Hey Duke - This has been an amazing lesson for me. Your comment that I need to relax a little really struck me hard. You were absolutely right, of course! It's hard to change bad habits but I'm working on it, and I really feel it's made a difference in my playing. It's like my fingers were working against themselves, pressing down so hard on the fingerboard that I couldn't get any fluidity or tone.
I took advantage of Brad's solo breaks in the first two A sections after the guitar solo to trade 4s (Hmmm, 2s, actually) with him. The arrangement works fairly well, I think, and it was actually a lot easier for me to get back into the head at the bridge because of the break. :-)
So I think this take is not too bad. Still a few flubs; it's so hard to get it perfect when the camera is rolling, but they are not enormously egregious. I'd love to hear any remaining feedback you might still have on this one. Thanks!
And thanks for the guitars compliment! They all inspire and teach me in their own unique way, and I endeavor to be worthy of them. If you're ever in the neighborhood, drop by; I'd be delighted to show them to you. :-)
Hi Bruce, Great job and good improvisation.You also have done a good job of figuring out most of my solo chorus. I have a suggestion: Seeing you have several nice guitars, how about choosing one of the for the swing style tunes and trying heavier strings and raising the action a bit? I think you may find it a bit easier to feel the swing sort of playing with a bit more tension and a little higher action. I know if a guitar plays too easy for me it's hard for me to play that style. It's almost a completely different technique to me than blues or rock and roll playing.. It may be a good exiperiment. Cheers, Duke
Hi Duke. So, after a year of study AND a new (to me) ES-175 with flat wound 12s on it, I'm feeling a whole lot better on Skippy's Dream! What do you think? Would really love to get your feedback on this. Thanks! Best, Bruce
I'm continually amazed by the incredible things you point out that nobody else talks about. Even though each verse is quite similiar on guitar, you always have so much to say about music and the blues that is inspiring and enlightening, like how you pointed out how in the 2nd verse, the words get a lot busier. So the 1st verse is like the introduction, setting the scene and the 2nd verse builds tension and drama by Muddy's vocal rhythms, pushing the listener's ear to the solo. I'd heard Gypsy Woman dozens of times before, but never noticed this. It's a lesson in blues songwriting!
And the quick mention that it's cool to do an extra intense riff before going to the IV in the last verse of a 12 bar blues -- wow! What a revelation that is to me, and once I heard you say it, it made perfect sense and I can remember hearing that in numerous examples from great players.
So here's an attempt at this. I made a backing track for myself, so it's Sunnyland Bruce on piano. :-) It's hard for me to hear my voice on it because I keep comparing it to Muddy's incredible voice, but I'm singing as honestly as I know how.
So, here's my version so far. I decided to jump right into the melody and even copped your solo (pretty closely, I think) from your recording for the bridge. I know you improvise that, but I wanted to play along with track and it's a pretty darn tastey bit of playing. I especially like that riff you're doing on the D7. I've still got some work to do to get it clean, obviously. But it's a lot of fun to play. Especially when I get it right. ;-)
Looking forward to working on soloing on it now!
Any feedback or areas you suggest focusing on to clean it up? Thanks so much!
Mike, the 2nd chord in each A section is mislabeled. It should be Duke's fancy Gm7 chord, not a Bb 6 as it is currently labeled. Though strictly speaking, a Bb 6 and a Gm7 are the same chord; the interpretation depends on the context. And here, Duke clearly meant it as a Gm7, and I'm sure the bass emphasizes that.
That Gm7 chord is driving me absolutely bonkers trying to play after the Bb 6 that preceeds it. I'm trying to keep my little finger and my index finger on the fretboard just where they are, because they are the common notes between the two chords. But my middle finger just refuses to move. I look at it and it says back to me, "Hey, you lookin' at ME????" But I'm sure after 30 or 40 hours of practice, I'll start to get it.
