Supersition - Stevie Wonder

Mike Herlihy · 08-05-2009, 09:11 PM

Simple transcription of the verse and chorus plus the horn riff. I transposed to the key of E. Does it look right?

mdln · 08-28-2009, 08:36 AM

That is cool Mike! I need to check that out when I get home. I have never been in this thread before and I think it's probably where I should have been most of the time... We just started playing this song. Check out this video. We only played through the song one time that day before the guys decided to try it on a call back and I didn't want to do it because we didn't even know how to end it which you will see on the video. But oh well it was fun and got us started on it and now we have it polished up. I hope to get a video with a good ending...

Mike Herlihy · 08-28-2009, 10:18 PM

Sounds great, I've been listening to the original recording and trying to adapt the horn lines to mandolin. Some suggestions:

1. Have the guitar stay on the main riff while the mando plays the horn riff.

2. Bass should play a pedal point until the horn riff enters then duplicate the horn riff

3. There are two other horn parts, if you want to end it like Stevie. there is a descending chord sequence I play like to end the song (chords are GDAE, x is a mute, G chord would be 0023):

x223, x222, x220, x222

against the main riff than play the lick at end of the chorus and end on x223. I like the sound of upstrokes with the pick angled/thumb muted

mandopete · 09-01-2009, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdln

We just started playing this song.

Just like Bill Monroe used to do!

Excellent - 5 Stars.

Rob Powell · 09-02-2009, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdln

We just started playing this song. Check out this video. We only played through the song one time that day before the guys decided to try it on a call back and I didn't want to do it because we didn't even know how to end it which you will see on the video. But oh well it was fun and got us started on it and now we have it polished up. I hope to get a video with a good ending...

Very cool....

mdln · 09-02-2009, 01:05 PM

Thanks everyone! It's great to get feedback especially when it's not bad...

I haven't had a chance to play for a few days and it's killing me. I want to try out some of the stuff Mike suggested above but need time, especially that ending. Our fiddle player is out of action for a while recovering from quadruple bypass but he said he has the horn line that he wants to do on the fiddle and I can't wait to hear that mixed in. The dobro player also learned the horn line and we did get to try that out a week ago and that was really cool too.

Got a couple of shows to do this weekend and can't wait to jam on that.

Jim MacDaniel · 09-02-2009, 02:12 PM

Thanks for the tab Mike, and the vid Keith -- cool stuff.

I haven't started working on it yet, but I've been wanted to take a stab at Stevie's Master Blaster with my brother, and I really like the duet format of this cover by Jehro -- but maybe you all could grass this tune up a bit as well?

(Warning, the audio is slightly out of synch with the video)

mdln · 09-09-2009, 03:07 PM

Oooh that's a good one Jim! I like that version. I will post it up for the rest of the band to check out. We like kicking stuff like that around. Even if it never makes it to a show.

Jim MacDaniel · 09-09-2009, 03:13 PM

Keith -- you guys just might end up being pioneers a new genre called Wondergrass.

mdln · 09-09-2009, 03:43 PM

Funny you should mention that Jim. In the video we did the MC dubbed it as Mo-Grass right after the song and we have been sticking with that although I don't think this is actually considered Motown but it's probably got roots from there with Stevie's back ground.

We played it at a couple of shows over the weekend and it went over really well. I was worried the bluegrassers were going to hate it and I am sure we will run into that somewhere but I think it's just so much of a feel good song it kind of over comes that. Oh and we have been ending it at the same time now...

mdln · 09-09-2009, 03:47 PM

Here is another one that we have started working on. I love watching the drummer on this one. And Bill puts so much emotion into his songs.

Jim MacDaniel · 09-09-2009, 04:25 PM

Good stuff Keith.

BTW, you might find Soul Dog Food by the Blue Dogs inspirational. On this CD they covered Little Feat's Sailin's Shoes, Billy Preston's Will if go Round in Circles, and the Commodores' Brick House. Brick House is the "bluegrassiest" of the three covers, but they are all a blast. (Homegrown Tomatoes, Monday Mountain Momma, Devil In Disguise, and Mighty Dark To Travel are a few of the other BG-oriented tracks on that CD.)

mdln · 10-29-2009, 11:57 AM

Man just when you think you have something unique to play.... Although our version is different.

Fred G · 10-29-2009, 01:12 PM

Hey, that's mountain heart! I was there!

Mike Herlihy · 10-29-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdln

Man just when you think you have something unique to play.... Although our version is different.

I was thinking about trying to adapt "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly & The Family Stone. Any opinion?

mdln · 10-30-2009, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Herlihy

I was thinking about trying to adapt "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly & The Family Stone. Any opinion?

