Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

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Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby Pickin Palmer » Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:28 am

Can any of you that can actually play the Gallopin’ (on the) Guitar lick – remember when you were first trying to work it out???? This is one of those “licks” that I seem to go back to every now and then – when I think I might have “practiced” my way into good enough form to tackle this little 3 note/2 (right) fanger lick. WRONG!!!

My initial assumption is kinda like when we first practiced our basic “alternating thumb stroke” – you have to do it until it becomes a “learned behavior” rather than “thinking our way through it.” Is that what you guys found?

For those of you that would like to work on this with me – here’s my educated guess on two versions of the basic lick… the first from Chet’s record of it – and, the second being the lick from Paul Yandell’s Fingerstyle Legacy tab book (GREAT RESOURCE and it shows LEFT and RIGHT HAND fingering which most tab books don’t!)

Chet's

----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------5(i)----------7--------5--------------
-------------7(p)------------------------------------------------7---
--0(p)--7(i)------0(i)---7(p)-----0--7-----0--7-----0--7------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Paul's

----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------5(i)----------7--------5-----------------
-------------7(p)------------------------------------------------7--------
--0(p)--4(i)------0(i)---4(p)-----0--4-----0--4-----0--4------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Whichever you chose to use, my complication is that the lick is actually just several THREE note sub-licks - but, only using TWO right hand fingers. Which means that you must alternate the finger you start each sub-lick on that open D string each time. (Pick) the first time - (Index) the second time - which, of curse, means you "end up" the last note with that same finger.

Palmer's "step one" practice assumption: I figured to just get that uncomfortable 3/2 right hand pattern out of the way by just whackin' those first 3 notes over and over and over, again.... I found Paul's left hand pattern a tad easier than Chet's, soooo I used it:

-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------7(p)-----------------7(i)---------------
--0(p)--4(i)------0(i)---4(p)----------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------

Which, depending on the amount of sleep I got the night before, I could actually get pretty good... (Try this little devil! See what I mean?) But, as soon as I try adding the notes on the B string - it becomes much more difficult. Even if I just increment my practice session to include the second riff:

--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------5(i)--------------------------
--------------7(p)-------------------------------------------
--0(p)--4(i)---------0(i)---4(p)-------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------

Anybody else got any suggestions on how to better practice this GEM??

Palmer
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby Paul Rauch » Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:00 am

Dick Vargo showed me how to play that song about forty years ago. Unfortunately, I can't remember how to do it anymore. Maybe you can get in contact with him.
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby Paul Yandell » Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:17 pm

Hi Guys, I use my thumb and 1st finger to play that I play it in both positins Chet just used his thumbpick when he recorded it I know it's hard to believe but there is only one Chet, in regard to the HOF tribute Micah saw a billboard along the interstate today about it so they have started the buzz about it, thanks paul
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby LMark » Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:59 pm

Palmer, here's a link that might help a little. Good to see you "out and about" Paul. Mark
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1161
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby PhilHunt » Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:42 pm

Palmer, If you want accurate tab to Gallopin' ....email me and I can send it to you.
guitarphil04@aol.com

Phil
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby Pickin Palmer » Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:33 pm

Thanks for all the feedback, fellas. It's nice to know I'm not the only half-fast Chet picker out here strugglin' with the Master's licks:

Paul Rauch - Vargo came up to Columbus from Fla to play solo (well, with his Band-in-da-Box) at his granddaughter's wedding the week we were all at the Chet convention in Nashville a week or so ago. He borrowed my ol' MusicMan amp - and, left none of his licks in it. LOL Actually, Rich plays the GG lick with THREE right hand fingers - same notes - different sound n' feel... He's a keeper, though, Paul... lol

Paul Yandell - thanks for your participation and invaluable personal insight - I forgot you mentioned before that Chet actually just used his thumbpick when he recorded that tune. (I don't have enough time left on this earth to try learning "double pickin" my tp!) Interesting and what a show of Chet's mastery over the guitar by being able to use two fingers when he played with you and Mark O on that TV show. BTW, Paul, I know I go overboard bragging about your Fingerstyle Legacy tab book, but it is one of the top ten tab books ever written - until you get to the last section called "A Lesson with Paul" - and, that puts that book at number ONE "in my humble opinion!" We should all have those licks tattooed to our forearms...

