From parker_b%aplvax.span@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov Sun Jul 3 22:42:10 EDT 1994
Article: 5467 of rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic
Xref: undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic:5467
Message-ID: <940630143658.15bb@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov>
Date: 30 Jun 1994 15:37:30 EDT
Path: undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!torn!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!aplcenmp!jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu!parker_b%aplvax.span@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov (Bo Parker)
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From: parker_b%aplvax.span@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov (Bo Parker)
Subject: Western Swing lesson + TAB: "Sally Goodin," "Westphalia Waltz"
Lines: 454
Hi folks
Here's a guest lesson on Western swing guitar backup that I did for the latest
issue of "The COWPIE NEWS" (COuntry and Western PIckers of the Internet
Electronic NEWSletter). I thought I'd also post it here for those of you
rmmga-folk who don't get "The COWPIE NEWS."
This has a TAB that I posted a few months ago ("Sally Goodin"), but it also has
a new TAB to a simplified version of my new arrangement of "Westphalia Waltz"
with kind of a nice chord backup part.
-----BEGIN INCLUDED MATERIAL-----
Greetings fellow net.pickers.
This is a short lesson in Western Swing or Texas contest-style backup guitar.
I'll be presenting the basic concepts and some arrangements of tunes with
backup parts.
This style of playing has a few defining characteristics:
a) Frequently changing chords, generally two per measure (in 4/4).
b) A walking bass line beneath the chords.
c) Frequent use of closed-position chords (i.e. with no open strings) instead
of open-voiced chords (such as the standard G, C, etc.).
d) "Passing chords" used between the major harmonic areas in a tune.
e) Extended chords (6ths, major 7ths, 9ths, 13ths, minor 7ths, minor 9ths),
altered chords (b9ths, augmented, diminished).
We want to use these techniques to transform the simple chord progressions that
are found in many fiddle tunes and country tunes into more complex progressions
_that will still fit the melody_. This is an important point: what you do still
has to fit and make musical sense. You probably won't want to use very complex
chords like, oh, say, an A13b9sus4 in one of these progressions:
A13b9sus4
+-+-+-+-+-+
o | | | | o
5 +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+
| | | o o |
+-+-+-+-+-+
| | o | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+
It probably won't work very well. But just use your judgment. If a chord sounds
like it works, then it works.
These are essentially jazz-based techniques, and it helps to have at least some
knowledge of jazz harmony to get a grip on this stuff. The discussion does get
a little tech-oid, but even if you don't understand the theory, just try
playing through the examples - they're a lot of fun and they sound really cool.
Listen to recordings by the great Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys for good
examples of this type of backup playing. The Texas Playboys guitarist, Eldon
Shamblin, is responsible for much of the development of this style as it is
applied to country-style tunes. Another great group to listen to if you want to
hear this stuff in a more traditional jazz setting is the Quintet of the Hot
Club of France, with the virtuoso Django Reinhardt on guitar. Another master
practitioner of this style is Ranger Doug from Riders in the Sky.
OK, so, on to the first tune. This is an arrangement of "Sally Goodin," a great
old Texas fiddle tune. The backup part is from an article in a 1990 issue of
Acoustic Guitar magazine. This is the same TAB that I posted out to the net a
few months ago. The backup part will also fit with the arrangement of "Grey
Eagle" that I posted to the net some time ago.
<"Grey Eagle" is available on the Cowpie archives under Traditional -Greg>
-----
Here's TAB for Sally Goodin, a traditional fiddle tune, and a
Texas-style/Western Swing accompaniment for it. This is from the
article "Swinging With Sally Goodin" by Jim Wood, from the Sept/Oct
1990 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
I have TABbed the melody as if it were played in G. The accompaniment
is in A, though, so you'll have to capo at the second fret to make the
melody work with the accompaniment. Each "|" above the
staff represents a quarter note.
Sally Goodin (traditional)
arr. Jim Wood, TAB by Bo Parker parker_b%aplvax.span@fedex.msfc.nasa.gov
Melody:
(Don't worry about the chord symbols - fingerings are given below.
D#o7 means D# diminished 7th.)
