Slow blues progressions

[wreakhavoc]

Trying to figure out the chord progression of Muddy Waters' "Long Distance Call" and Albert Collins' "If Trouble Was Money" They are obviously I-IV-V but differ from regular 12-bar blues.
It seems simple enough but I keep missing something. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[Toronto Bassist]

I haven't heard the songs and I can't look them up right now, but keep in mind that there are different blues formats around...8 bar blues and 16 bar blues aren't unheard of.

[butchblack]

I listened to Long distance call. The only things I heard was a quick IV and a I, IV, I, V turnaround, both pretty common variations

[Jaco who?]

If trouble was money just has a little half step higher chord in the middle of the V, then goes down to the V again, but it takes up the same amount of room, ie, it's the same form otherwise.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by wreakhavoc

Trying to figure out the chord progression of Muddy Waters' "Long Distance Call" and Albert Collins' "If Trouble Was Money" They are obviously I-IV-V but differ from regular 12-bar blues.
It seems simple enough but I keep missing something. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Muddy is on a slide guitar so it will be a major tuning, Alberts refering a minor blues so minor chord tones used. These are just two of many differences between these songs, they are in no way to be considered similar, or for that matter simple..as you are finding out.
Listen to them again and hear what is going on, not what is being implyed, big thing that, blues music implys a lot of things that may not be there. Most of all play it over and have fun discovering what is in there...and what is not.

[wreakhavoc]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

Muddy is on a slide guitar so it will be a major tuning, Alberts refering a minor blues so minor chord tones used. These are just two of many differences between these songs, they are in no way to be considered similar, or for that matter simple..as you are finding out.
Listen to them again and hear what is going on, not what is being implyed, big thing that, blues music implys a lot of things that may not be there. Most of all play it over and have fun discovering what is in there...and what is not.

I fully understand the minor and major aspect. I have no problem hitting the right notes, I'm just stumped with the I-IV-V chord progression itself. A lot of Albert Collins' slow blues songs seem to have a similar unorthodox I-IV-V progression. What I was really hoping for was someone who is familiar with it and could spell it out such as "four bars of I- one bar of IV- one bar of I- one bar of V- one bar of IV" etc.

[wreakhavoc]

Originally Posted by Jaco who?

If trouble was money just has a little half step higher chord in the middle of the V, then goes down to the V again, but it takes up the same amount of room, ie, it's the same form otherwise.

OK that helps. The song "Suzie-Q" does that too.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by wreakhavoc

I fully understand the minor and major aspect. I have no problem hitting the right notes, I'm just stumped with the I-IV-V chord progression itself. A lot of Albert Collins' slow blues songs seem to have a similar unorthodox I-IV-V progression. What I was really hoping for was someone who is familiar with it and could spell it out such as "four bars of I- one bar of IV- one bar of I- one bar of V- one bar of IV" etc.

LOL sorry no probs. the call is its a slow minor blues over 12, short step to the 4, use the sharp 5 and back at the 5..no 4 used coming down to a short turnaround.

So the note is above the count and the bar is in brackets. If you know that in 12bar blues the changes appear in certain bars then it is easy to find variations. If you have to count then count with the bar number on front of you count. try not to go 1234 1234 1234 1234 try 1234 2234 3234 4234 and you will always know where changes should occur, or be ready for them if you know the bar you are at. It is a standard change that from bar 10 each note get two counts to the end of the turnaround. Set it up in a column so it is easier to see, it would normaly be in 3 lines of 4, or division of the progression for easy reading
Hope this helps and sorry for any confusion earlier.

C
1,2,3,4 (1)
F
2,2,3,4 (2)
C
3,2,3,4 (3)
C
4,2,3,4 (4)
F
5,2,3,4 (5)
F
6,2,3,4 (6)
C
7,2,3,4 (7)
C
8,2,3,4 (8)
G
9,2,3,4, (9)
G#....G
10,2, 3,4 (10)
C......F
11,2, 3,4 (11)
C......G
12,2, 3,4 (12)

[Billnc]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

LOL sorry no probs. the call is its a slow minor blues over 12, short step to the 4, use the sharp 5 and back at the 5..no 4 used coming down to a short turnaround.

So the note is above the count and the bar is in brackets. If you know that in 12bar blues the changes appear in certain bars then it is easy to find variations. If you have to count then count with the bar number on front of you count. try not to go 1234 1234 1234 1234 try 1234 2234 3234 4234 and you will always know where changes should occur, or be ready for them if you know the bar you are at. It is a standard change that from bar 10 each note get two counts to the end of the turnaround. Set it up in a column so it is easier to see, it would normaly be in 3 lines of 4, or division of the progression for easy reading


Hope this helps and sorry for any confusion earlier.

C
1,2,3,4 (1)
F
2,2,3,4 (2)
C
3,2,3,4 (3)
C
4,2,3,4 (4)
F
5,2,3,4 (5)
F
6,2,3,4 (6)
C
7,2,3,4 (7)
C
8,2,3,4 (8)
G
9,2,3,4, (9)
G#....G
10,2, 3,4 (10)
C......F
11,2, 3,4 (11)
C......G
12,2, 3,4 (12)

Is this the answer to the question, "How do you make a simple blues progression unimaginably difficult to understand?"

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by wreakhavoc

What I was really hoping for was someone who is familiar with it and could spell it out such as "four bars of I- one bar of IV- one bar of I- one bar of V- one bar of IV" etc.

Spelt out is all it is, because that was what was asked for.
There may be a lot of info because that seems to be needed. The simple answer is already given split the 5 when i comes.

[wreakhavoc]

It is spelled out just fine. Thanks, it is a simple progression but I was not familiar with it. It is hard to get out of the 12-bar rut especially after not playing for over 20 years!

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by wreakhavoc

It is spelled out just fine. Thanks, it is a simple progression but I was not familiar with it. It is hard to get out of the 12-bar rut especially after not playing for over 20 years!

No probs you'll find that split 5 at that point in a loads of songs its a great device for creating or releasing tension in a progression.