Sonny Boy Williamson-- "Help Me" (1963)

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Blues Banjo Players

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This is a group for those of us who like to play blues on the banjo.

289 Members, Created 1/28/2011 -

Administrators: Marc Nerenberg (owner)

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From Mary Schons on 12/10/2013 8:26:40 AM

Hi everyone! Thank you Marc for starting this group.

Here's a bit of fun, easy to play 12 bar blues for the banjo. It's called Help Me, recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson in 1963. (YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgCpw--3Lyc)

Chords are here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByuzncuERYFwdDE0VkQ4TnRZMlU/edit?usp=sharing. I got it from the very excellent book "Chicago Bob's Blues Jam Cheat Sheets," ISBN 978-0-615-80743-0

(Fwiw, Green Onions by Booker T & the M.G.s has the same tune.)

-Mary

11 Comments
	Tatersoup says: 12/10/2013 9:27:43 AM Okay. Noob question. What would you recommend as a banjo tuning to play along with this?
	Wildwolfe says: 12/10/2013 1:42:48 PM Can't watch in uk due to copyright??
	stetix01 says: 12/10/2013 3:51:55 PM Man! I was hoping to hear you jam to it.
	stetix01 says: 12/10/2013 3:53:09 PM Man! I was hoping to hear you jam to it.
	stetix01 says: 12/10/2013 3:53:51 PM Man! I was hoping to hear you jam to it.
	Mary Schons says: 12/10/2013 4:43:58 PM @Tatersoup-- Great question! Try it in G tuning, gDGBD. E / G A = E E G A. Strum the E chord twice (for the E chord I use chordlist.brian-amberg.de/en/f...ged/g/E/, option on the top row far left), open G, then hold down the strings on the second fret to make the A chord. fwiw, for that measure on the third line, B / D E, I bar in order fourth fret, then seventh, then ninth without hitting the short fifth string. I just like how it sounds that way.
	Mary Schons says: 12/10/2013 4:44:57 PM @Wildwolfe-- sorry! Don't know how to help there. Maybe try googling the song title and artist and see what'll play for you?
	Mary Schons says: 12/10/2013 4:46:26 PM @stetix01-- Maybe later this evening! I'm extremely wobbly.
	Mary Schons says: 12/12/2013 10:29:02 AM Here's a Youtube clip of me playing the riff youtube.com/watch?v=3spyXhU0gXo
	claybanjo says: 1/4/2014 8:49:53 AM Cool, Thanks!
	banjomac says: 2/14/2014 2:18:32 PM Great idea! Thanks for posting.
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