NUGGETS: NAME THAT TUNE
A
s the major precursor of rock
music, early blues guitar riffs
were by necessity played on
the bass strings of acoustic guitars in
order to be heard in the company of
other instruments. Consequently, as
electric blues and rock and roll further
developed following WWII, guitarists
appropriated the coolest bass string
blues riffs and literally “amped” them to
powerful, crunching iconic motifs. Note
the variety in this select group. Can you
name the inspiration for each?
Nuggets:
Bass String
Riffs
By Dave Rubin
Fig. 1 was often one of the first riffs
guitarists and bassists learned back in
the ’60s. This popular detective show’s
theme song from the late ’50s composed
by Henry Mancini was rocked by Duane
Eddy for one of his typical bass string
classics. Bonus: George Harrison once
said Eddy’s deep chested low E string
always sounded like it was an octave
below everyone else’s. Check out the
way the line contains both the b3rd (G)
and major 3rd (G#) – just like a 7# 9
“Hendrix” chord.
14
DIGITAL EDITION
Fig. 1
Moderately fast q = 126
µ(E)
0
0
2
0
0
3
5
4
JUNE/JULY