Topic: R. L. Burnside's Acoustic Guitar Recordings--Playing Positions/Tunings

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It has been a little while since anyone has posted the playing positions and tunings of the recorded works of a Country Blues guitarist, and I thought it might be interesting to look at two of R. L. Burnside's early recordings on which he played acoustic guitar, to try and spot trends.  The records are both currently available on Fat Possum Records, and are "R. L. Burnside's First Recordings", Fat Possum 80365-2, and "R. L. Burnside--Mississippi Hill Country Blues" (originally issued on the Dutch label, Swingmaster), Fat Possum 80341-2.

Here are the playing positions/tunings for the songs on "R. L. Burnside's First Recordings" and "R. L. Burnside--Mississippi Hill Country Blues" and an indication of the keys at which the various songs sound.  The first recordings were recorded by George Mitchell in 1968.  The other album was recorded mostly in 1980 and 1982, with three tracks recorded by George Mitchell in 1967.  A performance slightly sharp of the indicated key will be followed by a plus sign, +, and one slightly flat of the listed key will be followed by a minus sign, -.  I will edit the post to add notes later.

R. L. Burnside's First Recordings--Playing positions/tunings

Song Title	Playing position/tuning	Key
Just Like a Bird Without a Feather	E position, standard tuning	C-
Goin' Down South	E position, standard tuning	C#-
Come On In	E position, standard tuning	D
Little Babe	E position, standard tuning	Eb
Rollin' And Tumblin'	E position, standard tuning	C
Jumper On the Line	E position, standard tuning	Eb
Skinny Woman	Spanish	G+
Poor Black Mattie	Spanish	F#+
Long Haired Doney	Spanish	G-
Peaches	Spanish	G-
Walking Blues	Vestapol, slide	Eb
Hobo Blues	Spanish	G-
My Time Ain't Long	E position, standard tuning	E-
Sat Down On My Bed And Cried	E position, standard tuning	E

R. L. Burnside--Mississippi Hill Country Blues--Playing positions, tunings

Song Title	Playing position/tuning	Key
Miss Maybelle	Spanish	G
House Up On the Hill	E position, standard tuning	F#
Gone So Long	E position, standard tuning	Eb
Skinny Woman	Spanish	F#
See What My Buddy Done	A position, standard tuning	G#
Don't Care How Long You're Gone	Spanish	G#
Lost Without Your Love	E position, standard tuning	D+
Shake 'Em On Down	E position, standard tuning, slide	D
Bad Luck And Trouble	E position, standard tuning	Eb
Just Like A Woman	Spanish	G-
Greyhound Bus Station	A position, standard tuning	G
Crying Won't Make Me Stay	E position, standard tuning	D+
Rolling And Tumbling	E position, standard tuning	E
Mellow Peaches	Spanish	F#
I Believe	E position, standard tuning	Eb
Poor Boy	E position, standard tuning	E
Poor Black Mattie	Spanish	G#
Jumper On the Line	E position, standard tuning	E
Long Haired Doney	Spanish	G#

Some thoughts on the recordings:
   * Apart from the obvious duplicate titles on the two discs, the following songs appear on the two albums with different titles:  On the "First Recordings" album, "Just Like a Bird without A Feather", "Peaches" and "My Time Ain't Long" are the same songs as those titled, respectively, "Lost Without Your Love", "Mellow Peaches" and "I Believe" on the "Mississippi Hill Country Blues" album.
   * One of the most striking differences in sound between the two albums is the absence in the 1980 and 1982 sessions of any of the extreme low-tuned numbers played out of E position in standard tuning such as Burnside had in the 1968 recordings, with "Just Like A Bird Without A Feather", "Goin' Down South" and "Rollin' And Tumblin'".  I wonder if Burnside's use of extreme low tuning on some of his early recorded cuts indicates a Rosa Lee Hill influence on his music, for of the people recorded from that part of the world, she is most notable for use of extreme low tuning.
   * "Come On In", from the 1968 recordings, is essentially a version of "Catfish Blues", despite never using a catfish verse.  It is based on Robert Petway's version of that song (or other versions based on it) even to the extent of utilizing two slightly different accompaniment licks at the end of each verse, as Petway's version did.
   * Burnside's repertoire on these two recordings show a consistent approach of vamping underneath his singing with the vocal phrases answered by signature licks.  The variable factor in the renditions tends to be how long or short Burnside chooses to phrase his vocals.  He is far more consistent in the expression of his signature licks.  He is also consistent in his almost total lack of harmony and chord changes as part of his musical structures.  He is very much a groove and line player as opposed to a chordal player on these recordings.

