Drove Old Dixie Down - Intro lick?

For guitar?

Thanks

What a great song...

What a great song...

Indeed - the vocal is a little tough if I try to sound like Levon Helm - high! - but to me it is worth the effort as it just sounds better sung that way - a high voice reflects the pain and emotion of the song IMHO.

I agree, Johnny Cash's version just doesn't have the pain the song needs..

There are some bootlegs of The Black Crowes doing it... really good

Indeed - the vocal is a little tough if I try to sound like Levon Helm - high! - but to me it is worth the effort as it just sounds better sung that way - a high voice reflects the pain and emotion of the song IMHO.

Levon Helm R.I.P.

You could do something like this:

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You could do something like this:

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Wow - that sounds great -

can't wait to try it but can't til tomorrow -

The version I have been playing starts Bm D G Bm D though - no Am.

Well, yours is just in D. The Band did it in C, so that's why I played it in C. To do it in D, just play an open D chord and walk up 0 2 3 on the low E; 0 on the A, then hit your Bm to start the song. Notes: E F# G A, chord: Bm

Well, yours is just in D. The Band did it in C, so that's why I played it in C. To do it in D, just play an open D chord and walk up 0 2 3 on the low E; 0 on the A, then hit your Bm to start the song. Notes: E F# G A, chord: Bm

Thank you so much - I will give it a whirl - much appreciated.

Another way; similar to the piano run in the original but adding a chord at the beginning:

Starting on C:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/6971525668_47e35b3928_c.jpg

Or D:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7117602449_067561357b_b.jpg

jbmando -

That's exactly what I wanted - thank you again.

and thank you too ScatMan

Well, yours is just in D. The Band did it in C, so that's why I played it in C. To do it in D, just play an open D chord and walk up 0 2 3 on the low E; 0 on the A, then hit your Bm to start the song. Notes: E F# G A, chord: Bm

Or slap a capo on there.

Or slap a capo on there.

I'll try that too - thanks.

Wow - that sounds great -

can't wait to try it but can't til tomorrow -

The version I have been playing starts Bm D G Bm D though - no Am.

Sidnet, unless I am much mistaken, the chord progression for the verses ...in the key you are using....would be
Bm, D, G Em...repeat. They walk the bass note down from the G to the Em....G, F#, E.
Then, they rearrange those same chord s for the last two lines of the verse....with that trick at the end of the second line of go ing tot he E major.
Bm, G, D, Em
Bm, G, D, Em...Emajor
Chorus:
D, G
D, G
D, G
D, G
D, Bm, Em, G
D..intro back in to verse.....


And you must have an alto voice!?!?!

A word of caution, refrain from playing that song south of the Mason-Dixon line.

A word of caution, refrain from playing that song south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Why is that??? IT seems to be a song of reality concerning a time in the life of the United STates that we all should have come to terms with long ago. IT is by no means a rejoicing over Union victory. IT is a song about a southern man who has witnessed the destruction of his way of life, the death of his brother, the death of his heroes, and the excesses that were exercised by the victors..."They should never have taken the very best". I view it as a sad anthem.
I have lived 'south of the Mason Dixon line' all of my life, and I have loved that song since the first tiem I heard it. Noone around here has ever complained about that song, to my knowledge. The words of the song are very plain and understandable...and are not 'anti-Confederacy' in any way, imho. There is no rejoicing in the song over the defeat of the South.

A word of caution, refrain from playing that song south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Better tell The Black Crowes and Awhole lot of southern bands that play it..

A word of caution, refrain from playing that song south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Wasn't Levon Helm the son of cotton farmers from Arkansas?

You could do something like this:

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Yep, that's the way I've picked it out. Am C F Am... Can work that intro into a lead that runs thru the song. Sounds great with rhythm guitar playing the Am C F Am x2...

Been playing that since the other sad day... really works itself into a nice jam. Then we go into The Weight and back into TNTDODD... Thanks again, Levon!

Wasn't Levon Helm the son of cotton farmers from Arkansas?

Born and bred in ARkansas, Mr. HElm was. You could hear that Southern twang coming straight out of his heart. Anyone who thinks that the song in question is anti-South is not listening to the words of the song. That happens.
Look at what one of the political parites did with Bruce Springsteens 'Born in the USA" back some time ago. Springsteens song is one of the sharpest-tongued looks at the USA from the perspective of the disenfranchised. Their use of it ignored the reality of the lyrics. IT fit into those 9.2 seconds that most people have as a limit on their attention span, though. THe phrase 'born in the U.S.A.' actually takes up about 7.5 seconds. (;^)

A word of caution, refrain from playing that song south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Nope, it's fine anywhere. See post above....

"Am C F Am..." ??? IF I am misunderstanding somethign forgive me, but...
The verse is Am, C, F, walk down to the Dm.....two times...
Then....Am, F, C, Dm...two times with a D major at the end on the second time around...go to chorus.....

I was playing this song and The Weight the night I learned of LEvon HElm's passing. MYywife observed..''You sure were singing loud!" I hope he heard it!!
I wish him peace....

We play that song here in the heart of the Confederacy, goes over quite well. So well, in fact, we've started our own militia! Kidding of course, but it's always well received.

Born and bred in ARkansas, Mr. HElm was. You could hear that Southern twang coming straight out of his heart.


There was a great interview with Levon on "Fresh Air" a few years ago. They rebroadcasted it after his death last week. Check it out, very cool to hear it straight from the man.

