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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2009 12:14:31 GMT
Hi all can anyone help i have been trying to locate a book Mel Bay presents Fred Mcdowell: the voice of mississippi delta blues guitar/ transcribed by Dan Bowden (1996) ISBN 0786605715 i have searched everywhere but no luck if you have a copy you would like to lend me for a few days or sell (i will glady pay all postage and cost to you) please get in touch this i fear is my last chance please dont let me down surely someone can help! best regards to all (diablodan54@btinternet.com) cheers! Dan
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Post by Michael Messer on Jan 20, 2009 13:28:38 GMT
Hi Diablodan,
Just Google 'Mel Bay presents Fred McDowell' and the first few on the list are free downloads of what you are looking for.
Shine On Michael.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2009 20:11:09 GMT
Hi Michael thanks for the info but i have tried all that and the files just will not open and i would not like to leave credit card details on these type of sites however if you have a copy of said book please may i borrow it for a couple of days i will post it straight back to you and pay all postage or if you can think of a better way i know your a big fan of "Fred Mcdowell" and so am i so please can you help! best regards diablodan (Dan Leicester)
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Post by Michael Messer on Jan 21, 2009 0:17:59 GMT
Hi Dan,
If I had the book I would send it to you as a present, but sadly I don't have the book and until your post about it today I had never heard of it. Mel Bay is not a name I would associate with learning to play Fred McDowell's music. And forgive my ignorance, but I have not heard of Dan Bowden either.
There has to be an available copy somewhere. I guess you have searched eBay?
I have spent a lot of time over the years studying Fred McDowell's music. I find that listening to the recordings and watching all the various clips of film is by far the best way for me. I don't mean watching tiny low quality clips on You Tube, you have to get the DVDs and videos and watch them on a proper TV.
Fred McDowell visited the UK a few times in the 1960s and I have been lucky enough to spend time around some of the musicians who toured with him. Mike Cooper, Ian Anderson (editor of fROOTS magazine), Jo Ann Kelly, Dave Kelly.....all spent time around Fred McDowell and many other country blues musicians that came to the UK in the 1960s. Ask any one of them who was the greatest and they all say that Fred was THE man.
Shine On Michael
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2009 9:06:58 GMT
Hi Michael thanks for your comments and addvice but i new you would say that about watching/dvd and footage of Fred Mcdowell i guess i am just one of these guy that if i have the tab to a tune i just work at it until i get the feel for the tune and then it just seems to come together as i have said before i am 54 now and the old clock is ticking you just seem to be unable to get the tab for these great Fred Mcdowell tunes and its just a shame that you cannot get the chance to have a go at them! i started listening to him around about xmas time i was given a copy of the "LIVE AT THE GASLIGHT 1972 DOUBLE CD" and i was hooked and that intro in to"LOUISE" well you know what i mean so Michael it seems i am asking for a favour again can you tab these great tunes/ive got some great Fred Mcdowell cds now and there all awsome! if you watch the youtube footage of him playing "Louise" in colour incidently what tuning does he use as you know i play in open G/ open D would you say he uses one of these tunings anyway best regards Michael /Dan
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Post by Michael Messer on Jan 21, 2009 11:47:55 GMT
Hi Dan,
For me to TAB Fred McDowell's music would take weeks of work. There was a book in the 1970s that had some TAB of his songs. I can't remember its title, but when I do remember what it was called I will let you know.
Fred McDowell played in the same tunings as you are working with - open G & open D. The song Louise is usually played in open D, but I don't think it is in that key - probably capoed up to E flat or E (first or second fret). With Fred's music, as with many primitive folk musicians, it is the right hand that creates the magic. The left hand, which is the only bit you can TAB is not too hard to follow. Fred McDowell's right hand control and use of rhythm was quite amazing. His singing was also amazing and very African in both pitch and phrasing.
The first Fred McDowell tunes I learnt were '61 Highway', 'You Gotta Move' and 'Write Me A Few Short Lines'.
Shine On Michael.
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Post by andys on Jan 21, 2009 12:32:10 GMT
Hi Michael thanks for your comments and addvice but i new you would say that about watching/dvd and footage of Fred Mcdowell i guess i am just one of these guy that if i have the tab to a tune i just work at it until i get the feel for the tune and then it just seems to come together You know I am completely the opposite. I have books with tab in, and the monthly guitar mags often have it in, but to me it just doesnt do anything for me. I have to see it or hear it being played, even if its a grainly old film on YouTube. I decided to take a look at Fred McDowells playing, and theres a couple of YouTube clips that were very helpful to me in learning a few of his licks. Theres also players on their who put up their own versions of stuff, and often that is a bit clearer. You know its funny, about a fortnight ago, I won a Blues Guitar Tab book. I looked through it and apart from finding a couple of new chords, must of it was just gobbledegook to me. I guess I learn new things on guitar, the way old blues players did, by watching, copying, and then playing it their own way.
