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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Traveling Riverside Blues
Traveling Riverside Blues
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Randy G. Blues
137 posts
Jan 13, 2010
4:14 PM
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As mentioned too many times, I am donning the costume of front man on occasion at the open jam. I am working out songs, and trying to learn what to tell the rest of the musicians who are often not familiar with many blues tunes.
For Traveling Riverside Blues (using the Clapton cover on the "Me and Mr Johnson" disc) here's what I have come up with to tell the band" at the jam:
Key of Bb
It's a I V IV
Stay on the I (for the first two lines of each verse)
Watch me for the change (hopefully)
Am I close?
Being a side man has been easy- sort of like just having to learn to hitchhike and waiting for the ride. Now that I am behind the wheel I need to learn to drive. :-O
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harpletunnel
6 posts
Jan 13, 2010
6:40 PM
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Hi Randy, Don't forget to mention the groove. Name of song, groove, key, then the rest. I personally don't like to give too much info because those guys will just glaze over after they know the key. It sounds pretty easy (your song) if they are paying attention. I front 2 jams a week and I pick songs and or grooves where no explaining is necessary. I call it being safe. Oh yah, one more thing about your new position. If anything goes wrong..... guess who's fault it is?
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Randy G. Blues
139 posts
Jan 13, 2010
7:04 PM
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After the mess that was the first half of last weeks jam, it really couldn't get worse. At this point, even if we played a tune in different keys, I'd just say it was a jazz improv.. ;-) Fortunately, the entire thing is pretty loose and the small audience is mostly regulars that I have seen there for about two years or so.
I was really wondering if I got the "I V IV" correct for that tune.
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harpletunnel
7 posts
Jan 13, 2010
7:31 PM
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Okay Bro! Now we are having fun!
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GamblersHand
126 posts
Jan 14, 2010
2:09 AM
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Randy - the song is usually played as a standard 12-bar blues. The original was a bit looser in structure/bar lengths but most people, at least in a band or jam setting, play it that way.
So I would describe it as a 12-bar rather than I V IV.
btw, do you use I V IV interchangably with I IV V? I'm no expert but I would interpret a I V IV as a tune which has a first change to the V - like "Nobody's Fault but Mine"
Last Edited by on Jan 14, 2010 2:09 AM
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Randy G. Blues
140 posts
Jan 14, 2010
9:49 AM
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GamblersHand,
Yes, I just checked, and I do have the "12 bar" notation in my notes.
Up to this point I have not had to verbalize music nor give instructions to anyone- I was always the one receiving the instructions as part of the backing band.
Now that others are depending on me (at times, anyway) I have had to figure out the nomenclature- It's one thing knowing what to play, but another giving it all names so that I can explain it to others. The other songs I have picked for tonight's jam were, for the most part, fairly standard "12 bar, I IV V" but this one confused me - a wrench in the works so to speak.
I do have enough songs picked out to fill the time, the other guys have a few, and they do see to handle instrumental jams like, "Let's do a quick shuffle in E." They are more than happy to do a five or ten minute jam with something like that. I can do much the same with "Juke" staring out like the original and taking it off and making it my own and they join in on that as well. And "Easy" is a simple one to do as well with a group, and not a bad tune to start off with as it does live up to its name.
I have been showing a bit of frustration on stage with these guys, and intend to explain and apologize for that tonight. My outward frustration towards them is merely a reflection on how I feel about myself- that I should be a better leader, and I should know more music theory than I do... but I don't.. yet. Even so, when I tried to give them simple directions and even play a few bars to give them the idea, I usually get deer-in-the-headlight looks and responses like, "Start it and we'll try to follow along."
Isn't it said, "Every journey starts with tripping over your own feet.. then you tie your shoes and take the first step"? Something like that. ;-) My goal this week is to show up with my proverbial shoes tied as tight as I can get them. I am going to try not to overload them, but give them as much as they need. Hopefully, they have heard of Robert Johnson and have heard his songs. I picked about five of his songs, then filled in with "The Red Rooster,"Key to the Highway," "Midnight Blues," (I love that tune), "Blue Jean Blues," (They couldn't get 'B minor' right last time), and "Tulsa Time."
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Randy G. Blues
145 posts
Jan 15, 2010
10:40 AM
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So I was about as prepared as possible to be frontman for last night's jam. I even knew which songs may be a little tough on the guys... As I am setting up, there appears bass player Dave, the fellow who traditionally had led the first set. Where had he been? He was ill for about a month and a half so hadn't been showing. So he and a different guitar player and I shared the stage, choosing songs and singing. "The best laid plans..."
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jaymcc28
213 posts
Jan 15, 2010
12:08 PM
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Well, it's better to be overprepared than overwhelmed.
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"Take out your false teeth, momma, I want to suck on your gums."-P. Wolf
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stain
1 post
Mar 26, 2011
8:08 AM
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Randy: do you have any tab about the riffs? I'm not able to perfectly reproduce the main riff which is really pure blues.
it seems like a 4d/5d-4d-2d/2'd/2d with an Eb harp, but I don't know how to exactly do it. any hint?
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