bronskee - Posted - 03/18/2010:  04:50:49

howdy' friends and neighbours
i'm searching for a tab for the intro of the flatt & scruggs song "six white horses", it seems to me that it's quite the same rythm as the intro of the steeldrivers song "drinkin' dark whisky"
can somebody help me with that?
thanks a lot

Edited by - Texasbanjo on 03/18/2010 05:44:54

jkmacman - Posted - 03/18/2010:  07:30:13

the six white horses song was recorded by bill keith & jim rooney too!

bill keith had a great version w/several interval chokes

the 1st choke

double stop: 1st sring 12th fret as you you choke 2nd string 10th fret;
then play 3rd string 12th fret

he moves the riff down the neck 2 or 3 times and is a very reusable riff

bronskee - Posted - 03/18/2010:  07:51:58

oh great! i'll look at it a soon as i get home
thanks again!

bronskee - Posted - 03/19/2010:  13:26:18

after watching some videos of drinkin' dark whiskey by the steeldrivers, it seems it's something around the 5-6-7 frets, with a capo at the 2nd fret, it's seems like a scruggs lick to me but i can't manage to see what it is exactly... if someone can tab me this lick i'll be really gratefull...
maybe someone can tell me of another song with this lick in it so i can search for a tabledit tab or something
thanks!

rstieg - Posted - 03/19/2010:  15:47:56

What some people call the "Six White Horses" lick (notably Bill Evans) comes in several different varieties, but most versions can be played for any chord. It's based on the F-shape and is commonly used in backup. I don't have the tab handy, but I'm sure someone can post it. This is very different from what jkmacman describes above. It also takes quite a bit of practice to get good at it.

By the way, that's Richard Bailey playing banjo for the Steeldrivers. I took a class from him last summer when he was out here in California. He's a great guy and I wouldn't be surprised if he would email the tab to you if you contact him. I play an up the neck break he tabbed out for me for Little Cabin Home on the Hill. You could try contacting him through his MySpace page:

http://www.myspace.com/banjobailey

MickG - Posted - 03/19/2010:  17:07:16

That Six White Horses lick (and variations of it) is a great backup lick. I've heard Earl play it a number of different ways. Some variations use the first string and some don't. Here is an attempt to show it in tab. It's hard to show the left hand action accurately with chord diagrams but I gave it a shot. As Rstieg said it is played out of the F shape. Right hand fingering can be done several ways. I use what ever left hand action and right hand fingering allows me to play it most effectively.

I think John Boulding (banjophobic) shows how to play the lick in one of his LOTW videos on YouTube.

I have the tab in TablEdit. Email or post email if you want a copy.

Mick

Edited by - MickG on 03/19/2010 17:14:42

SixWhiteHorsesLick

bronskee - Posted - 03/19/2010:  23:00:43

great! thank you guys very much!, i'll search in the LOTW too as the explanations are always really clear!
thanks for the tab, i'll work on it, and email you if i need a tabledit one
thanks again
have a nice day!

Edited by - bronskee on 03/19/2010 23:04:35

bronskee - Posted - 03/20/2010:  00:35:36

ok, i've found it in john's LOTW, for those who might be interested, it's called "Scruggs backup ideas- the "boogie Woogie" idea", poste on 3/5/2009
thanks again

rstieg - Posted - 03/20/2010:  20:08:50

Yes, John Boulding does cover a fairly easy version of it in one of his videos, but as you discovered, he calls it by a different name. I think his version is pretty close to what I play, which is like this (for a G chord):

----5-------------5---------|------
---------------3-------------|------
--------3--4---------3--4--|------
-5---------------------------|--5--
------------------------------|-----
T M T T I M T - H T

The spacing of the last line showing the fingering isn't coming out the way I want it, but hopefully you can tell which one goes with which note. Many people play the 6th note on the 5th fret, 2nd string, but I find the first string easier to play and at performance speed I doubt you can tell much (if any) difference. Also, I play a hammer for the 8th note, while some people will pick that note. And finally, it seems to be common to follow this lick with a couple of vamps when used for backup, though I don't believe Richard includes any vamps in his intro to Drinking Dark Whiskey.

As I said above, this is not an easy lick to learn, but I think you'll find this to be one of the easier versions.

Edited by - rstieg on 03/20/2010 21:01:25