I had never heard that before that is killer thanks Mike. Is there more to that comment that I might not be getting? Cause it seems like the Superstitios groove could have come from that song. Is that a belief of music fans? I know I need to get out more...

Hey I tell you Youtube has definitely broadend my scope...

Mike Herlihy · 10-30-2009, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdln

I had never heard that before that is killer thanks Mike. Is there more to that comment that I might not be getting? Cause it seems like the Superstitios groove could have come from that song. Is that a belief of music fans? I know I need to get out more...

Hey I tell you Youtube has definitely broadend my scope...

My understanding is Jeff Beck came up with the main riff of "Superstition" and showed it to Stevie Wonder. Berry Gordy (of Motown) pushed Stevie to release it first on his "Talking Book" album.

Jeff Beck was very upset by this. Stevie wrote "Cause We Ended as Lovers" for Beck - which has been a staple of Jeff's show for years.

Schlegel · 10-30-2009, 10:50 PM

OSFT and grisman:

Santiago · 10-31-2009, 11:45 AM

Stevie, done right! Good video. Love how Dawg picks up the jam.

GVD · 11-02-2009, 12:49 PM

Or if you're like Pete Huttlinger you just play all the parts yourself.

mdln · 11-03-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Herlihy

My understanding is Jeff Beck came up with the main riff of "Superstition" and showed it to Stevie Wonder. Berry Gordy (of Motown) pushed Stevie to release it first on his "Talking Book" album.

Jeff Beck was very upset by this. Stevie wrote "Cause We Ended as Lovers" for Beck - which has been a staple of Jeff's show for years.

Wow that is cool to know. Thanks Mike!

Dfyngravity · 11-07-2009, 06:43 AM

OSFT is the best. Been following them since their first shows.

mdln · 11-11-2009, 12:26 PM

Hey everyone we have a new take or video on this. Who ever posted the last one has taken it down so we wanted to get another one up. This was after we did a video shoot of another song that is on our cd. So we were hanging out afterwards messing around. Although I have jammed with Stevie (fiddle) a couple of times now this was his first time back with the band. We played this song twice during the day so it was the third time Stevie has ever played it. But he is so talented it doesn't take him long to come up with something awesome. We still have some work to do on the arrangements because we want to spread things out a little and still add the horn lines in.

Dfyngravity · 11-11-2009, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GVD

Or if you're like Pete Huttlinger you just play all the parts yourself.

OR

Adam Rafferty, who is amazing

CES · 11-11-2009, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GVD

Or if you're like Pete Huttlinger you just play all the parts yourself.

Man that's freakin' cool!!!

mdln, very much enjoyed your new posting as well...very nice job!!

08-05-2009, 09:11 PM	#1
Mike Herlihy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Basking Ridge, NJ Posts: 189	Supersition - Stevie Wonder Simple transcription of the verse and chorus plus the horn riff. I transposed to the key of E. Does it look right?

08-28-2009, 08:36 AM	#2
mdln Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 309	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder That is cool Mike! I need to check that out when I get home. I have never been in this thread before and I think it's probably where I should have been most of the time... We just started playing this song. Check out this video. We only played through the song one time that day before the guys decided to try it on a call back and I didn't want to do it because we didn't even know how to end it which you will see on the video. But oh well it was fun and got us started on it and now we have it polished up. I hope to get a video with a good ending... __________________ Keith http://www.myspace.com/richardpropps http://bluestormonline.com/

08-28-2009, 10:18 PM	#3
Mike Herlihy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Basking Ridge, NJ Posts: 189	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Sounds great, I've been listening to the original recording and trying to adapt the horn lines to mandolin. Some suggestions: 1. Have the guitar stay on the main riff while the mando plays the horn riff. 2. Bass should play a pedal point until the horn riff enters then duplicate the horn riff 3. There are two other horn parts, if you want to end it like Stevie. there is a descending chord sequence I play like to end the song (chords are GDAE, x is a mute, G chord would be 0023): x223, x222, x220, x222 against the main riff than play the lick at end of the chorus and end on x223. I like the sound of upstrokes with the pick angled/thumb muted

09-02-2009, 01:05 PM	#6
mdln Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 309	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Thanks everyone! It's great to get feedback especially when it's not bad... I haven't had a chance to play for a few days and it's killing me. I want to try out some of the stuff Mike suggested above but need time, especially that ending. Our fiddle player is out of action for a while recovering from quadruple bypass but he said he has the horn line that he wants to do on the fiddle and I can't wait to hear that mixed in. The dobro player also learned the horn line and we did get to try that out a week ago and that was really cool too. Got a couple of shows to do this weekend and can't wait to jam on that. __________________ Keith http://www.myspace.com/richardpropps http://bluestormonline.com/

