Andrew Lardner

Candyman, by Rev. Gary Davis

Added 2021-11-01 14:01:03 +0000 UTC

Welcome back friends,

This month we are back to another Gary Davis solo, and it is probably the simplest one of the three we've done now. Don't let its harmonic simplicity fool you though, as there is much that can be gained by studying this one.

Interesting features:
As most of you know, Rev. Gary Davis used only the thumb and index finger of his right hand. This is an interesting technical study alone, and the slower tempo makes this a great candidate if it is your first journey into playing with two digits. When a student is displaying weakness in their index finger, I often like to have them look at a tune like this.

This bass in this tune also has a unique feature, it is backwards. Higher bass notes are played on beats 1 and 3, while lower bass notes are on 2 and 4. I talk about this in the lesson video a little.

You will also find the constant movement in the inner voice to be a fun learning experience, especially when it is combined with increasingly difficult flourishes in the melody and bass.

The Transcription:
I based the transcription on his performance from a Library of Congress video titled Jazz on the Screen since it gave us the opportunity to closely examine his right- and left-hand fingerings. His performance of "Candyman" starts at 7:30.

I used a few additional recordings (from Pure Religion and Bad Company and Blues and Ragtime) for inspiration in my take. Transcriptions of the excerpts will also be included here and are discussed in detail in the lesson video.