How To Play Great Fingerpicking Guitar--Even If You're All Thumbs!
Chapter 12
BIG BILL BROONZY--MISTER GUITAR
Bill Broonzy was a successful Chicago session guitarist in the 1930s. He continued to
perform and record into the '50s. Just as anyone trying to remain employed as times change,
his approach and persona changed with his audience.
He downplayed his single-string backup work, and stressed solo singing and playing. As the
post World War II folk audience grew, Broonzy became less of a studio guitarist and more of
a "folk blues musician" since this is what the new and larger public wanted.
His playing was so versatile that these pieces sparkle with the combination of great technique
and great music. I've chosen RIDIN' ON DOWN and BILL BAILEY as two fhis best.
RIDIN' ON DOWN
The hard work you put into learning Spoonful and Baby Let Me Follow You Down is really
going to pay off now! The new D from Spoonful shows up right away here--it's a shortened
version of the Broonzy D of Baby Let Me Follow You Down.
MEASURE 1 is the intro slide
MEASURE 2 begins with the new form of D:
Slide Left Middle up the 2nd string, fifth fret to the New D.
Beat 1: 1st string, Index on fifth fret, play this with 4th string bass.
Off beat--play 1st string eighth fret with Ring. Beat 2 & 3: Just bass.
Beat 4: Bass first. Off beat--the Middle slide again.
MEASURE 3:
Beat 1: Same as Measure 1.
Beat 2: Switch to an E chord by ham-mering onto 3rd string.
Beat 3 and 4: Basic E chord with alternate bass.
MEASURE 3 MEASURE 4
Measure 3:
Beat 1: Slide the Index Barre on the four skinniest strings from first to second frets.
Play bass at same time. Off-beat--3rd string, now fretted by the Full A half-barre.
Beat 2: Alternate bass note of Full A chord, then switch to E chord by ham-mering on
3rd string. Same as measure 2.
Beat 3 & 4: Same as measure 2.
Measure 4:
Beat 1: Same as measure 3.
Beat 2: Pinky on 1st string fifth fret, alternate bass.
Beat 3: Bass.
Beat 4: Alternate bass, followed by Middle slide up to New D.
Measures 5, 6, 7, 8 = Measures 1, 2, 3, & 4.
BUT
End of Measure 9 is a Bass Run. You can get it! Use Ring for 5th string fourth fret (and
Index for second fret).
Measure 10 has only one trick:
Use your Ring for the 2nd beat, 2nd string third fret note. Then stretch your Pinky to play the
3rd beat fourth fret note on the 1st string. Here's a picture of this John Hurt styled E chord:
Measures 10, 11, & 12 = Measures 6, 7 & 8
This particular piece is currently enjoying renditions by several of today's guitarists,
including Eric Clapton. Enjoy it!
RIDING ON DOWN
BILL BAILEY
Measure 1, Beat 3: Move your Middle down to the 3rd string, second fret at the same time
your Ring moves to the 6th string for the alternate bass.
Measure 2, Beat 2: Stretch your Pinky to the fourth fret of the 2nd string. If you have to pick
your Middle off the 4th string and play that string open, it's O.K. to do so.
Measure 3 = Measure 1
Measure 7 Starts a section with a new chord, the Newer G7:
Leave the Middle and Ring on at all times. The Index and Pinky can move on and off when
needed.
The last beat of Measure 11 starts a "run in C" that moves up the neck, and ends on bass
notes on the bottom end:
RUN IN C
Last Beat of Measure 11: slide Index up to third fret of 1st string. Play twice.
Measure 12: Keep playing this one note, as indicated!
Measure 13: Continue until Beat 4, where you slide the note up to the eighth fret
Measure 14: use the fingerings: play the 8 with left ring. Play the next note which is
on the fifth fret with left index. Play the following 3 also with left index. Then play
the next 5 with left Ring. After that is a 4 on the Second string. Play that with Left
Middle.
Measure 16: Down the neck now. For the 1 on second string use left index. The
following note on 2nd fret use left middle. The next two notes on the Fourth string use
index then middle.
Measures 16 & 17 are the same as Measures 1 & 2.
In Measure 19,there's a nice Davis lick .
Beat 1: A bass note.
Beat 2: Middle and Ring on 3rd and 2nd strings, fourth fret.
Beat 3: Count the on-beat, but DON'T PLAY it. This is a "Rev. Davis Syncopation"
here. Play the off-beat on the 1st string, third fret.
Beat 4: Just the 1st string fifth fret.
Measure 20: Move up to the eighth through tenth frets for a "half F" position. Up here it's a C
chord. The basses alternate from the fourth to third strings.
Measure 21:
Beats 1 & 2: Continue with this new C Chord.
Beat 3: Move it down to the fifth through seventh frets, and remove the Index from
the 3rd string. If you're now barreing the first three strings, you'll have an "Ami" made
from a "half barre Fm" (moved up to where it sounds like an Ami--get it?).
Here's what these two chords look like as standard chord symbols:
C chord--half F position
Am chord--half F position
MEASURE 22: Now this same half barred F position becomes a defacto G chord, since it's
on the third to fifth frets:
MEASURE 22
Measure 22: Play this G by plucking the 1st, 2nd, and 4th strings together, then play the
alternate bass (on the 3rd string).
Beat 3: Now make a normal C, but put your pinky on the 2nd strng fourth fret.
MEASURE 23
This is the half F, but add your Left Thumb fretting the 6th string.
Beat 3: Remove your Middle and play just the Index (the finger on the barre) on the
3rd string. Off-beat: Replace Middle onto second fret.
Beat 4: Play the 1st string on the off-beat.
Measure 27 is mostly normal C. But for the last beat, Broonzy abandons the chord and slides
a finger up to the seventh fret. Use your pinky (which should be on the 1st string third fret at
this point):
MEASURE 27
MEASURE 28
Measure 28 is our old friend the half F position, on the fifth through seventh frets. Just play
the alternate bass to fill out the measure.
The rest of the piece is (by now) familiar C, F and G licks. The final measure (G) is similar to
a measure in Saturday Night Shuffle in fact. So you should be able to "bring it on home"
without the "thought provoking challenges" of the earlier measures. So Bring It On Home--
which is more than can be said of Bill Bailey....
BILL BAILEY
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