Mark Bruffey - thanks for the link to that TV spot. Like sooooo many (and, toooo many) things I'm starting to forget - I had seen that before - but never with this much intensity. A couple things that it points out, to me: He "chose" to use the "2 finger" right hand pickin' pattern on that performance - and, he made the "first" 3 note lick easier for me to play because instead of changing to the B string - he just continued working it up the G strang.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------7--------------9-------------11-------------9------------7----
--0-----7---------0-----7-------0----7---------0----7-------0----7---------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOWEVER, I find it "revealing" that even Chet struggled (a bit - a TINY bit - one little "dint") with the 4 chord lick when he had to move the melody up to the B string - but, it looked like he did it exactly the way Paul Y tabbed it up: (this is quite the "stretch" for me - not as bad as the Cascade strtech - but, a bit beyond comfortable)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------5------------6----------5------------------
--------------7----------------------------------------------------7----
--0-----3---------0-----3-------0----3-----0----3-----0----3---------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

And, even though Chet's initial 1 chord lick (now that I've seen him do it) is easier to play - it leaves me out of position for that 4 chord lick... which I can use all the help I can get to stretch that baby out. Already having my hand in the same position (as Paul's suggestion allows) is going to be the choice of "pain" for me. LOL

Phil - looking forward to receiving that tab...

A big thanks, again, to you all for your input. To me this is what "lovin' Chet" is all about - "pain." The mental pain of trying to figger out his licks with this limited amount of talent. The physical pain of trying to "stretch" as far as he could. The pain of humiliation not being able to play even one of his single line riffs - even after 20 years of trying. And, the emotional pain of never being able to see him play in person ever again.

Palmer
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby LeeRamirez » Thu Aug 18, 2011 6:56 pm

Palmer, thanks for initiating the thread on Gallopin'. I play it as in your last examples. The 4th chord example you showed makes the lazy ring fanger on the left hand wake up a little. Which is a good thing. Still...I hear other sound(s) in the lick that I'm still trying to figure out. Some day... Keep on pickin', Palmer. Lee "crooked fingers" Ramirez.
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby Pickin Palmer » Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:44 am

Thanks for your input, Lee. I'm sure you can play it well. It's coming along quite well with me - well, except the 4 chord stretch - which is hit or miss...

I start out by just practicing the first 3 notes of the 1 chord lick over and over to get the thumb/first fanger syncopation trick to feel comfortable - which happens right away.

-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------7(p)-----------------7(i)---------------
--0(p)--4(i)------0(i)---4(p)----------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------

Then, I add the rest of the 1 chord lick - over and over. Then, (when I can resist the urge to "just play the damned thang") - I move to "practicing" the first three notes of the 4 chord lick - over and over: (I'm using my first and pinky to grab the 3rd fret and 7th fret, Lee.)

-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------7(p)-----------------7(i)---------------
--0(p)--3(i)------0(i)---3(p)----------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------

I have a devil of a time leaving my left hand fingers in place on this - thus, making that "stretch." I find it's easier to kind of "roll" my hand up to the 7th fret after the 3rd... It's coming along, but full in "dints." Then, I move on to practicing the full 4 chord lick:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------5------------6----------5------------------
--------------7----------------------------------------------------7----
--0-----3---------0-----3-------0----3-----0----3-----0----3---------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I hear other sound(s) in the lick"

Yea, me, too. I'm not sure that Chet actually finished each lick with all three notes. I think sometimes he did and other times he just grabbed that 7th on the G string after the 5th on the B... without the two notes in between. Dunno... Dudn't matter... It's fun just trying....
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Re: Gallopin Guitar Lick - HELP!

Postby RonHaft » Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:18 am

Hey Palmer, if you haven't already received enough help and suggestions, John McClellan has that tune in Vol 2 of Chet in Three Dimensions. Maybe it's also in the new 6 DVD set he released with the same name? Other than Paul Y and John K, I can't think of a better source for what, how and why Chet did.......whatever!
KOP
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