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Playing Old Time Rock & Roll

#22
Robert Spencer said:
I keep trying to get it by bouncing from a seventh fret E on the A string to its fifth relative (B) same fret on the E string ( 4 string EPI JC ). I`m also throwing in an occasional flat seventh (fifth fret A string).
Click to expand...

The trademark Chuck Berry guitar lick includes a sixth, and bass lines in these songs are usually based on chord tones (R 3 5) with a sixth as well. So, for example, in the "Hey, Hey, Hey" section of "Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey," Paul is playing something like this:

R 3 5 6 | 8 6 5 3

I'm using "8" here to note that it is an octave of the root, so the first couple bars of that section are:

G B D E | G E D B | G B D E | G E D B |

C E G A | C A G E | etc.

You could throw a 7th in as you move to the IV chord and play something like this:

G B D E | G E D B | G B D E | G F E D |

C E G A | C A G E | etc.

Nadine can be played with a variation of that figure, played in eighth notes instead of quarter notes:

RR 33 55 65

The Chuck Berry version is in Bb, so it would be something like:

Bb Bb D D F F G F |Bb Bb D D F F G F |Bb Bb D D F F G F |Bb Bb D D F F G F |

Eb Eb G G Bb Bb C B | Eb Eb G G Bb Bb C B | etc.
 
#24
Febs since last night i have had the chance to apply what you have transcribed above. It seemed familiar as I read it but upon beginning to play I realized that I was already working on the same run having picked it up from this Chuck Rainey tutorial. I have yet to get it to sound really good though but i am patient and know that I will.

I did not however equate this pattern to Nadine however. I keep hearing a I V relationship with I IV V changes. As i say I have no ear so thats why I ask advise.
Is the song Josephine played as a I V with a I V progression? Hope that is understandable. Thanks again & take care. Bob
 
#25
Robert, attached below is my take on Nadine. It's in no way a note-for-note transcription of the Chuck Berry version, but it's what I base my lines on whenever I'm called to play it.

If you need it in any other form (e.g. Guitar Pro, or TuxGuitar) say the word, I can't attach these however - TB won't permit.

At first glance, "Hello Josephine" is "just" a I-V played over a I-IV-V. I'll stick it on my mp3 player & see what develops.

Pete.
 

Attachments

#28
After looking at the PDF file attached I see that I was close but not correct.
I was playing DEEE DBBB DEEE DBBB
In other words third string seventh fret EEEE then forth string seventh fret BBBB using a fifth fret third string D (flat seventh) to pivot between the two ( I IV ).
Pete let me know what you come up with for Josephine either in this thread or in PM. I seem to be getting somewhere now. Thanks again. Bob
PS I thought the skit was hillarious.
 
#31
Bob,

Attached is my interpretation of "My Girl Josephine" based on Track 14 of "The Best of Fats Domino" (EMI 2003, Cat. No. 7243 5 96497 2 6) which has very split stereo (like some of the early Beatles & some Cream), so it's easier to pick out.

Bars 1 to 12 are "as is", & bars 13 to 24 I've taken the liberty of applying a few variations.

Pete.
 

Attachments

#34
Bob: congrats! It looks like you were able to identify the key that Josephine is in all on your own. So you're ear must not be that bad.

Edit: Maybe I'm on crazy pills. Or it could be that I'm really a guitar player, who thinks as a result he can play bass. But I loaded up that Josephine video and played a 1-4-5 walking bass line in the key of A and it sounded spot on. Just make it swing a little swing a little.
 
#35
Jake D said:
Bob: congrats! It looks like you were able to identify the key that Josephine is in all on your own. So you're ear must not be that bad.

Edit: Maybe I'm on crazy pills. Or it could be that I'm really a guitar player, who thinks as a result he can play bass. But I loaded up that Josephine video and played a 1-4-5 walking bass line in the key of A and it sounded spot on. Just make it swing a little swing a little.
Click to expand...

A straight I-IV-V walker fits the gap provided just fine, but doesn't capture the Fats rollin' NuOrlanz vibe (IMO). However, where it really does work is on his take of Kansas City: - See?

Pete.

ps: "Josephine" is in Bb! Might be time to change your pharmacist :D
 
#37
Just a quick note on th pronounciation of New Orleans. I have lived and worked in the area on offshore drilling platforms and have encountered four distinct pronounciations.
1. Proper English speakers such as the late Peter Jennings used four syllables. New Or Le Anns
2. General US pronounciation around the country becomes a three syllable name. New Or Leans
3. Those within the state of Louisiana have it down to just two syllables Nor Luns
And finially the old drunk on the Bourbon St corner just say Nons
Take care. Bob
 
#38
Deathblade Eric said:
It's a common call to say that Blues or R 'n' R is "dead easy, it's just..."


I can totally relate to what I believe the OP is trying to achieve, I suspect I'm coming at it from the other end however.

Compare & contrast, if you will, these two: - See?

Pete.

ps: "Josephine" is in Bb! Might be time to change your pharmacist :D
Click to expand...


Pete: Thanks for your response. I have the same goal as the OP. I wasn't try to show anybody up. I wanted to know why what I was doing was wrong.

Now, when I first looked at your PDF, I thought, "this is rubbish". But now that I hear that Little Richard version of Rip It Up, I totally get it. I need to have another swing at it for sure. Thanks 1000 times!

Jake

PS: With regard to me getting the key wrong, that is what I get for listening to that clip in my office as quite as I could and grabbing the old crappy accoustic by my desk to try to find the key!
 
#39
To me, Chuck's music is all about feel and groove. The best way I could say to you to learn those two aspects are to play the bass on the 1 and 3 'till you can feel that naturally, and then the second thing would be to IMMERSE yourself in the style until you literally think of nothing else. Then you should be on your way. It's not as easy as it seems on the surface. )-(
 
#40
I've been spending some time with that Nawlins groove. If you ever heard "Don't Stop by the Creek Son" by SRV and Johnny Copeland, it really has that feel. So there I am playing the "Hello Josephine" that Pete tabbed out and all I can think is, "Don't stop by the creek son. . ."

 

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