Robben Ford Discussion

Aeolian · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 1:09 pm Post subject: Favorite Robben Riff

Okay, we've been through favorite album and favorite song. So how about your favorite Robben lick or riff?

I had Handful of blues on in the car at lunch and there's a part in 'Running out on Me' that makes me back up the CD every time to hear it again. Right as the phrase ends "I'm one of many men, the rest are still out there", Robben does this long soulful bend that makes you wait for days until he resolves into the first chord of the B part. It's not harmonically amazing or a display of prodigious chops, but the way it's phrased and the tone and all just floors me everytime I hear it. Robben has several "signature" licks that we've probably all stolen, but the way he plays this particular part is unmistakably Robben.
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BlueRunner · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:23 pm Post subject:

No question here. It's the series of riffs toward the end of "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." There's a descending arpeggio in B. Then Robben goes up a whole step and runs it again in C. How did you know that I always back up the CD in my car to listen to it about six times before letting the tune move on?
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fingerlakes · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 4:00 am Post subject:

Not being a guitar player i can't get as technical as some but I love the solo in "Make Me Your Only One ". The first 2 notes he plays just kills me. Later in the solo he repeats the same 8 note phrase twice and that's really cool. He does that a lot. It's almost like he's thinking that the phrase turned out so well I'll play it twice. Nothing too fancy but just really cool phrasing that fits perfectly with the tune.

I think all Robben fans spend a lot of time backing up their CD's.

henkholland · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 4:31 am Post subject:

There are so many great riffs and solos. But when I have to mention my favourite, it is Robben's solo in Moonchild blues that he played live in Brazil March 2001 (broadcasted on Brazilian TV). It has all the things in it: blues, jazzy outline, lyrical part, but the most of it: passion!

Henk.

Leftbender · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 5:37 am Post subject:

Robben played so many incredible things during his career that it's very hard to find a favourite lick or phrase. But the one I always like is the beginning of his solo in "Robben's Blues" AKA "New Blues" during the 1986 Montreux concert with Mile Davis. It's a mix of functional simpicity and some signature phrasing. It's killing!!!! I thought of it to let you all hear this little piece by linking it to my webspace. But although it is a few seconds I'm afraid Daved won't agree. If you have the big Miles box, you will find it on disk 11, second track.
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marinblues · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2004 10:25 am Post subject:

marinblues · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:21 am Post subject:

At the moment, I am listening to "Swank Thing" which he did with "I- Can-Cure-Insomnia" Joe Diorio.
Laughing

marin

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mayer · Member Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 24

I agree wholeheartedly with all the comments above!

Here are my additions to the list:

For me, favorite "riff" is actually the predominant repeating figure at the sixth position in "Running Out on Me", per Aeolian's first post. Beauty in simplicity, and funky and bluesy at the same time.

Favorite "lick" (non-repeating phrase), for me is on the bootleg CD and Ohne Filter DVD versions of "Tell Me I'm Your Man". Do you all remember the ~4 bar phrase that he does immediately after the Purple Haze intro phrase? Kind of a Chicago/Howlin' Wolf thing - I've never placed the exact tune, if it was indeed copped directly from another tune. That whole segment makes me back up the CD until my wife threatens me with physical impairment. I guess that's the difference between a vocalist (her) and a guitar player! Anyway, that phrase has a huge amount of soul and fire, even though it is not technically challenging, and puts the stupid grin on my face every time...

Favorite solo in its entirety is the last one on "Good Thing", with the rising chord melody stuff at the very end. Always amazes me, even after many listenings!
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jconstant · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 10:12 pm Post subject: Even Song riff

One of my favorite riffs has long been in the song Even Song from the Yellowjackets album Run For Your Life.

Right at 3:00 of the track Robben plays this descending riff with his fingers (meaning no pick) and hits this deep Bb to F that hits me in the gut every time I hear it. Those few notes are so tasty it almost makes you feel like nothing else could be played right at that spot and been any better.

Jim

gitarz*r*us · Member Joined: 29 Sep 2003 Posts: 33 Location: Bay Area

There are so many, but I'll post the one I bothered to learn: Robben's use of the melodic minor scale beginning 1/2 step above the altered dominant chord on "Help the Poor" from "Talk to Your Daughter," i.e., F melodic minor (F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, E natural) ove E7altered. Robben makes it sound totally natural, whereas a lot of us who learned their melodic minor riffs at Berklee College of Music sound stilted or too studied when using this scale. BTW, at the first clinic in Ojai in October, 2002, Robben honestly did not seem to pay too much attention to the difference between the melodic minor, harmonic minor, and other scales. But his use of the melodic minor over the dominant chord is a textbook example, and so I nominate it for the "Robben Lick Hall of Fame."

elizabeth · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 9:32 am Post subject: First clinic

Do you remember that someone tried to correct him about that? (That was just too strange!) What a magical day that was!

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Bluelobster · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 10:01 am Post subject: along

Hey sometimes i feel like Marin & you all, it depends on the day .
But i love Outlaw blues, the outrow solo of the brother, the Revelation take from talk to your D..., the last tune of tiger walk (the one for Keith Richard)
This one kills me everytime fom the seminal main riff to the sus Bridges and al the solis. Robben doin' trash rock'n roll at his best. I mean Rock'n rol at his best. Robben rules anyway. Neutral

moses · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 10:43 am Post subject:

For me it would have to be on "Don't let me be misunderstood" during the playing out. Beginning at about 5:00 until the end of the fade out there is a phrase that simply kills me! Not so much his choice of notes, the way the placement of the notes rhythm wise doesn't seem to fall in a specific pattern, giving this free form flowing that ends perfectly. The man is a genius!
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Aeolian · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 10:56 pm Post subject: Re: Favorite Robben Riff