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Recommendations for Beginning Ragtime Guitar

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dontgotowork:
Hi guys,

I'm trying to get some rags under my fingers. I made the mistake of starting with Blind Arthur's Breakdown, and I'm wondering if any of you have recommendations for good starting places in the Blind Blake cannon---really, the ragtime guitar cannon.

Appreciate it.

Johnm:
Blind Boy Fuller's "I Crave My Pigmeat" is a nice one in G. Buddy Moss's "Too Doggone Jealous" is a nice one in C.
All best,
Johnm

dj:
Johnm's suggestions are good ones.  John didn't mention that both songs he suggested are tabbed out in his book East Coast Fingerstyle Blues Guitar, in case you're insecure at figuring out things by ear (or just sometimes too lazy, like me!).

I'd been thinking of recommending Blind Boy Fuller's first recording of "Mama Let Me Lay It On You" and the intro to Fuller's "Piccolo Rag".  Then thinking about John's suggestions, I realized that first part of the verse accompaniment to "I Crave My Pigmeat" are pretty similar to the last part of the accompaniment to "Mama Let Me Lay It On You", and the verse accompaniment of  "Too Doggone Jealous" is really similar to the intro to "Piccolo Rag".  So go with John's suggestions and you'll get mine almost for free.

I'd also like to suggest that the basic outline of Fuller's "Jitterbug Rag" isn't too hard to figure out - the last 4 bars run along the same lines as the first 4 bars of the "I Crave My Pigmeat" verse accompaniment, so try that after you've given Pigmeat a go.

 

dontgotowork:
Really, really appreciate your help. I'll start with "I crave my pigmeat." Been meaning to learn some blind boy fuller, and more tunes with eye-brow raising names.

Thanks guys!

banjochris:
These are great suggestions. And for a raggy Blake tune to start out with, I'd suggest Wabash Rag as a good place to start; it's fairly sedate for Blake.
Chris

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