On Practicing Guitar

Eric Clapton - The Early Years

A guitar student of mine asked the question, almost to himself, “How do I know which Clapton album to buy?” The reason behind this is of course my student has a cool turntable now, but nevertheless it was music to my ears. Because I LOVE Eric Clapton. When I started listening to EC, however the question would have been more like, “Where can I find all of the amazing old Eric Clapton albums from the sixties?”

Now that the man who treats MSG like his front room has been at it for over fifty years, the question is even more interesting. People now seem to forget those glorious first ten years or so. In the mid-seventies, when “After Midnite,” and “Cocaine” took over the airwaves, many folks still knew about Clapton's mysterious, explosive and brilliant records that were settling into the dust of what has come to be known as the “If you remember it, you weren’t there decade.”

I was lucky. I had a more experienced friend in my neighborhood at the time who knew all about these things. She showed me the Blind Faith album and Live Cream Volume II, among other things. No, not those things, unfortunately. As soon as I heard those records I fell in love with them. It was tough for me when he went out of favor, and when I tried to forge a style of my own. Clapton's sound and style was so deeply embedded in my ears and fingers. But such is life…

Quite recently, a musician that I respect immeasurably said, “What’s so great about Eric Clapton?!!??!!” I had been up against the Clapton Skeptics before. But I’m still always a little flustered by them. Even in my early days of listening to him, I had a friend who said, “The great thing about the solo (to “Sunshine of Your Love”) is that it sounds like shit!!!” He was ahead of his time no doubt but ah, my boy – the “Woman Tone,” sounds like shit? Must we educate these fools? Did Clapton once have a guitar nicknamed, ahem, The Fool? 

The answer is yes, and yes. The list that follows includes my choices for best Eric Clapton albums. You may notice that none of them were released after 1974, and that there are very few that he made in his early period that are not included. I may have picked up this attitude from one of my babysitters. But that’s another story…

Still in the Cosmos….

Five Live Yardbirds (1964) – a pilled-up, thrashing set by a bunch of blues freaks who don’t realize that they’re actually mods. After forty-five minutes or so the lead guitarist’s approach becomes more and more focused… he starts to sound like… Eric Clapton!

The God Emerges…

John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton “Beano” album – “Stirring stuff” – Jimmy Page. Essential. Clapton’s first great cover – Freddie King’s “Hideaway.” Freddie King is one of my favorite guitarists and Clapton just blows his doors off. The dawn of the Les Paul-Marshall amp sound. The engineers complained, but nobody else did.

Fresh Cream (1966) – A great debut album with groundbreaking, big guitar and drums

Disreali Gears (Cream) – the original LP with “Sunshine of Your Love.” It does not compete exactly with Are You Experienced? but it was made in like four days in NYC in 1967 – who had time to make an album? Fantastic.

Wheels of Fire (Cream) – they’re not kidding with the title

Goodbye Cream – has “Badge” and a fierce, live “Sitting on Top of the World” – Smoking!

Live Cream – loose and bluesy, raunchy and cool. 

Live Cream Vol II – one of my all-time favorites – live and loud! Has the hits. All you have to do is look at the cover, where Jack Bruce has Fender Twin Reverbs just as monitors to hear Clapton on his side of the stage. There is a very interesting review on All Music.

Blind Faith (1969) – another favorite. This is very gassed up guitar playing. The tone is beautiful, the melody flows, one must assume the drugs are also flowing. Steve Winwood is on board and so is Ginger. Folks complain about this album. It has four great songs, more than most albums, a fabulous sound, and wonderful guitar playing. Something that I call, the “spiritual sound.” There’s something about it – it’s hard to describe, a purity perhaps. No false steps. Sometimes, there are two lead guitars at the same time playing off of each other. As James Honeyman Scott once said, “Long guitar solos suck if you can’t play them.” Don’t bother to google it – JHS was the guitarist in The Pretenders.

