Grateful Dead Music Forum

mijknahs wrote:Row Jimmy is a tough tune to get right. Especially the solo. It feels like there is an extra beat in there.

I don't have a guitar in front of me so I can't think but I think it's a measure of 2/4 on that A chord

mijknahs wrote:Row Jimmy is a tough tune to get right. Especially the solo. It feels like there is an extra beat in there.

I am sooooooooooo glad I play slide and don't sing that one. Much easier to stretch or shorten on slide, IMO.

tcsned wrote:

mijknahs wrote:Row Jimmy is a tough tune to get right. Especially the solo. It feels like there is an extra beat in there.

I don't have a guitar in front of me so I can't think but I think it's a measure of 2/4 on that A chord

I think so too but it just "feels" weird playing it and it's hard to make it feel natural. Also easy to mess up. Beautiful song though.

Yes ....
Been playing along to Dozin at the Knick and DP's 7 and I swear the band fudges the ' instrumental ' part every time !
Great tune

mijknahs wrote:

tcsned wrote:

mijknahs wrote:Row Jimmy is a tough tune to get right. Especially the solo. It feels like there is an extra beat in there.

I don't have a guitar in front of me so I can't think but I think it's a measure of 2/4 on that A chord

I think so too but it just "feels" weird playing it and it's hard to make it feel natural. Also easy to mess up. Beautiful song though.

Agreed, we haven't done this tune in a while and that was always an issue, more so during instrumental breaks than with the verses. My wife keeps bugging me to start doing that one again. It takes me a lot of practice to feel that part and not have to mechanically count it out.

I remember hearing or reading an interview with Jerry back in the 80s or early 90s and he was saying that it was his favorite song he had written and was enjoying getting back into playing it again even though he thought the deadheads didn't like it because it was too slow. It has always been one of my favorites, it is one of those tunes where it all comes together for me, great imagery by Hunter, interesting chord and rhythm structure, and great melody. This was sure a high point in Jerry's song craft IMHO.

tcsned wrote:Agreed, we haven't done this tune in a while and that was always an issue, more so during instrumental breaks than with the verses. My wife keeps bugging me to start doing that one again. It takes me a lot of practice to feel that part and not have to mechanically count it out.

I remember hearing or reading an interview with Jerry back in the 80s or early 90s and he was saying that it was his favorite song he had written and was enjoying getting back into playing it again even though he thought the deadheads didn't like it because it was too slow. It has always been one of my favorites, it is one of those tunes where it all comes together for me, great imagery by Hunter, interesting chord and rhythm structure, and great melody. This was sure a high point in Jerry's song craft IMHO.

Precisely! I love listening to a good version of the song but not my favorite to play. Especially the instrumental breaks. I've heard bands totally cheat on the solos and NOT play the extra 2/4. Bad form in my opinion.

We nailed Row Jimmy on Saturday night including the instrumental part (which is rare for us, might even be the first time), and I still can't tell you exactly how to count it without a lot of thought. The way Mike described it during soundcheck worked great - it's like there's an extra beat (or really two, I think, but one is more of a pause) on A at the end of every time through the progression, just like MJ said above.

This chart will probably only make sense to me and I'm not even sure that it's right, but this is how it goes in my head:

A 234 12
D 234 12
A 234
B 2 A 2 G 2
D 234
A 2


So it's: 6 beats of A,
6 beats of D,
4 beats of A
2 beats of B
2 beats of A
2 beats of G
4 beats of D
2 beats of A

and then hit that next A strongly to start the next cycle.

I see my prob ... well one of them
I do A to G for the 1st two chords of the break
Hmmmmm thought I had this all sussed out ...

Rusty the Scoob wrote: A 234 12
D 234 12
A 234
B 2 A 2 G 2
D 234
A 2

Try this
A 234 12
G 234
D 2
A 234

strumminsix wrote:

Rusty the Scoob wrote: A 234 12
D 234 12
A 234
B 2 A 2 G 2
D 234
A 2

Try this
A 234 12
G 234
D 2
A 234

Followed by a Bmin/ A / G / D ???????? < ------- the last D before it turns around is where I go off the reservation !

Tennessee Jedi wrote:I see my prob ... well one of them
I do A to G for the 1st two chords of the break
Hmmmmm thought I had this all sussed out ...

My bad, you and S6 are right. I should know better than to play music at my desk with no bass in hand while not even listening to the right song.

You are making the band mates nervous with the different progression !

We can do it
maybe
sorta
?

Tennessee Jedi wrote:

strumminsix wrote:

Rusty the Scoob wrote: A 234 12
D 234 12
A 234
B 2 A 2 G 2
D 234
A 2

Try this
A 234 12
G 234
D 2
A 234

Followed by a Bmin/ A / G / D ???????? < ------- the last D before it turns around is where I go off the reservation !

D for 10

Rusty the Scoob wrote:

Tennessee Jedi wrote:I see my prob ... well one of them
I do A to G for the 1st two chords of the break
Hmmmmm thought I had this all sussed out ...

My bad, you and S6 are right. I should know better than to play music at my desk with no bass in hand while not even listening to the right song.

I've been guilty of that a few times

Tennessee Jedi wrote:You are making the band mates nervous with the different progression !

We can do it
maybe
sorta
?

TJ - this is a classic case of: learn how to play from the album and learn how to perform from the live cuts

Many folks call the studio version blasphemy but I disagree.

I dont have Wake of the Flood

Yeah that is a good idea S6
I can borrow it