The Plains of Waterloo (Martin Simpson)

I really love this haunting slow air, played so magnificently by Martin Simpson on his Bootleg USA album. Although Martin has recorded this with fingers, it is the live slide version that really caught my attention: His touch and feel with the slide are incomparable IMHO. His vibrato is spectacular, as is his precision so necessary when fretting only single notes while all around you are ringing out dissonantly!

Hearing that track inspired me to try playing with slide something Id not done before, and this is my pale imitation.

Tuning is CGCGCD; Medium gauge.

Guitar is a Ralph Bown brazillian and spruce OM, once owned by Clive Carroll.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Plains
• of
• Waterloo;
• Martin
• Simpson;
• Ralph
• Bown;
• Clive
• Carroll;
• CGCGCD

[JAIJAI0]

Great job mate-always loved this one of Martin's.

[sobellfanatic]

@JAIJAI0 Cheers pal - I appreciate the kind comment. This vid is 2 years old but I still play this piece regularly - one of Martin's best I reckon.

[rusty5hi]

Very Nice!! One of my favorite tunes. You do it very well. I see that this is your first slide attempt and you do quite well. One suggestion, try to damp the strings behind the slide to stop the string producing the background note. It can be used to good effect and Simpson is a master at it but it can also muddy up the tune. Did you learn this by ear or do you have the tab/music?

Thanks for this!

[sobellfanatic]

Thanks for the comment. I learnt this from Martin at one of his workshops a few years ago. He was very adamant that you shouldn't damp the strings behind the slide - he really likes the sound they make. Although its easier to play when damping behind the slide, it's ultimately not quite so interesting and he urged us to try without. As you rightly say though, Simpson is a master; mere mortals can sound a bit "drunk" because we don't have his precision and vibrato.

[shredmunga]

Superb - please post some more slide in this vein

[sobellfanatic]

Thanks mate - you're too kind.

I am working on some more Simpson stuff - there's a great slide piece where he uses an Ebow that I'd like to cover (he's not recorded it yet), and also Greystones off his last album; that's great also.

[Travispicker]

You're quite right...it takes some steady hands and good vibrato to keep from sounding drunk on that slide. Not as easy as it looks.... you did a great job! Dennis

[sobellfanatic]

I'm blushing! Seriously, I appreciate your kind comments.

I love the original and thought it would be pretty easy to play - I quickly found out I was wrong! I hadn't played slide before and it is so easy to sound "drunk" as Martin Simpson puts it. It took a lot of practice. There's nowhere to hide on these slow airs - that's what I love so much about Martin's playing. He nails it every time.

[Travispicker]

Congratulations...you've captured that truly haunting sound of the slide on the Sobell that Martin does so well. Your version is terrific; and you've done a great job on that piece.

Best wishes and continued success... Dennis (aka - Travispicker)

[csncsn00]

this is.....beauty !

claudio