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Post by Michael Messer on Jan 21, 2009 14:00:33 GMT
....we all have our own way of learning and gathering knowledge of a subject. Like you Andy, I never read the TAB for anything. I can't remember the last time I read some TAB. As for writing it.....it takes me quite a long time to do. I am sure if I did it more it would get easier. The last bit of TAB I wrote out was for Guitarist magazine in 2002!!!!!
That doesn't mean to say that TAB is no good. Quite the contrary, TAB is an amazing way of writing guitar music and learning to play tunes.
Shine On Michael.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2009 18:02:25 GMT
Hi Guys thanks for the interest in this thread and as always the addvice is always welcome my own way of learning a tune is to look at the tab first and then try to play it / then dig out the music from anywhere i can old cds internet any sorce really then i set to trying to play it with the tab as my base(i seem to always keep returning to that as my refference point) but tab does not give you the feel the rhythm and the swing to the tune but Fred Mcdowell to me just has this rhythmic swing thing going on its almost hypnotic
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2009 18:12:33 GMT
Hi Guys thanks for the interest in this thread and as always the addvice is always welcome my own way of learning a tune is to look at the tab first and then try to play it / then dig out the music from anywhere i can old cds internet any sorce really then i set to trying to play it with the tab as my base(i seem to always keep returning to that as my refference point) but tab does not give you the feel the rhythm and the swing to the tune but Fred Mcdowell to me just has this rhythmic swing thing going on its almost hypnotic i have worked out the main intro in to "LOUISE" already with some basic tab that i have found and that capo addvice is really helpful as you say Michael it dosent matter how you learn a tune i shall still push on many thanks again DIABLODAN PS BUT STILL SOMEONE OUT THERE MUST HAVE THIS BOOK I SPOKE ABOUT AT THE BEGINNG OF THIS THREAD SO COME ON PLEASE LEND IT TO ME IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE! Dan
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Post by lewiscohen on Jan 21, 2009 18:32:12 GMT
PS BUT STILL SOMEONE OUT THERE MUST HAVE THIS BOOK I SPOKE ABOUT AT THE BEGINNG OF THIS THREAD SO COME ON PLEASE LEND IT TO ME IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE! Dan Hi Dan, If you want to download the book, go to bittorrent.com and download the free torrent client software there (you don't have to give your credit card details). The files that you've downloaded that won't open will open with bittorrent, which will then download the actual e-book from "seeders". Seeders are basically people out there in cyberspace who have the file on their computers and who make it available by also using bittorrent or similar software. No idea whether it's legal or not - just because the book is out of print doesn't mean it's in the public domain for free sharing - but I suspect that if you really want it, that's the only way you're going to get it. LC
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Post by blueshome on Jan 21, 2009 19:10:40 GMT
Dan, over on www.weeniecampbell.com there is a discussion going on focussed on Fred's playing on the "got to move" thread. Louise is in vasterpol tuning. Fred usually tuned to Eb or E.
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Post by Michael Messer on Jan 22, 2009 0:30:03 GMT
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richt
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Post by richt on Jan 22, 2009 14:28:53 GMT
Hi dan. As your struggling to find the tab i have a suggestion. I can play this tune and reckon i have a pretty good sketch of the main riff and verse. I live probably 45 mins from leicester and would be happy to show you the basics and try and tab it out if you wanna visit? Just a thought. I'll send you a private msg with an mp3 to see if you like it.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2009 15:01:38 GMT
Hi all i have know got a copy of said book and i have got to say it is a fantastic book with full music notation and tab for fifteen tunes just started today on my personel favourite "louise" by reading the tab and then listening to the cd its slow but i think i will crack it eventually i have set myself the challenge to learn all fifteen tunes before i turn my toes up! I must thank everyone for all the help and addvice and the kind offer of a visit this is as i have said before a truly fantastic site and we should encourage anyone who is learning to play this great music with help to sometimes what seem like daft questions but to a novice like myself good answers really help best regards to everyone Dan aka diablodan
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