And to those looking for it, Jazz for Playboys is available on Spotify! Sorry Charlie, Spotify doesn't seem to have Rhythm Willie. I suppose the phrase Rhythm Willie could have an entirely different context for you, given the slang meaning of the term Willie in the UK. :-)
Hi Duke! Every time a new lesson appears, I have to ask myself if you've got a bug in my practice room, because you often seem to address the exact topics I need. This last lesson was one of those. I'd been working on a 2nd solo chorus, dropping one of the vocal choruses, but this last lesson gave me the insight I needed to do it better.
I slowed down the track a little, which you'll hear. I needed that extra little bit to make the licks at this point. And as my friend (and former band-mate, many years ago, when I was playing keys) Eddy Tomassi used to say, "If you want to play good, practice slow. If you want to play better, practice slower." Or something to that effect, anyway.
So here it is. This represents literally dozens of hours of work, but I think it's starting to sound OK. I still struggle with keeping the time in check, and trying to figuring out how to put more of myself into it. Though I did rip off my favorite B.B. King lick for it. :-) (the lick on the IV from "The Woman I Love")
One thing I'd like to work on, and maybe it's something you can discuss in future lessons is coming up with licks that go across the chord changes. I find that I tend to come up with licks for the I, licks for the IV, licks for the V, and they are very discrete. I hear great players like yourself playing elegant phrases across the chord changes, and that's something I'd really love to be able to encorporate into my playing.
Anyway, thanks for this great series! It's a fantastic tune, and if I ever get up enough courage to play guitar on stage, I'll most definitely want to put this on the set list. I'd be most grateful for any advice you can give me to improve upon what you see and hear in my playing in this style. Thanks again!
Hi Duke. It really helps a lot that you used a metronome on this. For same phrases, I had to go through the half-speed view over and over again, and carefully mark on the transcription where all the beats fall in order to understand how to hear and play it. As I finally started to "get it", I was bowled over by the exquisite subtlety in your playing, and it's only in attempting to cop your part exactly that I began to feel it in my fingers.
I'd hate to tell you how many hours I've put into this in order to get it note for note as you demonstrate, and not just the notes, but all the timing and phrasing. But I can't tell you what a difference it's made in my playing. I feel a sense of confidence and "in the groove"-ness that I've never felt on guitar. I hope that confidence will show when I've got it solid enough to make a video. There's one lick in the latter half which is tough for me to pull off (being that it's the lick with two pull offs in a row - the first at the end of bar 10 and the second at the beginning of bar 11, where it goes back to the I) at full speed.
But I'm just amazed how great it feels playing this.THANKS!
A killer tune! This one is going to be a lot of fun. I've already started learning some riffs from the Little Milton version, I'm too anxious to wait until next week!
I'd never used that fast triplet rhythm that you showed. I had to slow down the video (I sure love being able to do that!) to see that you play down-up-down for each set of triplets. I have to really concentrate to play it and keep it together. It sounds like you put a little extra emphasis on the first downstroke on each set of triplets to keep the beat upfront, if that makes sense.
Hope you do a track for this one, I might even take a shot at singing on it. :-)
Thanks a lot, Duke! I really appreciate that! Even though I still expect more from myself, it's very reassuring to hear that I'm headed in the right direction. And yeah, that Epiphone is just great; it really gives me an insight into approaching this style of playing. I'm going to go back and work on T-Bone Shuffle again! Once again, Happy New Year, hope you have a great gig! I'll be home with my wife and my Epi. :-)
Hey Duke! Well, I've got a new guitar! I walked into a local shop yesterday, and what did I see but a beautiful '42 Epiphone Century for a very (well, relatively) decent price. All original except for the tuners and the wheels on the bridge. It's made a real difference in my feel, I think. And it sounds killer, just wonderful for this type of music. I haven't completely conquered my rushing issues, but I think it's improved a lot. Hope you think so too, but I absolutely want your honest opinion. There's only a couple of moments in this one that make me cringe. :-) Once I've got my timing and phrasing under control, then I want to move on to creating more interesting and melodic ideas. But I feel like I've got to put the timing issues to bed before doing anything else. I think a poor note choice here and there is a lot more acceptible than poor timing. Anyway, THANKS again! And Happy New Year! Bruce
Thank you, Duke! It is indeed a struggle for me not to rush, and I'm very grateful to you for taking me to task for it. That's a *very* interesting comment about the action! I've been using my Tele for this because I've got heavier strings on it and so it's harder to bend the strings, so that I don't lapse into more "modern" bigger bends. I'll definitely look into having the action raised (or trying it with one of my other guitars) and see if that helps.
