On The Beat - Episode 816 - Weekly Guitar Video News Wrap Up August 8, 2025
August 8, 2025
A lot of loose ends got wrapped up for me this week, well, at least a couple. The biggest was finishing up a lesson on the solo version of Itchycoo Park. The next was the plans for our next TG Live. It is coming along nicely now and I have a plan that will include attachments that everybody who registers will get in advance. The idea is BYG (Bring Your Guitar), and have it in hand as we delve into some James Taylor songs from his 1970 album Sweet Baby James. I may get to as many as eight of them briefly, with deeper dives into a couple. So I encourage you to listen to it a few times as well to get the songs in your head.
One song in particular led me to topics in today's Update - Steamroller Blues. First, it is a 12-bar blues tune in E (actually in G because he puts a capo at the third fret. I realize a lot of guitar players don't have a clear idea of that form. I used a popular Johnny Cash tune as a perfect example.
The second connection to things happening around here is that it is also an example of a Country Blues tune. I took the opportunity to talk about the acoustic origins of the style and play snippets of some Rev. Gary Davis tunes like Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning and Sally Where'd You Get Your Liquor. There was a little Blind Blake in there as well.
If you are not on our email list, be sure to visit us at TotallyGuitars.com and sign up for a free account to get the messages about out James Taylor TG Live event - Saturday August 16 at 11:00 Pacific Time.
Neil