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Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 15:24:44 -0400
From: kjr@world.std.com (Kevin J Rys)
***************************************************************
ok all - I notice a lot of beginners here asking for help and how
to play an x, y and z. Usually the replies are along the lines "try
using myxolidian acccents on top of the pentatonic on the third tuesday of
lent and when the moon is full transpose the sub-dominant isotope
to the 3rd base umpire only when the infield-fly rule is in effect".
or sumthin' like that. Now don't flame me here - I fully understand
the importance of theory and am always trying to learn more of it myself.
However, one can read theory and play scales all day long, but without
hearing (and playing) how they are applied in a practical sense, their
value is greatly diminished.
so i'll start the ball rolling - if some of the rest of us
could chip in w/a simple chop and how you apply it **WHEN YOU PLAY** then
I think we can all benefit from some shared knowledge.
----------------------------------------------------------
Lesson du jour -
introduction to the texas shuffle (TS101)
- w/apologies to SRV
----------------------------------------------------------
key:
| = qtr note beat(1,2,3,4 - got it?)
/ = upbeat (the "and" in "1 and 2 and 3 and 4" - got it?)
(t) = thumb
(x) = muted or not played - yer preference
(#) = optional (# = integer = uh, that's a number, right?)
^ = upstroke chop
e ----3--------------------------
B ----3--------------------------
G ---(4)--------------------------
D ---(3)--------------------------
A (x)-(x)----------5-------7------
E 3-------6---7------------------
| / | / | / |
(t) ^
Play this in riff 4 times then move it up the neck 5 frets (so yer
starting it on the 8th fret); play it twice. Move it back down
to the 3rd fret and play it twice more. Now move it up to the 10th
fret (That's 7 frets up from where you started this), play it once;
now back down to 8th fret - play it once and then finsish it off
with two more reps on the third fret - now start all over again.
hey! you just played the blues in g. Hey! you can play the blues
in any key now! - It's I-IV-V baby!! start it wherever you want
to on the neck and maintain the same intervals. yup - it's that
easy.
This is a pretty basic lick that, once you're comfortable with, you
can embelish greatly. Fer instance - once you've got this tab down,
try adding the uprake on the "and"'s of 4 and 1. Also try using
different patterns and variations on the walking bass line - it's the
blues - have fun.
advice for the stiffly fingered: If you find too difficult to barre
the upstroke chop, you can get by on this riff by using your index
finger on only the the top two strings. If you do this, however, you
will lose the implication of a major 7th, which (imho) adds some
kohones to this riff. i.e., just barring the top two strings
leaves an ambiguity in the chord structure - could be major
could be minor - who knows?
A KEY TO THIS RIFF IS TO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE YOUR FINGERS OFF
THE FRETBOARD!!! i.e., don't glue your hand to the root position
just because you're gonna need yer thumb back there on the tonic
when you reiterate the pattern. move around - have fun!
Advice for those who don't want to stay stiffly fingered: once you've
mastered this in any manner most comfortable to you - try it sliding
your index finger from (notes in the tab) 6 to 7. When that finger
starts to bleed and the knuckle feels like there's a pencil stuck in
it, try doing the same thing w/your pinky. funfunfun! This won't help
you with any extra mastery of this particular phrase, but it will help
get into the habit of using all four of them frettin' fingers. (you'll
need `em later - trust me)
Notice also that this riff also fits nicely around "blues box 1" i.e.:
blues box 1 (in "g")
e --3--------------6------------
B --3--------------6------------
G --3--------5------------------
D --3--------5------------------
A --3--------5------------------
E --3--------------6------------
compare the fingerings of the pentatonic scale in this position to the
tabbed riff at the beginning of this lesson. - a ha!!! it's all
beginning to make sense to you now, isn't it grasshopper?
so sneak some sweet short licks in here and there.
End of lesson! Now someone else post one!
extra credit assignment - figure out this riff in a different position
and play it that way `til you've mastered it as well. (big hint - use
your pinky to anchor on the "B" and "e" strings)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
apologies for any typos, miscalculations, errros :) etc. -
I'm only human and my geetar's not w/me right now.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Rys
"The selling of bad beer is a crime against Christian love"
-Teutonic Law
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