Again, thanks *so* much! Your insights are making a real difference in my playing, and I'm very, very grateful.
Hey Duke. Here's at attempt at doing Stormy Monday. Some flubs, as usual ;-) but it's better than I ever thought I'd be on guitar and it's getting better each time I play it. Thanks so much for doing it and I'd love to get your feedback on it. Thanks again!
Here's my take on the T-Bone Shuffle. Could be better, but of course it can *always* be better. ;-) But I hope I'm on the right track. It's been a while since you've commented on any of my video uploads, and I'd really value your feedback, especially on my last "I'm Confessin'' one. I've been working very hard, taking your advice about working on my rhythm and timing. Given that, I thought working on T-Bone Walker would be very helpful, considering he's all about phrasing and timing.
So if you get a chance to view and comment on my video uploads, it would be very much appreciated! Best Regards and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Hey Duke -
I'm not sure if I'm in the right groove here or not. I feel like my time is a little wobbly, but maybe that's just the effect of being flat tired. :-)
Thanks,
Bruce
Hey Duke - This has been an amazing lesson for me. Your comment that I need to relax a little really struck me hard. You were absolutely right, of course! It's hard to change bad habits but I'm working on it, and I really feel it's made a difference in my playing. It's like my fingers were working against themselves, pressing down so hard on the fingerboard that I couldn't get any fluidity or tone.
I took advantage of Brad's solo breaks in the first two A sections after the guitar solo to trade 4s (Hmmm, 2s, actually) with him. The arrangement works fairly well, I think, and it was actually a lot easier for me to get back into the head at the bridge because of the break. :-)
So I think this take is not too bad. Still a few flubs; it's so hard to get it perfect when the camera is rolling, but they are not enormously egregious. I'd love to hear any remaining feedback you might still have on this one. Thanks!
And thanks for the guitars compliment! They all inspire and teach me in their own unique way, and I endeavor to be worthy of them. If you're ever in the neighborhood, drop by; I'd be delighted to show them to you. :-)
Regards,
Bruce
Hi Bruce, Great job and good improvisation.You also have done a good job of figuring out most of my solo chorus. I have a suggestion: Seeing you have several nice guitars, how about choosing one of the for the swing style tunes and trying heavier strings and raising the action a bit? I think you may find it a bit easier to feel the swing sort of playing with a bit more tension and a little higher action. I know if a guitar plays too easy for me it's hard for me to play that style. It's almost a completely different technique to me than blues or rock and roll playing.. It may be a good exiperiment. Cheers, Duke
Hi Duke. So, after a year of study AND a new (to me) ES-175 with flat wound 12s on it, I'm feeling a whole lot better on Skippy's Dream! What do you think? Would really love to get your feedback on this. Thanks! Best, Bruce
Hi Duke. This was a fantastic lesson!
I'm continually amazed by the incredible things you point out that nobody else talks about. Even though each verse is quite similiar on guitar, you always have so much to say about music and the blues that is inspiring and enlightening, like how you pointed out how in the 2nd verse, the words get a lot busier. So the 1st verse is like the introduction, setting the scene and the 2nd verse builds tension and drama by Muddy's vocal rhythms, pushing the listener's ear to the solo. I'd heard Gypsy Woman dozens of times before, but never noticed this. It's a lesson in blues songwriting!
And the quick mention that it's cool to do an extra intense riff before going to the IV in the last verse of a 12 bar blues -- wow! What a revelation that is to me, and once I heard you say it, it made perfect sense and I can remember hearing that in numerous examples from great players.
