One Chord Songs
If covered somewhere else, please refer me there David.
What would be an approach to tackling one chord songs? Got hit with one at the last jam and never really thought about it before. I know there are 8 bar blues and 16 bar blues but they have a chord sequence like the 12 bar blues. Can you take a similar approach to chorus forms (A,A,B)?? Are the varied in chorus length the same way (eg. 12 bars)? How do you know when the chorus is over and a new one is starting? Turnaround? etc.
Would this be a possible lesson or is it so obvious that I'm missing something??
Thanks David - incredibly quick response.
Now I know that's it's "open house", I'll go at it and see how it works out. Funny how fist we (I) struggle with form and 'rules' then have to struggle with the 'blank canvas'. I'll have to listen to more examples of one chord song and see what the other instruments do, keeping your comments in mind.
Hank,
Mark Hummel does a great version of hand jive that you can find on youtube that has some one chord lick work in it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDn2GArgkrg
He hangs on the one chord during most of his solos, so listen deeper in. He off and on goes back to a regular progression and actually plays the hand jive melody with a rhythmic twist. I have been meaning to download his recorded version, which is on iTunes,
Also, Ian Collard of Collard, Greens, and Gravy is one of the Kings of one-chord groove work. He does a great cover of LW's "Hate to See You Go." Then of course, LW's original version is great also. You will find other one-chord grooves in Ian's stuff.
When the opportunity to play at a jam into a one-chord groove arises for me, I take advantage of the hole-building technique; I play a lick cover a couple of holes, then continue to build the lick adding holes. I keep going back to the original lick until I have finished my "thought."
shooting from the hip...i think Billy Boy Arnold's "I wish you would" fits the bill. He does a great version on "Back Where I Belong", featuring half a dozen or seven very readily-learned riffs...
For a wilder version, have a listen to what Ian Collard does with it on The Backsliders album "Left Field Holler" (2007). its a cracker!
Those are all great examples. Also check out Little Walter's "Roller Coaster" and James Cotton's "Boogie Thing."
Thanks guys - really appreciate the examples that give ma a 'touch stone' I can use to practise. Just added to my ITunes bill!!
You won't use Chorus Forms... use what's called phrase chains. Basically play a lick, repeat it if you like it, repeat it again and maybe change it a bit and when it feels like you've said what you wave to say move onto another lick. It's very liberating to not have to deal with chord change, but also very challenging... like a blank canvas. There's nothing to really study... just keep experimenting.