Western Swing is a music style that developed in the American Southwest (especially Texas and Oklahoma) during 1920s, 30s and 40s. Beginning with the basic acoustic fiddle band sound, drums, piano, steel guitar, electric guitar, and horns were added to produce a danceable sound that rivaled the big bands of the era. Band leaders including Spade Cooley, Milton Brown and most especially Bob Wills developed this unique genre that borrows freely from folk traditions and the hot swing of the 30s and 40s.

The development of Western Swing guitar can be traced largely to the playing of Bob Wills' guitarist Eldon Shamblin. Beginning in 1938, Shamblin applied his sophisticated knowledge of chord theory to the relatively simple progressions of traditional fiddle tunes and vocal numbers performed by the band. The result was a bass-note-driven style that often changed chords every two beats.

In this three-part series we'll take the old three-chord folk song Red River Valley and develop a moving chord western swing accompaniment. Then, using the chord substitution ideas from the rhythm arrangement, we'll create and analyze a lead solo over these changes. Hopefully along the way, you'll learn how to apply these ideas to other songs.

In the Nashville Numbering System, the basic changes to this song are:

1 1 1 1
1 1 5 5 
1 1 4 4
5 5 1 1

Just to dress things up a little, I'll add a 5 chord in the first line resulting in:

1 5 1 1

Western swing music (WS) is a product of the 1920s and 30s and borrows a lot from the jazz and pop music of that era. Diminished chords were an important element of this early swing music and are still used in western swing. Diminished chords are often used as connecting chords in WS so let's add some to the basic progression.

1 5 1 1
1 #1dim 2m 5
1 1 4 #4 dim
5 5 1 1

Notice in the second line I could have moved directly to the 5 chord but I prefer the more harmonically pleasing move to the 2m or 5m of 5, a common jazz chord substitution and very popular in WS. In line 3, I use it again to move from the 4 to the 5 chord. This is another common use of the diminished chord. Play the music below and we'll talk more about the theory next time as we build a solo.

Bookmark this article with:

          

Stumble It!     Share on Facebook      Delicious