Here are some of my favorite swings licks for C6th lap steel. It's impossible for
tab to do justice to the way great swing players make a simple lick come alive.
Phrasing is everything here; some notes blocked for a sharp staccato, others left to
linger a beat or half a beat. There some subtle grace note slides and triplets -
particularly in Joaquin's playing - that I just don't know how to notate so
you're on your own a bit here. While stringing licks together does not make for great
improvisation, it's nice to have a few in one's bag of tricks when divine inspiration
fails.These 1st two come from the playing of George Barnes, a highly underated swing guitarist
whose playing had an incredible drive, bounce and sense of joy. Barnes's style came out
of swing clarinet playing. His playing also had a unique vibrato that made the last
note he'd play in a phrase sort of go "Boing!"
F9
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C---------------------------------------------------------------6--7----------------------
A--------------------------------------------------------------------6--------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------------5-----------------
E--------------------------------------------------------------------------5--------------
C-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E9 Eb6 F9 E9
E---------------|-----------| |-----------------7--5--|-----------------6--4--|------------
C------------6--|-----5-----| |--------------7--------|--------------6--------|------------
A---------5-----|--------6--| |-----------7-----------|-----------6-----------|------------
G------4--------|-----------| |--------6--------------|--------5--------------|------------
E---4-----------|-----------| |--6--7-----------------|--5--6-----------------|------------
C---------------|-----------| |-----------------------|-----------------------|------------
Eb
E---3--2--3--------------------| |-----------------------------------------------|---------
C------------3-----------------| |-----------------------------------------------|---------
A------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------|---------
G---------------3--------------| |-----------------------------------------------|---------
E------------------3--4--5--6--| |-----------------------------------------------|---------
C------------------------------| |-----------------------------------------------|---------
Here are some Charlie Christian runs. His playing style was derived mostly from standard
chord shapes but man, could he phrase them ina unique and original way that was his alone.
60 years later he still sounds fresh and continues to influence musicians.
Bb Eb7
E------6--------------------------|--6-----------------------------| |---------------------
C---------7-----------------------|-----7--------------------------| |---------------------
A---------------------------------|--------------------------------| |---------------------
G------------6--7--------------7--|--------6--7--------------------| |---------------------
E------------------6-----6--6-----|--------------6-----5--6--5--4--| |---------------------
C---------------------7-----------|-----------------7--------------| |---------------------
G6
E------10-----8--10--8--7--------------7-----------7--| |----------------------------------
C--------------------------7-----7--7-----7-----7-----| |----------------------------------
A-----------------------------7--------------7--------| |----------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------| |----------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------| |----------------------------------
C-----------------------------------------------------| |----------------------------------
G6
E------------------6-----------------6-----6--7-----------------------------------| |------
C---------7-----------------7--------------------7-----------------------------7--| |------
A------7--------7--------7--------7-----------------7--8--7-----------------7-----| |------
G---7--------7--------7--------7-----------------------------7-----------7--------| |------
E---------------------------------------------------------------7--6--7-----------| |------
C---------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |------
D7 G
E------------5--------|-----------8--------|--6--7--------------------7-----|-------------
C---------6-----6-----|--------9-----9-----|--------7-----------7--------7--|-------------
A------6-----------6--|-----9-----------9--|-----------7-----7--------------|-------------
G---5-----------------|--8-----------------|--------------7-----------------|-------------
E---------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|-------------
C---------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|-------------
Before his career as a guitar designer, pioneering inventor, recording genius and purveyor
of bland, 50's pop tunes, Les Paul played astoundingly original swing guitar. His influence
on string instrument players is immense. Few players convey a sense of out-and-out fun in
their playing the way Les does.
Here's a simple ending lick:
E------------------------------------|--------------3--|----------------------------------
C------------------------------------|-----------4-----|----------------------------------
A------------------------------------|--------5--------|----------------------------------
G------------------------------------|--3--4-----------|----------------------------------
E------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------------------------
C------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------------------------
You hear this one a lot from Django Reinhardt, Les Paul and even Joe Pass:
F
E------------------------------------------10--8--7--8--|------------------13--| |---------
C-----------------------------10--9--8--9---------------|--------------14------| |---------
A----------------10--8--7--8----------------------------|----------15----------| |---------
G-------------------------------------------------------|--13--14--------------| |---------
E---10--8--7--8-----------------------------------------|----------------------| |---------
C-------------------------------------------------------|----------------------| |---------
or this instead of the previous measure. F9 E9
E------4--5--4--5-----------------5----| |--------------7--5--|--------------6--4--|---------
C------------------5-----------5-------| |--------------------|--------------------|---------
A---------------------5----------------| |-----------7--------|-----------6--------|---------
G------------------------5-------------| |--------5-----------|--------4-----------|---------
E--------------------------------------| |--4--5--------------|--3--4--------------|---------
C--------------------------------------| |--------------------|--------------------|---------
Eb Some more Charlie Christian runs ...
