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| TANNA'S LAST DAY AT OUR WORK |
Even though I wrote the songs, I’ve nerves of aluminum when I think about performing them. Will I forget the lyrics (that I wrote)? Will I forget the chords and strum patterns (which I wrote)?
When it comes to guitar gigging or guitar busking or any guitar strumming for that matter, I’m a cowboy-chords guy. I’m a cowboy-chords guy because first, I’ve cowboy creds (see my bio in the right column of my blog), and because second, these are the only chords I know. Cowboy-chords are my mea culpa.
After years of accursed strumming only the cowboy-chords, I’ve
discovered some of these same cowboy finger configurations, especially chords A, D,
and Em, are easy to slide up the
frets. To be more specific and for three
examples in three of my original songs I’ve now learned to slide the chords, A
to fret #5, D to anywhere, and Em to frets # 7 and #12.
I’ll not profess for these next few moments, that I’m
technically rising to some a pseudo guitar instructor. Factoid: I’m a cowboy-chord guy, and I’ll most
certainly bowdlerize this strumming epiphany.
Meanwhile back at the ranch …
Most guitar-slingers consider A, C, D, E, F, G, and the
corresponding minor versions, to be the cowboy-chords because they can all be
played within the first three frets. Guitar
players, from novice to virtuoso, can play a hundred songs confingering (new word) just these chords. Until a few days ago I was limited to
strumming these chords while contained in their original frets.
Now with busking practice and with confident finger adventure,
I move my left hand with the same confingerings for chords A, D, and Em to
certain frets, but so far only in three of my original songs.
One of my songs, Crescent Beach, has the chord-line,
G-Am-D-Em, and now when I strum this, I strum G-Am-D-Em (2nd
fret)-Em (12th fret)-Em, vamping the Em betwixt the 2nd
and 12th frets, and doing so with authority!
Em C Em
Em C Em C
I walk along the
boardwalk/ at Crescent Beach each morning
Em C Em C
I stop to buy a
coffee from the merchant on the harbor
Em C Em C
She asks me what I
like I say / Americano Decaf
G Am D Em
Wouldja care for cream
and sugar? I say thank- you see you later
G Am D Em (-12) Em
She says I’d
really like that I say have yourself a nice day …
VERSE 2
Em C Em C
I walk along the
boardwalk / at Crescent Beach each morning
Em C Em C
I stop to watch
the seagulls as they soar up to the heavens
Em C Em C
Dropping shellfish
on beach rocks/ and smashing them to pieces
G Am D Em
As I think about
my heart ache even though it doesn’t matter
G Am D Em (-12) Em
I simply can't
forget her / as I try to sip my coffee
VERSE 3
Em C Em C
I walk along the boardwalk / at Crescent Beach each
morning
Em C Em (-12) Em
In a fashion that will fool her and the … world
Another of my songs, Danger Man. Danger Man has the chord-line, G-Am-C-Em (2nd
fret), which has now become G-Am-C-Em (2nd fret)-Em (12th
fret)-Em (vamping betwixt 2nd and 12th fret). This back-and-forth slide has added flavor to
my song!
Am D Am
Some days I wanna
do like Dangerman
Am D Am
So cool and cruel
on the Riviera, man
Am D Am D
Suave and debonair,
undercover ladies’ man
Mute Am Em Am
And just shoot my
troubles away.
*************[CHORUS]*************
Em D C Em
I sometimes
think my imagination
Em D
C Em
I sometimes
think my imagination
Em D C Em
I sometimes
think my imagination
G Am C Em
Is the model,
the model for the nation
G Am C Em Em
(12th fret) Em
(Is the model
for complete annihilation)
Am D Am
Some days I wanna
do like Steve McQueen
Am D Am
So cool and cruel
on that silver screen
Am D Am
D
Ride shotgun with
Yul, blaze to Boot Hill
Mute Am Em Am
And just shoot my
troubles away.
************CHORUS]*******************
Am D Am
Some days I wanna
do like the President
Am
D Am
So cool and cruel
on Air Force One
Am D Am D
Protect the planet,
police everyone
Mute Am Em Am
And just shoot my
troubles away.
************[CHORUS]******************
And my last example from my original, Going Somewhere, has for one of the chord-lines, D-A-Em. Now when I strum this line becomes D-A (2nd fret)-A (5th fret)-Em. This is a WOW sound!
D A Em [intro]
Em C Am Em D A Em
Hey hey I'm going,
I'm going somewhere I don't (even) know where
Em C Am Em
I'm not going back,
no I'm not going there
D A Em
Never again [X2] 2nd time … slide to
fret #5
Em C Am Em D A Em
Hey hey I'm going,
I'm going somewhere I don't (even) know where
Em C Am Em
I've been in fire,
I've been a soldier in war
D A Em
Never again [X2]2nd time … slide to
fret #5
Em C Am Em D A Em
Hey hey I'm going,
I'm going somewhere I don't (even) know where
Em
C Am Em
I've been in chains
… I've served my time
D A Em
Never again [X2] 2nd time … slide to fret
#5
[instrumental]
Em C Am Em D A Em
Em C Am Em D A Em
D A Em
Never again [X2] 2nd time … slide to
fret #5
Em C Am Em D A Em
Hey hey I'm going,
I'm going somewhere I don't (even) know where
Em C Am Em
I've been in love,
had my heart broke enough
D A Em
Never again [X2 & FADE] 2nd time …
slide to fret #5
These slides sound great and look good. When busking, sound comes second to optics! Perfect pitch means nothing when you’re busking (or gigging). Perfect pitch means nothing if you look and play like a stick. No one in any crowd wants to look at a stick. Looking good counts when it comes to being on stage in a bar or on the boardwalk. And being able to demonstrate noticeable guitar capabilities truly adds to the optics and therefore, the performance.
Just remember, BUSKAROOS ...
Any cowboy can carry a tune --
the trouble comes only when he has to unload it!
Showing up in my CHAUCERIAN PARADE this week:
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| EVEN WHEN WINDY AT 14 DEGREES IT PAYS TO PRACTICE (LITERALLY!) |
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| ROWAN'S VERY FIRST PARADE |
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| ROWAN DELIVERED |
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