Grateful Dead Music Forum

So as the jam goes, I typically think about playing C blues but try not to make it sound "bluesy" but more jazzy. I guess the "scale" I'm thinking of is basically F Maj fom C-C which i think you'd call the C mixolydian. Building triads and chords off this (that scale) seems to work prettty well too, but I'm looking for other ideas. I try to throw in well placed b9th, 3rds, 5ths, and maj 6ths when I play over it melodically.

Thoughts/Ideas??

Im no expert and I always just guess whats best lol. But I start off in mixolydian and work my way into C blues. He relies heavily on the b7 for this jam. A couple little licks I use without guitar in hand:

E|---------------
B|--8------------
G|-----8b10------
D|-----------10--
A|---------------
E|---------------


E|--13--14--15-------------
B|---------------16b17--13--
G|-------------------------
D|-------------------------
A|-------------------------
E|-------------------------

Those are both licks Ive heard used in the Dead Set version. Maybe later Ill pick up the guitar and write down a few more licks cause when im playin along I can nail a few more riffs of his.

The Dead Set version?

DP5 (12/26/79) perhaps? Is Wiki correct in that there are NO other live releases of this show-stopper? That seems hard to believe. (Not even 10/17/83 Santa Fe???)

tigerstrat wrote:The Dead Set version?

DP5 (12/26/79) perhaps? Is Wiki correct in that there are NO other live releases of this show-stopper? That seems hard to believe. (Not even 10/17/83 Santa Fe???)

The So Many Roads collection has it from SF NYE '84 - Pretty good version IIRC.

There was a discussion on solo ideas for this here a while back in 'Think Tank II"

http://www.rukind.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... +shakedown

A post of mine from there

The basic framework I use is G mixolydian with some strategic emphasis on the chord changes from time to time. D blues over the Dm which happens to be nicely encompassed within G mixolydian which is the same notes as D dorian I believe.

F lydian over Fmaj7, E phrygian over Em7 and D dorian (or blues for a bit of an edge heading back to the G) over the Dm7.

All are the same G mixolydian (or in the case of D blues encompassed within) notes.

For the end jam over C7 I play mostly C blues with the 2nd, 6th, maj 3rd and blue note added in as seen fit.

Some chromatics throughout.

I'm not the greatest with the mode thing so if I'm wrong someone please point it out.

tigerstrat wrote:The Dead Set version?

DP5 (12/26/79) perhaps? Is Wiki correct in that there are NO other live releases of this show-stopper? That seems hard to believe. (Not even 10/17/83 Santa Fe???)

It's on the expanded Dead Set Re-Release. Shakedown from 10/7/80.

Free your mind and your ass will follow.

tigerstrat wrote:Free your mind and your ass will follow.

I always liked, "Don't forget to tie your shoes".

The C jam in Shakedown is pretty free to do almost anything you want (as long as its funky), maybe one of the most natural places to toss in non-Dead-related melodic quotes... especially because its such a dance favorite. I often find myself coming up with quotes from songs that I haven't consciously thought about in a long time, such as vamps from the Stones' "Undercover Of The Night" or Jane's Addiction's "Caught Stealin'"

jonarobb wrote:

tigerstrat wrote:The Dead Set version?

DP5 (12/26/79) perhaps? Is Wiki correct in that there are NO other live releases of this show-stopper? That seems hard to believe. (Not even 10/17/83 Santa Fe???)

It's on the expanded Dead Set Re-Release. Shakedown from 10/7/80.

Right I forgot its not on the original Dead Set. Its on an extra disc that comes with the Beyond Description box set.

I find myself turning to BlueGrass-ism's for soloing in Shakedown.
For some reason it triggers "Hobo Song" in my mind.

Thanks for all the thoughts and such. I'm thinking after reading all the posts that it's just one of those tunes where you can play whatever scales and modes you want but you're better off just listening hard while playing and just trying to forget all about modes and scales and just play music.
I just heard one tonight on the Dead hour from 5/27/93 Cal Expo to open the show. Vince is actually all over it. He plays some very cool lines. Really great stuff. Incidentally, that same show has a Cassidy>UJB>Cassidy in the 2nd set worth listening to. Jerry is on fire during the segue.

I am in general agreement with most folks here - the solo through the verse and chorus I usually center it around the G-mixolydian for then kind of a C-blues scale for the chorus. I basically use the C-blues for the jam though I'll play off a C-mixolydian (major 3rd [E]) though it all gets pretty chromatic after bouncing off the other folks for a while. Here's an recent example:
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Nice job tcsned!!! Just remember next time Guitar player in front ponytail in back. But it is very cool how you have 2 ladies singing and they are both better than Donna!

thanks Mike! my poor wife (the ponytail) - she didn't notice the camera there till the end of that tune

There are few places I like playing more than the Pine Tavern