E------------------------------| |-----------------------------|---------------------------
C------------------------7-----| |-----------------------------|---------------------------
A---------------6-----6-----6--| |-----------------------------|---------------------------
G---------3--5-----5-----------| |-----------------------------|---------------------------
E---2--3-----------------------| |-----------------------------|---------------------------
C------------------------------| |-----------------------------|---------------------------
C7
E---------------------------------| |--12--10-------------------| |-------------------------
C------------------7--------------| |----------10---------------| |-------------------------
A---------------7-----7-----------| |--------------10--7--------| |-------------------------
G------------7-----------7-----7--| |---------------------7-----| |-------------------------
E---------6-----------------6-----| |------------------------6--| |-------------------------
C---------------------------------| |---------------------------| |-------------------------
C13 (or Gm7 C7) A6 C13
E---------------5-----| |--8--9--12--10--8--9-----------| |--6--5-----------------| |--------
C------------5-----7--| |----------------------9-----9--| |--------7--------------| |--------
A---------5-----------| |-------------------------9-----| |-----------8--7--------| |--------
G---------------------| |-------------------------------| |-----------------7-----| |--------
E------3--------------| |-------------------------------| |--------------------6--| |--------
C---3-----------------| |-------------------------------| |-----------------------| |--------
----------------------
G13 Long Grace note gliss
E------------------------------------5--9--------------| |---------------------------------
C---------------------------------5--------9--------7--| |---------------------------------
A---------2--------------------5--------------8--------| |---------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------7-----| |---------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------
C------------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------
Django used the chromatic scale a lot in his playing. I don't use it much but
here's a bar pattern that works nicely over a 9th chord.
C9
E------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------
C------------------------------------5--6--7-----| |---------------------------------------
A------------------------4--5--6--7--------------| |---------------------------------------
G------------2--3--4--5--------------------------| |---------------------------------------
E------3--4--------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------
C------------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------
This run came from Jerry Byrd's version of "Pagan Love Song" on an old LP called
"On the Shores of Waikiki". It works really well as a swing run.
Pick-up A6 A6
E---|-----------|-----9--8--7--5--3--5--7--8--9-----|-----9--9--9--9-----|----------------
C---|-----9-----|-----9--8--7--5--3--5--7--8--9--9--|-----9--9--9--9--9--|----------------
A---|-----9-----|--------------------------------9--|-----------------9--|----------------
G---|-----------|-----9--8--7--4--2-----7--8--9-----|-----9--9--9--9-----|----------------
E---|-----9-----|--------------------4-----------9--|-----------------9--|----------------
C---|-----------|-----------------------------------|--------------------|----------------
D9 A6
E----------12----------12----------12--|--9--------------| |-------------------------------
C------12--12--14--12--12--14--12--12--|--9--9-----------| |-------------------------------
A------12--12--14--12--12--14--12--12--|--9--9--9--------| |-------------------------------
G------12------14--12------14--12------|--------9--9-----| |-------------------------------
E--------------------------------------|-----------9--9--| |-------------------------------
C--------------------------------------|--------------9--| |-------------------------------
Here are a few runs I've transcribed from the playing of Joaquin Murphy. His playing
still leaves me with my jaw on the floor. He was so creative and had such incredible
drive. When you hear the live radio transcriptions, You can hear both the band and
the audience collectively hold on to their hats when it's his turn to solo. Again,
I know of no way to indicate in tab the propulsion and "zing" of Joaquin's playing.
Here's my lame attempt.
G7
E------------------------------|-----3--5-------3---------3--------|----------------
C------------------------------|------------4---------3---------2--|----------------
A------------------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------
G------------------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------
E------------------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------
C------------------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------
C A 1/2 fret glide down then block
E------0--3--0-----| |------------------------------------------------------------|--------
C---------------0--| |-----------9-----9-----10-----9-----------------------------|--------
A------------------| |-----9--------9-----9---------------------------------------|--------
G------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------|--------
E------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------|--------
C------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------|--------
E Heavy vibrato
E------------3--4-----------------4-----------------------------------| |------------------
C---------4--------4--------4--4-----4--------3--4--------------------| |------------------
A---2--4--------------4-----------------4-----3--4--4-----------------| |------------------
G------------------------4-----------------4--------4-----------------| |------------------
E---------------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------
C---------------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------
Ab9
E---------6--------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------
C------6-----------------6-----3-----------| |---------------------------------------------
A------------6--6-----6-----4--------4-----| |---------------------------------------------
G---------------------------------4-----3--| |---------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------
C------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------------------
The Steel Guitar Forum
posted 01 August 2001 08:13 PM