Layla and Other Assorted Loves Songs – with Duane Allman. No explanation necessary except that people are still confused by the name of the band – Derek and the Dominos. Yes, that guy in the pictures inside getting wasted with Duane is indeed our fearless hero, heading for a fall, unfortunately.

Derek and the Dominos Inc Concert– soaring like Jimi with the great Jim Gordon on drums. An underrated album and the only live record of the Dominos. Beautiful texture with just organ, bass, guitar and drums plus vocals.

Back From the Dead..

Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert (Expanded CD Version much better) This album is somewhat of a greatest hits live collection and the supporting cast is amazing. Worth it just for the picture of EC, Pete Townshend and Ron Wood. And of course Townshend’s hysterical MC act. Clapton had just come out of hibernation at his mansion Hurtwood, where he consumed massive quantities of heroin for several years and ate next to nothing. But his guitar! It still soars to beautiful melodic heights. Emaciated and frail, he is still none other than Eric Clapton. Unfortunately, he soon backed off of the role of rock diety, probably with good reason. Better to be a live king than a dead god.

461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) – “I Shot the Sheriff” EC the badass, journeyman, cocaine cowboy emerges. He can still craft a cover tune like nobody else.

The History of Eric Clapton – compilation – has great stuff on it and a nice overview of EC's many hairstyles. I had this record before I bought all the other ones. It's pictured above and has a photo on the cover of Clapton playing at The Concert for Bangladesh. There is an excellent and revealing review of it at All Music.

Some others…

Eric Clapton First Solo Album – “Let It Rain”

Delaney and Bonnie and Friends - On Tour with Eric Clapton – EC the sideman. A beautiful production and an all star cast. If you've ever loved the Rolling Stones' Get Yer Ya-Yas Out, this is your one chance to hear something slightly similar, because it was recorded live by the same guys - Andy and Glyn Johns

Some Important Songs…

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” from The Beatles. Did they wear all white because they were riding the white horse? Clapton was one of the only musicians to ever play on a Beatles album other than the Beatles themselves. He got along with all of them. If that makes you jealous, I understand. But the guitar solo here is unparalleled. 

“Superstar”  This single version is like a demo compared to the great hit for the Carpenters but it has EC on lead guitar and it’s stellar – the song seems to almost be about him so, it really works. An all-star cast in a restrained mode. Sung by Rita Coolidge and included in the deluxe version of Clapton’s first solo album, which I am not a huge fan of otherwise. I love this song and the rendition is perfect. -Christian Botta

Red Lion Blues Jam Going Strong in Greenwich Village

 

The jamming scene in NYC has been going full tilt recently. I’ve been going to the Red Lion in Greenwich Village on Monday nights and American Trash on Wednesdays in the Upper East Side, as often as I can. I recently made it out to the Red Lion for what turned out to be a well-attended and spirited jam. Just check out those dancers!

I got up on stage about midway through the night of music (stage right, red SG), which runs from 8pm until 11pm, when another band takes over. Thanks to Bluesy Dan (Merle Haggard Tele, stage left), our ‘set’ was recorded for posterity on YouTube and I was joined by my friend Mike Rodbard (drums, vocals), and Ross Daisomont (bass, vocals), who runs the American Trash jam. Eric (keys), and Jim (harp) rounded out the group, which kicked out two up-tempo numbers, “She’s About a Mover,” by the Sir Douglas Quintet, which was sung by Mike, and the immortal “Six Days on the Road,” made famous by Dave Dudley and sung by Ross.
-Christian Botta

Johnny B Goode Tab and Video

When I was still carryin’ my guitar in a gunny sack, I started playin’ Johnny B. Goode, and jamming on it with some local kids. I thought it was the greatest thing. One of the kids even told me, “you can really play that song.” I was like, “everybody plays it.” But he insisted, “no, you have a way with it.” I think I just loved it.

