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RE: Happy, What Do I Play While Singing Sugar Babe

tobywalker — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:48:06 GMT

Hi Homer,

I think Happy's answer was certainly instructive. I agree that playing the same arrangement over and over, especially during the vocals could possibly weaken the inherent beauty of it through repetition.

If I may, I'd like to offer a little something else you could try to round out the overall song. In the beginning, play the arrangement without the vocals as an introduction. Then play one of the accompaniments as Happy suggested while you're singing the verses. For a break, challenge yourself by coming up with an interesting variation on the arrangement you played in the beginning. I think that would be a pretty neat way to not only play the tune but to pay homage to those great masters who inspired us.

Best,

Toby Walker

RE: Happy, What Do I Play While Singing Sugar Babe

Alex — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:38:01 GMT

This is a very good question and a very good answer.

I have been working on a number of tunes from the various fingerpicking DVD's. While fingerpicking the tunes was coming along nicely to try to sing them while fingerpicking them was not. Recently I have been working on Deep River Blues, Cocaine Blues and Make Me a Pallet on the floor. A couple weeks ago I hatched a plan where I followed Happy's lead on his DVD's when he said "in case you are not familiar with the tune I will sing you a couple of versus" - so I started to think I will back off the exact tab and loosely play it while singing it, play the exact tab as a break and then maybe after learning it this way add more of the tab detail. In short just like the songs are laid out in the Blues Bag Book and of course the Blues Bag DVD.

Why I did not realize this as the way it should be done or why I didn't ask such a question sooner I do not know.

My direction is much clearer now.

Perhaps this topic could make it into the quicklicks .

Alex

RE: Happy, What Do I Play While Singing Sugar Babe

Happy Traum — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:52:02 GMT

Hi Homer,

There are a few different approaches you can take when accompanying a song like "Sugar Babe." The easiest - and a very effective one - is to simply play a bass/chord rhythm while singing, changing chords (of course) in the right places. You can add little hammer-ons in appropriate places to make it more interesting, like on the E chord - 3rd string, 1st fret - just before you sing "It's all over now."

If you want to get a little fancier, you can try an alternating bass thumb pattern with some higher notes played here and there. This is hard to explain, but it's in between actually playing the melody and just playing chords. You don't need all the melody notes because you're singing them, but you might want to punctuate some of the notes you song with your guitar. The bass keeps the beat throughout.

You can try pattern picking, which might work for you, or you can sing while picking the full melody. This works okay sometimes, but I don't do it because I want to instrumental melody - played when I'm NOT singing - to stand out as an instrumental break. Otherwise, it all sounds the same and can get boring.

I hope this helps shed a little light.

Happy, What Do I Play While Singing Sugar Babe

Geoffrey Marshall — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:10:08 GMT

Hi Happy...I am learning Sugar Babe from the Complete Guide to Fingerpicking. I think I'm doing okay, but, my question is, while singing, what should I play? It's hard to tell what you are playing on the recorded lesson. Is it a case of pattern picking or maybe a simplified version of the break?

Thanks for your help.

Homer.