Acoustic Fingerstyle RICHARD THOMPSON ' 1952 VINCENT BLACK LIGHTN IN G'

GT RATING MODERATE

IIIII II H elps improve your: • Picking dexterity • Rhythm • Knowledge or altered tunings

"The guit ar part has a

certain amount

of flexibility and allows for artistic

interpretation.' '

YOUR GTTUTOR .ERIC ROCHE See p 16 for more info on all the GT tutors

~ TRACK RECORD ' 1952VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING' IS FROM THOMPSON'S 1991 ALBUM 'RUMOURAND SIGH'

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ACCLAIMED AS ONE OF HIS FINEST solo albums since he left Fairport Convention in the '70s, 'Rumour And Sigh' is a typical mix of folk. rock, quirky

songwriting and stellar guitar playing. As well as this acoustic tour-de-force, it features the hard-edged 'Feel So Good', the moving 'I Misunderstood' and the lighthearted 'Don't Sit On My Jimmy Shand'. ' 1952 Vincent Black Ughtnong' also appears on a Capitol Records best-of- 'Action Packed' - whoch is a highly roecommended introduction to Thompson's latter-day work.

0 ver the years, we've had various requests for this month's transcription, so it's great to finally get to

grips witll it. British songwriter Hichard Thompson is one of my favourote a rtists and this track -' 1952 Vmcent Black Lightning' - is one of his most popular ballads. In fact, it is one o f the most-requested songs on National Public Radio in the United States.

The Black Lightning was a t·acing motorbike p roduced by the Britosh manufacturer Vincent from 1948, and was the world's fastest bike unW the 1970s. Richard Thompson's song osn't really about the racing machine - it's one of danger and romance, and tells the story of criminal .James Adie and 'Red Haired MoUy'.

STORY TUNING It is importam to remember here that the guitar part serves only to support the story as told in the

lyrics. There are s few signature licks :md phrases that need to be acknowledged, bm other than that U1e guitar part has a certain amount of nexibility and allows for some a rtostic interpret.ar.ion. I have heard various l'endotions and

recordings of the song and have incorporated the essential material into the t ranscnptoon.

The LUne is performed in a somplc altered tuning. It has various names such as drop C drop G, and open C major 13, though it's not too terrobly complicated . You simply d rop the (6th) bottom E s tring down two whole steps to C, and the (5th) A string down one whole step toG The ,·esulting twung is

•= SOUND ADVICE LIGHTNING VI BE

For this recording I used a Lowden 0 I 0 custom model with cedar top and mahogany back and sides. The

GT CAPO NOTATION We've reviewed the capo notation policy here at GT and have decided to make some changes. In this month's transcription and subsequent issues, the 'actual fret' system used previously is being replaced by a 'relative fret' system. In o ther words, the numbers In the tab stave are reckoned from the capo. So with a

30 Guitar11?chniQU~ FEBRUARY 2003

CG DABE. Hi chard Thompson also uses a capo at the third fret. Please see the red-edged box below for mformation regarding GT's new capo'd notation policy .

RIGHT-HAND MAN Thompson's right-hand 1 echnique is generally 'Travis pickillg' in style . The thumb is playing eighth notes throughout . See the right hand symbols in BARS I and 2 . 1'he main guitar phrase is played through Bars I and 2.

It is crucial that your thumb plays the alternating bass line t.hmughout this phrase - your index and middle fmgers can then be left free to play the melody above that.

There is a short mstrumental solo section from BARS 39-47. This is a stylised solo based on the various versions 'l'hompson's recorded and played tive. Feel free to come up 'vith your own solo section here.

Good luck with the twte, and I'll see you next month ..

guitar was recorded direct to hard disc via an RMC polydrive II undersaddle pick up. The strings were EXP 0.0 13"s by D'Addario. Fingernails by Sally Hansen, available from Boots chemists.

capo at the third fret. a number '2' in the tab represents the second fret above the capo - ie . the 5th fret. A '0' in the tab means an open string. Thos system allows you to read the tab notation without the capo and still play the tune (albeit In a different key!). Standard notation (the 'dots') is written in the correct (actual) key.

WHEN TUNING W ITH a capo in place, pull the .strings gently from the soundhole side through the capo. After each turn of the tuning peg, re-stretch the string in this way. This will help the string to hold it's tuning more accurately. I can highly recommend Shubb capos!

AMERICA'S DEL McCoury Band won Song Of The Year at 2002's International Bluegrass Music Awards for their cover of'l952 Vincent Black Lightning', even though the song is 12 years old and anything but bluegrass in its original form. "It's a song I really like to do, it paints a picture," said McCoury on receiving the award.

Acoustic Fingerstyle RICHARD THOMPSON ' 1952 VIN CENT BLACK LIGHTNIN G

'1952 Vincent Black Llghtmng' by RJchard Thompson © 1991 Beesw1ng Mus1c (adm1n by Bug Mus1c Ltd)

N 1952 VINCENT BLACK GHTNING

Tuning : C G D G B E

CAPO Ill J = 120 gliss

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- 7--7- 7- 5-3- 3- 7 3 E 3 B 17'3

3 3 3-5

G D G c

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gliss VERSE

gliss ~v

32 GuitarThchniques FEBRUARY 2oo3

C TRACKS 7-8

RICHARD THOMPSON 1952VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING ... CONTINUE~D"-------------

E 8 11--1 1-{1 3 3 3 G 0 0 2 2 2 G c

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...-.. E 3 o-<o 8 3 3 3 3 G 0 2 2 2---2 2 2 G 2-2---2 2 c

26

FEBRUARY 2003 Guilar10Chniqua; 33

Acoustic Fingerstyle RICHARD THOMPSON ' 1952VIN CENT BLACK LIGHTN IN G'

r-==='-'-'"'-'0~ IJ S2 VI~T BLACK LIGHTNING ... CONTINUED

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35

34 Guitar'fechnique; FEBRUARY 2003

~ TRACKS 7-8

RICHARD THOMPSON 1952VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING ... CONTINUED

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53

FEBRUARY 2003 Guitar'fbchniques 35