Otis Spann Blues and Popular Blues Songs

Image via WikipediaMy Cousin came over for the Holidays and he told me that he had visited The House of Blues in L.A.
Have you ever been there?

Anyways, we got to talking about popular blues songs and I wondered if you have a favorite...

Here's a few:

1. AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS IF I DO  by Porter Grainger and Everett Robbins


[Bb] There ain't nothin' [D7] I can do, [Gm] nor nothin' I can [D7] say,
[G7] That folks don't [Dm7] cri[G7]ti[Cm]cize [G7] me.
[Cm] But I'm gonna [G7] do just as I [Cm] want to any[C]way,
[C7] I don't care if they all des[F#7]pise [F7] me.

[Bb] If I should [D7] take a notion
[Gm] To jump in[Eb]to the ocean,
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do. [G7] [C7] [F7]

[Bb] Rather than [D7] persecute me,
[Gm] I choose that [Eb] you would shoot me,
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do. [G7] [C7] [F7]

[Bb] If I should [D7] get the feelin'
[Gm] To dance up[Eb]on the ceiling',
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do. [G7] [C7] [F7]

[Bb] If I let my [D7] best companion
[Gm] Drive me right in[Eb]to the canyon,
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do. [G7] [C7] [F7]

[Bb] After all the [D7] way to do [Gm] is do just as you [D7] please,
[G7] Regardless [Dm7] of [G7] their [Cm] talk[G7]in'
[Cm] Often times the [G7] ones that talk will get [Cm] down on their [C] knees,
[C7] And beg your pardon for their [F#7] squak[F7]in'. (sp?)

[Bb] If I dis[D7]like my lover
[Gm] And leave (him/her) [Eb] for another,
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do. [G7] [C7] [F7]

[Bb] If I go to [D7] church on Sunday,
[Gm] Then caba[Eb]ret on Monday,
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do. [G7] [C7] [F7]

[Bb] If my friend ain't [D7] got no money
[Gm] And I say, "Take [Eb] all mine honey,"
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do. [G7] [C7] [F7]

[Bb] If I lend (him/her) [D7] my last nickel
[Gm] And it leaves me [Eb] in a pickle,
[Bb] It ain't nobody's [F7] business if I [Bb] do.

2. Baby Please Don't Go

C

Baby, please don't go.

	F
Baby, please don't	go.

C

Baby, please don't go back to New Orleans

	G7	C
You know it	hurts me	so

Babe, I'm way down here,
You know I'm way  down here.
Babe, I'm way down here in a rollin' fog,
Baby, please don't go.

Babe, I'm way down here,
You know I'm way  down here.
Babe, I'm way down here on old Parchman Farm*,
Baby, please don't go.

Baby, please don't go, (twice)
Baby, please don't go and leave me here,
You know it's cold  down here.

You know it's cold  down here.
Babe, it's cold down here.
You know it's cold  down here on old Parchman Farm,
Baby, please don't go.

I'm half dead  down here, (twice)
I'm half dead  down here on old Parchman Farm,
Baby, please don't go.

3. Got My Mojo Workin by Muddy waters

D/G/A
twleve bar blues
key is D

Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
I wanna love you so bad till I don't know what to do

I'm going down to Louisiana to get me a mojo hand
I'm going down to Louisiana to get me a mojo hand
I'm gonna have all you women right here at my command

Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you
I wanna love you so bad till I don't know what to do

I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice
I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice
I got some red hot tips I got to keep on ice

Got my mojo working
Got my mojo working
Got my mojo working
.....

But it - uh uh - just won't work on you

Otis Spann Blues Piano Licks

You might want to stop by and visit these sites, too:

http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/moneychords/lesson.html

http://blueslyrics.tripod.com/tabsandchords.htm

Wishing my readers a peaceful New Year 2011!

-- LadyD

Have a heart that never hardens and a touch that never hurts. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

The Minor Ninth Chord in Db

Let's talk about the Minor Ninth chord in Db.

Bass = Db

Right Hand = E + Ab + B + Eb

I like to use this chord progression in a 1-4 turn around. For example, it creates a nice groove when you change the 3rd finger from B to Bb.

Now, if you do this, you must also change the bass from Db to Gb. That is why it is called a 1-4 turnaround because Gb is the 4th tone in the Db Major Scale.

Basically, you switch from the Db minor chord (the third tone is simply lowered to Bb and the bass to Gb.

Summary:

Dbmin9 --> Gb13

Bass: Db * Right Hand: E + Ab + B + Eb

Bass: Gb * Right Hand: E + Ab + Bb + Eb

Try it out. I think you'll agree, this one is pretty nice. You might want to check on these:
Advanced Gospel Courses

Best,

-- Piano Diana



-- LadyD Have a heart that never hardens and a touch that never hurts. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Related articles

• Practicing Scales (pianodiana.blogspot.com)
• Learn To Play Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley (pianodiana.blogspot.com)
• Midi 101: An introductory Lesson on Creating Midi Files (pianodiana.blogspot.com)

Practicing Scales

The traditional method of practicing scales, two hands moving up and down four octaves, is great for technique but doesn't do much to improve your skills as an improvisor. Because you're always starting on the root, reversing directions on the root, and ending on the root, you're using only one seventh  of the possibilities inherent in each scale.

Beginning jazz musicians often play:

D, E, F, G, A, F, E, D

Then: G, A, B, C, D, B, A, G

And: C, D, E, F, G, F, E, D, C.


By going up the Ionian mode, down the Dorian, up the Phyrgian, down the Lydian, and so on, you're starting on each note, reversing directions on each note, and ending on each note of the C major scale.

Example:

Ionian (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C)

Dorian (D, C, B, A, G, F, E, D)

Phrygian (E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E)

Lydian (F, E, D, C, B, A, G, F)

Mixolydian (G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G)

Aeolian (A, G, F, E, D, C, B, A)

Locrian (B, C, D, E, F, G, A B)

Ionian (C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C)

You've only covered half the possibilities. Reverse everything, going down the Phrygian, up the Lydian, and so on. Use the same pattern to practice the melodic minor scales.

Ionian (C,B,A,G, F, E, D, C)

Dorian (D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D)

Phrygian (E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E)

Lydian (F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F)

Mixolydian (G, F, E, D, C, B, A, G)

Aeolian (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A)

Locrian (B, A, G, F, E, D, C, B)

Ionian (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C)

If you practiced this exercise every day, you'd still be starting the C Major Scale on C every day. I think it helps to take this idea even further, starting the C Major scale  on C one day, D the next, E the next, and so on. If this seems like taking things to extremes, remember, the goal is to de-program yourself from years of root-bias conditioning.





-- LadyD Have a heart that never hardens and a touch that never hurts. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.