So here's an attempt at this. I made a backing track for myself, so it's Sunnyland Bruce on piano. :-) It's hard for me to hear my voice on it because I keep comparing it to Muddy's incredible voice, but I'm singing as honestly as I know how.
Thanks for the lesson!
Bruce
Awesome!! Love playing and especially the singing. Great interplay between the two also. I'm inspired.
Thanks Duke.
That chord is mislabeled, actually. It should be an F9, not F13. F13 would require the addition of a D.
Hey Duke -
So, here's my version so far. I decided to jump right into the melody and even copped your solo (pretty closely, I think) from your recording for the bridge. I know you improvise that, but I wanted to play along with track and it's a pretty darn tastey bit of playing. I especially like that riff you're doing on the D7. I've still got some work to do to get it clean, obviously. But it's a lot of fun to play. Especially when I get it right. ;-)
Looking forward to working on soloing on it now!
Any feedback or areas you suggest focusing on to clean it up? Thanks so much!
Bruce
Great tune, this will be another fun one!
Mike, the 2nd chord in each A section is mislabeled. It should be Duke's fancy Gm7 chord, not a Bb 6 as it is currently labeled. Though strictly speaking, a Bb 6 and a Gm7 are the same chord; the interpretation depends on the context. And here, Duke clearly meant it as a Gm7, and I'm sure the bass emphasizes that.
That Gm7 chord is driving me absolutely bonkers trying to play after the Bb 6 that preceeds it. I'm trying to keep my little finger and my index finger on the fretboard just where they are, because they are the common notes between the two chords. But my middle finger just refuses to move. I look at it and it says back to me, "Hey, you lookin' at ME????" But I'm sure after 30 or 40 hours of practice, I'll start to get it.
And to those looking for it, Jazz for Playboys is available on Spotify! Sorry Charlie, Spotify doesn't seem to have Rhythm Willie. I suppose the phrase Rhythm Willie could have an entirely different context for you, given the slang meaning of the term Willie in the UK. :-)
And thanks again, Duke!
Thanks Bruce --- great catch --- we've update the chart. Funny story on the middle finger. Muscle memory works both ways.
Thanks so much, Duke! That is extremely rewarding to hear.
Hi Duke! Every time a new lesson appears, I have to ask myself if you've got a bug in my practice room, because you often seem to address the exact topics I need. This last lesson was one of those. I'd been working on a 2nd solo chorus, dropping one of the vocal choruses, but this last lesson gave me the insight I needed to do it better.
I slowed down the track a little, which you'll hear. I needed that extra little bit to make the licks at this point. And as my friend (and former band-mate, many years ago, when I was playing keys) Eddy Tomassi used to say, "If you want to play good, practice slow. If you want to play better, practice slower." Or something to that effect, anyway.
So here it is. This represents literally dozens of hours of work, but I think it's starting to sound OK. I still struggle with keeping the time in check, and trying to figuring out how to put more of myself into it. Though I did rip off my favorite B.B. King lick for it. :-) (the lick on the IV from "The Woman I Love")
One thing I'd like to work on, and maybe it's something you can discuss in future lessons is coming up with licks that go across the chord changes. I find that I tend to come up with licks for the I, licks for the IV, licks for the V, and they are very discrete. I hear great players like yourself playing elegant phrases across the chord changes, and that's something I'd really love to be able to encorporate into my playing.
Anyway, thanks for this great series! It's a fantastic tune, and if I ever get up enough courage to play guitar on stage, I'll most definitely want to put this on the set list. I'd be most grateful for any advice you can give me to improve upon what you see and hear in my playing in this style. Thanks again!
Hi Duke. It really helps a lot that you used a metronome on this. For same phrases, I had to go through the half-speed view over and over again, and carefully mark on the transcription where all the beats fall in order to understand how to hear and play it. As I finally started to "get it", I was bowled over by the exquisite subtlety in your playing, and it's only in attempting to cop your part exactly that I began to feel it in my fingers.
