Help -- Can't play nothin' but the Blues.

Bob Agnew

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Jul 6, 2005, 6:10:22 PM7/6/05

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Despite 45 years of putzin' around with the guitar. I can't play anything
other than the Blues. Oh, I know all kinds of Blues -- Chicago Blues,
Down-home blues, West Coast Blues, Bird Blues, Wes Blues, Funky Blues, and
many more; but they're all just the Blues. I've got some blues progressions
with dozens of different chords in them, altered and subbed all to pieces;
still just Blues. I can't seem to hear or play anyting else. I even tried
to construct a Latin word to signify this condition, but I got too depressed
and had to stop trying.

Is there some kind of group that I can join, or clinic that I can go to, in
order to get help with this condition? I already take anti-depressants;
that doesn't seem to help.

LarryV

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Jul 6, 2005, 6:19:27 PM7/6/05

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Nothing wrong with that Bob. If that's your calling, then accept it
and be grateful. I think blues and jazz have a lot in common with each
other.

On an aside, do you remember the movie Amazon Women On The Moon? The
movie basically sucks, but there was a great segment with BB King doing
a public awareness item on "Blacks without Soul". It was great, and
featured this black guy singing Tie A Yellow Ribbon. Classic, so feel
good you can play the blues.

LarryV

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/1/thebirdzsessions.htm

tomb...@jhu.edu

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Jul 6, 2005, 6:21:13 PM7/6/05

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Bob Agnew wrote:
>
> Is there some kind of group that I can join, or clinic that I can go to, in
> order to get help with this condition?

Just learn some non-blues songs and play them. If that doesn't work,
have yourself committed into the Pat Boone Clinic in Whitebread,
Nebraska.

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Jul 6, 2005, 6:38:36 PM7/6/05

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Check out Mance Lipscomb and Lightnin' Hopkins for the earlier stuff in
Texas Blues. You might also want to detour through Bob Wills and his Texas
Playboys and other similar western swing bands. There are some cheap box
sets out there for that as well. Also, check out the Hot Club of Cowtown
Live album, and anything from Junior Brown. Any of these will help your ear
and lead you into new territory.

"Bob Agnew" <rag...@cox.net> wrote in message

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glen

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Jul 6, 2005, 6:55:14 PM7/6/05

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Azuropathy?

Cyanophilia?

Possibly aggravated by acute Pentatonitis.

Could by SonHousen's syndrome.

All of the above spectrum disorders can be present in a conition
commonly diagnosed as "the Blues".

It's either that or your woman just left.

jdah...@uiuc.edu

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Jul 6, 2005, 7:05:07 PM7/6/05

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Blues and Rhythm Changes did a lot for Bird.

Bob Agnew

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Jul 6, 2005, 7:20:24 PM7/6/05

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Come to think of it, I have heard Blind Lemon and Lightnin' Hopkins.. I
think they're from Texas.

"Bill Ribas" <this...@real.atall> wrote in message

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Bob Agnew

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Jul 6, 2005, 7:26:51 PM7/6/05

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Yeah -- I like to play Bird's "Blues for Alice" and Grant's "Cool Blues."
I've just been revisiting Dizzy's (Mile's) "Donna Lee."

<jdah...@uiuc.edu> wrote in message
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glen

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Jul 6, 2005, 7:29:23 PM7/6/05

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Ask not what your Blues and Rhythm Changes can do for you...........

g

thom_j.

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Jul 7, 2005, 12:31:22 AM7/7/05

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"Bob Agnew" <rag...@cox.net> wrote in message

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> Yeah -- I like to play Bird's "Blues for Alice" and Grant's "Cool Blues."
> I've just been revisiting Dizzy's (Mile's) "Donna Lee."

And L Carlton's "Blues For TJ" of course I kinda' dig into the more
"down and dirty growlin" blues and my poor father was a Jazz singer
and player from day 1! I wonder where he went wrong with me? 8^)'.
alwayz curious tee'..

Henry Moon

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Jul 7, 2005, 12:41:55 AM7/7/05

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Bob,
I'm in a similar predicklement. I come from the blues and love it and I
always will.
But being raised inTexas and having being exposed early on to the
western swing type jazz, (which I also love and respect) my playing
apparently has taken own it's own flavor. Many times I've posted here
and usually there is a comment on the 'Texas' and the blues in my
playing.

