Hey Duke! I had a lot of fun with this one, as you promised. This one passed the wife seal of approval (i.e. she stopped by the guitar room and remarked that it was sounding really good), so here's hoping you like it too. Congrats on that new '48 Epi! Best, Bruce
Hey Bruce, Sounds really good, I agree! I'm glad you're having fun with it. I love playing it! In fact going to a gig soon and I'll play it tonight. Like the Take the A train quote!
Hey Duke! I wanted to run this by you to see if I've got the timing correct in the bridge. I'm playing the rhythm as indicated in the score on the first lesson, so hopefully he transcribed it correctly. This tune has been a lot of fun to work on and really pushed me in great new ways. Looking forward to hearing the track and will do another version with it. Thanks for the great lesson! Bruce
Hey Duke! Thanks for the great lesson and all the wisdom. I'm glad you left space for vocals, I really enjoyed singing on this one. It is really hard to stick to T-Bone appropriate licks only when improvising! Please let me know what you think! Best, Bruce.
Hey Duke! As challenged, here is my version with you and Brad doing the backing track. Thanks for the track (and the challenge), it's really great to play with! I did speed it up to match the tempo of the original. Since I learned to play with it the original, this felt way too slow. I'm attempting to sing it, so don't say I didn't warn you. ;-) Hope you like it! Let me know what you think! Thanks, Bruce
Hey Duke! Wow, trying to play like Buddy is like learning to speak Martian! He builds his own universe there for a few seconds, then *bang!* and you're back in Chicago. "In the middle of the floor" -- I was never able to understand that lyric until you sang it! I found that Buddy's guitar mostly appears in the right channel on the original record, so I made a version from just the left channel where you can really only hear a ghost of Buddy's original track and it makes a great backing track. I just love the way the Fred Below rolls into the IV chord during the 1st harp solo. I had a lot of fun working on this one. Looking forward to hearing what you think! Best, Bruce
I have the old Delmark vinyl with Buddy listed as "Friendly Chap". It is amazing how even a flub sounds bluesy when played by Buddy Guy. That was really interesting to see that Dom 7 chord shape that you said was used heavily in Chicago blues playing. Are there some other things you could talk about that help to define the Chicago blues playing style that differentiate it from (for example) T-Bone Walker/Texas blues playing? Would you say that the Chicago sound was defined by Muddy Waters? I remember Muddy used a form of that Dom 7 chord on the V7 in "Gypsy Woman", but he was playing to low E open. Thanks Duke!
Thanks very much, Duke! That is extremely gratifying to hear. I really appreciate the observations. Thanks for the great lesson! I sure learned a lot! This is a tune that will be an "every day player" for me for a long time to come. I really get a kick out of playing it.
Hey Duke! I've had a lot of fun and learned a lot working on this one. I worked on your parts and then went back and did my best to play my version/interpretation of Pee Wee's licks in an effort to sound like Bruce Dumes playing Pee Wee and not Bruce Dumes playing Duke playing Pee Wee! So I'm playing it in Bb along with Pee Wee. If only Pee Wee had given me a count off, I could have started it with him! ;-) Hope you like it! Bruce
Great job Bruce! Really with it all the way. When the chord riffing comes in and you play the 6th chord instead of the BB triad it sounds good along with the record. Almost western swing. Excellent version!
Thanks very much, Duke! That is extremely gratifying to hear. I really appreciate the observations. Thanks for the great lesson! I sure learned a lot! This is a tune that will be an "every day player" for me for a long time to come. I really get a kick out of playing it.
Great song! This one will really be fun. It reminded me of "Guitar Shuffle" by Lowel Fulson, which I love, so now I'm working on both of them. I have a 78 of Guitar Shuffle. ;-) Looking forward to your new online show at The Blues Alley (6PM EST tomorrow, June 10 - Google it) to hear more great music! Thanks Duke!
Thanks, Duke! Yup, that's my Twin Tone! I am definately feeling more and more comfortable with the grooves, the pocket, and the spaces between the notes. Even my wife and neighbors have remarked on it! They get to hear my progress whether they want to or not. ;-) Thanks again for the great lesson and kind words! Bruce
Hey Duke! So here's a stab at this one. It was a lot of fun to play with you! And the new "Duke Twin Tone" was very inspiring. Hope you like this one, please let me know what you think. Bruce
That sounds great Bruce! It also sounds like you are getting comfortable with my laid back grooves. That's good! Was that the twin tone you were playing there? Duke
Thanks, Duke! Yup, that's my Twin Tone! I am definately feeling more and more comfortable with the grooves, the pocket, and the spaces between the notes. Even my wife and neighbors have remarked on it! They get to hear my progress whether they want to or not. ;-) Thanks again for the great lesson and kind words! Bruce
Hey Duke! I'm still working on this and I'm absolutely loving the challenge. Hearing my playing in context with yours was a real eye opener! ;-) This set of lessons is fantastic. All of the improv advice is such great stuff and the way you discuss makes it so easy to grok. I'm going to come back and listen to these over and over. I wanted to share a pic of my new guitar with you. I was stunned how beautiful it was -- it is way prettier than the pictures. It sounds great and plays great, especially now that I put on a set of 10s. I like the heavier strings -- the lighter ones are hard for my fingers to hold onto when I bend. Anyway -- I'll have a video for you soon, but I wanted you to know how meaningful this set of lessons has been! Thanks Duke! Bruce
Hey Duke! After I recorded my backing track for I'm Still In Love With You, I was feeling pretty good so I decided to throw in a "bonus track". It's a review of "Flying Home"; I've struggled for years to get the phrasing both relaxed and "swingy" enough.