A A9/C# D D#o7 A A#o7 Bm7 E7
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---0---0---------|---0-------------|---0---0---------|-----------------|
|-0---2---0---0-0-|-0---2-0---0-0-0-|-0---2---0-2-0---|-----------0-0-0-|
|-----------------|---------2-------|---------------2-|-0---0-0-2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|
A A9/C# D D#o7 E7 F#m E7/G# A
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---0---0---------|---0-------------|---0---0---------|-----------------|
|-0---2---0---0-0-|-0---2-0---0-0-0-|-0---2---0-2-0---|-----------0-0-0-|
|-----------------|---------2-------|---------------2-|-0---0-0-2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A A7/G D/F# Dm/F A/E D#o7 E7/D E7/B
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----------------|---3-0-----------|---3-0-----------|-----------------|
|-----0-1-3---3-3-|-3-----3-0-3-3-3-|-3-----3-0-------|-----------------|
|-0-2-------------|-----------------|-----------2-0---|-----------0-0-0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|---------------2-|-0---0-0-2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A A9/C# D D#o7 E7 E7/B E7/G# A
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----------------|---3-0-----------|---3-0-----------|-----------------|
|-----0-1-3---3-3-|-3-----3-0-3-3-3-|-3-----3-0-------|-----------------|
|-0-2-------------|-----------------|-----------2-0---|-----------0-0-0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|---------------2-|-0---0-0-2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
OK - now the accompaniment. Note the nice walking bass lines. The
whole thing is done bass-strum, bass-strum, etc.
A A9/C# D D#o7 A A#o7 Bm7 E7
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----------------|-----2-------0---|
|-----2-------5---|-----3-------1---|-----2-------2---|-----3-------0---|
|-----2-------4---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------0---|-----2-------1---|
|-----2-------5---|-0-------1-------|-----2-------2---|----(0)------0---|
|-0-------4-------|-----------------|-0-------1-------|-2-----------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-------|
A A9/C# D D#o7 E7 F#m E7/G# A
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----3-------5---|-----7-------5---|
|-----2-------5---|-----3-------1---|-----3-------5---|-----5-------5---|
|-----2-------4---|-----2-------2---|-----4-------6---|-----7-------6---|
|-----2-------5---|-0-------1-------|-2-------4-------|-6-------7-------|
|-0-------4-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A A7/G D/F# Dm/F A/E D#o7 E7/D E7/B
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----5-------5---|-----------------|-----------------|-------------0---|
|-----5-------5---|-----7-------6---|-----5-------7---|-----5-------0---|
|-----6-------6---|-----7-------7---|-----6-------5---|-----4-------1---|
|-7-------5-------|-----7-------7---|-----7-------7---|-----6-------0---|
|-----------------|-9-------8-------|-7-------6-------|-5-------2-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A A9/C# D D#o7 E7 E7/B E7/G# A
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----2-------5---|-----3-------1---|-----5-------5---|-----3-------2---|
|-----2-------4---|-----2-------2---|-----7-------7---|-----4-------2---|
|-----2-------5---|-0-------1-------|-----6-------6---|-----2-------2---|
|-0-------4-------|-----------------|-7---------------|---------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|---------7-------|-4---------------|
-----
An important point about this backup style is the articulation. You should
strive for a sound like this:
boom-CHUNK-boom-CHUNK-boom-CHUNK-boom-CHUNK...
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
"Boom" is the bass note (which is allowed to ring), and "CHUNK" is an accented,
muted chord strum. So in other words, the chords should not be allowed to ring
out - they should be cut short by lifting the fingers of your fretting hand as
soon as you strike the strings. This gives a little rhythmic jab or "sock" on
the backbeat, and leads, BTW, to this style sometimes being referred to as
"sock guitar." This also is why we use primarily closed-voiced chords - it's
hard to properly mute open-voiced chords.
Another way these chords are articulated sometimes is like this:
CHUNK-CHUNK-CHUNK-CHUNK-CHUNK-CHUNK-CHUNK-CHUNK...
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
i.e. with no separate bass note - just the whole chord strummed staccato on
beats 1, 2, 3, and 4. This is more like the way that big-band guitarists play,
for example Freddie Green with the Count Basie Orchestra.
Another point to note is that we don't always use chords voiced with the root
in the bass. A good example is this voicing, which appears in the first
measure:
A9/C#
+-+-+-+-+-+
| o | o | |
+-+-+-+-+-+
| | o | o |
5 +-+-+-+-+-+
Such voicings are used primarily to keep the bass line moving. Another point
about this chord is that it provides a I dominant (I9), which leads very
strongly to the IV chord in the next measure.
An example of a passing chord, as mentioned above, is the D#dim7 chord found in
measure 2:
D#dim7
0 +-+-+-+-+-+
| | o | o |
+-+-+-+-+-+
| | | o | o
+-+-+-+-+-+
This chord adds interest to the progression in two ways: First, it provides an
interesting harmonic transition between the IV chord (D) and the I chord (A/E).
Second, the D, D#, A run in the bass gives a very nice jazzy, chromatic sound
to the progression. A similar use of a passing chord (an A#dim7) is found in
measure 3. In fact, just playing through measures 1 through 4 will give you a
good idea of where this stuff is coming from.
