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Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing
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Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing |
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Subject: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot Date: 18 Dec 11 - 01:27 PM 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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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: tonyteach1 Date: 18 Dec 11 - 02:04 PM Looking at the illustrations and the style of playing I would say a form of fingerpicking |
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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot Date: 19 Dec 11 - 01:29 AM 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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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: Will Fly Date: 19 Dec 11 - 04:58 AM 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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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: David C. Carter Date: 19 Dec 11 - 05:24 AM Is Broke Down Engine,a Blind Willie McTell song? Maybe I got it wrong! David |
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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Date: 19 Dec 11 - 08:38 AM 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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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: Bobert Date: 19 Dec 11 - 08:46 AM 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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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: David C. Carter Date: 19 Dec 11 - 01:34 PM Mick Pearce-Thanks for confirming that. Cheers David |
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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot Date: 19 Dec 11 - 03:17 PM 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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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: GUEST,SirCoughsalot Date: 31 Dec 11 - 06:39 PM 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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Subject: RE: Help with Townes Van Zandt Blues Playing From: judyac Date: 26 Jan 17 - 06:35 PM 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. |
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