What probably helped was that I got to see some top stars playing their versions. One of my biggest heroes of the time and any time, Johnny Winter, did a super-charged version on his album, And Live and I saw him play it live, too. But the version that really caught my ear was Grateful Dead. It was included in a seminal rock and roll movie, Fillmore, about the closing of the Fillmore West. I saw it at a midnight movie. Somehow, with Bob Weir singing and Jerry playing the lead, it seemed easier. The Dead’s version really rocks and has great harmonies on the chorus. I am a Bob fan!

 

I knew the original Chuck Berry version too, but didn’t really follow his licks, which are a little different from the way most people play it, even Chuck Berry. My other favorite version is by Jimi Hendrix. He does a kind of psychedelic metal version at breakneck speed. The point is, you’re supposed to do it in your own way. But I think the Chuck Berry version is a good place to start, so that's the tab that I've included here. It’s one of the most difficult ways of playing it and therefore, if you can do it, you’re in a good position to do your own thing. Please note that Chuck Berry plays the song in Bb while most everybody else plays it in A. Below are some technical points to help you along.

 

Double Stops – Playing two notes at once on adjacent strings is a hallmark of Chuck Berry and Johnny B. Goode makes heavy use of the technique. Play the main double stops in measure one (first complete measure) with your first finger, as if you were playing an F chord. In measure three, I use my third and fourth fingers, as if I were playing an A bar chord at the fifth fret. Many people would just use the third finger in a little bar. The complicated little run before the long repeated bends is a combination of first, second and third fingers. If it’s too hard, just play single notes, keeping the ones that move. The quick one at the seventh fret, measure eleven should be played with the third finger.

String Bending – Use your third finger for the whole step bends. Try not to let any “release” after the bend ie, the fully bent pitch is where it ends. Use the second finger to support the third – look at the video.

Palm Muting –Time precludes us going into a discussion of Palm Muting but there is definitely some palm muting in measure three. You can get away without it. Essentially, you touch the lower strings with your picking hand palm right at the bridge while playing to mute the strings a little, not completely.

Fingering – check out the blue numbers above the tab. Note the use of the second finger for the third string slides. It sets up what comes after. I suggest also using the pinky for the eighth fret notes on the B String – the frets are pretty far apart in the fifth position and a three fingered approach is a little strained here. Also note that the longer runs are influenced by T-Bone Walker, who was the coolest guitar player around before B.B. King and Chuck Berry came on the scene.

Staccato – in measure nine on the tab, you will see the articulation marked, “staccato.” This means the note is short or disconnected from the next note. Most of the big bends have this feeling also, ie no release. Staccato is an important phrasing tool and you must learn to use it but at the speed that “Johnny” goes, beginners will be forgiven for overlooking it here…

Rake – play the chord with the notes slightly separated aka not all at once. Use a downstroke. Check the video. 

My Chuck Berry Story/Not punched by Chuck Berry! – I met Chuck Berry once when he played at the Ritz in Manhattan. Before the show, some people said, “Chuck Berry is up there!” One of my friends even said, “He punched me!” I went up and Chuck Berry was standing against the wall in an upper balcony with two huge bodyguards. I went up to him and nervously (Ha! The definition of it!) I extended my hand and said, “I really love your music, Mr. Berry!” There were a bunch of early Rolling Stones videos playing and he just kind of sneered and cool as can be he said, “Listen to the music.” I stammered a few more words and he said it again, more of a soft hiss this time, “Listen to the music!” I got out of there quick.

-Christian Botta

 

Good Time Clicks for Safdie Brothers and Robert Pattinson

The new film by the Safdie brothers, Good Time, finally found its proper venue - for me. The Roxy is a beautiful, Paris-inspired movie theatre in the basement of the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca that shows classic, indie and other creative films for $12 a pop. Red curtains, red seats, a little bar – there’s nothing like it in NYC. They also have a jazz club called The Django right next door, and the High & Mighty Brass Band was blasting away, people laughing and you could hear it more than faintly in the cinema.

