Topic: Seminal Influences - Imitation
The influence of a seminal recording of "Come by Here" or "Kumbaya" can be seen in several ways. In the most obvious, a musician simply copies a performance note by note. This, after all, is how one learns the craft. All that’s changed in the last century is technology: Lightnin’ Hopkins was able to watch Blind Lemon Jefferson play in Texas, while those who learned after Hopkins and Jefferson died could only listen to their recordings. [1]
Later, musicians who had absorbed older performances, transcribed them. Their tablatures used six lines to represent the six strings on a guitar with numbers of the frets to indicate which chords were used. Other symbols were added to indicate rhythm and musical attributes, much like they were on musical staffs. Tyros still needed to hear a recording to grasp the style.
YouTube has restored the visual dimension that existed when one was watching a performer or had an instructor. Carl Bludts probably learned to play guitar from recordings, but now, using the name Daddy Stovepipe, he sells his tab books and uploads videos that illustrate the more difficult parts.
His two videos of "Needed Time" assumed a student already had studied his tab book. In the first one he played a line, then replayed part of it to illustrate how to hammer a string or slide a finger between chords. At the end, he replayed the first section slowly while singing a verse so the viewer could coordinate the two.
The second video was devoted to the instrumental break. At one point he repeated a section so the student could see how he damped the strings with his right hand. In another, he showed how he quickly moved his left rapidly between a chord high on the neck and one lower down.
Bludts’ pedagogical skill becomes obvious when his tab is compared with one produced by Eric Gombart. The latter’s rendition of Eric Bibb’s version added a transcription of the notes on the G-clef and the images of the chords. While this was useful information, it made the tab itself harder to read by a beginner. [2]
Bibb’s accompanying DVD had two videos of "Needed Time." One showed both hands playing the guitar, and the other used a split screen with close-ups of each hand. Again this was very good, but with no comments on technique it was up to the viewer to recognize things like hammering and damping.
Country Blues suggested Bloudts’ importance by noting his website was viewed 3,000 times a day. [3] A more important measure is the videos posted by individuals who indicated they had learned "Needed Time" from him.
In one, a young man who called himself bostonteabagger had mastered most of Bludts’ arrangement but still had problems with small sections which he played a tad slower as he concentrated on them. Sometimes the tension in his left hand or a furrow in his brow indicated he still wasn’t completely sure of himself.
In another a teenager calling himself oggendoggen admitted he’s still learning, but "it’s getting better." He turned his head from side to side as he concentrated on one hand or the other, but only betrayed his difficult passages with facial grimaces.
Both were able to maintained the rhythm, but neither attempted to sing as he played.
Performers
Vocal Soloist: Carl Bludts
Vocal Group: none
Instrumental Soloist: Carl Bludts, acoustic guitar
Rhythm Accompaniment: none
Credits
Tab book: Lightnin’ Hopkins arranged by DaddyStovePipe.
Notes on Lyrics
In the first video, Bludts sang one verse with the lines "needed time" and "Jesus will you come by here."
Notes on Music
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: quarter note = 116 beats per minute
Tuning: standard
Key Signature: E
Guitar Chords: E-A-B7
Basic Structure: verse and break
Notes on Performance
Occasion: the camera was aimed at his hands, and showed nothing more. One reviewer noted "videos are professionally produced, with good lighting and clear sound." [4]
Clothing: tan slacks and ivory-colored mock turtle-neck shirt, with brown overshirt.
Notes on Movement
His left hand was on the neck of the guitar and his right over the sound hole, with the instrument resting on his right thigh. In the first lesson, his left knee moved up and down to mark the rhythm.
Audience Perceptions
Bludts must have monitored the comments he received on YouTube. One person wrote:
"One note: i was a little confused at first because flor some reason your your fret marker is on the 10th fret instead of the 9th ...you might want to mention this." [5]
The second video now appears with an added display box that says:
"I’m playing an old Supertone from the 1920ies. It has a FRETMARKER ON THE 10th FRET instead of the more current place, the 9th fret."
Notes on Performers
These two videos and his website provided no information about Bludts. A website it linked to indicated he was a "retired shopkeeper in Belgium," and more specifically that he was Flemish. [6]
His nom de plume was used by Johnny Watson who played guitar in a number of styles, from mariachi to cajun. Wikipedia said the Mobile-born African American "may have been the earliest-born blues performer to record." [7]
Availability
Daddy Stovepipe
Tab book: Lesson Pack TABS Volume 1, Part 1. PDF sold by his website.
YouTube: Guitar Lesson 1. Uploaded by daddystovepipe on 3 January 2008.
YouTube: Guitar Lesson 2. Uploaded by daddystovepipe on 3 January 2008.
Adolescent Student
YouTube: uploaded by oggendoggen2 on 29 January 2009.
Young Male Student
YouTube: uploaded by bostonteabagger71739 on 25 October 2009.
End Notes
1. Lightnin’ Hopkins version was discussed in the posts for 21 August 2017 and 23 August 2017.
2. Eric Bibb. Guitar Tab Songbook, Volume 1. Tab and standard notations by Eric Gombart. DixieFrog DFGCD8778. 2015.
3. "Carl Bludts (daddystovepipe)". The Country Blues website.
4. Country Blues.
5. Joseph LeBlanc. Comment posted to Lesson 2 in 2012.
6. Country Blues.
7. Wikipedia. "Daddy Stovepipe."
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