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beginning Monday Morning Blues standard tuning
John Hurt was my first guitar hero.
I still remember sneaking up to my older brother's room and taking his double album collection "The Immortal
Mississippi John Hurt" on Vanguard. By the time I was done with it, he thought the store had sold him
a second hand record. Monday Morning Blues had this great repeating lick that was infectious. I had
to learn this one!
Let's start off by looking at the first two measures of line one and two.
I think of this passage as an introduction to improvisation. Even though the notes of these phrase are
basically the same, each time through he plays it a little differently. Look at these measures carefully.
He throws a little change in every time, a little different emphasis. I make my class work on these
four variations until they hear and feel comfortable with them. Listen carefully to the slow version
on the CD. You'll clearly hear the little variations.
The next step is the ending phrase. Take
note that this ending phrase or "lick" happens on measure three and four of line 1&2, and then again
on the first ending. The first part of this lick is easy enough but then you'll notice the second and
third strings being hit at the same time with an upstroke with your index finger (i) followed by the
thumb hitting the forth and third string on the down stroke (p). On that down stroke you start on the
first fret and slide into the A bar.
I repeat this phrase until I can hear the three parts clearly
(up stoke with the index "i" ) (down stroke with the thumb "p") and finally (the slide to the second
fret A bar chord) Line three is pretty straight forward, an E chord going into this funky little descending
line with the A bar chord. The second ending poses a challenge.
While keeping the A bar position
down you have to reach over to the forth string 5th fret with your ring finger and let it walk down to
the 4th fret. The last measure, you do the pull off with your index and then a slide from the 3rd fret
to the 4th fret with your ring finger. You have to use your ring finger for the slide or you won't be
able to make that incredibly cool A7/C# chord.
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TABULATURE
you need Adobe Acrobat
Reader to open this. If you
don't have it, go HERE.
MP3s....a fast and slow
version. Listen to the fast
version a few times to
get the feel of
the tune.
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questions, problems with guitar? ericlugosch@yahoo.com
problems with the site? webmasterlugosch@gmail.com
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