Now the next tune, Westphalia Waltz. This is a lovely old fiddle waltz that
sounds great with a Texas-style backup. As above, I have provided a guitar TAB
for the melody with the "straight" chords indicated on the upper line of chords
above the TAB and the Texas-style chords indicated on the lower line of chords
above the TAB. The next TAB is just for the backup part.
When playing a waltz, it sounds best if you let the chords ring rather than
muting them. So, you want a sound more like this:
BOOM-strum-strum-BOOM-strum-strum...
1 2 3 1 2 3
where the 1 is accented and the 2 and 3 are unaccented.
Also, note that the moving ("walking") voice in this backup part is sometimes
in an inner voice rather than in the bass. For example, see the G, F#, E, F#, G
run on the 4th string in measures 1 through 5.
-----
TAB- Westphalia Waltz (arr. Bo Parker, TAB by Bo Parker,
parker_b%aplvax.span@fedex.msfc.nasa.gov)
Pickup measure
A
| | |
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-----0---2-4-|
|-------------|
|-------------|
Part A
G Bm Em G
G Gmaj7 G6 Gmaj7
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|---------0---|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-0-----------|-3-----------|-------------|
|-0-------2---|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------0-2-4-|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G D
G G#dim Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-0-------1---|-------------|-------------|
|-0-------2---|-------------|-2-----------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-----------3-|-4-----3-2-1-|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D
Am7 D9 Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|---------3---|-2---------3-|-2-------0---|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-2-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-0-------4---|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D G _1____________
Am7 Daug9/C G6/9/B | G
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-3-------2-3-|-----3---2-1-|-0---------1-|-0-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|------------*|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------0-2-4*|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
_2____________
|
| | |
|-------------|
|-0-----------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
Part B
G Bm Em G
G Gmaj7 G6 Gmaj7
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-3-----------|-2-----------|-0---2---3---|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-----------|
|*------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|*------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G D
G G#dim Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-0-----------|-0-----------|-1-----0-----|-------------|
|-----2---0---|-----2---0---|---------2-0-|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-4-----------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D
Am7 D9 Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0---2---3---|-2-------0---|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D G
Am7 Daug9/C G6/9/B G
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-3-------2-3-|-----3---2-1-|-0-----1-0---|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-----------2-|-0----------*|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|------------*|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
Backup
Same for both parts
G Gmaj7 G6 Gmaj7
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|-----2---2---|-----4---4---|
|-----5---5---|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|
G G#dim Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----5---5---|-----3---3---|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|
|-----5---5---|-------------|-----------4-|-5-----------|
|-3---------3-|-4---------4-|-5-----------|-------------|
Am7 D9 Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|
|-----------4-|-5-----------|-----------4-|-5-----------|
|-5-----------|-------------|-5-----------|-------------|
Am7 Daug9/C G6/9/B G
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----3---3---|-----0-------|
|-----5---5---|-----3---3---|-----2---2---|-----0-------|
|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|-----2---2---|-----0-------|
|-----------2-|-3-----------|-2-----------|-------------|
|-5-----------|-------------|-------------|-3-------0-2-|
G Gmaj7 G6 Gmaj7
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|-----2---2---|-----4---4---|
|-----5---5---|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|-3-----------|
G G#dim Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----5---5---|-----3---3---|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|
|-----5---5---|-------------|-----------4-|-5-----------|
|-3---------3-|-4---------4-|-5-----------|-------------|
Am7 D9 Am7 D9
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|-----5---5---|
|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|-----5---5---|-----4---4---|
|-----------4-|-5-----------|-----------4-|-5-----------|
|-5-----------|-------------|-5-----------|-------------|
Am7 D7 G G/D
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------|-------------|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
|-----5---5---|-----3-------|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|
|-----5---5---|-----5-------|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|
|-----5---5---|-----4-------|-----0---0---|-0-----------|
|-------------|-5-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-5-----------|---------0-2-|-3-----------|-------------|
-----
An interesting chord in this progression is the D augmented chord (actually a
Daug9/C) in measure 14. Remember that a D augmented chord has the notes D, F#,
A#. Well, that A# is the same as as a Bb, which is the flat-third "blue note"
in the key of G. Its presence in the D augmented chord (which is used as a V
dominant chord) gives the V - I cadence a really cool bluesy, "down-home" kind
of sound.
I have provided you with a short overview of the Western swing or "Texas" style
of backup guitar playing. Play with these progressions for awhile and you will
discover that there are many contexts in which these concepts, particularly
walking bass lines and passing chords, can be applied. Use these techniques in
a few places in the songs you like to play, and you will find that they can
really spice up your rhythm playing.
Have fun!
-----END INCLUDED MATERIAL-----
Enjoy
-Bo Parker
parker_b%aplvax.span.msfc.nasa.gov <-new address, eh?
"I poked at it with a stick."
| 
