Hey folks,
This was a lesson that was suggested to me by a mentor a few months back. Pat has been a good friend of mine and a supporter of my musical endeavors for as long as I have known him. Despite our differences in taste in music, his approach to life and happiness has been a massive influence on my experience. In the not so distant past he mentioned that he would greatly appreciate me coaching him through this tunes guitar parts. In preparation for that I developed this lesson.
There is a world of concepts to discuss within this twelve bars. Most of it could be broken down into science (as a typically do) and then forgotten if you can feel the blues authentically. There are pieces of advanced harmony and complex rhythms that I don't know if players are really conceptualizing while playing this music. This is a brief unpacking of some of the ideas. Take the time to listen, it's music of heart, not mind.
The song is called Stormy Monday. The performance this article covers is by The Allman Brothers Band, although they did not write it.
I've included four sheets in this article. The first two include a 12 bar transcription for the two guitar parts. I think this is valuable for a couple of reasons:
1) You should easily be able to compile the two guitar parts into one for the sake of a smaller ensemble.
2) It's nice to see the conversational element of two guitar players. It's very easy to step on each others toes in a situation like this where the instruments are nearly identical. That said, we're studying individuals that dedicated a massive amount of time to their craft and how to complement one another. Excellent teachings on an iconic tune.
At the bottom of this sheet are some instructions on how to understand the riches inside of guitar part one. To summarize it is all inside of pairing and layering chords together. It is heavily dependent upon the use of inversions and rootless voicings. To clarify what rootless voicings are, they are a collection of notes that imply a root, which is usually played by a bass instrument.
The second sheet is devoted to guitar part 2 that is rhythmically much more specific. A series of exercises to develop facility are included.
This is a fanatic performance that covers a vast amount of ground. I highly recommend that you listen to it. Take your time, enjoy the process and keep playing.
Christopher Friesen
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