09-02-2009, 02:12 PM	#7
Jim MacDaniel Carpe plectrum. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 2,666	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Thanks for the tab Mike, and the vid Keith -- cool stuff. I haven't started working on it yet, but I've been wanted to take a stab at Stevie's Master Blaster with my brother, and I really like the duet format of this cover by Jehro -- but maybe you all could grass this tune up a bit as well? (Warning, the audio is slightly out of synch with the video) __________________ "Cursed be they who said what we said before we said it." ~ St. Jerome Aidan Mac sleep-eating FreeRice.com: kill an afternoon and feed the hungry at the same time, and from the comfort of your desk. My Zazzle storefront

09-09-2009, 03:07 PM	#8
mdln Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 309	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Oooh that's a good one Jim! I like that version. I will post it up for the rest of the band to check out. We like kicking stuff like that around. Even if it never makes it to a show. __________________ Keith http://www.myspace.com/richardpropps http://bluestormonline.com/

09-09-2009, 03:13 PM	#9
Jim MacDaniel Carpe plectrum. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 2,666	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Keith -- you guys just might end up being pioneers a new genre called Wondergrass. __________________ "Cursed be they who said what we said before we said it." ~ St. Jerome Aidan Mac sleep-eating FreeRice.com: kill an afternoon and feed the hungry at the same time, and from the comfort of your desk. My Zazzle storefront

09-09-2009, 03:43 PM	#10
mdln Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 309	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Funny you should mention that Jim. In the video we did the MC dubbed it as Mo-Grass right after the song and we have been sticking with that although I don't think this is actually considered Motown but it's probably got roots from there with Stevie's back ground. We played it at a couple of shows over the weekend and it went over really well. I was worried the bluegrassers were going to hate it and I am sure we will run into that somewhere but I think it's just so much of a feel good song it kind of over comes that. Oh and we have been ending it at the same time now... __________________ Keith http://www.myspace.com/richardpropps http://bluestormonline.com/

09-09-2009, 03:47 PM	#11
mdln Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 309	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Here is another one that we have started working on. I love watching the drummer on this one. And Bill puts so much emotion into his songs. __________________ Keith http://www.myspace.com/richardpropps http://bluestormonline.com/

09-09-2009, 04:25 PM	#12
Jim MacDaniel Carpe plectrum. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 2,666	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Good stuff Keith. BTW, you might find Soul Dog Food by the Blue Dogs inspirational. On this CD they covered Little Feat's Sailin's Shoes, Billy Preston's Will if go Round in Circles, and the Commodores' Brick House. Brick House is the "bluegrassiest" of the three covers, but they are all a blast. (Homegrown Tomatoes, Monday Mountain Momma, Devil In Disguise, and Mighty Dark To Travel are a few of the other BG-oriented tracks on that CD.) __________________ "Cursed be they who said what we said before we said it." ~ St. Jerome Aidan Mac sleep-eating FreeRice.com: kill an afternoon and feed the hungry at the same time, and from the comfort of your desk. My Zazzle storefront

10-29-2009, 11:57 AM	#13
mdln Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 309	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Man just when you think you have something unique to play.... Although our version is different. __________________ Keith http://www.myspace.com/richardpropps http://bluestormonline.com/

10-29-2009, 01:12 PM	#14
Fred G Fred Gilmartin Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 379	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Hey, that's mountain heart! I was there! __________________ http://www.myspace.com/fredgilmartin

10-30-2009, 10:50 PM	#18
Schlegel Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 213	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder OSFT and grisman:

10-31-2009, 11:45 AM	#19
Santiago Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Long Island, NY, USA Posts: 2,042	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Stevie, done right! Good video. Love how Dawg picks up the jam. __________________ Eastman 605

11-02-2009, 12:49 PM	#20
GVD Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: US Posts: 1,104	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Or if you're like Pete Huttlinger you just play all the parts yourself. __________________ GVD

11-07-2009, 06:43 AM	#22
Dfyngravity Ben Beran Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 1,079	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder OSFT is the best. Been following them since their first shows. __________________ Give me my mandolin and a beer and I'll be content

11-11-2009, 12:26 PM	#23
mdln Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 309	Re: Supersition - Stevie Wonder Hey everyone we have a new take or video on this. Who ever posted the last one has taken it down so we wanted to get another one up. This was after we did a video shoot of another song that is on our cd. So we were hanging out afterwards messing around. Although I have jammed with Stevie (fiddle) a couple of times now this was his first time back with the band. We played this song twice during the day so it was the third time Stevie has ever played it. But he is so talented it doesn't take him long to come up with something awesome. We still have some work to do on the arrangements because we want to spread things out a little and still add the horn lines in. __________________ Keith http://www.myspace.com/richardpropps http://bluestormonline.com/