That is, until the movie started. The soundtrack by Oneohtrix Point Never aka Daniel Lopatin was so loud and full of ominous synths and buzzing sounds to make you nervous that the good times of the crowd next door dissolved into the swoon of dread, tension and fascination that is Good Time, the film.  

The name of the film is so ironic as to be completely absurd, beyond sarcasm, beyond even trend-speech. No one was laughing! It was not funny at all, although I would say there is some intended dark humor. A definite stab at a serious, experimental type film, yet with a well-worn, near cliched plot, and of course, a twist. There is a big star in the main role, Robert Pattinson who is very good. So far as I understand, the Safdies do not approach the happy, peppy and bursting with love side of things although the story moves at high speed and centers on the devotion of Connie (Pattinson) to his developmentally disabled brother Nick (Benny Safdie). For undisclosed reasons, Connie decides to rob a bank but being completely untrustworthy, friendless, or both, he enlists Nick as his accomplice. No spoiler alerts here but I hate spoilers, so… The film also includes the considerable talents of actors Barkhad Abdi and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and a highly credible and central turn by real life hood Buddy Duress.

 

The lurid but effective cinematography is by Sean Price Williams, an indie darling who has shot forty or more films and has a list of his favorite one thousand films that is known in the industry. It would seem like it might be a good time for him to test his obvious chops on something that is not so circumscribed in terms of its intended audience.

The title song “The Pure and the Damned,” is very similar in ways to “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed. The song, though, added emotional depth to the film, albeit it right at the end. It helps you to feel something in what has otherwise been a bleak and breakneck ride. It is sung or rather crooned by no other than Iggy Pop. It’s not exactly Funhouse but the movie is so full of funhouse ideated riffs that a long, central scene actually takes place in a funhouse.

I imagine there will be film school papers written about Good Time. It takes place in Queens which is a great start and that might even get some young NYers to visit the place or at least think about it. I didn’t really recognize the Queens of the movie but the locations were perfect and included other Tri-State area locales, as well. Way to go, Safdie Brothers! Nice job. -Christian Botta

A Timeless Tribute to John Abercrombie

Love and devotion were in the air at the recent “John Abercrombie: Timeless,” tribute at Roulette in Brooklyn. The music was spot on – inspired, beautifully played and non-competitive. In a tribute to a great guitarist, only three guitarists would take the stage. For me, there was reason to be grateful because a friend and his Dad took me. This fortune brought me my first glimpse of both John Scofield and Bill Frisell, plus many other great jazz musicians.

Also on hand were the legends Jack DeJohnette, Randy Brecker, and Peter Erskine, plus Joe Lovano, Billy Hart, and pianist Elaine Elia, who literally had the piano shaking to her groove. There were many others who I had heard of but never experienced either on record or live. For a different take, check out this review or this one.

Bill Frisell wields the cutest mini-Telecaster you are ever likely to see.

We got seats in the balcony, overlooking the stage. In a quirk of the concert’s vibe, the guitarists seemed to be playing straight to us rather than the front rows or orchestra, as you can see from the photo above. The sound was crystal clear and not too loud – just right for jazz.

The purpose of the concert was to pay tribute to a great, and gone musician, and for his friends and collaborators to meet one more time and share their experiences and love for him. But while many in the audience were die-hard fans, knowing every tune, every nuance, the concert also spread the word of John Abercrombie’s great music and inspired me to delve into it more. As I write this, I am listening to a CD (yes! An actual physical CD that I got out of the NYPL!) of Abercrombie and Scofield’s Solar, released in 1984.

I have a copy of this GP issue in my closet. I think it's really funny for many reasons but I have to say, John Abercrombie maintains his cool despite it all. 