So on the video, I start with the backing track for T-Bone, and then cut to my overdub of vocal and lead, and then back to the backing track take where I do Flying Home. I sure love this T-Bone song, and never really gave it enough of a listen before. I'm surprised at my own singing -- I'm not sure where all those voices came from, but I sure have fun singing it.
Hope you enjoy it, Duke! I would be very grateful for any feedback!
Sounds great Bruce. My only comment is when you go to the every thing you say part you should be right on the F chord to the Bb quicker on the vocal a bit. Sounds good though. Duke
Hey Duke! So, as promised, here's a version with a solo! I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I'm trying really hard to put across some emotion in this one, and it would be really helpful for me to know how I'm doing. Does my voice come across as emotional in a good way or just like I'm really constipated (as a friend once described my singing -- seriously!! ) ? Thanks, Duke. Hope to hear from you.
Thanks Duke! And thanks for noticing the guitars! ;-) I'm so in love with them. My favorite two (at the moment) are my '67 335 and my custom shop "nocaster" Tele; sometimes I just sit and look at them and bask in their beauty. Each time I put one of them around my neck, I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be able to play a guitar this nice.
That's your brother's work on the cover of your "Acoustic Blues & Roots" albums, isn't it? It's really beautiful and peaceful. He seems to really evoke that sense of tranquility in his landscapes that I've seen.
I will be *delighted* to make you a version with a solo if you promise to comment on it! I'm the beneficiary of what I gain as a guitarist by working on the videos, but I sure do appreciate hearing your comments and acknowledgement along the way!
Thanks again, Duke! I'll post a version with a solo for you soon. Best, Bruce
Hey Duke! I had a lot of fun with this one, as you promised. This one passed the wife seal of approval (i.e. she stopped by the guitar room and remarked that it was sounding really good), so here's hoping you like it too. Congrats on that new '48 Epi! Best, Bruce
Hey Bruce, Sounds really good, I agree! I'm glad you're having fun with it. I love playing it! In fact going to a gig soon and I'll play it tonight. Like the Take the A train quote!
Thanks a lot, Duke!!! Have a great gig!
Hey Duke! I wanted to run this by you to see if I've got the timing correct in the bridge. I'm playing the rhythm as indicated in the score on the first lesson, so hopefully he transcribed it correctly. This tune has been a lot of fun to work on and really pushed me in great new ways. Looking forward to hearing the track and will do another version with it. Thanks for the great lesson! Bruce
Hey Duke! Thanks for the great lesson and all the wisdom. I'm glad you left space for vocals, I really enjoyed singing on this one. It is really hard to stick to T-Bone appropriate licks only when improvising! Please let me know what you think! Best, Bruce.
Hey Duke! As challenged, here is my version with you and Brad doing the backing track. Thanks for the track (and the challenge), it's really great to play with! I did speed it up to match the tempo of the original. Since I learned to play with it the original, this felt way too slow. I'm attempting to sing it, so don't say I didn't warn you. ;-) Hope you like it! Let me know what you think! Thanks, Bruce
Happy Birthday, Buddy Guy!!
Hey Duke! Wow, trying to play like Buddy is like learning to speak Martian! He builds his own universe there for a few seconds, then *bang!* and you're back in Chicago. "In the middle of the floor" -- I was never able to understand that lyric until you sang it! I found that Buddy's guitar mostly appears in the right channel on the original record, so I made a version from just the left channel where you can really only hear a ghost of Buddy's original track and it makes a great backing track. I just love the way the Fred Below rolls into the IV chord during the 1st harp solo. I had a lot of fun working on this one. Looking forward to hearing what you think! Best, Bruce
Good job copping Buddy's licks! Now lets see you post to my track playing your own lick in Buddy's style!
I have the old Delmark vinyl with Buddy listed as "Friendly Chap". It is amazing how even a flub sounds bluesy when played by Buddy Guy. That was really interesting to see that Dom 7 chord shape that you said was used heavily in Chicago blues playing. Are there some other things you could talk about that help to define the Chicago blues playing style that differentiate it from (for example) T-Bone Walker/Texas blues playing? Would you say that the Chicago sound was defined by Muddy Waters? I remember Muddy used a form of that Dom 7 chord on the V7 in "Gypsy Woman", but he was playing to low E open. Thanks Duke!
Thanks very much, Duke! That is extremely gratifying to hear. I really appreciate the observations. Thanks for the great lesson! I sure learned a lot! This is a tune that will be an "every day player" for me for a long time to come. I really get a kick out of playing it.
