What is Don Helms Doing There?

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 10 Sep 2000 9:45 am

I'm trying to play Hank Williams' "Settin' the Woods On Fire", and I'm stumpt by a chord in the second solo. The song is in C, and the solo is played over a bridge. When the chord changes to D7, Don plays a very different sounding inversion, right on the first beat. He hits it again a few beats later.

I'm using the E6th tuning, which I believe is correct, but I can't find this chord anywhere. Is this a rare case of Don Helms using a bar slant? Even if it is, I can't seem to find it.

Everything else on the track is doable in E6 without slants. It's a great track to learn, with a dynamite solo. I'm really frestrated that I can't get this one chord, though. I fake it with the top 3 strings at the 8th fret, but I know it's wrong.

Any help would be appreciated.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Averybob.gif" width=64 height=81>Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
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Chris DeBarge · Post by **Chris DeBarge** » 10 Sep 2000 5:00 pm

b0b,
I listened to what you were talking about, I don't have that tuning, but I think the interval is a minor 3rd, if that helps. Actually it pains me to say this(being one of Don's biggest fans), but I think the notes are clams! It seems to me that he's reaching up to something then slides back, but he doesn't quite make it up to the chord he's trying to reach.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 10 Sep 2000 8:19 pm

I think maybe it's a forward slant on the G# and B strings. This sounds pretty close: <pre>
G# _|__________________|____________________|
E _|__________________|____________________|
C# _|__________________|____________________|
B _|_17______15___13__|_15___17___15___13__|
G# _|_16______15___13__|_15___16___15___13__|
E _|__________________|____________________|
C# _|__________________|____________________|
A _|__________________|____________________|
D7 . . . . . . .
</pre>I realize that it sounds a little flat on the record, but it also sounds darker than the other chords. I wonder if there's a low harmony I'm missing.[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 10 September 2000 at 09:22 PM.]

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 10 Sep 2000 11:04 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
G# _|__________________|____________________|
E _|__________________|____________________|
C# _|__________________|____________________|
B _|_17______15___13__|_15___17___15___13__|
G# _|_16______15___13__|_15___16___15___13__|
E _|__________________|____________________|
C# _|__________________|____________________|
A _|__________________|____________________|
D7 . . . . . . .

...
. I wonder if there's a low harmony I'm missing.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I haven't heard this recently, but how about an F# under the first and second chords:

<pre>
G# _|__________________|____________________|
E _|__________________|____________________|
C# _|__________________|____________________|
B _|_17______15___13__|_15___17___15___13__|
G# _|_16______15___13__|_15___16___15___13__|
E _|_14______14_______|_14___14___14_______|
C# _|__________________|____________________|
A _|__________________|____________________|
D9 . D6 . . . . .
notes E D C
C B A
F# F#
</pre>

That slant is impossible but you did say it's out of tune.

This might be closer:

<pre>
G# _|__________________|____________________|
E _|_12______10_____8_|_etc________________|
C# _|_11______10_____8_|____________________|
B _|__________________|____________________|
G# _|_10______10_____8_|____________________|
E _|__________________|____________________|
C# _|__________________|____________________|
A _|__________________|____________________|
D9 . D6 . . . . .
notes E D C
C B A
F# F# F#
</pre>

Lynn Kasdorf · Post by **Lynn Kasdorf** » 11 Sep 2000 6:37 am

I don't have the song in front of me to hear, but from memory, I think he is using the simple slant where you play a III on top and tilt the bar back to get a Vb. For example, on a GECAGECA C6 tuning, string 2 fret 7 (B), string 5 fret 6 (C#). This gives you a 9 and a 3 of an A chord, therefore a A9. This simulates pedal 5 on C6.

I think I have heard this position in a lot of Don's playing, although I have read that he rarely used slants. Anyway, this is an easy one and very handy and cool.

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"You call that thing a guitar?"

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Sep 2000 8:56 am

Lynn, is this what you're suggesting? <pre>
G# _|__8_______________|______8________
E _|_________10____8__|_10____________
C# _|_________10____8__|_10____________
B _|__7_______________|______7___etc._
G# _|__________________|_______________
E _|__________________|_______________
C# _|__________________|_______________
A _|__________________|_______________
D7 . . . . </pre>
That might be it - I'll try it. Or maybe it's 3 notes (frets 8 8 7) to get the C note in there on the 2nd string.

Meanwhile, I'm getting pretty close to it with a reverse slant on the middle C# and G# strings, at the 15th and 16th fret: <pre>
G# _|__________
E _|__________
C# _|___15_____
B _|__________
G# _|___16_____
E _|__________
C# _|__________
A _|__________ </pre>I'm hearing the same part in a very similar solo in "Baby We're Really In Love", by the way.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Averybob.gif" width=64 height=81>Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra 8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 13 September 2000 at 12:11 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Sep 2000 10:27 am

Thanks for the suggestions, Earnest. I'll try those tonight at rehearsal.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Sep 2000 10:35 am

This just occurred to me: <pre>
G# _|__________
E _|__________
C# _|___15_____
B _|__________
G# _|___16_____
E _|__________
C# _|___17_____
A _|__________
notes E
C
F# </pre>The only bar slant I saw him do on stage in St. Louis was a reverse slant on the low strings. I bet that's it!

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 13 Sep 2000 11:09 am

Update: the 15\16 slant seems to match the sound on the record closer than the others. It doesn't need the low F# note.