Don Wilson - Playing Technique

[ZacJM]

I have yet to hear Chet Atkins' version, and I guess that's the one the Ventures learned it from. I guess what this means is that you can play it any way that sounds good to you!

It used to be on Youtube, I tried finding it now but it doesn't seem to be there. This is the closest thing I could find to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBc-OrGhYpU

[rog43win]

Don is one of the players I recommend that my students listen to so they can hear how important rhythm guitar is. (Keith Richards and John Lennon are two more.) Back when I was learning to play, "Walk Don't Run" was a must-learn for aspiring rock 'n' roll guitar players--it was one of the first things I learned--and I always played it Am-G-F-E7, as that C in the melody, even though it occurs over the G chord, suggests a minor tonality--and I'd laugh at guys who would play the A as a major. So in 2005 I went to the NAMM Show and got to hang out with Don at the Wilson Bros. booth--nice guy, by the way--and darned if he didn't play it as an A major! He recorded the original version--well, the Ventures' version anyway--does that mean all of us who play Am are wrong? The original jazz version by Johnny Smith, who wrote it, is definitely minor, although he does it in Dm. I have yet to hear Chet Atkins' version, and I guess that's the one the Ventures learned it from. I guess what this means is that you can play it any way that sounds good to you!

I've always played it with an A major, and thought that everybody did, lol.......I have the Chet Atkins version saved in my bookmarks....I'll see if I can get the link for you.....I also have the Johnny Smith version......Johnny wrote the song, and Chet changed the key to the familiar one that the Ventures also used...but Johnny wrote and played it in a different key, and it's been suggested that if Chet never changed the key, the Ventures may not have bothered doing it...since it would have been more difficult to play.

[rog43win]

Jfine.......here is the link for the Johnny Smith original "Walk Don't Run" .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HwQxdrm ... re=related

I did have the Chet Atkins version also saved, but for some reason, it's not coming up on youtube now......

Roger

[ZacJM]

I did have the Chet Atkins version also saved, but for some reason, it's not coming up on youtube now......

Roger

I used to have it too, I think it got removed most likely.
I've got this old Ventures song book:




It has Walk Don't Run in it and the key is totally different, is this close to what J. Smith used?:

[rog43win]

I did have the Chet Atkins version also saved, but for some reason, it's not coming up on youtube now......

Roger

I used to have it too, I think it got removed most likely.
I've got this old Ventures song book:
[img]http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/7463/theventuressongbook.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/8886/theventuressongbook034.jpg

It has Walk Don't Run in it and the key is totally different, is this close to what J. Smith used?:
[img]http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/210/56996095.png

Zac....yes...this is the key that Johnny Smith wrote the song in.....thanks for finding that!

[Dennisthe Menace]

Wait a sec....you're telling me that Johnny wrote 'WDR' in Bb minor!?!?!??

[ZacJM]

Zac....yes...this is the key that Johnny Smith wrote the song in.....thanks for finding that!

When I first got that book I thought it was awesome as I had learned the accordion first and prefer seeing notation over tab when I learn something. Learned Yellow Jacket out of it, but when I saw that I realized something was wrong. Surf Rider is also in the same key in that book. Did Nokie play it in a different key the first time they recorded it?

[Veenture]

I did have the Chet Atkins version also saved, but for some reason, it's not coming up on youtube now.

http://jukebox.au.nu/instromania/instro ... _in_focus/
(track #8)

[Dennisthe Menace]

Nice Find Paul!

[rog43win]

I know.....Bbm...who would have guessed? But his (Johnny Smith) original recording is jazzy and lilty, much like the way that Howard Roberts played......I have some 33 1/3's of Johnny Smith and Howard Roberts, two of my favorite jazz guitarists.......
Dennis, check out Johnny Smith's recording of WDR if you haven't already....it's interesting to see how it went from that....to Chet Atkins' version.......to the Ventures' take on it...from jazz to rock n' roll, all in about 5 short years......

Roger