One obvious question however remained palpable. With most of the players getting up in years, who will take on the mantel of the great jazz players in the future? Not up and comers, or the latest new wave, but the solid, long time practitioners who are appreciated by a devoted audience and held in esteem by their peers. It will be interesting to see. But for this one night, it was a joy just to still be around. -Christian Botta

Bukowski Can't Write This

With the wind at my back, I steadied myself. And pushed on. I could see the city lights before me. The wharf, the piers, les clochards, all beckoned. I was headed to the LIC Bar to play a gig with Saints and Sinners, AND Mancie, mind you. This was no ordinary night. Google maps says that it’s four tenths of a mile from the Court Square subway stop to the bar, and I was feeling every decimal point. I had my ’75 hard-tailed Strat, a Gibson SG, an old beaten up bag from some place in the Village, and my fully stocked pedal board. You’ve got to figure the fifth floor walk-up into the equation. How many steps is it from the apartment down to the bowels of the Spring Street subway station? But I dither. I had a mini of Dickel Eight Year on me as well. It was coming soon.

L-R Rich Philips, Mark Feldman (obscured), Dave Gerstein,  Chris Botta

A Girl was singing Irish songs when I got there. She was good, belting them out and thrashing a sweaty but beautiful Gibson J-45. It can take a shot, she told me afterwards. The first set went well. Mancie. She’s a classy dame, but still full of surprises. We ripped and roared through a mix of originals and covers. The crowd began to build. Then the set was over. We worked at the beer. Saints and Sinners took the stage for the final set, starting as a three piece, then four. The saxophone splattering and echoing in my mind for days afterwards. A girl took up her position at the bar right across from me but I didn’t seem to notice as I obsessed over the blues and the abstract truth. The trashed Deluxe Reverb spoke its sweet and hard charging melody as the bass shadowboxed with the ineffable. Then Mancie joined the fray. “I just want to make love to you,” she sang. It was almost over. We cut a few more tunes, the drummer doing double duty. Everyone vanished as soon as the last note drifted out the window and onto Vernon Boulevard.

-Christian Botta    Photos by Andrea Fischman

 

Let’s Talk About Practicing II - What I’m Practicing Now - Have A Cigar, Seven Come Eleven, more…

Sadly, ruts are a part of practicing – I first noticed it when I was fourteen. My teacher explained to me, “You’re going to have ups and downs.” I won’t say that I was in a rut recently, but I felt that I was having trouble getting my practice sessions off the ground. I was looking for something new.

I decided to build my practices around transcriptions and lead sheets instead of just picking up the guitar and improvising, or doing scales and then reviewing material for gigs. This obviously isn’t ground breaking, but I think it’s more about the material. The idea is to play new music at a high technical level. For me, that involves a lot of bending, really good and well placed vibrato and some challenges for the right hand. Plus, there must be high quality, melodic ideas at work. Here are some of the pieces I’ve been working on. Please note that I got the Jazz Guitar Bible, which contains the amazing “Seven Come Eleven” out of the library. A library card is a must – you can get tons of great scores out of there!

“Mr. PC” – John Coltrane

This is a ‘head’ from John Coltrane’s great Giant Steps. Mr. PC is a blues tune in C minor and it goes really fast. The object is to play the eighth notes at over two hundred BPM. But instead of scales, you’re playing music. The phrasing is also a bit of a challenge. It’s not that hard to improvise over the changes, which I don’t generally practice. Playing rhythm in the hard bop style is a whole ‘nuther ball game. But I have a goal of getting up someday and jamming this tune at a jazz jam session. You would have to rip the head at blinding speed – worth preparing for! Great for right hand picking and coordination between the hands.

“Seven Comes Eleven” – Charlie Christian

More jazz, this time from a guitarist, the great Charlie Christian. The right hand picking is again a challenge on the head but this time it’s even more difficult from a musical perspective. How do you play the across the strings eighth notes with alternate picking and still make it smooth and swinging? Inside the string or out? Neither one is obviously better. This must be the eternal question for jazzbos but, they have obviously solved it by now, right?

