Awwright! Here's something else I thought of while putting the barbecue in the oven.

Wait - the video I'm speaking of is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTr9xudLyCY

Okay. When George plays the song for the interviewer, he plays the arpegios, as I mentioned. You get an excellent close-up of his fingers when he does it.

The arpeggios are in some kind of triple time. You can hear them going 'Hen-ri-et-ta Ev-ans, Hen-ri-et-ta Ev-ans.' That could be twelve eighth notes or twelve sixteenth notes - I can't tell.

1. That explains the importance of down-down-up. The up stroke sets his hand in motion toward his chin, so he can either resume the melody on the bass strings or repeat the pattern for more arpeggio. George says something like 'If you don't use it, you're stuck. Have nowhere to go.' I believe that's what he's talking about.

2. This is the brilliant part - I don't believe the song itself has to be in a triple meter in order to use this triple pattern for the arpeggios. It's probably very nifty to have a song in 2/4 or 4/4 and then use this triple pattern during the long notes to produce a shimmering sensation.

I believe they got the idea from J.S. Bach. cf 'Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring.'

3. If you are across the pond, aren't you up pretty late?