Hey Duke! I've had a lot of fun and learned a lot working on this one. I worked on your parts and then went back and did my best to play my version/interpretation of Pee Wee's licks in an effort to sound like Bruce Dumes playing Pee Wee and not Bruce Dumes playing Duke playing Pee Wee! So I'm playing it in Bb along with Pee Wee. If only Pee Wee had given me a count off, I could have started it with him! ;-) Hope you like it! Bruce
Great job Bruce! Really with it all the way. When the chord riffing comes in and you play the 6th chord instead of the BB triad it sounds good along with the record. Almost western swing. Excellent version!
Thanks very much, Duke! That is extremely gratifying to hear. I really appreciate the observations. Thanks for the great lesson! I sure learned a lot! This is a tune that will be an "every day player" for me for a long time to come. I really get a kick out of playing it.
Great song! This one will really be fun. It reminded me of "Guitar Shuffle" by Lowel Fulson, which I love, so now I'm working on both of them. I have a 78 of Guitar Shuffle. ;-) Looking forward to your new online show at The Blues Alley (6PM EST tomorrow, June 10 - Google it) to hear more great music! Thanks Duke!
Oh man, I have always this! So raw and unique...
Thanks, Duke! Yup, that's my Twin Tone! I am definately feeling more and more comfortable with the grooves, the pocket, and the spaces between the notes. Even my wife and neighbors have remarked on it! They get to hear my progress whether they want to or not. ;-) Thanks again for the great lesson and kind words! Bruce
Hey Duke! So here's a stab at this one. It was a lot of fun to play with you! And the new "Duke Twin Tone" was very inspiring. Hope you like this one, please let me know what you think. Bruce
That sounds great Bruce! It also sounds like you are getting comfortable with my laid back grooves. That's good! Was that the twin tone you were playing there? Duke
Thanks, Duke! Yup, that's my Twin Tone! I am definately feeling more and more comfortable with the grooves, the pocket, and the spaces between the notes. Even my wife and neighbors have remarked on it! They get to hear my progress whether they want to or not. ;-) Thanks again for the great lesson and kind words! Bruce
Hey Duke! I'm still working on this and I'm absolutely loving the challenge. Hearing my playing in context with yours was a real eye opener! ;-) This set of lessons is fantastic. All of the improv advice is such great stuff and the way you discuss makes it so easy to grok. I'm going to come back and listen to these over and over. I wanted to share a pic of my new guitar with you. I was stunned how beautiful it was -- it is way prettier than the pictures. It sounds great and plays great, especially now that I put on a set of 10s. I like the heavier strings -- the lighter ones are hard for my fingers to hold onto when I bend. Anyway -- I'll have a video for you soon, but I wanted you to know how meaningful this set of lessons has been! Thanks Duke! Bruce
Thanks Bruce, I enjoyed sharing all the ideas with everyone. Wow, your a twin Tone real does like nice! I'm glad you're digging it!
Very cool licks, Duke! I just ordered myself a Duke signature Twin Tone! Can't wait to get it.
Thanks, Duke. A little better all the time...
Hey Duke! After I recorded my backing track for I'm Still In Love With You, I was feeling pretty good so I decided to throw in a "bonus track". It's a review of "Flying Home"; I've struggled for years to get the phrasing both relaxed and "swingy" enough.
So on the video, I start with the backing track for T-Bone, and then cut to my overdub of vocal and lead, and then back to the backing track take where I do Flying Home. I sure love this T-Bone song, and never really gave it enough of a listen before. I'm surprised at my own singing -- I'm not sure where all those voices came from, but I sure have fun singing it.
Hope you enjoy it, Duke! I would be very grateful for any feedback!
Best,
Bruce
Sounds great Bruce. My only comment is when you go to the every thing you say part you should be right on the F chord to the Bb quicker on the vocal a bit. Sounds good though. Duke
Thanks, Duke. A little better all the time...
Thanks very much, Duke! I will keep your advice in mind.
Thanks Duke!
Hey Duke! So, as promised, here's a version with a solo! I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I'm trying really hard to put across some emotion in this one, and it would be really helpful for me to know how I'm doing. Does my voice come across as emotional in a good way or just like I'm really constipated (as a friend once described my singing -- seriously!! ) ? Thanks, Duke. Hope to hear from you.
Thanks Duke! And thanks for noticing the guitars! ;-) I'm so in love with them. My favorite two (at the moment) are my '67 335 and my custom shop "nocaster" Tele; sometimes I just sit and look at them and bask in their beauty. Each time I put one of them around my neck, I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be able to play a guitar this nice.
That's your brother's work on the cover of your "Acoustic Blues & Roots" albums, isn't it? It's really beautiful and peaceful. He seems to really evoke that sense of tranquility in his landscapes that I've seen.
I will be *delighted* to make you a version with a solo if you promise to comment on it! I'm the beneficiary of what I gain as a guitarist by working on the videos, but I sure do appreciate hearing your comments and acknowledgement along the way!
Thanks again, Duke! I'll post a version with a solo for you soon. Best, Bruce