Les Paul

Subject: Les paul
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 08:05 AM

does anybody know if there are les paul transcriptions on the web. I have checked olga, guitar resources, google and can't find anything. I really enjoy his playing ( with mary ford, not the double speed stuff!)
thanks.

Subject: RE: Les paul
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 10:30 AM

I'm a big Les Paul fan too, although I've never seriously attempted to play in his style: it wouldn't sound too clever! I'd be interested to see tabs though.

Steve

Subject: RE: Les paul
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 10:40 AM

ah yes but his arrangements were o.k. Fundementally they were not bad, even if they were commercial. I just wanted to know if anything exsisted

Subject: RE: Les paul
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 10:45 AM

you could try tabrobot

Subject: RE: Les paul
From: Mooh
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 10:49 AM

Sorry I'm no help, but I really love the Chester and Lester stuff with Chet Atkins, and I regularly have my students listen to it (and the Django Reinhardt version) for inspiration. Les Paul has always had an element of playfullness in his playing, a characteristic which is sadly lacking in many otherwise fine player's styles.

The search is on...

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Les paul
From: M.Ted
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 12:01 PM

You can go see Les play, always much more helpful than tabs, every Monday nite at Iridium in NYC, just up Broadway from Times Square--He looks and sounds great, and has a four piece band, Les, two guitars and a bass, that create that Les Paul multivoice sound perfectly--

As far as tab goes, tab won't show or explain the technique that he uses to make the threads of notes that he plays sound as they do, and it won't really clarify the way other intruments fall into place--hearing him will, though, and, at least for a couple hours after you hear him, you will understand how the music works perfectly--


Only problem is that, unfortunately, Les is an incredibly offensive sexist--his bassist is a woman, and he makes remarks about her that would make Beavis and Butthead blush--Too bad he can't keep his mouth shut, because he is one of the true greats, musically---

Subject: RE: Les paul
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 12:06 PM

Ahhhhhh, listen to his early stuff from the thirties......man, what a sponge that guy was. Terrific music.

As Ted says, he's always been a jerk (I've never seen him or met him, but I've read SO much, and many people remark on this) but what a great eccentric character!

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 02:02 PM

I am a fan. A truely great artist but i have heard he is a bas***d.
Somewhere I once read that he keeps a horrible old guitar by the side of the stage. When people ask to play with him he hands them the horribly srung, horribly warped old piece of crap. He only does it so nobody can show him up!! (Points for inginuity but "nil point" for musicians spirit.)
lets keep this going. A good thread so far and nice to see something a bit different here on the 'cat.

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: Midchuck
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 08:33 PM

As I understand it, he invented the electric guitar as we know it; and also essentially invented multitrack recording. Wouldn't that give him the right to be a jerk? (or maybe, if you're a traditional folk purist, that makes him a jerk.)

Don't forget, he's old. I'm 61 and I remember Mary Ford's hits that he did being on the radio when I was in grade school. That means he grew up when what are now considered "incredibly offensive sexist" attitudes were the norm. After a certain age, you get sick of trying to keep changing your societal attitudes to conform to what the current standards of political correctness require. If you're wealthy, that makes you a charming eccentric. If you aren't, that makes you an evil old man. I'm on my way to the same state, and I'm not wealthy. I kind of look forward to it.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 25 Mar 03 - 10:10 PM

Hi Peter. Les, like all great eccentric inventors CLAIMS to have invented a lot of things musically.....even when incontrovertable evidence says "Oh no ya didn't"!

The first electrics would appear to be Rickenbackers....a bit before Les' time. The first solid body was built by OJ Appleton from Wisconsin (I think).....BUT.....

Les, Merle Travis, Leo Fender, and Paul Bigsby, ALL claim to have REALLY built the first solid body. My read on the situation, about who had the first WORKING solid body out there on the stage, would put Travis number one. He designed it, Bigsby built it

Sidney Bechet, my all time favourite Clarinet player did a multi-track (on Sheik of Araby) YEARS before Les. But Les REALLY DOES appear to have been the first to have used it practically. He sure did invent "Flanging" though.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: M.Ted
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 12:36 AM

Midchuck,

Maybe sexist attitudes were more acceptable in the olden days, but public manners were also much more carefully observed--Believe me, Les would have been out of line back then, as well--when you hear someone talking they way he did, you worry that they may have become incontinent, as well--

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 02:33 AM

guys, good thread but can we get back on track. Are there any web sites of les paul transcriptions.

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 03:16 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: fsharpdim7
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 01:37 PM

Before rock and roll, I was a big fan of Les and Mary. Once went to the Chicago Theatre when they still had live acts between shows and saw Les and Mary - maybe '55 or '56 (?). I remember (even at that tender age) wondering how he would get the sound of the records. I don't know how it did it (no doubt played along with a recording). He and Mary stood close to the side of the stage (he probably would not let others help him) and they duplicated the sound on the records in person! Big stuff for the time. What a man! Maybe too much so!
Young Chris in Chicago
P.S. One of my favorites is Hank Snow's "Movin' On." He had great taste, as well as great chops. There is a cd reissue of everything he did back then, including skits.

Subject: RE: Les Paul
From: GUEST,steve benbows protege
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 02:38 AM

fsharpdim7 - cool name! I like Hank snow's "movin on" Did you ever hear the "Stones" version from 65/66? Might put you off for life.