Man Ned,
Good on you guys for breaking the ice on this one.  It is indeed a tough and unusual position/tuning identification--it's not just your imagination!  My advice would be to hang in there and listen in particular to what Robert Curtis Smith hits in the bass.
All best,
Johnm