The solo is another matter. Not that hard, very blues-based. Yet he is not exactly crawling along. And don’t they say that he was an early be-bopper? The arpeggio choices merit study. There is also a super cool sequence of chords before the solo that form a cycle of fifths with really neat voicing. Great kinda ‘inside out’ (again!) left hand finger moves with a pair of guide fingers/common fingers. Cool stuff!

“Keep Playing That Rock and Roll” – Rick Derringer

Keep Playing That Rock and Roll was played by Rick Derringer and features tons of big bends, fast pull-offs, tasty licks and a bunch of fast sixths for good measure. The song is an awesome listen, one of the hits off of Edgar Winter’s phenomenal White Trash album. What a band! Derringer could really put a well-constructed solo together in his day and it’s always fun to play along with Edgar Winter in the back-up band. Slick, lyrical, ballsy, speedy – when was the last time you heard all these qualities in a commercial radio guitar solo? Mostly major pentatonic licks.

“Have A Cigar” - Pink Floyd

I had meant for a long time to transcribe some of the solos from Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, one of my all-time favorite albums. When I finally got down to it, it was hard to decide which solo to do. I decided to transcribe “Have a Cigar” first (see first page transcription tab below). It’s a long solo in E minor, using only one position, the twelfth. In a sense it’s a bit like the solo to “Hey Joe.” Jimi was a major if not obvious influence on Gilmour. The phrasing is tremendous and Gilmour employs lots of big bends and a variety of different vibratos. There are sweet choices of notes plus ideas that are easy to grab and incorporate into something of your own. The feel and atmosphere are fantastic and the music is great to listen to. Really fun and a great work-out. 

“Will My Man Be Home Tonight?” - Earl Hooker

This is my lesson and transcription of one of Earl Hooker’s most successful studio sessions and one of his best slide performances. He probably played the whole song in standard tuning but I do it in open D because I play in the tuning all the time. It works. I will probably do a standard tuning transcription in the future but in this arrangement, intonation and speed are given a major workout and test. It won’t be any easier in standard, trust me! He may play a few licks with his fingers but that’s a whole other ball game – you will have to be one slick mofo to pull that off. Can you hear them? It’s often hard to hear where Earl’s finger work takes over from his slide. There are some killer single string licks here that can work in any tuning and translate to any slide style. File under “Keeping the chops up.” -Christian Botta

 

 

 

 

A NYC Blues Odyssey

The cold winds of February brought along a trio of blues gigs in my hometown, New York City. Two of the hits were over in a New York minute, but there were lots of great musicians and plenty of fun. The venues included the Delancey on the Lower East Side, Big Ed’s World Famous Blues Jam at the Red Lion on Bleecker Street, and Silvana in Harlem, where I played with my band, Saints and Sinners (above, bottom).

 

The first stop was a reunion show with the Fountain of Blues, a tight band I used to play with that features my friend John Birdsall on harmonica. This Thursday night gig was a brisk walk from my crib down to the end of Delancey Street, where the club that bears its name has lost some of its disco/LES cache but still provides a spartan room downstairs with professional sound and some formidable half stacks on the stage.

 

And there were plenty of people on that stage! The crowd was very receptive. I only got to play two songs (see videos above), but they were two of my favorites: The Magic Sam penned, “That’s Why I’m Crying” and the Little Walter classic, “Just Your Fool.” The impressive band before us was Orphan Jane (below). They plied a Kurt Weill inspired, circus and burlesque-friendly sound and stage show that was polished and highly entertaining, and featured some smirking slide guitar. Who says clowns are scary?

 

The following Monday I made my way to the Red Lion for the jam. The crowd was a little sparse at first but it wasn’t long before musicians and fans started to drift in and the house band, minus a few regulars, started to rock out in a funky and committed New Orleans style. There were quite a few Telecaster players on hand and by chance I had brought mine that night. I got up pretty early in the procession of keyboardists, pickers, harp players and more and led a feisty group through “Going Down to Main Street” by Muddy Waters and an original of mine, “Door to Door Blues,” both with Country Joe keyboardist David Bennett Cohen riding shotgun.

