Okay ...here's a challenge for you ... a steady alternating bass against a syncopated melody.
Blind Blake is a true "guitar hero." A superb studio back-up musician and great blues and ragtime oriented solo player/performer. Probably, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest guitarists of all times.

Rev. Gary Davis referred to Blake as a "Sportin' guitar player."

The tune is in the key of C, in standard guitar tuning. This ain't that easy ... and keeping the alternating bass going while synocpating the treble notes against the bass is a true challenge ... and this style of alternating bass fingerpicking is also exemplified in the fine playing of Mississippi John Hurt (and other early blues greats) ... historically leading to Merle Travis ... leading to Chet Atkins ... leading to Leo Kotke/Bruce Cogburn and other modern fingerpickers.

For the complete lyrics ... and to read a humorous and informative (I hope) article that I wrote about Blake's song, "Diddy Wah Diddy," check out:
http://www.hawkeyeherman.com/pdf/diddie_wa_diddie.pdf

This tune should keep you busy for awhile ... like always, start out slow ... pay attention to the bent notes and the slide note ... and pick up speed as you get better at playing this one ... 'cause Blind Blake plays this one quite fast.

Once again ... take your time ... and play it right.
Crawl before you walk ... walk before you run.

Hawkeye

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... and here's page 2 of Blind Blake's "Diddy Wah Diddy."

Keep pickin' and grinn'.

Hawkeye

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Cool, Hawkeye, thanks!

Blind Blake is to fingerpickers what Townes Van Zandt was to songwriters; what Bird was to alto sax players; what Art Tatum was to pianists; what Michael Jordan was/is to basketball players. . . an immediate "ego fix": as in, "Gee, I thought I was pretty good, BUT..."

I agree wholeheartedly. As I like to say, listening to Blind Blake makes me want to give up guitar forever. LOL

bukka,
You're most welcome.
Enjoy the challenge.
Cheers,
Hawkeye
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jazzmanchgo and tanta07,

Blind Blake is ... for all time ... a guitarist in a class by himself ... an acquaintance of mine, Lawrence Cohn, wrote superb book called, Nothin' Blue the Blues, in which he states:

"Blind Blake was one of the supreme blues guitarists and we are fortunate that he recorded so extensively, but he was also a consummate ragtime performer, highlighting an important strain that portrays blues from the Southeast as being distinct from other regions. One of the region's finest guitarists, who commenced a recording career a decade later than Blake, stated: "I ain't heard anybody on a record yet beat Blind Blake on guitar. I like Blake because he plays right sporty." "Sporty" is just right. Blake exhibits a panache, a stunning statement born of overwhelming technique and utter confidence. "Blind Arthur's Breakdown" (1929) will show what Reverand Blind Gary Davis meant by "sporty," but you can place your pin anywhere at random in Blake's discography and still come up with him at his best."

I think that paragraph expresses quite well what we are all trying to say ... Blind Blake was in a category all to himself.

Still ... it's fun to attempt to play his music ... which serves to place us all in a much bigger category ... Blake wannabees ... ... but there was only on Blind Blake.

Cheers,

Hawkeye

... and here's one of my favorite Paramount Records adverts for a Blind Bake recording.
Cheers,
Hawkeye

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... and here's one of my favorite Paramount Records adverts for a Blind Bake recording.
Cheers,
Hawkeye

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Hawkeye, thanks for posting these 'in the style of' tabs, they've been great fun to try even if I can't come anywhere near the originals, it's interesting to see the different styles.

I have to say Blind Blake is one of my all-time favourites -- his stuff would be on my desert island! I once learned Police Dog Blues to the point where it was recognisable ... except it was about a quarter of the correct speed Never had the patience to build the speed up, attention span of a goldfish

Cliff

blues cliff,

So glad you're enjoying the 'in the style of ... " posts.

I do a version of Blake's "Police Dog Blues" ... but rather than doing it in open D ... like Blake ... and Ry Cooder (on his LP "Into the Purple Valley) ... I worked it out in standard guitar tuning in the key of E. I don't know if that made it any easier ... or more difficult ... but it's still fun to (try to) play.

If you have any particular requsests for an "in the style of ..." post/lesson ... let me know.

Thanks for the message of approval.

Cheers,

Hawkeye