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=04-20-2012

Sidnet, unless I am much mistaken, the chord progression for the verses ...in the key you are using....would be
Bm, D, G Em...repeat. They walk the bass note down from the G to the Em....G, F#, E.
Then, they rearrange those same chord s for the last two lines of the verse....with that trick at the end of the second line of go ing tot he E major.
Bm, G, D, Em
Bm, G, D, Em...Emajor
Chorus:
D, G
D, G
D, G
D, G
D, Bm, Em, G
D..intro back in to verse.....


And you must have an alto voice!?!?!

Alto - not sure - it is something of a strain - I will give that Am C F Am version a try.

And I for one think the song means no disrespect to the South at all - just a lamentation on the waste and numbing heartbreak of war.

Alto - not sure - it is something of a strain - I will give that Am C F Am version a try.

And I for one think the song means no disrespect to the South at all - just a lamentation on the waste and numbing heartbreak of war.

And penned by a Canadian.

Alto - not sure - it is something of a strain - I will give that Am C F Am version a try.

And I for one think the song means no disrespect to the South at all - just a lamentation on the waste and numbing heartbreak of war.


AGreed on the sadness of the wastes of war, Sidney.

Well, the theory escapes me...but I am going to say they did it in the key of C. IF someone wants to call it Am...fine with me. But.....it isn't Am, C, F Am....ever...in the song...
the chords are Am, C, F, Dm of the verse.....for the first two lines...and Am, F, C, Dm for the last two lines of the verse.....ending with a Dmajor...and to the chorus....

That military snare rolling in the background....

"The Night they drove old Dixie down,
And all the bells were ringin'.
The night they drove old Dixie down,
Adn all the people were singing''
They went....la,la, la, la, la, la...
La, la, la,la,la,la,la,la,la......la, la."

I was watching a history channel show about the Civil War at lunch.... was it 468,000 killed on both sides??? 78,000 at GEttysburg??? Did I remember that correctly?

"They should never have taken the very best!
The night they drove old Dixie down....."

Sing it in the south any time you want, brother!
Shed a tear when you do.

There is one certain song from back in that time that some southern boys don't like to hear...I understand that, but that don't bother me none. I figure if I ignore my past, I don't learn much.

And penned by a Canadian.



I don't know the intricacies of it, but wasn't the authorship of many of those songs part of the problems between the members of The Band?? Some great songs of observation of the American situation have been written by 'foreigners'. One of the sharpest was by Graham Nash...."Ohio". The one I mentioned above was by a Canadian...with rights of authorship undisputed.
Sometimes, 'distance' provides clarity.

I don't know the intricacies of it, but wasn't the authorship of many of those songs part of the problems between the members of The Band?? Some great songs of observation of the American situation have been written by 'foreigners'. One of the sharpest was by Graham Nash...."Ohio". The one I mentioned above was by a Canadian...with rights of authorship undisputed.
Sometimes, 'distance' provides clarity.

Didn't Neil Young write Ohio?

Sidnet, unless I am much mistaken, the chord progression for the verses ...in the key you are using....would be
Bm, D, G Em...repeat. They walk the bass note down from the G to the Em....G, F#, E.
Then, they rearrange those same chord s for the last two lines of the verse....with that trick at the end of the second line of go ing tot he E major.
Bm, G, D, Em
Bm, G, D, Em...Emajor
Chorus:
D, G
D, G
D, G
D, G
D, Bm, Em, G
D..intro back in to verse.....


And you must have an alto voice!?!?!


E major in the last line of the chorus ('la la la' part)

I was watching a history channel show about the Civil War at lunch.... was it 468,000 killed on both sides??? 78,000 at GEttysburg??? Did I remember that correctly?

casualties at Gettysburg were around 57,000, but that includes wounded, killed (about 12k) and missing (captured). 3 day battle.
War totals around 625,000 for both sides....died...mostly from disease.

Antietam STILL the bloodiest day in US history with circa 24,000 killed, wounded, and missing.

I don't know the intricacies of it, but wasn't the authorship of many of those songs part of the problems between the members of The Band?? Some great songs of observation of the American situation have been written by 'foreigners'. One of the sharpest was by Graham Nash...."Ohio". The one I mentioned above was by a Canadian...with rights of authorship undisputed.
Sometimes, 'distance' provides clarity.

The story is Levon Helm did not play the song from the '70s until his death due to his dispute with Robertson over writer's credti on TNTDODD.

Didn't Neil Young write Ohio?

Yes, he did.

My apologies to Mr. Young on that mistaken identity of authorship of 'Ohio".

My apologies to Mr. Young on that mistaken identity of authorship of 'Ohio".

Your premise is still correct - foreigner commenting on American culture.

Your premise is still correct - foreigner commenting on American culture.

Kinda like free speach "Eh"

Bernadette Speach??? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Speach)

Posted without comment. Neither Wally's original post attributing the song to Nash, nor my most recent one, stating that his premise, if not his attribution, was accurate, had any judgmental or critical purpose. But fwiw, the US Constitution applies to citizens of the US, not the entire world.

Bernadette Speach??? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Speach)

Posted without comment. Neither Wally's original post attributing the song to Nash, nor my most recent one, stating that his premise, if not his attribution, was accurate, had any judgmental or critical purpose. But fwiw, the US Constitution applies to citizens of the US, not the entire world.

So Free Speach has a US patent on it?

Never mind, it ain't worth it.

True Dat