Topic: Rev. Gary Davis' Guitar Style--Queries and Tips

[si]

Has anyone done guitar tab of "You got to go down" by Rev Gary Davis?
If not I will post tab.
I play it in std tuning, key of C, no capo..
Partly at zero fret and partly barre at 5th fret.
Is that right?

[frankie]

std tuning, key of C, no capo..

That's right.

[si]

I have put tab (in PowerTab format) at
http://www.bedfordunplugged.co.uk/tab/yougottogodown.htm
It is what I figured out just by listening so it probably needs alot of changes before it resembles how Gary Davis plays it.
Your suggested improvements would be welcome.

[funguy]

I am lookin gfor the changes to "Feel just like moving on" by RGD.
Any tips?

[si]

Is that "I Feel Just Like Goin' On"?
Just heard it for first time and its real difficult to figure out what the Rev is playing.
One idea maybe is to listen to other people playing it, e.g. Rory Block has recorded it, there is a clip on Amazon..
Ok not same as original but might give some clues.
What a fascinating song, I've never heard anything like it.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
If you are talking about the song on "Harlem Street Singer", the progression is as follows:
   |  D/G | D/G | D7  | D7 |
   |   G7  |  G7  | D/G | D  |
   | D/G  |  D    | D/G | B minor|
   | D/E7 | E7/A | D/G |D/G|
In the bars where he is going between D and G, he is doing the D out of a partially barred shape like a C chord moved up two frets and the G out of a thumb-wrapped F shape, similarly moved up two frets.  The D7 he voices with the F# at the second fret of the sixth string in the bass.  This is a real pretty song.
All best,
Johnm

[whigski3]

After listening to the song a few times this week, I feel inspired to try to play Rev. Gary Davis' song "I Heard The Angels Singing".  Can anyone refer me to a tab for it?

Thanks, Bill

[uncle bud]

Ernie Hawkins covers this as part of the RGD set from Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop. Great tune. I was watching the Yazoo video of RGD/Sonny Terry again recently and you can see Rev. Davis play it on that as well.

[CF]

I'm having trouble with a lick I first encountered in Rev. Gary Davis' 'Twelve Gates' from the '35 session . . . BB Fuller used it too, specifically i'm interested in it because I'm learning 'Weeping Willow' . . .
In 'Twelve Gates' it falls on the 'Twelve Gates to the city halleLU. . .jah' if that makes any sense . . . BB Fuller plays it at the end of the verses in 'Willow' . . . now I can play the main part of the lick which is basically, I believe, like A D7th shape at the fifth fret 545XXX (if I've done that right) & seems to end with a quick roll/run off the 'A' string . . . anyone know what I'm talking about?

[CF]

Hey thanks Bchris . . . (responding to email/video) . . . even seeing it didn't help for a couple minutes but then I got it . . . pull off the 2nd fret D string to 4th fret A string resolving on the 2nd fret G string which is just part of the A chord yer holding down . . . I think I was actually playing this a while back but started doing something else . . . & Davis & Fuller play it so fast & smooth it can be bewildering . . .

[Frosty Morn]

Hi Cheapfeet.  Coincidentally, I am working through Ernie Hawkin's rendition of Weeping Willow and, like you, had to pause at that very lick.  I hear what Ernie is playing as a diminished chord up there at the 5th fret (BBF is capoed up three, if I recall), followed by some 4th then 5th string action including slide/slurs. 

Amazing Slow Downer helps a great deal to hear these things.  It's even more helpful, of course, to see someone play the lick.

[Frosty Morn]

Ok, listening more closely to the Blind Boy Fuller recording today.  Here is an MP3 of the same lick slowed down from the original recording:  http://dharmastrum.net/BBF/BBFlick.mp3

What I hear is this:

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I don't use transcription software, but I agree with Frosty Morn that Fuller plays a B7 in the A7 shape (not an F#dim7 chord) in "Weeping Willow", and that the triplet pull-off to conclude the lick starts from the E flat note at the first fret of the D string, not the E note one fret higher.
All best,
Johnm

[Frosty Morn]

Thanks for the confirmation, John!  Thinking about it some more, I realize that the last note of the first triplet can be played as the open first string.  Might be easier, YMMV. 

I don't have transcription software, either.  I made that TAB with MS Word and MS Paint!      

[CF]

Yes I hear that too . . . I think me & Bchris were more on the Rev. Gary lick in 'Twelve Gates' . . . & that does sound like an A7 shape chord & not the F#dim7 (D7 in incorrect layman's terms John  & I also came to realize that I was playing standard D & E forms for the IV & V notes but I believe Fuller is playing the C7/8(?) form that he uses quite often . . . thanks Chris, FMorn & John . . . 'Weeping Willow' is such a great tune, that minor IV chord is inspired . . .