Robben Ford Discussion

bbqbob · Member Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Hanson, MA

Hi,

Like many of us, I love jamming along with a variety of Robben tunes. One of my recent favorites is Indianola from Blue Moon, but I seem to having a little trouble with the opening chord that he doesn't strum, but pick individual notes on. I got most of the rest, but that pattern is getting past me and I **know** Cool

this is the place to get help with this. Thanks. Oh, was there ever a Blue Moon songbook? I don't remember one.

Rock on...
bbqbob

juspasinby2003 · Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 255

I don't have a guitar handy, but, assuming it's in the key of C min, the chord should be C7sus4. Bar the top 3 strings at the 8th fret, hammer on the 7 from the sus 4, and on the 4 from the minor 7th chord, with the riff. Be sure to let 'em ring (when hammering the 7, keep the 4 and the tonic ringing, and when hammering the 4, keep the 7 and the tonic ringing).

Aeolian · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 4:26 pm Post subject:

And when you get that down, you can try Misdirected Blues where you have to hammer both the 4th and 6th together and lift them off cleanly to a C triad plucked all at once. Even on the wider fingerboard of my 335 I still find my fingers getting in each other's way. Maybe Robben has some "cheater" fingering that he learned to do cleanly. I tend to think of this as a 6/4 instead of F as the bass and second guitar stay on C.

Then if you get this going, try singing all those rapidly coming words and keep the phrasing going Confused

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bbqbob · Member Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Hanson, MA

Thanks folks! Very much appreciated. Time to turn the amp on!

bbqbob

juspasinby2003 · Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 255

Aeolian · Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 4:27 pm Post subject:

juspasinby2003 · Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 255

Aeolian · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

Ah, 6/9/b5. I'll have to try this.

I love using this chord to lead voice the B-C-D part of the head from All Blues. Larry does something like this on Last Nite. It's already used for the 5 but it add a cool off color to the melody. Then I use what I'll call a 9/11 (B-D-E-A, probably has a different enharmonic name but over A I think this is right) for the A-Bb-C-D-C-Bb-A part.
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Aeolian · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:20 pm Post subject:

Opps, make that minor 6/9/b5, I have to stop and think about these things as well. Too much playing by ear (I have calluses on my lobes Smile

)
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juspasinby2003 · Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 255

Robben seems to use this voicing a lot.

nineacres · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:15 am Post subject:

Isn't that an A flat 13\ flat 9? Actually, if you take that A on the top E string and play it on the bottom E string it's also easier to play - not too sure about how it would sound since I don't my guitar here at work (oooops, sorry boss!)
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Aeolian · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:34 am Post subject:

juspasinby2003 · Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 255

Aeolian · Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 8:25 pm Post subject:

I think he uses that m6/9/b5 on a few of the times. And others just sound like a plain dominant 9th to me. Thanks.
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juspasinby2003 · Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2003 Posts: 255

I've changed my mind about this chord. The tonality of the chord is diminished. I think here it functions as an F7(b9), a diminished chord alteration, for which F7(b9)/Eb also could be substituted. I don't hear Robben using the Eb in the root, however.

The chord is functioning as a diminished substitute for the IV chord following the F9. So the progression goes, at the last beat of the eighth bar, from the I chord to C7(#5)/Bb and then, in the ninth bar, to the F9 (the IV) for one bar. The progression then substitutes the altered F7(b9) for the F9, for the tenth bar, as you would ordinarily substitute a C dim for the F9. Then it goes back to the the V chord (G7) for four bars and on to the two bar turn around.

Try substituting a C dim chord for the F7(b9), and you'll see what I mean. It's a common substitution, and the F7(b9) is a diminished chord functioning the same way as a C dim in this progression. Of course, you could also follow the bass and play the III chord (Eb7) instead which also sounds good here. Robben, however, seems to favor the diminished chord substitution in most cases.

Here's another grip of the subject chord, the F7(b9):