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18 Dec 11 - 01:27 PM (#3276069) Subject: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot I am a big Townes Van Zandt songs, and I really dig his bluesy playing on songs like Brand New Companion or Broke Down Engine Blues... I'm sure there are others... But I can't even begin to figure out how to play like it. I can't even tell if he's using a flatpick or fingerpicking. I thought maybe some of you guys here could help. Links to some examples: Brand New Companion Broke Down Engine Thanks everybody. |
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18 Dec 11 - 02:04 PM (#3276094) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: tonyteach1 Looking at the illustrations and the style of playing I would say a form of fingerpicking |
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19 Dec 11 - 01:29 AM (#3276359) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot I stumbled across a live performance here. We get a good view of what both his hands are doing. He is fingerpicking, after all. He don't seem to be doing anything that complicated. |
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19 Dec 11 - 04:58 AM (#3276402) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: Will Fly I was sure, when I listened to the first examples in your original post, that he was using a thumbpick - there was a real twang to the notes - and now I see he's using fingerpicks as well. The actual chording and voicing on the guitar is fairly straightforward. The example in your last post is in E and three chords. |
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19 Dec 11 - 05:24 AM (#3276413) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: David C. Carter Is Broke Down Engine,a Blind Willie McTell song? Maybe I got it wrong! David |
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19 Dec 11 - 08:38 AM (#3276497) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: Mick Pearce (MCP) David - yes it is. There are a couple of transcriptions in this thread: Lyr Add: The Blues of Blind Willie McTell (and I see I was going to check a line and never did; I actually have the tape out at the moment, so it might be a good time to do it!). Mick |
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19 Dec 11 - 08:46 AM (#3276499) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: Bobert Sound like claw hammer picking with thumb and two fingers with the 2nd finger alternating... I play blues and his picking and mine are somewhat similar... I kinda trust my picking hand to figure it out and the involvement of the 2nd finger isn't all that mathematical and sometimes "Mr. Hand" will surprise me with throwing in a 3rd finger right behind the 2nd... Don't confuse "claw hammer" geetar picking with banjo playing however because they are cousins rather than twins... Good luck with it... B~ |
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19 Dec 11 - 01:34 PM (#3276633) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: David C. Carter Mick Pearce-Thanks for confirming that. Cheers David |
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19 Dec 11 - 03:17 PM (#3276695) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot Yep, Broke Down Engine is a Blind Willie McTell song. It was also done by Bob Dylan on World Gone Wrong. Now that I've had time to look over the live video, it seems like the thumb is doing most of the work, with the fingers coming in every now and then. Hm. I don't think I've ever really seen anyone play like that, but it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out. |
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31 Dec 11 - 06:39 PM (#3282665) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot Here is another video of Townes I found that shows his blues playing in even better detail than the other video. The relevant part starts at about the 6:46 mark. |
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26 Jan 17 - 06:35 PM (#3835085) Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: judyac Townes' main blues influence was Lightnin' Hopkins. He wrote "Brand New Companion" in the style of Lightnin'. You can hear him talk about it at the following URL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fasZ3LdX-0k The entire Normal Records album "Documentary" is on YouTube. |