I've just about got the intro down now. Well...got it down enough that when I played it at my girlfriend's family reunion over the weekend, that one of her cousins said, "Hey, that's Train Train!"
Man, it feels good to have people shower you with compliments on your playing!
HI fellow bluesmen. havent post any thing in a while. thought i might tag what i have of train train . so here it is intro 3d 34d an sus ,quick blow to 4 then 3b then 3d 34d 4b3b 3d 3d 3b 2b 2d2d chugging part is (this is the way i do it lol)draw waa hooka blow chewka etc. then blow1234 make your tongue purr likea cat then 3d 3b 34d 3b 3d 3b 34d 4b 3d 2d 2b 2d 2d then 1234draw hooka ,blow 1234chewka tongue purr ok thats intro all on a key of G harp . now for the songs part with a A harp .the little intro after the song gets going is 4d 4d waa waa 4d4d waa waa 4d 4b 3d3b haven't got all the solo but i think it does a 45d trill then changes to 45 blow trill that all i have will post the rest when i learn it . going on vacation next week. if any one get the solo post it. later Tom B.
I took jawbone's advice on the chugging sequence that he uses for this song and I drastically increased my speed on the "hitta's and the hoota's". However, I also started experimenting with one of my very own chugging sequences for Train, Train.
I start out with a "hitta-ah" on the 3-4 blow, then slide down to the 2-3 draw with a "hoo", and then quickly back up to the 3-4 blow - repeating this sequence until a train whistle or one of those Speedy Gonzales purrs.
I just started messing around with this chugg so I'm not quite sure if my tongue will allow me to do it as fast as the other sequence? Or, should I say...if 3 blows ("hitta-ah") and one draw ("hoo") will be slower and harder to do than jawbone's 2 draws ("hitta" & "hoota") and 2 blows ("ah ah") sequence? We shall see I guess!?
Thanks Giff,The only thing, i can say is,WOW,i have got to learn that purr. I was told one time to learn" Dog "in spanish and i would have my purr,and i have a few spanish people at work ,and i still cant get it, but will try harder now ,i must learn it. Thank You.:smile:
Shoot me an email with YOUR email address and I'll send you over the MP3 of "Train, Train". Also, if you have a P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing program (LimeWire, Morpheus, Kazaa, etc.) you will also be able to download the song from one of those programs.
Whatever you decide on....Just let me know if you'd like me to send it your way!
10-4 jawbone. I know exactly what you're sayin'. I play the piano as well, and when learning anything new on either of my two instruments (harp or piano), I always like to improvise some cool, spontaneous stuff here and there, and hardly ever play it note-for-note....depending on the song.
But I shall start on givin' Train, Train a whirl and keep you posted on my progress. I'll also make sure to post any good pointers that I may happen to stumble upon when learning this awesome tune.
hey Giff - now don't make promises you can't keep - I think what he is probably doing is, start the purr with full 2,3,4, then sweezing his embouchure in a little so that you get less of the 2 and 4 and more of the single 3 blow. Not enough to cut out the fullness of the chord but enough to make a change in the sound. You could try that along with the hand effect in unison. Play into a mic on a stand, hands open for the full chord, 2,3,4, then as you squeeze your embouchure close your hands enough to change the volume and tone. Don't close up too much so that you stop the sound altogether. I need practice at this. I get so used to practicing with my hands closed, that when I play into the mic, not near enough sound seems to get thru, I have to concentrate on keeping my hands open more. But now back to the train. I think it is a good idea to try to do everything like the original, but then do what ever seems most comfortable to you. When you are on stage you don't want to be stressing about how close to the original you got. I'm no pro but I like to try all that fancy crap at home in my shop, then let it sneak into my performance on stage all on it's own. I have seen guys try to memorize parts, do it great at home, get on stage, start off fine, then lose their place, then don't know where to go or where to hide and it turns into a train wreck. I would probably be one of them if I tried to preplan everything. I just try to workout, loosely, the idea I want to put across, based on the melody or just a feel for the rhythm, at practice then on stage just go with whatever feels right. Sometimes you're feeling frisky and the crowd seems into it so you go a little wild, other times you stick to what you know will work. Having said that, I am always trying to learn new riffs, techniques, etc. but i don't force it on stage, I let it come in on it's own. OK, this soap box is too high, I'm getting dizzy - jawbone
Okay jawbone, one last quick question....I promise!! While playing the purr part do you think Shorty was also doing something very minor vocal wise? Or should I say, is it possible that while doing the purr that he was also humming through his nose or making some other sort of sound with his vocal chords?