My friend Mike Muller played in a number of combos as there was a paucity of bass players. He gave a spirited performance in all of them as you can see from the picture above, which includes Chuckie on sax and VD King on guitar. It was a good night for Chuckie as he fronted the band on a number of tunes and displayed a gritty and soulful tone on the sax.

Daryl Cozzi, the Stax-inspired drummer (below) who plays with me in Saints and Sinners was also on hand as he has started to make the jam more regularly. The set he played with his bandmate in Drop Diamond Karl Markgraf (left, below) on guitar and some totally new acquaintances was cooking and tight – impressive.

I neglected to mention that I picked up an important package from UPS that night, my first pedal board, made by NYC Pedal Boards and naturally shipped to me from Upstate. I started setting it up with an eye towards using it immediately at the Thursday night gig at Silvana, the final stop of my eight-day Blues Odyssey. It was kind of a schlepp for a NYC gig but I brought two guitars, the pedal board and a large backpack, drawing some looks on the subway. However, I wanted to try out the new board plus I had just gotten the electronics in my Gibson SG completely redone by Maggio’s in Brooklyn, where I teach guitar. I also really felt like playing slide guitar and I needed a second axe, my '70s hardtail Strat.

A last minute cancellation allowed us to stretch out a bit so we did two short sets with a mix of originals and covers that included “She Gets Me” from our forthcoming album. We also knocked out a sizzling version of “Money” by Pink Floyd and I was jazzed to find that my Fulltone ’69 Fuzz pedal does in fact work quite well with a Deluxe Reverb. Another tune that came off well was a new original, “World Gone Mad” – I guess you know what that one’s about.

Saints and Sinners L-R: Christian Botta, Daryl Cozzi, Dave Gerstein

We were followed by a power trio called Merrymakers Orchestrina, who played tight 1970s styled blues rock with a classical precision. The sweet mix was aided by the blending skills of soundman Wyatt Mones. Eventually the club was turned over to a dance party and as the couples started to get cozy we headed to the C Train, the Blues Odyssey over, for the moment…

Special thanks to Gary Kiyan and to Dalia for the Silvana pictures and massive enthusiasm! -Christian Botta

Killing Me Softly Basic Chords Review – Chart and Video

“Killing Me Softly (With His Song)” makes for an excellent review and exercise of the basic chords in addition to being a lovely tune with some interesting theory behind it. The song was a number one hit for Roberta Flack in 1973 and with her beautiful vocal and arrangement she crystallized a certain kind of style – folky soul with a hint of Latin.

There are eleven chords in all: G – Em – C – D – Am – A – E – D7 – Am7 – Fmaj7 – B7. You don’t really need the extra 7^th chords, ie Am7 and D7, but they add to the jazzy vibe. The main point is you have to memorize these chords. It’s worth it because you can play many songs with them. You’ll notice that there are three different A chords, and two different E chords, plus two pesky D chords – the way I like to think about the D and D7 chords are that one is a triangular shape pointing towards the body of the guitar, and the other is pointing away from the guitar. You will eventually use them all and here is a great chance to get them down.

You’ll also notice that not all of the chords are listed at the top of the main chart, above. This is simply due to space limitations but it also it serves a purpose – you need to know as soon as possible what an E major chord is, and an E minor chord, and a C chord, etc. They are the ultimate in basic chords. I’ve included a handout of mine that I call, “Basic Chords,” below. These are sixteen of the easiest chords. I’ve heard it said that there are twenty-five chords that you need to play most songs. These are the sixteen easiest and most essential and they would definitely be included in any group of twenty-five.