I'd hate to tell you how many hours I've put into this in order to get it note for note as you demonstrate, and not just the notes, but all the timing and phrasing. But I can't tell you what a difference it's made in my playing. I feel a sense of confidence and "in the groove"-ness that I've never felt on guitar. I hope that confidence will show when I've got it solid enough to make a video. There's one lick in the latter half which is tough for me to pull off (being that it's the lick with two pull offs in a row - the first at the end of bar 10 and the second at the beginning of bar 11, where it goes back to the I) at full speed.
But I'm just amazed how great it feels playing this.THANKS!
Bruce
Hi Duke. Here's my attempt at this one. Looking forward to any suggestions or comments you might have. Great lesson!
A killer tune! This one is going to be a lot of fun. I've already started learning some riffs from the Little Milton version, I'm too anxious to wait until next week!
I'd never used that fast triplet rhythm that you showed. I had to slow down the video (I sure love being able to do that!) to see that you play down-up-down for each set of triplets. I have to really concentrate to play it and keep it together. It sounds like you put a little extra emphasis on the first downstroke on each set of triplets to keep the beat upfront, if that makes sense.
Hope you do a track for this one, I might even take a shot at singing on it. :-)
Thanks, Duke!
@Nickk1 Не за что! С наступающим Новым Годом!
(Translation: No problem! Happy New Year!)
Ну, Ник! Как дела? Я изучаю русский язык. Это одно из моих хобби.
Nickk1 wrote: "Thanks, Duke! Great lesson!"
I wrote "Hey, Nick, what's up? I study the Russian language. It's one of my hobbies."
Thanks a lot, Duke! I really appreciate that! Even though I still expect more from myself, it's very reassuring to hear that I'm headed in the right direction. And yeah, that Epiphone is just great; it really gives me an insight into approaching this style of playing. I'm going to go back and work on T-Bone Shuffle again! Once again, Happy New Year, hope you have a great gig! I'll be home with my wife and my Epi. :-)
Hey Duke! Well, I've got a new guitar! I walked into a local shop yesterday, and what did I see but a beautiful '42 Epiphone Century for a very (well, relatively) decent price. All original except for the tuners and the wheels on the bridge. It's made a real difference in my feel, I think. And it sounds killer, just wonderful for this type of music. I haven't completely conquered my rushing issues, but I think it's improved a lot. Hope you think so too, but I absolutely want your honest opinion. There's only a couple of moments in this one that make me cringe. :-) Once I've got my timing and phrasing under control, then I want to move on to creating more interesting and melodic ideas. But I feel like I've got to put the timing issues to bed before doing anything else. I think a poor note choice here and there is a lot more acceptible than poor timing. Anyway, THANKS again! And Happy New Year! Bruce
Thank you, Duke! It is indeed a struggle for me not to rush, and I'm very grateful to you for taking me to task for it. That's a *very* interesting comment about the action! I've been using my Tele for this because I've got heavier strings on it and so it's harder to bend the strings, so that I don't lapse into more "modern" bigger bends. I'll definitely look into having the action raised (or trying it with one of my other guitars) and see if that helps.
Again, thanks *so* much! Your insights are making a real difference in my playing, and I'm very, very grateful.
Hey Duke. Here's at attempt at doing Stormy Monday. Some flubs, as usual ;-) but it's better than I ever thought I'd be on guitar and it's getting better each time I play it. Thanks so much for doing it and I'd love to get your feedback on it. Thanks again!
Bruce
Hi Duke!
Here's my take on the T-Bone Shuffle. Could be better, but of course it can *always* be better. ;-) But I hope I'm on the right track. It's been a while since you've commented on any of my video uploads, and I'd really value your feedback, especially on my last "I'm Confessin'' one. I've been working very hard, taking your advice about working on my rhythm and timing. Given that, I thought working on T-Bone Walker would be very helpful, considering he's all about phrasing and timing.
So if you get a chance to view and comment on my video uploads, it would be very much appreciated! Best Regards and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thanks,
Bruce
Thank you, Bob! To me, it's not practicing, it's having fun!