It's an odd feeling. Country players say I sound jazzy. Jazz players
say I sound country.

This is not good or bad, I know. It may even be good to have an
identifiable sound.

But I've longed to sound like my heros; the authentic players of jazz
guitar.
But like my Dad used to say,

"Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one gets full
first:-)"
henry

charles robinson

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Jul 7, 2005, 7:17:48 AM7/7/05

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If you are getting through the changes to tunes like Donna Lee and Blues For
Alice with your blues style you can probably get through just about
anything.There are hundreds of jazz players who started out that way. At
this point you should probably try taking the same approach through
standards or jazz classics that come from the blues tradition (for example
Horace Silver tunes). Good Luck--Charlie

"Bob Agnew" <rag...@cox.net> wrote in message

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Keith Freeman

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Jul 7, 2005, 8:17:11 AM7/7/05

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I should've thought a few weeks of playing only II-V exercises ought to fix
it.

-Keith

Music samples, tips, Portable Changes at
http://home.wanadoo.nl/keith.freeman/

E-mail: keith DOT freeman AT wanadoo DOT nl

Rick Ross

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Jul 7, 2005, 9:06:14 AM7/7/05

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or negotiating a deal with a stranger on a desolate, rural Mississippi
instersection

"Keith Freeman" <dont.use.t...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
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Des Higgins

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Jul 7, 2005, 9:18:03 AM7/7/05

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"Rick Ross" <rickfrossyou...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:aN9ze.1841$6%2.1...@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...

> or negotiating a deal with a stranger on a desolate, rural Mississippi
> instersection
>
> "Keith Freeman" <dont.use.t...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns968C91849...@194.134.69.69...
>>I should've thought a few weeks of playing only II-V exercises ought to
>>fix
>> it.

There aint no kind of blues that some high living cant' cure. Get some
lobsters, 2 bottles of Chateau Mouton Rotschild 1986 (the 1985 is also
good), foie gras, some toast, a couple of 1000 dollar hookers (or get a nice
detective novel from the library if this is against your principles) and you
will be playing ii-V-Is in no time at all.

Pete Kerezman

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Jul 7, 2005, 9:31:33 AM7/7/05

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On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 15:10:22 -0700, "Bob Agnew" <rag...@cox.net> wrote:

>Despite 45 years of putzin' around with the guitar. I can't play anything
>other than the Blues. Oh, I know all kinds of Blues -- Chicago Blues,
>Down-home blues, West Coast Blues, Bird Blues, Wes Blues, Funky Blues, and

>many more; but they're all just the Blues...

I'm not seein' a problem here.

Texas Pete

Tom Walls

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Jul 7, 2005, 10:00:37 AM7/7/05

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In article <newscache$emhaji$1j5$1...@weblab.ucd.ie>,
dazzh...@hotmail.com says...

>
> There aint no kind of blues that some high living cant' cure. Get some
> lobsters, 2 bottles of Chateau Mouton Rotschild 1986 (the 1985 is also
> good), foie gras, some toast, a couple of 1000 dollar hookers (or get a nice
> detective novel from the library if this is against your principles) and you
> will be playing ii-V-Is in no time at all.
>
>
>

Sign me up!
--
Tom Walls
the guy at the Temple of Zeus

Kurt Shapiro

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Jul 7, 2005, 1:33:15 PM7/7/05

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I've got the same condition.

It gets worse. Next, you'll be posting to jazz guitar groups on usenet. If
you start Thinking, you may have to seek professional help.

"Bob Agnew" <rag...@cox.net> wrote in message

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Bob Agnew

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Jul 8, 2005, 1:45:58 AM7/8/05

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Thanks Charlie. One of the first tunes I ever learned, many decades ago,
was Horace's "Song for my Father". We played "Jody Strut" at our recital
at Aebersold's last year. That was fun! Lots of altered chords.

"charles robinson" <robins...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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Bob Agnew

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Jul 9, 2005, 4:48:59 PM7/9/05

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Actually, I practiced Rythm Changes many years ago when they were suggested
on this group. To me, (except for the bridge , of course) Rythm Changes
are just two Blues turnarounds back to back:

1) Bb13 Db13 Gb7#5#9 F7#5#9
2) Bb13 Eb9 Ab13 Db9

...and, of course, the bridge is just a series of II - V - I's.

"glen" <glen.m...@talk21.com> wrote in message
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