---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jonathan Hill <jonathan.f.hill@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 15:24:24 -0600
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] BB King - Rock me baybe
To: Pierre <plavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
I'm guessing in your notation that * means bent one semitone. If
that's the case, 3d would only go down to 3d***, not 3d****.
So the opening riff on a C harp is:
G F G
not unusual given that F is the dominant 7 of G. Pretty common in
blues, jazz and most popular music.
Not sure what that second lick is, but maybe you meant:
4b 3d (3** 3***) which would be C B A Ab. Wish I knew what chord
that's over. The A and Ab are 9th and b9th, with respect to G. I'll
let Winslow tackle that one.
The third lick is just that little three note chromatic walkup/down
thing that I associate with Hendrix. In the blues scale, its usually
here:
G Bb ->C Db D<- F G, but I've heard Hendrix use it all over the place
and in the context the B could just be a passing tone between the C
and Bb.
Rereading your post, I see that I've probably just reiterated a bunch
of stuff you already know, but I'm in the process of analyzing Charlie
Parker's "Blues for Alice" and am excited about all that I'm learning.
I'll give a disclaimer here...some of this stuff I'm just learning and
I have no formal training, so I'll let the big dogs tackle the theory
that I'm probably only half right on. Sic 'em boys! :-)
On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 12:40:58 -0500, Pierre <plavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I am tabbing parts of "Rock Me Baby" by BB King (Key of G).
I have done the first couple of minutes of the tune. I am a bit surprised
at his note selection. Many key notes are neither from the blues scale
nor from the chord arpeggios.
For example the opening rythm riff is:
2d 2d** 2d
A bit later he plays this:
4b 3d (3*** 3****) (Vibrato between 3*** and 3****)
He also plays:
4d 3d* 3d**
and at 1:08 he plays
3d* 3d** 3d** 3d*** 3d*** 3d*** 3d**
I've never tabbed guitar playing, is this normal?
Writing this, I am realizing what may be happening is that he is bending
up the 2d rather than down from 3d*** (pretty hard to bend down on
guitar :-)). Still why emphasize the note of resolution then? Is this
common?
Any comments on the use of 2** and 3** ?
I'm intrigued by BBs use of volume on this tune, volume goes way down,
you have to strain to hear him, then later it goes way up. I thought
dynamics were more on a note by note basis, never figured it would be on
a passage basis. Seems to create a lot of tension as you want it to come
up.
One last question, when playing 2d** on a C harp, is there any way to get
a clean sound? Can this be mastered or is this the nature of the beast. I
expect to play this with a piano, so I would like a clean sound if its
possible.
Thanks,
Pierre.
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