All best,
Johnm       
 

[Longsands]

Hi all,
I have been working out a couple of RL Burnside?s songs in Spanish tuning, making use of the Swingmaster video footage shot in the early eighties.  Taking the song Long Haired Doney (see link below), I think he plays something fairly close to what I?ve got in the attached tab, tuned to G# in Spanish.  This lines up with John M?s above identification for this song on the Hill Country Blues CD (which I think might be the same performance from 1984).  I also think he plays pretty much the same accompaniment when recording the same song for George Mitchell in 1967, but to get this to match up with the record?s pitch, I have to tune in Spanish way down around Eb.  This is really low, of course, but it makes sense in that he?s playing songs in E position tuned right down around C, so if he lowers his 1st, 5th and 6th strings from there then he gets Spanish around Eb.  (Similarly on Hill Country Blues he?s playing some songs in E position tuned to Eb and some in Spanish at F#, which could also be achieved just by lowering the 1st, 5th and 6th strings).  However this puts me at odds with the list above, which has this one as Spanish pitched at G. 
I?d be interested if anyone agrees with me on this, or can point out where I?m going wrong with it.  (I think the same point applies for his 1967 recording of Skinny Woman ? I haven?t checked the other songs yet). 

 
Cheers, David

[banjochris]

I would say this -- just because one version of Long Haired Doney is in Spanish at G, doesn't mean he's going to be tuned to the same pitch for every recording of it. He's certainly in Spanish in the video.
Chris

[Johnm]

Chris made the same point that I would have made, which is that in terms of execution, playing position/tuning are the important factors.  The pitch at which different renditions of the same song sound in can be all over the map.  I have come to think of playing position/tuning as "how the song is played", and pitch at which a rendition sounds as "where the song was sung".  The pitch where a rendition sounds cuts no ice in terms of how it is executed on the guitar.
All best,
Johnm

[Longsands]

Hi - thanks for the replies.  Maybe I didn't express myself very well, but I agree with the point you're both making, that it's the position / tuning rather than the pitch which unites the different performances, and I think that Burnside plays much the same way in both.  My point is just that I think the 'First Recordings' performance is pitched much lower (at Eb) than it is listed (at G) in John's table above.

[Lastfirstface]

Just listened to the "First Recordings" version of Long Haired Doney," and its pitched at G. Here it is on youtube so you can check it for yourself:

[Johnm]

Thanks for resolving that issue, Pete, I was going to dig the CD out, but now I don't have to.  I'm glad I didn't screw up, though I've certainly done so before!  I've got no problem making corrections if they're required.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi Longsands,
I went back to the "First Recordings" CD on Fat Possum and re-listened to all of the songs.  I ended up refining some of the pitches at which the renditions sound, in most instances adding a minus sign, -, to the pitches previously indicated, but there were no tunes in which it was necessary to change the letter pitch at which a rendition sounded, so I don't know where you got the idea that "Long Haired Doney" sounded in Eflat on the "First Recordings".
All best,
Johnm

[Longsands]

OK ? I?ve worked it out now.  Consultation with the Stefan Wirz site confirmed that George Mitchell recorded two takes of the songs that I looked at ? Long Haired Doney and Skinny Woman ? in the 1967 sessions.  One take of each appears on the Arhoolie CD ?Mississippi Delta Blues Blow My Blues Away Vol 2?, and the other takes are on the Fat Possum CD ?First Recordings?.  I had assumed that it was the same performances on my Arhoolie CD that were on the Fat Possum CD, which I don?t have.  So yes, the Fat Possum takes are pitched around G, but the Arhoolie takes are down around Eb+.  Apologies for all the confusion and for anyone's time that I've wasted, but at least I?m not going nuts!

[Stuart]

but at least I?m not going nuts!

Be patient. It's still early. "Nuts" can take a while. Take it from one who knows...