Robben Ford Discussion

[Rob MacKillop]

I guess most people who visit here have an interest in the slightly jazzier side of the Blues. I've just uploaded a page on my website for those of us who are trying to see what else there is besides the pentatonic minor (nothing wrong with it, of course).

There are ten stages (although the eleventh is the most important), which get slightly more 'out' as they progress. I've given tabs and created soundfiles. I've done my best to make it theory-free, just hands-on practical stuff. Of course, it is FAR from complete. Just a few ideas.

The soundfiles are clean and basic, but give a flavour of each topic.

Hope you like it, and get something useable from it. Let me know. It won't make you play like Robben Ford, but you might enjoy working through it.

http://www.rmguitar.info/BluesImprov.htm

Cheers,

Rob
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[alawat]

Nice work, thanks !
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Don't worry, be happy

[PierreL]

That's great !
Thanks a lot for sharing this with us.

[Rob MacKillop]

No problem. Any questions, just ask.

Rob
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[Millibobs]

Rob, wow, that is some pretty fantastic playing - particularly like the Scottish traditional stuff in open tunings - beautiful. The blues number is a bit impressive too and there was you being all modest the other day......

One day, I'll buy an hour or two of your time!

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks Millibobs. I'm used to playing in more classical venues where people actually sit quietly and listen (imagine that!). I've only ever played two blues gigs - one each with a different band who both split up the next day. The recording of 'The Thrill Is Gone' on my website was from the first band. They sacked me after that solo because they wanted to be a Staus Quo-style boogie band...With the second band, we didn't start before 2am, by which time the audience were incredibly drunk, and just shouted abuse at us all night. I just couldn't be bothered with that. None of the band liked each other, and half of them were as drunk and stoned as the audience...

I dream of a band with good players dedicated to developing their musicianship, and having an enjoyable time doing so, playing gigs before midnight to appreciative audiences. I know, I'm aiming too high! In the meantime, I just practise my chops.

I tried advertising for other musicians, but at 48 years of age, was deemed by one interested band to be too old

Rob
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[Millibobs]

Rob, speaking as a 47 year old, old fart, I know what you mean.......it's partly people's perceptions of age, partly their discomfort at meeting people who can play well on their terms and who have been there, done that and got the t-shirt and partly, it's about the extent to which we are prepared to compromise to be able to play live.

In my work and musical lives, I am operating increasingly on the basis that I've done all my compromising and there simply isn't the time (or the inclination) left for taking any more crap. The music has to be good enough, but the relationships are the key for me - you have to be able to get along with folks and have fun. Nothing communicates more effectively to an audience than these factors.

As you say, different types of audience will behave in fundamentally different ways, depending on the venue and the presence of booze, but all intelligent audiences know good music when they hear it. I think maybe you met some people who place the quality of the music much further down the value chain than say, playing a racket roughly in time and making peoples' ears bleed. It's amazing how many 'good time' bands I've seen or been associated with, where there was a high level of bickering and arsiness in the mix. Conversely, I tried out with some great guys the other week and whilst the music was high quality, the atmosphere was lousy.

The best work I've ever done was to do a live progrock festival with my good friend Guy Manning (who's new album is out on 8th October with me on it.....plug, plug.....) and that audience was attentive, respectful and a pleasure to play for. The band was on top form, apart from the bass player, who thought it was de rigeur to get pissed beforehand. I don't think he'll be at the next one! I decided at that event that it's worth waiting a year for a good gig than playing a lot of dates where the start time defines the quality of the music/audience or where it is simply too many compromises made just to get up on stage.

Don't take me for a music snob, I can boogie my arse off with the best of them and I have been known to partake of the odd libation or two at some gigs, but overall, if you ain't having fun, it ain't worth doing, unless of course you are a pro player who turns up for the money (and those kinds of gig are almost extinct these days).

Sorry to ramble on but this age / audience / enjoyment / relationship / attitude / style of music debate seems to have been a recurring theme in recent times for me. Maybe we should be doing what the guys on TV the other night are up to - one of the guys from Embrace has formed a 'virtual' band which operates across various locations and sends files to each other. They meet up eventually, but by the time they do, a lot of the work is done. You can see downsides to this too but taking the people on this forum as an example of what is good about 'dislocated' good humour, it would be interesting to see what we were able to come up with.

Here's a challenge - on my page at www.soundclick.com/davidmillion there is a track called Chunky's Vegetarian Blues which is a sort of half-baked tribute to the Allmans. I posted it so that people could have a laugh with me at the general concept and also widdle over the fairly long passage which I left for a future solo or widdling session. It's very southern fried boogie in flavour and just one example of a song where I ran out of ideas. Feel free to download the MP3 and overdub your own piece in the relevant place(s).

If anyone takes this up, let me know what you come up with!

[Rob MacKillop]

I tried to download the track by right-clicking and 'saving target as', but a window came up saying I couldn't do it...

Rob
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[nineacres]

Rob - try right-clicking on mp3 (next to the downward-pointing arrow) and select "save". That did it for me.

[Millibobs]

....or you can left click on the little MP3 icon and follow the instructions - seems to be working okay but you may need to actually register first (it's free).

I can almost hear those new licks already............

[Rob MacKillop]

Got it. I didn't want to register at first, but have done so now. Some really tight guitar playing there, Dave. I'll try something later. I don't have much of a setup here for recording, just a small mic. I would have to play the track through my stereo and play along with it through my amp, recording as I go. The sound will not be great...but it's just for fun.

Rob
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[Millibobs]

Exactly, that's what it should be - fun! Look forward to hearing your contribution - I reserve the right to steal your riffs!