Basie Lick

Larry Beck · Post by **Larry Beck** » 12 Aug 2001 3:50 pm

Many of Count Basie's songs ended with a signature 3 staccatto chords on the piano. Curiousity lead me to ask a local keyboardist
what the three chords were. Here's his answer: " II minor Seventh with no fifth, I dim no 7th, I. Keep the root on top of each chord.
In C, that would be C-F-D, C-F#-Eb, C-G-E, but you can't do it on a guitar."
Well, you can. Here's one way. The first chord on 5,6 & 8 is the end of the song.
<pre>
F#--------------------------------------------
Eb--------------------------------------------
G#--------------------------------------------
E --------------8--------7F--------8----------
B -----8-----------------7---------8-----~~~~
G#-----8--------8B-------7---------8-----------
F#--------------8------------------------------
E -----8----------------------------------------
D ---------------------------------------------
B ---------------------------------------------

</pre>

How about sone other ways to do it?
BTW: This is my first try at tab. Hope I didn't screw it up too badly.

[This message was edited by Larry Beck on 12 August 2001 at 04:52 PM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 12 Aug 2001 5:37 pm

Hi Larry:

I play this lick on C6 at the end of some tunes. But I keep it simple, using just 2 notes. I keep the tonic note on top, as you do, and then just include the moving note below it going from F to F# to G. That's enough to capture the essence of what's going on, I feel. Here's how I play it:

<pre>

D----------------------------------------------
E------------19(6)------19(6)-----19(6)--------
C---------------------- 19(-) ----19-----------
A -----------19(+)-----------------------------
G ---------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------
C----------------------------------------------
A ---------------------------------------------
F ---------------------------------------------
C ---------------------------------------------

</pre>

In the tab, the (+) means use your KL that raises the A string a 1/2 step; the (-) means the KL that lowers the C string a 1/2 step.

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www.jimcohen.com

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 12 Aug 2001 7:37 pm

Jim, I'd play it in C6 this way. I think it's a more natural position and then you have many variations available all using the same pedal and fret positions. And it uses the basic 5+1. No special knees needed. What do you think? .. Jeff

<pre>1_________________________________________________________________________________
2_________________________________________________________________________________
3____12___10(7___12_____12__________12__10(7__12____12______12__10(7__12____12____
4____12___10(7___12_____12________________________________________________________
5____12___10_____12(5___12__________________________________12__10____12(5__12___
6____12___10_____12(6___12__________12__10____12(6__12____________________________
7_________________________________________________________________________________
8_________________________________________________________________________________
9_________________________________________________________________________________
10________________________________________________________________________________</pre>

<pre>1_________________________________________________________________________________
2_________________________________________________________________________________
3____12___10(7__12____12_______12__10(7__12____12_____12___10(7__12____12_________
4____12___10(7__12____12______________________________12___10(7__12____12_________
5____12___10____12(5__12_______12__10____12(5__12_________________________________
6______________________________12__10____12(6__12_____12___10____12(6__12_________
7_________________________________________________________________________________
8_________________________________________________________________________________
9_________________________________________________________________________________
10________________________________________________________________________________</pre>

[This message was edited by Jeff Lampert on 13 August 2001 at 04:46 AM.]

Larry Beck · Post by **Larry Beck** » 13 Aug 2001 5:42 am

As they used to say on Laugh In: "Very Interesting". Jim: since I play a U-12, the B pedal will raise the bottom string 1/2 tone, so the first chord can be played with two feet. (I may hurt myself trying). Jeff: Looks neat and very intuitive.
Thanks for the mini-lesson. Three chords is about my max...

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Carter S12 and a wall full of 6 strings - http://members.home.net/lbeck22/

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 13 Aug 2001 12:21 pm

Larry you won't hurt yourself if you use both feet, (

unless you use one to step on the other.)

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 13 Aug 2001 2:11 pm

I'd probably just do it like this: (as Jeff suggested)

[tab]
D- Co C
1-------------------
2-------------------
3---10(7--12----12--
4---10(7--12----12--
5---10----12(5--12--
6---10----12(6--12--
7-------------------
8-------------------
9-------------------
10------------------

But, to be completely accurate on what Basie actually did; It was only three notes, the top and bottom were a minor tenth apart. The top note is the root, the bottom was the 6th, and only the middle note moved; from 4th to minor third, to perfect third. Another variation was to have the middle note move from 4 to #4 to 5, as larry's original post stated. Basie did both over the years.
so.... without trying it on my steel, here's a possibility:
Variation #1 Variation #2
D- Co C D- Co C
1----------------- ---------------
2--8-------------- -8-------------
3-------12----12-- -----12----12--
4--8-------------- -8--------- ---
5-----------------or----12(5--12--
6-------12(6--12-- ---------------
7--8(8------------ -8(8-----------
8-------12----12-- -----12----12--
9----------------- ---------------
10---------------- ---------------

There's that 8th pedal again

I don't know how the minor 10th will sound on the steel... it's very striking on the piano, and essential to the sound of this "lick".
-John[This message was edited by John Steele on 13 August 2001 at 03:34 PM.]

Robert Todd · Post by **Robert Todd** » 16 Aug 2001 7:44 am

Great lick guys thanks for the insight. I like the fact that folks have found it on both E9 and C6th.

As opposed to playing 3 staccatto chords I also took Jeff's voicing and used a forward single note roll startijng on string 6. On the resolution tonic I capped it with a backwards roll starting on string 2. Tons of hot licks here.