It sounds a little like he was saying "Wah", or "Wat", or "Wow" while purring? But I guess that's pretty much impossible to do being that your tongue is movin' like a jack rabbit.
Hey Giff - That purr is strictly blow. I use it now and then when I play trumpet. The hand effect is quite slow, maybe open and close three times throughout the complete "purr". I think it is supposed to imitate the shudder an old steam engine would make when it was starting up. It is also a great way to get rid of excess air - for you and a train! Have fun - jawbone
Thanks a million jawbone. So I am also correct in that during those two super fast parts, that Shorty is NOT doing any drawing whatsoever - just blowing?
Along with doing the whole drum roll/cat purr/flutter tongue thing, is there also maybe some sort of hand or throat vibrato going on during those rapid parts?
I know you said before that you "think some of the effect is tight cup versus open cup"; but I just find that cool beans how Shorty - or anyone for that matter - can make it sound like they're chugging in and out at over 100 mph, by just doing some sort of simplistic tremolo or vibrato? Well...a throat vibrato isn't that simplistic.
Hey Giff - What I usually do on this one is - on the 234 draw I say hitta then blow ah ah then slide down to 123 draw and say hoota then slide back up to 234 blow saying ah ah, then start all over again, rotate this sequence speeding up as you go, add the train whistle. The other sound is just what you said. Imitate a purr over the 234 blow. I call it flutter tongue. I think some of the effect is tight cup versus open cup. The intro is G harp and the main song is A harp. Hope your diaghram is in good shape. The nice thing about this chug is that the draw and blow are pretty equal so you can really stretch it out without filling up with to much air. You can use the whistle and purr to catch you breath. As well just do it at what ever speed you are comfortable with. The speed will come all by itself as your comfort level grows. Good Luck - jawbone
I have a couple of quick questions regarding this awesome song. First of all, if my memory serves me correctly the whole prelude to Train, Train was written and performed by Shorty Medlock?
Question 1: Does anyone happen to know what particular tongue articulations/chugging techniques Shorty is doing for the intro? Example: "Tuck-Kah Tick-Kah", "Tuck-Kah Too-Dil", "Tah Hooka-Tooka-Hooka", "Cha-Chugga", etc.
Question 2: When Shorty really starts pourin' the coal to her and gets chugging ungodly fast, what exactly is he doing when his chuggs turn into one blistering, blow-draw pattern? I mean, it almost doesn't even sound like he's chugging anymore and kind of reminds me of a cross between a cats purr and that goofy sound at the very beginning of the Threes Company TV theme song? (Sorry, not a real good comparison) But is he still actually doing some sort of blow-draw chugging technique or just some sort of draw/throat vibrato/drumroll thing for those particular fast parts in the beginning? Or....is he doing none of those things that I just mentioned!?
Question 3: What key harmonica(s) did Shorty use for the song? I'm guessin' a G for the intro and an A for the rest of the tune? But chances are, I'm probably wrong on those too.
One thing I do know without a doubt, is that ol' Shorty's like a flippin' Amtrak in this song!
So, if you good folks could please help me out with my questions above I'd greatly appreciate it. The guys I just started jammin' with would like to do this particular song sometime the latter part of this summer. So, any tips/pointers that I could receive for this song (other than practicing my buttox off) would be a HUGE help.
