Duane Allman - Part 2 - Statesboro Blues

Statesboro Blues. It was the slide guitar shot heard round the world, and for true Allman junkies like me it is Duane’s high water mark, the brass ring we all try to grab, and the gold standard by which all others are measured. In fairness, slide had been used before in rock guitar, but Duane was the first to play screaming single note leads with it. Jesse Ed Davis laid the foundation; Duane built the house! If you consider the 5 "T's" of good guitar playing (timing, tone, technique, taste and tuning), Statesboro is a masterclass. Even after listening to this for 26 years, I’m still amazed at the incredible precision of Duane’s playing. Listen to the intervalic microtones he employs throughout the song. Listen to how he used his fingers to mute the strings he didn’t want to ring out. Amazing. He also had a sort of schizophrenic vibrato. Sometimes it was wild, sometimes it was mild, sometimes he just held a note perfectly on pitch with no vibrato at all, sometimes he pushed notes a little sharp on purpose to create tension; but whatever device he chose it was always appropriate for the passage he was playing. And the slide itself was probably the perfect vehicle for Duane’s expressive spirit. As the stories go, Duane wasn’t big on following rules, and frets represented rules! They could be broken of course, but the slide took away the rules entirely and I suspect Duane found a certain liberation in that. The entire guitar was fair game and he used THE WHOLE THING; even up past the neck pickup at times! I listened to Duane for years before I ever tried to learn any of his slide material; it just seemed impossible. But with time and (lots of) practice his secrets began to reveal themselves. So tune your guitar to an E chord and as Duane used to say “slide a bottle up and down til what you want out of it comes out!” Thanks for watching and please comment. I’d love to hear from other slide guitar geeks out there.

PS - If you dig the Allmans, you might enjoy the ABB tribute band I play in called SKYDOG. We pride ourselves on being as authentic as humanly possible. Come say hi at our website or Facebook!

[ffejskoorb]

Best imitation of a harmonica on guitar ANYWHERE!!! You know what mean!!

[drdbailey]

Are you kidding me!??!! Probably the best, near perfect rendition I have ever witnessed!

[michaeldavidfigures]

A Duane Allman fan from the 70's sez; "You're doin' Duane proud!"

[blackprince]

Well at 71 years of age, I have been listening to Duane in the ABB since the 70's got the lp albums 33 1/3, they are my bible for guitar playing. Duane just blows your socks of I loved him with Bow Scaggs in "somebody loan me a dime" I am still trying to perfect that one.
I don't have pitch perfect, cannot read music, but do my best on slide, guess my best is rolling and tumbling in G.
I used to use open E, but my acoustics necks bend.
in 2016 my wife and I traveled to the states and in Macon visited his grave site and I walked around Bartlett street where he died from the motorcycle accident (I ride and still also).
I am left handed, but play right handed just like Duane.
Thank you.

[gabrieln]

Very, very cool. I can relate to this video in several ways: I am harmonica player, 45 yrs. was full-time pro at 20. I saw Duane play in 1970/71 just before his accident. I lived on Hwy 41 (Ramblin' Man reference), that is from Dickey's mom living in Bradenton, FL. I played gigs/radio show with "The Poindexters" local family band on Dickey's first solo album "Highway Call" although I did not perform with Dickey Betts. Saw/met Tom Doucette in Sarasota (harp player Fillmore East) little club, it burned down. ABB would be know to show up and jam around the area and my friends in High School had a band like yours and I was their sit-in harp player, they had it down....one focused on Duane (slide) the other Dickie. (although your rendition here is closest I have heard and fabulous!). I recently read Dickey as quoted saying Duane always said the goal of his slide was to sound like a harp player, and surely that would be Little Walter. The licks, phrasing, timing, syncopation on this are SO similar to Little Walter. I spent many years 3-4 hrs. per day practicing, including in-depth with Little Walter as you have done here but, also listening to Duane's nuances for feel/timing/inspiration, funny to hear all these years later Duane was going for harp tones! In-depth study of nuances leads to better your own playing and note/tone shaping. I bet Duane shaped a few trumpet tones off Miles Davis also!!! Anyway, for the guitarists, check out Little Walter (Stones, Clapton, ABB have all done his songs too). Love your posting and musical sharing here, exposing to folks the beauty of the ABB orchestra!

[oudaram]

Thanks, you got all those little things that make such a difference!

[theplayers]

Dude. Until further notice, every day soon as I wake up, I'm going through this one dang note at a time front to back. Got a cold beer here for you any time.

[gtrman]

Best vid lesson I've seen on this. This camera angle makes all the difference because you can see BOTH hands! Especially that right hand picking.

[stevecerri]

Holy shit. Incredible. Well done my dude, well done 👏👏👏

[Dyers]

Sorry man I just had to comment again cause I’ve been watching this over and over, it just blew me away! I grew up in New Zealand in the days long before the internet and hearing this song as a kid you could only visualise it in your mind, so now you’ve created a snap shot for all to see this amazing masterpiece in action, so thank you!! Duane rules indeed!! Subscribed too, as soon as I can tear myself away from this I’ll check out your other vids! Keep rockin’ brother!!

[btsmusic]

I Had The Honer Of Being In A Band Down Here In Daytona Who Were All School Mates An Good Friends--We Had A Great Version--But This Is Over The Top.----R I P Bruce Parker----.

[discipleG]

Had to come back again and check out your cover of a great song.

[lukehauser]

Thanks - really illuminates details of Duane's playing

[Dyers]

This is awesome bro, great job. My favourite live solo from any song

[terryhannah]

Try doing the Dickey Betts solo on this song😂😂😂😂😂😂! That'll give you something to chew on 😂😂😂😂

[johnegan]

Yeah, okay, wow, like heck yeah and a "That's what I am talkin' about". That is Duane reincarnated. Thanks.

[MCJaccardmusic]

The only thing this is missing is Duane's killer tone that only he is capable of replicating.
This has been such a phenomenal visual.

[bobbyblack]

Awesome job, dude. You nailed it. So talented!

[withabeat]

Thanks so much! Even though I've been in awe of the song for 50+ years, and have been a slide player for most of that, Statesboro Blues always seemed beyond reach. I've been asked to add slide for a rendition of that version at an upcoming musical gathering and your example here gives me hope.

[johns]

I just found this. Extremely accurate rendition. Great slide technique, especially the part that most novices forget, the muting of unused strings.