Take a look at the video. The simple rhythm is used in many songs, and one pattern equals one measure of the song or one chord. Some people refer to it as down – down – up – up – down. I call it the ‘basic syncopated strum’ and you can see a lesson based on it by checking out my post on the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers.” There is a chart below. Note how the strum on beat two and a half carries through on beat three, hence 'syncopated.'

The Down-Down-Up-Up-Down Strum Pattern or "Basic Syncopated Strum" is illustrated above.

Make sure that you use the ‘guide fingers’ that are available and also ‘common fingers.’ You can read a primer on guide fingers in my lesson on “Wild Thing.” Some of the available options include the common finger number one (index) that sits on the note C at the first fret, B string and is present in both the Am7 chord and the D7 chord. Do not lift it completely off the string when you go from Am7 to D7. Keep it there! It saves time! Next, you can use the third finger at the second fret of the high E string in the D7 chord as a guide finger to slide to the next chord, G major – the third finger is also on the high E string in that chord, just one fret up. Think, “guide finger, slide finger,” if you want to. These two important techniques are applied right in the first line of the song. You have to apply this theory wherever you can. Where else can you find guide fingers in “Killing Me Softly”? The move from A major to D major is one example, using the third finger on the B string (second line of the song). 

The cover of Roberta Flack's first album on Atlantic Records - Note the jazzy trappings - Oh Yeah!

On a theoretical level, the harmonic progression that underpins much of the song’s gorgeous melody is a circle of fifths – you’ve probably heard of that – for example the Em – Am7 – D7 – G progression of the chorus. (Count backwards from E to A in the alphabet: E - D - C - B - A. Voila! E to A equals five equals a fifth.) Another interesting theoretical device in the song is called a Picardy Third – this accounts for the E major chord at the end of the chorus – the third of the Em chord is raised from G to G#, making the final chord of the phrase and eventually the song major instead of minor, for a more uplifting ending. For more on "Killing Me Softly" click here. Have fun! -Christian Botta

Gary Clark, Jr. Solo with Tab for "When My Train Pulls In"

When I first heard Gary Clark, Jr., I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. The hype surrounding his playing, his acting gigs, the perfect image and awesome singing voice made me wonder about his gasp, authenticity as a player, but the truth is that what I heard in terms of his guitar playing did not impress me. The new Hendrix or (even) Stevie Ray? It’s tough to live up to that! But I stand corrected. A student of mine turned me onto this fine live recording from Glastonbury, England, and I admit now that I’m a convert (see video below).

 

“When My Train Pulls In” is a minor blues in Em in a twelve bar form. GCJr deftly blends in notes from the natural minor scale (E – F# – G – A – B – C – D). It’s not always easy to use the flat sixth, in this case the note C, as it can sound a too little Medieval, a little, well, really flat and sad. But GCJr does a great job with it, his lick in the first chorus, over the IV chord, Am is a perfect example. The major second of the scale, F# is much easier to use in a blues but Gary does more than just use it as a passing tone, highlighting it with vibrato and then a Bm arpeggio over the V chord, you guessed it – Bm (line 3).

A tab for the first solo is below. The video is very helpful but at times there are parts where I’ve just used my educated guesses and understanding of the modes involved. Your fingering and fret choices could certainly differ. Gary plays most of the solo using the twelfth fret, form I blues scale. Interestingly, he bends down a whole step towards the end of the solo and it makes you wonder if he’s doing it elsewhere. The solo certainly provides a workout in terms of a bending extravaganza. The construction is so nice that one wonders if it were composed beforehand.

GCJ plays one of my favorite guitars on this performance, a ’61 Gibson Les Paul/SG given to him by the Foo Fighters. He’s getting a really fat sound with two Fender Vibro King amps with three ten inch speakers. He mainly uses .011s and medium picks. Kudos also to the great band, especially rhythm guitarist King Zapata, who as a great sound to go with his tough image. Drummer Johnny Radelat and bassist Johnny Bradley also contribute to the big, original sound that the band gets. And let's not forget one important thing - it's a great song! -Christian Botta