Big Walter essentials
Hi, Dave:
Not a big fan of Big Walter, but I recognize his importance in the tradition and I understand there's something to be learned. As I'm just starting out, I'd like to learn what I "should" from him. If you were Dr. Frankenstein and you were building the perfect blues harmonica monster player, what songs of Big Walter would be the bare essentials (in this analogy, what limbs would you attach to the monster)?
I'm thinking "Easy" and "Walter's Boogie." Maybe your artist study, too, because that includes the best licks, right?
I notice in your video for "Walter's Boogie" (Chorus 3), you show a shot of your paper transcription. (This is at 3:00 in the video.) Your physical transcription sheet in the video appears different than the PDF download I have. Your transcription lists chorus 4 with a focus note of 3 and lists the starting time for chorus 4 at 2:19. In its current form, chorus 4 of Walter's Boogie starts at 1:23. Was there a different version of Walter's Boogie?
Morning Marc. I don't have a lesson for Walter's Boogie on the site. Are you speaking of Shakey's Shuffle artist study?
You're right. I meant Shakey's Shuffle.
Okay, thanks. No, no different version. Most likely I was using an early draft without the proper time codes and such (cut and paste from my template before changing for that specific song).
I'm looking at the 6th chorus of Shakey's Shuffle. Bars 2 and 6 are identical in terms of musical notation and sound, but you've tabbed them differently. Bar six is tabbed as three 6+'s. Why?
Morning Marc. I'm looking at the music notation/TAB and am not seeing what you're speaking of... the TAB matches the notation (two 6+'s). I also looked in the video just in case I show it on the video and didn't see it. What am I missing?
I think I'll bring my printed out notation to our lesson and I can show you what I mean.
Sounds like a plan
My ears may be wrong, but I think I found a typo in "Shakey's Shuffle." In the 8th chorus, on the V chord, it's notated as:
1 4 p 4+ p+ 4+ p (p denotes a pull)
but I don't hear that second pull (the blow pull). Instead, I hear a 4 draw. Like this:
1 4 p 4+ 4 4+ p
And I think that the 4 draw makes more musical sense than the blow chord. Could you listen and tell me what you think?
Morning Marc. I think both are musical choices... you choose the one you feel sounds best.
Hello Marc. You hit it on the head with "Easy," "Walter's Boogie" and the study song. I like the albums Mouth Harp Maestro (this is his early work), Fine Cuts, Can't Keep Lovin' You (both of these were recording in '78/'79... good band and solid playing) and Evenin' Sun (Johnny Shines With Big Walter Horton... killer accompaniment). Also anything Horton did with Jimmy Rogers is fantastic (Like "Walking By Myself").