1 Railroad Bill Traditional, arranged by Etta Baker ‘The fll-bues fingerpicking world lost one ofits mos influential figures when Era Baker died on September 23, 2006, atthe age (oF 93. Her influence began during the “Yolk boom” of the early 1960s, afer her solo-guitar arrangements appeared on the 1956 LP Insrumerual Music from the Southern Appalachians (Tradition Records). Throughout the late 60s and "70s, it was common to hear her arrangements of “Bully ofthe Town,” “Railroad Bill” “One Dime Blues,” and (other songs at hoorenannies, open mis, an jam sessions. Baker played Piedmont syle, which features a steady alternating bas. To be Auent inthis syle, i’shelpfulto play 3 G chord with the middle, ring, and pinky Fingers ater than the index, middle, and ring. Is also traditional ro wrap the left-hand thumb over the neck to grab the low F nove on the sath string when playing afr porton F chord. Youll have to finger a C chord with only thee fingers, since youl need your pinky’ for playing melody notes. With these fingerings, your middle and ring fingers wil be ina ‘good position t easily grabthereot an major tied fr theron (D, dominant (V), and subdominant (IV) chords. When you play aC chord (aeasure 1), rock your rng finger ‘between the fifth and sixth strings to grab the altemating-bas ine. Baker employed this same technique over the F chord (measures 7-8); rock your rng finger between the fourth and ith sings vo get al ofthe bass notes in these measures, ve notated the bass linea single notes, but Baker played with a heavy touch and would often sound out more than one note in the chord. Note how she flips the bass-note pattern {in measures 16-18, She doesnt ala py it this way; these types of inconsistencies are com ‘mon throughout the fingerpicked blues genre. In this version of Railroad Bil,” which is from the CD of the same name, Baker plays the ‘2emeasure base arangement with ony slight variations except in three places: At measure 37, she plays a six measure bridge that stars fn the dominant (¥ or G). At measure 45, she substtures an unusual chord forthe frst four measures by moving a first poston E7 up one fret. Finally, at measure 58, to launch the last time through, she slides haf a measure early {toa very popular fingerpicking chord position by moving a frst position C7 up two frets ro ‘become a DS (the ninth isthe open E sting). There ae quite afew other folk fingerpicking standards that are closely related to tis tne, nding Blizabeth Coes “Freight Train” and Mississippi John Hurts “Louis Coins. DALE MILLER| 106 Acoustic eulran Fesuay 20Rail rood il Worked ond he nev = er c 1. Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill & F He never worked and he never will G auc Ride, ride, ride Vocal Verse Chords: Rail road wal Ride vide G 2. Railroad Bill was 2 mighty mean man & F ‘Shot the light out of the brakeman's hand Cac Ride, ride, ride 2 He nev =e fide cl Railroad Bill took my wife e F Said fl dic’ ke it he would take my life CMgeic Ride, ride, ride 107