Acoustic Delta Blues Moves - Page 7

by Jim Burger The passage below comes from a Son House tune called "Downhearted Blues," and I've heard him use a lot of these moves in other tunes, as well. This one should be a snap to pick up, it's actually a lot easier than Pony Blues. Here we're not looking so much for an attacking bass line, but pay attention to the tasteful use of E7 chord fingerings. Very simple, but it sounds sweet when Son plays it (especially when he's singing over it with that gritty voice). By the way, the little alternating bass in bars 5-6 is really my touch, I don't think Son played it that way, but I do.