Open D/E ideas

[fibrebundle]

Hi,
I have been playing slide for a little while now on my Republic Resonators, all alone, trying to emulate the playing of old 'rootsy' artists. where I live, no one is into this kind of music, and people are exclusively into electric blues. I sometimes feel like going out and playing with people, but seem to utterly lack ideas to imrovise over a standard twelve bar blues. For now, I have decided to focus on open E exclusively, and think that I need to listen to a lot of (electric?) slide playing, in twelve bar format, and maybe eight bar as well, to get more ideas and incorporate them in my playing, imagining I will be playing with people, not solo, so that its a strict 12 or 8 bars. Can good people here point out players who have played a lot in open E (or maybe even D, I could just transpose), in more standardised blues, rather than very old rootsy stuff? I LOVE rootsy blues, but would love to listen to a lot of slide blues played in a band setting, so that I can get ideas about playing with people, rather than alone. I will also appreciate specific material, records, sources of licks, etc. which could help me get along. For the moment, though, just open E!
Thanks a lot.

[honeyboy]

Notable electric slide players who use open E are (in no particular order)

Sonny Landreth



Native Stepson, South of i-10 are both in open E as is a smattering of his later stuff - checkout 'Levee Town extended edition' for example

Roy Rogers - Walkin the Levee is in open E

At his website www.roy-rogers.com listen to it in his music player - bottom track in the playlist on the front page.

Michael Messer - Play The Blues

Maxwell Street Shuffle, Blue Letter Blues, Yardbird Blues, Blues Brother Blues, Latino Blue, Deep South Blues are all in Open E from this sadly unavailable 3 CD compilation of quality blues band backing tracks

Duane Allman played a lot in Open E


See this video tutorial about how he used slurs extensively in his licks

Dave Hole - Uses Open E tuning in many of his songs

Recommend Whole Lotta Blues and Steel on Steel, but neither is that easy to obtain nowadays.







His latest CD Rough Diamond has a great version of Ramblin on my Mind in open E - listen to a preview of the album here

Lowell George used open E tuning extensively with his work with Little Feat


I don't need any excuse to post this video of Rock and Roll Doctor (in Open E with a twist)

Listen/download a great Little Feat concert at their peak Live at Ultrasonic Studios

Finally a great video lesson from Arlen Roth about playing electric slide in open E tuning

[Deleted]

Derek Trucks plays in open E almost exclusively, I think

[fibrebundle]

Thanks! I've got a lot on my plate now, I think ! More ideas welcome, though .

[Michael Messer]

Elmore James, Hound Dog Taylor, Louisiana Red, Ry Cooder, Chris Rea, all play in open D and E tuning. As Honeyboy has pointed out, so do I. Tracks I have recorded in open D (capoed to E & F) are among others...Locomotive Skin, Blue Letters, Tailfeather Blues, Take Me Back, Son House, Robert Johnson's Wake and Cannonball Blues.

Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk and Muddy Waters played lots of slide in the key of E, but mostly in normal EADGBE tuning.

Shine On
Michael.

[fibrebundle]

Thanks a lot, Michael. Now I guess I have my plate full!

[blueshome]

Fred McDowell got missed off MM's electric slide players list.

For sheer excitement and verve go directly to Hound Dog Taylor, plug in and turn it up LOUD.

[Michael Messer]

I did not include Fred McDowell because fibrebundle asked about people who use that tuning in a blues band situation, rather than solo. Having said that I do have one album of Fred playing with a band, but it is not really what was being asked about as Fred plays the same with or without a band!

Shine On
Michael

[fibrebundle]

I love Fred McDowell's playing, have most of his records. But, his 'trance' grooves are difficult to fit into a band situation. Solo, they can sound wonderful, and I have recently started trying to emulate his playing a little bit, as much as I can, again playing solo. Difficult to get that sound! I LOVE his C9/A# voicing!

[blueshome]

Thing is, the more styles you work on, the easier it becomes to jam as you have more moves under your fingers. You don't have to reproduce anything, just use the tools you acquire on the way to extend your vocabulary.

In the past I've found it difficult at an electric jam to play slide in true blues style, usually the house band will be all blues rock and guitar diddling and not have a real understanding of the music outside of this. However, if you can sing as well as play, at least you get to choose the song and can impose yourself a little more. Have fun!