Trucks Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Howdy doo, Has anybody here ever studied Skips playing style? What tuning did he mainly use? I THINK its open Dm?? I've jsut sat down and had a good listen to Cypress Grove... Bloody fantastic song!! Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.. Basically all im looking for is any hints and tips on tunings and specific little mannarisms that he used frequently.. Then hopefully I can work the rest out But of course if anybody has a tab I would love to see it Thanks Guys Soundclick Myspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trucks Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 Found this, thought some of you guys may like to see Soundclick Myspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trucks Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 There is this one also, but i want to get the cameraman and kick him upside the head http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDRHjZLNjxo Soundclick Myspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Great vids! I've just read some references to James style in a book on John Lee Hooker. I will be back to confirm this but I think his most regular tuning was a minor chord , either D or E, voiced [1-5-1-b3-5-1]. Supposedly at chordmelody.com there's a book on his playing but I couldn't find it. At ultimate-guitar.com there are some tabs offered (veracity unknown). From http://thebluehighway.com/skip.html comes this telling fragment (emphasis added): Another paranoia which affected James' work was his mistrust of other blues musicians, who he once referred to as a "barrel of crabs," pulling anyone who reached the top of the barrel back down, rather than let him get free to achieve success without them. When other bluesmen watched James perform, he would alter his playing style to keep the secrets of his unique sound concealed from their eyes (40), and this may have resulted in the speed and frenetic quality of some of his pieces, such as the lightning-fast "I'm So Glad" and the jagged "22-20 Blues." He was never forthcoming with information about other musicians, and when he did speak of them, he seldom had a kind word to say, instead using the opportunity to praise himself at their expense. James also felt contempt for fans of the "folk movement" who attended his late-period performances. As previously stated, James hoped his music would "deaden the minds" of his listeners, and this is reflected in the pitch-dark feel of his best tunes, a combination of vocals and music so oppressively sad that once during the Depression, James was paid by several people on a public street to stop playing, because he was depressing them even more than the Depression already had... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Yes, most of his stuff was played in "Cross tuning," which was Open D or E minor. In D, low to high, it's DADFAD. He usually used a slide, with lots of fretting as well, but in some of those later shows he didn't use the slide. He hadn't played in about 30 years and had to relearn his own songs. "A cheerful heart is good medicine." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo. Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I've obtained some Skip James and I've never heard anything like it before. It's great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Red 67 Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Man still loading on DSL. NEED CABLE! Big Red's Ride Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Red 67 Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 OK I was moved buy the first song. The second left me felling like he was making a apology. Big Red's Ride Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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