Blind Blake

**Miltown** · Feb-28-2018, 10:56am

Yep, I'm very late to the game, but I just discovered the great blues and ragtime guitarist Blind Blake. So, simple question: anyone know of some good mandolin tabs for Blind Blake songs? I'm especially digging "Blind Arthur's Breakdown," and have been trying to work up a mandolin version. Any help would be appreciated.

**JeffD** · Feb-28-2018, 11:29am

Blind Blake is wonderful. My band does Ditty Wha Ditty, and we are working on Dry Bone Shuffle (which will change everyone's mind about lack of love for the bones player. All we could find was lyrics and chords, and we figured out something that made sense for a performance.

I am thinking you are probably going to find it easier to find guitar tabs for Blind Blake, if at all. Good luck.

**Mark Gunter** · Feb-28-2018, 2:45pm

Originally Posted by Miltown

Yep, I'm very late to the game, but I just discovered the great blues and ragtime guitarist Blind Blake. So, simple question: anyone know of some good mandolin tabs for Blind Blake songs? I'm especially digging "Blind Arthur's Breakdown," and have been trying to work up a mandolin version. Any help would be appreciated.

I think it's a great idea, Blind Arthur's Breakdown would probably sit well as a chord melody on the mandolin. Agree with JeffD, mandolin specific tabs probably won't be available, you'll be charting (kind of) new territory if you develop some tablatures for mandolin.

**fatt-dad** · Feb-28-2018, 3:41pm

love Blake's music and play a few tunes on the guitar. Hope to hear your video, 'cause my mind doesn't hear the mandolin and Blake together.

not that I'm too creative that is. . .

f-d

**Jim Garber** · Feb-28-2018, 10:42pm

That is virtuoso fingerpicking. Not sure how it would translate to mandolin but you can certainly try.

**Ranald** · Mar-01-2018, 3:21pm

Thanks, Fatt-Dad, but "Blind Arthur's Breakdown" has been "removed for copyright reasons" in Canada. I'm sure I can find it elsewhere.

However, here are Blind Blake interpretations on mandolin (no tabs though), so Milltown, I guess you're not the first to think that Blind Blake would sound good on mandolin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ckkOimmGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9FlVpriS9M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9opEL4H2zHQ

Rich DelGrosso's book, Mandolin Blues, has ragtime blues with tabs, though not Blind Blake tunes.
Good luck.

**Miltown** · Mar-01-2018, 4:54pm

Originally Posted by Jim Garber

That is virtuoso fingerpicking. Not sure how it would translate to mandolin but you can certainly try

So far my attempts have not been, umm, all that successful. I need to practice a whole lot more.

Maybe Aaron Weinstein with his amazing chord melody versions of old jazz songs could work up a good version, but it's beyond me.

In the meantime I'm going to get the Rich Del Grosso book Ranald mentions and work on some easier ragtime blues.

**Ranald** · Mar-01-2018, 9:40pm

[QUOTE=Ranald;1636914]Thanks, Fatt-Dad, but "Blind Arthur's Breakdown" has been "removed for copyright reasons" in Canada. I'm sure I can find it elsewhere.

That thanks for the video should have been addresssed to Jim Garber.

**ampyjoe** · Mar-01-2018, 10:51pm

I think that particular Blind Blake song would be hard to do on mandolin while keeping the feel of the original. I've had a go at another Blind Blake song, basically just copying one fill to try to get a little of the feeling. These slower bluesy songs seem a bit more doable to me. See what you think.