Doug

Hi Everyone,

I was listening to the radio the other day and they played the song "Whispering Pines" by the band. Hadn't heard it in a long time. It was written in ~1968 by Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson. On this youtube clip from their, hmm, what's the word?, eponymous album (whatever - it's their Brown album), it is sung by Richard and Levon Helm (I think - it might be Rick Danko, not sure).



It's a stunningly beautiful song. The lyrics are so full of loss and heartbreak. But there seems to be a positive, uplifting aspect to it as well.
"With you in sight, the lost are found"

http://www.lyricsfre...s_20012336.html

The chord changes are interesting and not a normal I IV V progression. Cmaj7 to Em to Am with a descending bass line of G to F (which makes it an Fmaj7) then this really cool Bb to G7. Who knew that Bb to G7 could have a feeling of such resolution?

Then this really cool run up with Eb to Abmaj7 (what key is that?) down to a Cm and then a gorgeous lift to Cmaj7. It's almost classical. And that lift of the minor to the major is sooo beautiful.

The Band was pretty cool - if you haven't seen it, you have to watch "The Last Waltz". It was (ostensibly) their final concert. It had Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Dr John, Ringo, Emmy-lou Harris, Muddy Waters, etc. The best rock movie ever made. In the finale, everyone is on stage and they are singing Dylan's "I will be released". There's this really awkward moment when no-one knows who is going to sing the next verse, when this haunting falsetto voice starts to sing. It's Richard Manuel and he's hidden behind everyone. Martin Scorcese's camera man tries in vane to find the singer. I think it epitomizes Richard Manuel.

Anyway, beautiful song...

-Doug

This musical cliche is found in lots of music (it's in stairway to heaven for example) but is most typical of Latin style music.
It's not difficult to do and is kind of fun. It's an easy way to embellish a minor chord once you've got it mastered.

It starts with a minor chord - in the easy example it would be an Em shape minor chord - the video has that up at the 5th fret making it a Am. Chromatic descending line is on the 4th string - starts at the root note (A), drops a half tone (making the chord Am maj7), the drops another half tone making the chord a Am7.

With apologies to Leonard.
Hope you enjoy - pretty laid back.

I've been playing with this song for literally years. Here's the latest version. Hope you like it. You get to see me play live .

Coca the dog is not too impressed (bottom corner near beginning - she vacates fairly soon - everyone's a critic it seems).

-Doug

I just found out something the other day in regards to tuning a guitar. It is better to err on the side of being a bit sharp rather than flat. Of course, it's best to tune dead on, but if you can't, be sharp.

Apparently _everyone_ can hear it if you're flat - but only a few will notice if you're sharp.

Actually, horn players often tune sharp so that their solos will cut through the mix better.

-Doug