Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Hi friends! I invite you to use this space to share your thoughts on the marvelous song "Same Old Blues" by Freddie King.

There's another thread dedicated to figuring out the chords, which you can find here: https://tomovhxtv.vhx.tv/forums/general/72835-same-old-blues-freddie-king-non-12bars-blues.

If you’re like me and haven’t gotten to that yet (working on "lifting up chords"), I’d love to hear what you’ve noticed and what you’re struggling with. Personally, I find it challenging to separate the different parts of the music. I often focus on one instrument and then get distracted by another.

I’ve been listening to this song every day on repeat, and each time I notice something new. There is so much emotion and nuance packed into such a simple form. One thing I know for sure is that this song makes my heart sink, but in the best way possible.

What are you hearing in Same Old Blues?

So great to see this thread!

Thank you Sammi for making this thread and inviting people.

I love this song! I have listened this song so many times and I can play this song in my heard anytime! So happy to hear that you are discovering something new each time you listen this. Focus on bass... focus on drums... focus on.... many possibilities!

Thanks so much!

I love how different this song is from most Blues tracks you hear. When I listen to the recording, I feel the presence of Leon Russell almost as much as Freddie. The piano, strings, choir arrangements are just perfect. Recorded in Leon's Shelter Records Studio in an abandoned church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Don Nix wrote this great song. He also wrote the amazing song "Going Down" which is on this same album (Getting Ready). So cool how the lyrics match the mood of the progression. I'm so glad to be learning to use my ears and brain to learn to play songs like this.

Here in Seattle, we love songs about the rain,,,and songs about sunshine. This song has both :-)
Kurt

[Verse 1]
Morning rain keeps on falling
Like the tears that fall from my eyes
As I sit in my room, staring out at the gloom
It's the rain, it's the same old blues

[Verse 2]
I can't help, I can't help but thinkin'
When the sun used to shine in my back door
Now the sun has turned to rain, all my laughter has turned to pain
Yes, it's the pain of the same old blues

[Verse 3]
Sunshine, sunshine is all you see now
But it all, it all looks like clouds to me
But as I sit in my room, staring out at the gloom
It's the rain, it's the same old blues, yeah, now

[Outro]
Yes, it's the rain, it's the same old blues
Yes, it's the rain, it's the same old blues

Sammi, I learn something every time I listen to this song (which is every day). Tomo's extra videos are opening up my ears and mind. Although I'm working hard on ear training, I find the extra feedback super helpful, lets me know that I'm not lost in the wilderness. I also appreciate the input about improvisation. This has been a truly valuable experience for me. Freddie King is looking down and smiling.

I loved hearing Tomo play it during the livestream! Great song and great album

I’ve never heard this song before. I didn’t expect it to bring tears to my eyes so quickly.. thank you for sharing this. This feels like a gospel blues to me, somewhat similar to Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s - Take My Hand Precious Lord.

I haven’t transcribed this song yet since it was my first listen, but the intro felt like it started on the IV chord which is unique to me.

Another thing that caught my ear was when the piano played an augmented arpeggio on the V chord before the 1st verse?

I think I also heard a secondary ii-V-I to the IV chord at some point.

I’m self taught but learned basic theory from learning Beatles songs by ear, reading books, as well as following Tomo’s channel and now GW. Very appreciative to be on this journey with you all. Love.

Had another few listens of same ol blues tonight. The conversation between Freddie’s amazing vocals and the piano fills is so catchy. Also noticed the space the drummer is leaving with the sparse snare hits opens it up, gives us this floating feeling or looking up at the sky. Maybe in this case the rain and the sun. Gospel sound with the choir. It’s just very beautiful all around. Then the guitar part is incredible.

What’s the time signature in same ol blues. I keep wanting to count one two three or one two three four five six instead of one two three four.

Great conversation guys!

Tomo

Well, I have been trying to play this. Not the greatest, but slowly improving. I like that is slower, and I think therefore approachable for noobs like me. I like the arpeggios and after discussing with a mentor, I understand now the ii V I segue to the next key and how that is like ‘portaling’ from one key to the next. It has a lot of emotion and it’s a really nice song and I noodle at the end, sorry, couldn’t resist 😆. Never heard it before this thread and forum. Thank you for sharing. I didn’t learn all the pieces by ear 🙈, but did watch some YT vids to get an understanding, which was helpful…I feel like my ability to ear train is glacially slow.

Thank you Kurt for encouragement!

Lovely chords on this song.

Tomo

Awesome, Chris! Thanks for bringing this back up. We've got a rainy week ahead of us here in Massachusetts, so I'll be leaning into the feeling of this song.