Help with scales.

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

Some years ago forum member Craig Prior gave me a copy of his transcription of Singing The Blues, the old Sol Ho’opi’i steel solo. In this case I think it came from Ben Bonham’s rendition which is pretty much note-for-note Sol. It’s a wonderful piece of music but, as most of you know, playing from tabs requires either a photographic memory or a music stand. I’ve been looking at this from the scales that can be used to improv. over the chords which by the measure go:
F G C C
G7 G7 C C
E7 E7 A7 A7
D7 D7 G7 G7
F G7 C C
A7 A7 Dm-A7 Dm
F Aflat C A7
D7 G7 C C
In the first 20 bars I think I see scales C, A, G and back to C. At the A7 (21) it gets a bit complicated. What can I do from a scale perspective from this point? Or perhaps there are other ways to look at improv.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Sol's version is based on Bix Beiderbecke's version, which is the definitive version. The key of the Bix version is Eb. Sol's recording sounds somewhere between D and Eb, but if you listen carefully you can hear 2 instances of him using open E strings (strings 1 and 4), so that would make the key of D most likely correct.

The correct chords are (for the key of D):

/Em7.../A7.../D.../..../Em7.../A7.../D.../..../

/F#7.../..../B7.../..../E7.../..../A7.../..../

/Em7.../A7.../D.../..../Ebdim.../..../Em7.A7./
/Em.../G6.../G#dim.../D.../B7.../E7.../A7.../
/D.../..../

As far as improvising over those changes, the way I would approach it would be first, to listen to Bix Beiderbecke's version and learn his solo and Frankie Trumbauer's solo (Jimmy Dorsey has a little clarinet solo, too).

Second, I would look at the chord structure of the tune. Em7 A7 and D are all diatonic to the key of D. With the A7 chord, you can use other notes to expand the harmony, the likeliest of which would be the inclusion of F natural (really E#, because it is the augmented 5th), which makes it an A7+ chord. Very, very common in this style. I would focus on using chord tones rather than scales. Chord tones will give you an immediate connection to the harmony and allow you to build melodies right away.

Third, if you choose to use chord scales, then you have to understand how to deal with dominant 7th chords. For most of these chords, a simple Mixolydian scale will work. For example, for F#7, focus on notes from the F# mixolydian scale (5th mode of the B major scale) F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#.

I like to use a lot of chromatic passing tones, so I would probably play a sequence like this in eighth notes, phrasing it so that it ends on the proper downbeat:

(over F#7)
G# A A# A G# F# F E D# D C#
(over B7)
G# G F# F E D# D C# B

(The bold notes are scale tones, the italics are passing tones. In the chord sequence F#7 > B7 > E7 > A7, you'll notice that if you play each chord's mixolydian scale, the scale from one to next only differs in 1 note. From F# mix to B mix, the difference is A# becomes A. From B mix to E mix, D# becomes D. From E mix to A mix, G# becomes G.)

Again, I would like to say that the first and second steps are highly recommended before you really start getting too deep into the scale stuff. Just play simple melodies that work with the chord tones.
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David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

Thanks Mike for that prompt and thorough response. You have given me lots to work with. The tab I have is written for low bass G tuning, hense the key of C. I probably will not go to D, but I don't see why I can't transpose what you have suggested. In the 1920s when Sol recorded Singing the Blues I would have thought he was still using an A tuning. The positions certainly feel right. I just dug out the Bix version on a pristine CD I bought way back in the 1980s. In fact it could be the first CD I ever bought. Top stuff!
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.

Josh Cho · From: New York, NY (orig. Honolulu, HI)

Mike Neer · From: NJ

David, I'm certain Sol used the A tuning on this recording, although I can't help but wonder if he didn't somehow use a capoing device of some kind, or tune it up even higher. The reason I say that is I believe Sol's recording suffers from a mismatch of recording/playback speed when the 78 was pressed--just the opposite of what happened with Robert Johnson recordings. Sol's record sounds slowed down to me.

The only prominent player I know of who used the G tuning is Bob Brozman, and he influenced a lot of players to use it. But before him, I'm not aware of any players using that tuning for Hawaiian style.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

Josh, thanks for your reply. I’m a big Lang/Venuti fan too. I found those comments on Youtube interesting; there’s 23 pages to go through! Nice to know good music is still appreciated.
Mike, I found Sol’s recording to be sharp also; it has to be recording or play back issue. In the Bix version I definitely hear the minor at the start, but to my ear Sol is playing a major. Not that this is big issue; I can just imagine players back then trying to pick up tunes off wind-up Victrolas. We know that’s what Django had to do. As far as tuning G or A goes; I think G is just kinder on your instrument. With the steel guitar and the ukulele I see the higher tunings were popular back then; I’m thinking for cutting power in an unamplified era. It is interesting that you say “before Bob Brozman.” I have followed his career reasonably well, and when I think about it I can’t remember anyone else championing the acoustic Hawaiian guitar in the late sixties and early seventies. It seems the electric guitar had killed off the acoustic instrument and the old A tuning. Those were the days of cheap pawnshop-guitar finds and the beginning of the 78 RPM record collecting that provided so many wonderful reissues. Aloha.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

ah, Singing the Blues.

God, I love that song.

As an aside: for those who don't know, Bix's solo is considered the first time that anyone soloed on record, at least on a jazz recording, and thus it is the first true jazz recording made, if you think of jazz as an improvisatory art form. . It is incredible to think that this recording came BEFORE the Louis Armstrong Hot 5 recordings. All of the Bix/Tram recordings are excellent: incredible recording quality and the music is amazing even to this day. I find myself humming Bix's solo often just walking down the street. Probably my most singular favorite recording every done.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Where you would play Em7 on the Bix recording, G6 is used on Sol's recording. Also, they avoid the diminished chords on Sol's version. Not quite as sophisticated, but a nice nod to Bix.
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James Carter · From: New Zealand

grady martin plays a great solo on guitar of singing the blues on his album
hot time tonight worth a listen

James Carter · From: New Zealand

sorry i made a mistake on my last item The grady martin solo is on the album
powerhouse dance party .It's listed as singing the blues till my daddy comes
homeand is the tune being discussed.the other tune is a much later one and was
a big hit for guy mitchell back in the sixties.

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