Little Martha

[1esotericguy]

How hard is LITTLE MARTHA to learn really? I'm just finally motivating to learn it (all these open tuning threads are inspiring). Would it be do-able for a intermediate fingerpicker? My OM-03 Larrivee can't wait...

[tm1951]

The basics, not hard. To play it right, I'm still working at it. Here a link to a couple kottke tab versions


http://www.tabpigs.org/thetabs/leokottke.html

[recordingtrack1]

Queequeg plays a really nice version of it. He will be around at some point and can probably give you a good idea of how to approach it.

RT1

[riffmeister]

it's fairly straighforward. great tune, too!

[Dave W.]

Pete Huttlinger does a great version, never seen the tab for his though.

[1esotericguy]

Ok, been working on it for about an hour. Open D is so damn sweet on an OM. It's a little above my skill level for self teaching, but I think I'll get there. I think If I was doing it in lessons, I'd have it in about 4 lessons. Cool rhthm exercise too (in additition to the obvious fingerwork)

[sdelsolray]

Here's a recording I did a while back, based on Kottke's live version. It's shortened a bit - some of the sections aren't repeated as much.

Little Martha

[Dave W.]

Originally posted by sdelsolray Here's a recording I did a while back, based on Kottke's live version. It's shortened a bit - some of the sections aren't repeated as much. Little Martha

 

 

Very, very nice. I have never heard Kottke's version, so I can't compare, but I really like yours. Could you tell us as much as possible about the guitar itself, and how you recorded it. Mic-pu amp or direct in etc. Thanks.

[sdelsolray]

Thanks. I looked back through my notes on that recording (it was about 2 years ago).

Guitar: 1999 Tippin OMT, EIR/Alpine spruce; Elixir 80/20 Nanos, light guage (but strings 1 and 2 are medium guage).

Recording: Pair SD condensers, X/Y, 22" from 12th fret with "X" mic pointing at the fingerboard and "Y" mic pointing parallel to the plane of the top (but not at it at all); tube mic preamp; panning 50/50 L to R; some software plugins on mixdown.

[1esotericguy]

Damn - that's a nice rendition. Thanks for posting.

[Freeman Keller]

I was trying to learn LM from tabs and struggling with the part that starts barred at the 5th fret. You play the same little hammer on pattern as the first part, but now you have to do it with your m, r, and pinky. I just couldn't do the stretch. Then I was at a Kottke concert and he did the song. Damned if he didn't drop the barre and finger the same was as the first position.

Does this make sense? Is this how the rest of you play it? It works for me - just hope it is right.

The other wonderful part of the Kottke version is harmonics at the 12th and 7th. I need to work on his intro and embellishments.

And sdelsolray, I'm looking forward to getting on a computer with sound and hearing yours. Great song!

[sdelsolray]

Originally posted by Freeman Keller Then I was at a Kottke concert and he did the song. Damned if he didn't drop the barre and finger the same was as the first position. Does this make sense? Is this how the rest of you play it? It works for me - just hope it is right.

 

Yeah, you stop using the 5th fret full barre near the end of that sequence.

[knockwood]

Originally posted by sdelsolray Here's a recording I did a while back, based on Kottke's live version. It's shortened a bit - some of the sections aren't repeated as much. Little Martha

 

 

Dude... Wow. Fantastic playing.