Here’s some pieces from this month including random fingerpicking and others. I’ve reverse engineered Need Your Love and taken off the backing so one can hear my solos raw:
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Really enjoyed all of those, Peter, especially Walkin Dog Blues, but I have to say that Need Your Love So Bad was spectacular, and just you and your guitar is perfect, no backing track needed.
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Hi Peter, I think @Mari63 has set a trend in posting four immensely interesting guitar pieces. Yours equally deserve a lot of praise, in particular because your four video’s definitely have a broader spectrum of playing styles. Imagine posting Norwegian Wood and Walking Dog Blues in one go, together with a traditional song, sung by you.
Because I am travelling tomorrow, I could only listen to 3 of the songs - I keep the Peter Green one for later.
I have tried some Rev’ Gary Davis songs, one, Cocaine Blues, as taught by Stefan Grossman, one as taught by Jorma Kaukonen (keep your lamps trimmed and burning), and a heavily simplified one (I hear the Angels Singing) derived from Eric Bibb’s version of it. These are not easy songs, and to play them competently, whilst keeping the groove is far from easy. Several times I found myself doing what I describe below.
Gary Davis was the absolute top in his time as regards fingerstyle playing and his style was a strong one, and all these blues songs really depend on a steady rhythm on the bass strings and surefooted riffs in the melodies. You have taught yourself all the pieces, and I salute you because there is an awful lot going on there, and you are getting all that stuff in already, like the bass runs, the triplet melody lines. My bet is that it was a really hard one to record. This one is really worth it to keep working on, by slowing it down, by being able to play the bass lines and melody lines separately keeping the groove (using a metronome). But I tip my hat to you for learning this song, with all of its complexities. Kudos to you for this and the other songs.
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@TRJ Thanks Tjeerd and I really enjoyed your steady playing last night on the OM. I’m actually having a bad guitar day today and can play those a lot better (and in tune). All my videos are one take but the red light syndrome kicks in.
I learnt fingerstyle from a BBC TV series book dated 1969 back in the day. I’d never actually heard any played till I bought some Rev. Gary Davis records much later. So I learnt his material by listening and from memory. Later still, I discovered Strefan Grosman too and I have his DVD and books on Blind Boy Fuller. Rory Gallagher did some BBF covers which is how I came to him and Leadbelly: Pistol Slapper Blues, Out on the Western Plain.
My style in everything is sloppy and my thumb is ill-disciplined. I’m hoping with practice things will improve so this sets the benchmark. Cheers
@Mari63 Thanks Mari. I didn’t think I did so well on Walkin’ Dog Blues but as my dog was active in the background, I thought it made for an interesting video in the context. (He had already had his evening walk BTW). I’m torn between developing fingerstlye, blues lead guitar and traditional folk songs all of which I have more in the pipeline. But Justin stresses the need to focus as you have done so successfully. Maybe I’ll just continue as a master of none…
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I know what you mean about too many interests, that’s why I decided to pick a focus for awhile (likely all or most of 2023) and not take too too many detours. It’s tough though when there’s so much I want to learn!
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These were really great- loved your take on Norwegian Wood !
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A cracking collection there Peter. I enjoyed them all but you, need your love so bad, was top notch. For me it didn’t miss a backing track at all.