I’m working on Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out. I’m Using Paul Davids Youtube tutorial.
My daily player is a 110e. It gets played daily for at least two hours. It’s 2 years old now and it sounds great!
Hey UncleJeff,
Welcome to the forum. A certain not-so-little-person-anymore has been known to call me
'Grampa Don'. She's the only one who can get away with that.
Back to music. What key are you using for 'Down and Out'?
I'm using 'C'. Probably have to check out Paul Davids' vids at some point.
I've been kicking that dog around for a couple of years, but it's not where I want it to be. Yet.
Apologies since I don't mean to butt in, but you might find this interesting, and maybe even of some use to you. From my ramblings on this thread over this song for the last year or so, here's a collection of my notes and snippets for this one.
Please note that I wax and wane on a lot of things, often wherever my nose leads. And then I come back for another look when the spirit moves me. I also fingerpick everything using my nails as picks and usually work up my own arrangements.
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Not sure yet about "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out". Seems most modern versions only do a couple of the 4 ? verses, and I've been changing keys a bit to find one I like. So now on YouTube I'm listening to Bessie Smith sing it, and it sounds real good. Just found a version by a lady named Dixie Michell(e) who does it with her own solo guitar backing, in key of 'C'. Kind of nice uncomplicated accompaniment, so I'll try that next. Sounds very nice on her 6 string, but I'll probably muck around a bit on a 12 string with it. Then start over with the lyrics. This one may be a while unless I do a deep dive.
Most times the journey is more than half the fun, even if it's just around the block.
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January 26, 2021, 11:39:30 PM »
One more note on this. Because it's been the dry indoor season (winter radiators) in New England for a week (15% indoor RH as I write this), I have done all my prep work for this on my laminate B&S EJ-200, and I have a new appreciation of this guitar after playing only this one for 5 days straight. (Maybe a record with me for playing only one guitar since I only had one guitar.) Considering the upcoming weekend forecast (single digits with huge negative wind chill factors), I'll be using it for a while longer.
Have some experience dealing with humidity effects, and my bigger solids seem to sound a bit off right now, but the laminate sounds fine. Go figure.
Or maybe it's just my ears, poppin' to the pressure drop. Snows a'falling
Don
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> Not sure yet about "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out".
Well I'm sure. Took a deep dive. Marianas Trench deep dive.
After listening to a half dozen versions of this song, I love it. Except none of the versions are the same. I love it. Everybody uses different lyrics, number of verses, and other variations within the song. I love it. As far as I can tell, song was written sometime in the 1920s, possibly by someone named Jimmy Cox, and became famous in the 30s when Bessie Smith sang it. The song seems to have followed a route akin to a folk song where everyone ends up with a different lyric version except for the title, the first line, and the multiple refrain(s) of the title. I love it. All this research shows it's kind of fair game for anyone, and probably public domain at that.
I'm looking to start with 2 verses, much like people from Scrapper Blackwell to Eric Clapton have done. Add a ragtime intro and song feel and maybe a rock and roll break, repeat second verse, and add a ragtime outro. I have chosen Key of 'C', mostly because I like how the chords fit in naturally with the song. Speaking of chords, everyone seems to have their own, of course, but I have made some notes on different versions and think I have my first foray in place.
On the third line, I did end up using an F major chord followed by a diminished F#, followed by a quick semi-tone walk-up to the semi arpeggio of C, ending with an A7. And on the back end of the 4th line, Dixie used a well placed D7, done with a C7 shape leading on the 5th fret. I liked this because if I play the open high 'e' string with it, it becomes something like a D9 and sounds great. Especially followed by a cowboy 'G' with some notes added/subtracted and walking around to make it a G6 (open treble e) and then the D on the B string and back up again to G while harmonizing with the notes of the G chord
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"Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out"
Got a more than working version going, but ran out of gas deciding which lyrics to use. Ended up using a lot of arpeggios as I thought, and swapped out that D7th in the E shape for a cowboy D7th to make the fingering easier, and also to use my little finger to hint a 'D' note/shape during the measure. That 'D' note also serves as a passing note to the next 'E' note on the treble string which is also becomes the passing 6th for the G6th Chord which ends the measure and verse. Using arpeggios, the F major followed by the F# dim still sounds delicious.
I think I'm talking myself back into getting back into this song again.
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Enough for now, Hopefully not too wordy, but I get a kick out of learning and researching new things. Which is why I will eventually get back "with Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out". With which I have already had a great deal of fun. Gonna try it on 12 string tomorrow with my 458, which is tuned standard, down to D#. Just got that idea while writing this. Might spark up "Ain't Misbehaving" too.
Edit> So I took my own advice, tried 'Down and out' on both 12 and 6 strings. Especially after playing it twice on the 12 string, this song is a lot more fun again now on both 12 and 6 strings. Renewed my interest in an interesting song. Hit me with your best shot. Bam!
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Heck at this pace I might be happy with a version in a year of so.
Be well,
Don
