Finally Spring! Sitting out on the old back porch doing a little woodshedding. Trying to share the thought process behind figuring out an arrangement of a new song.
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Taj Mahal / Fishin’ Blues / Woodshedding / Bottleneck Blues Slide Guitar
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
@louisflo4 Personally, I find fingerpicks essential. On a classical with nylon strings, you can use flesh and nails, but a steel string acoustic needs something harder to strike the string correctly. Fingerpicks protect your fingers, so you can dig in deeper and get more power. Especially on a resonator guitar that works basically like a banjo. The pick supplies a crisp sharp attack. They are certainly worth the time and effort learning to use them. Enjoy.
What is your take on finger and thumb picks? How important do you think they are to getting a good tone?
@KENNYtheCLOWN Although I teach songs, the real point is to teach students how to teach themselves. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish, he eats for a lifetime. LOL How appropriate for this video. Please feel free to write if you have any questions. Enjoy.
@KENNYtheCLOWN Thank you for your comment. After many years of trying to learn the original arrangements and having no success connecting with the songs personally. I decided to investigate music theory to learn how to arrange myself. My instructional CD series is a recreation of the process I used to figure out this approach to playing.
What an inspirational video. I loved it. Your personality glows. After already loving this song you put a new touch on it that made me love it more. The slide was awesome.
Cheers
Thank you for your comment. This is one of my favorite things to do musically. Take a song and figure out how to arrange it in open tuning. Enjoy.
NOw this is VERY very VERY Creative
Thank you for your comment. I will certainly keep you posted. Enjoy.
If you ever have gig in South Cali – please post the info : I would love to see you playing live
Great video. Thanks for posting as a response.
Yes, this is a good approach. They also did a study and stated that getting a good night sleep when studying, solidifies knowledge and leads to further discoveries. Slow and steady really does win the race. Although frustrating at times, I love searching the unknown of my fingerboard. You certainly got to dig a lot of unnecessary holes until you strike gold! lol. Enjoy.
Yeah the problem with me is that I’m adamant about accuracy and if I hear one thing that’s off when I’m trying to learn something it drives me insane. I’ll spend an hour on a problem and then no more. Then when I go back the next day. BAM got it. I forget the name for it in Neuro-science but there’s an explanation for what I’ve described. The brain is only good for a certain amount of time when your figuring something out. Then you just have to put it down for a while.
Watch this lesson:
Cigar Box Guitar Suppliment Lesson A
In Open D use strings 6,5,4. In Open G use strings 5,4,3. It is a good thing that use are trying to capture ideas accurately. Not only does it strengthen your ear, but clearifies the fingerboard. Please write if this doesn’t answer your question. Enjoy.
Keni on the walking bass part are you doing 0 2 5 7 8 7 5 on the 5th string while hitting the 4th string open in between those notes. I tried getting something that souded a little better by droning the E string in between thoese notes but it didn’t sound as good as what I think your doing. Funny I get hung up on the simplest part of the song but can do the alt bass and notes no problem
Thank you. This is actually an older tune that Taj Mahal covered. I’m not sure who wrote the original. Older songs usually have a strong melody line. It was the melody line that was the hook that caught the listener’s attention. I’ve also been working on Denomination Blues. Another old tune covered by Ry Cooder. In this arrangement, I’m working on a picking rhythm to play behind the singing melody line. I will post it as another Woodshedding lesson. Enjoy.
Thanks for this Kenni. I don’t know how you find these tunes and turn them into cool arangements
HOE CAKES
1 1/2 c. corn meal
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. Crisco oil
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and soda in medium bowl. Add eggs, oil and buttermilk. Stir just until moistened. Pour into heavily oiled skillet 1/4 cup of batter for each hoe cake. Fry over medium-high heat 1 or 2 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Use additional oil if necessary. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Yes please do! Cornmeal Buttermilk Hoe Cakes, sounds very good! i will be havin a camping birthday party with some of my friends in a couple of weeks and was thinking about what provisions to take with me. and yes if you’d post that recipy of yours i’d know what to take with me!
Cornmeal Buttermilk Hoe Cakes, yes!!
Thank you Marc. I guess I missed my calling. I should of went to university. By now I could have been be a collage professor teaching a course on the Early Roots of American Music 101. lol. Enjoy.
Keni,
you are a damn good teacher !!!
take care
Marc
Have a good time! I’m planning to post a full version of this song. I’m going to include directions for making Cornmeal Buttermilk Hoe Cakes. Now, that’s some old time country cookin’! Thanks again. Enjoy.
Ah Yes!! that song makes me wanna go fishin!! So i will this coming weekend!!!
Thank you Big Daddy. It is definately a classic tune. It has that happy good old time country feel. Enjoy.
Keni
this was a great lesson!! I will be workin on this tune It’s one my favorite Taj Mahal tunes!! Thanks
Big Daddy
Thank you. Yes, this is now my only Stella. I sold the other two on ebay. This one is exactly the same as the one used on the video, Soul of a Man, but it has a pearloid fingerboard, headstock, and guard. Enjoy.
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