Free JOAQUIN solo for C6th- 6, 8 or 10 string

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 24 Sep 2004 8:02 am

FREE TRANSCRIPTION: From the "Spadella" CD, here is Joaquin's incredible solo on "You Can't Break My Heart" in the key of Ab. (The hammer/pull in bar 4 is our clue). This solo can be played on ANY steel- 6 string lap, 8 string or 10 string pedal...tuning is CEGACE low to high.
It is in .pdf format with notation, chord symbols, and tab. Enjoy!
http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

[This message was edited by John McGann on 24 September 2004 at 09:15 AM.]

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 24 Sep 2004 9:41 am

Looks pretty good. I hope Canada Post hurries up with my book, I've got a lot of Joaquining to do.

(By the way, my girlfriend asked how he got the name "Joaquin". Does anyone know the story?)

Bob Stone · Post by **Bob Stone** » 24 Sep 2004 9:46 am

I don't want to spoil the surprise about how Joaquin got his moniker. It's in the book...

You're going to love it.

Best,

Bob

Jeff Strouse · Post by **Jeff Strouse** » 24 Sep 2004 9:56 am

Mahalo, John!

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 24 Sep 2004 10:09 am

Mahalo â nui, Jeff, happy to spread the word!

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

Joaquin Murphey solos book info and some free stuff : <A HREF="http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

" TARGET=_blank>http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

</A>

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 24 Sep 2004 10:36 am

Thanks Scott...yeah, for those of us who "think notes" as well as positions, it adds a welcome layer to the tablature.

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 30 Sep 2004 7:00 pm

I got my Joaquin book yesterday. PHEW... looks like it's time to feel like a clumsy, ham-fisted monkey again.

I've got a question about the "You Can't Break My Heart" tab:

In the 13th measure (or 12th-- do you count from the first complete bar?) there is a very quick little run up from the Db chord into the Bb (it goes Bb-D-F-Ab) over frets 6,7,8.

I would take the laziest route and play that with a slant over those 3 frets.

But after reading in your book about Joaquin's warp-speed bar hand, do you think he bar-tipped each of those notes separately?

If so, I'm a little scared.
[This message was edited by Dwayne Martineau on 30 September 2004 at 08:01 PM.]

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 1 Oct 2004 8:19 am

Good question, and I had to ponder that for awhile myself- as you can hear, it is FAST, and getting the pitches was tough. I used my digital slowdown thingamajig to try and better hear the pitches, and I came up with that Bb triad. That would be the logical place to play it (in terms of what comes before and after).

I see it as a slant, but I also know Joaquin tipped the bar for single note stuff. I reckon he was a real quick draw with the bar, and could have done it either way.

I wouldn't sweat it too much, though- you could play those pitches as muted strings and get almost the same effect, which is to rip into Ab 1st note of the next bar.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

Joaquin Murphey solos book info and some free stuff : <A HREF="http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

" TARGET=_blank>http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

</A> [This message was edited by John McGann on 01 October 2004 at 09:21 AM.]

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 1 Oct 2004 9:46 am

Thanks for the reply.

I was trying, just as an exercise, to pick those notes as clean and separate as possible by slanting AND tipping the bar (the slanting just comes naturally when moving so quickly up the frets).

I discovered that I can crosspick single notes like that faster than I thought I could, but how Joaquin could *rip* those notes so CLEAN and fast, whether he was picking or thumb-raking, is just staggering.

Do you know if he had any special techique for blocking those single notes when moving up the strings like that? Or just the same old finger, pick, and palm-blocking (that I obviously have to practice more)?

Anyway, regardless of nit-picking his techniques, the bottom line is that these solos are already pushing the limits of what I can do, so thanks for that.

I can't wait for your Speedy West book (hint... hint... hint)!

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 1 Oct 2004 10:02 am

Can't say for sure technique-wise, other than he's clean as a whistle and swings like crazy- and the content of his lines is so incredibly hip. His playing just brings real joy. I am learning so much about the steel from working with his music; this is a real education for me!

As far as a Speedy book goes- I kind of doubt it, he had an unusual pedal setup, and the SOUNDS that he makes defy notation (other than "bar slam here" and "tone pot swell here")...not to mention the SPIRIT with which he plays!

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

Joaquin Murphey solos book info and some free stuff : <A HREF="http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

" TARGET=_blank>http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

</A>

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 1 Oct 2004 1:10 pm

Lee Jeffreiss told me he spent several hours watching Joaquin play and that he never saw his hand come down to palm block so it apprears he was a natural pick blocker. When you look at some of the tabs on paper you might think: "Well, that doesn't look so complicated." But when you hear the recording and realize the speed at which he played and the incredible drive and phrasing he had his gifts become all too apparent to the rest of us mortals. In my book (no pun intended) he's right up there with the greatest improvisers of the 20th century.

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 10 Oct 2004 11:18 pm

John, i have a question about the book. I was about to buy it and noticed the description (at Scotty's?) says somehing about tab only, no notation. Is that true, or are the notes written out too?

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 11 Oct 2004 5:32 am

Totally wrong, tab AND notation included, see a sample page at http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

I notified Scotty's about it, I'm sure it was just an oversight. The cover states "Fully notated in standard notation and tablature". Since as a player, I need to know what the notes and chords are in order to relate to the instrument, I prefer to transcribe and notate that way. No harm done to tab-only readers, and those that do read notes get the big picture.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

Joaquin Murphey solos book info and some free stuff : <A HREF="http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

" TARGET=_blank>http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

</A> [This message was edited by John McGann on 11 October 2004 at 06:38 AM.]

Tony Harris · Post by **Tony Harris** » 11 Oct 2004 7:51 am

John, I've just listened to Joaquin's "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" from your website and I'm knocked out! The band are kickin', and the steel is fabulous! Those block chords playing the melody, a diminished chord in there too (I think) and a "boo-wah" - all in the first line! Any chance of the tab for that first line...? Thanks.

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 11 Oct 2004 1:19 pm

Tony- don't hold your breath, but I will try to crack this code when time allows. I am really intrigued to figure out what tuning he's using (must be "tune every string to E- less bar movement!")

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

Joaquin Murphey solos book info and some free stuff : <A HREF="http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

" TARGET=_blank>http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

</A>

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 11 Oct 2004 2:53 pm

According to Lee Jeffriess, by the mid-50's Murph was pretty much using the C6/A9 tuning, high to low:

<pre>1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
G E C A G E C# B (pitched between strings 3 and 4)</pre>

This would be the time period that "Anything" was cut. I remember Spade's TV shows, they were big in Los Angeles.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 11 October 2004 at 03:54 PM.][This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 11 October 2004 at 03:56 PM.]

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 11 Oct 2004 9:34 pm

Yup, that's the tuning, though I've taken the lazy man's route and kept the low A instead of the high string B-string. Works pretty well that way too.