Sweet Little Mystery by John Martyn - A Cover
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- Опубліковано 12 січ 2025
- Cover by me of this popular song that John Martyn wrote. From the album 'Grace and Danger'. I've played this for awhile. There are plenty of videos- of JM performing this, both left and right hand seeable. I think a good song for any aspiring 'Martynesque' guitar player who wants to start using this tuning, and who has a bit of fingerpicking under their belt
[JM Guitar Nuttas:Prob' this video along with my previous (New year!) represents my 2nd phase of stuff, as it were..though this is really a straight cover, copying trying to Johns playing..and its part of me trying to look deep inside his approach to guitar playing in general. Thus includes electric and acoustic playing.
This song is in Ab major, and the mode is 'Ionian'..so the home I chord is Abmajor. The tuning here is JMs original CFCCGD, almost used exclusively by JM on electric.This I chord, Ab maj is at fret 8, so 8 8 8 8 8 10 on the fretboard. The other major chords (V and IV respectively) are this same shape at frets 3 and 1. The Minor chords used are infact m11 no 5th. The VIm chord at fret 5 is the shape 557888. The same shape is used at fret 10 for the IIm chord there.
You can follow the video for the chord sequence, its all 'in key' tonal chords. The picking is done around the chord shapes, left hand fingering amending chord shapes now & again using the Gbmajor major scale.
Guitar-2009 model US Fender Stratocaster, strings are 'Jazz' (one below heaviest by D'addario), p/up switch set halfway between neck and mid pickup - Behringer tube preamp-Vol pedal (not varied)- Zoom GX1N effects (mainly for short echo repeat, get about 2 echoes only plus some slight chorus effect - Line6 spiderIII amp on clean setting with bass up, treble up, mid just more than halfway - Yamaha mixer - Tascam HD recorder.
Vocals thru MXL770 small diaphragm condensor mic - Mixer (effect reverb used)]
Thanks so much for this and all the detail! Been wanting to learn this for ages, and now I can! Cheers
What a terrific version of this fantastic song!
Nothing mysterious about this, its just talent. Excellent performance and production Mr McGeachy.
Great version Ian! Beautiful guitar playing and very nice vocal! The electric guitar sounds very nice, recording perfect balance! All thumbs up! Cheers my friend! -karl
Beautiful performance! The guitar sounds so sweet and cool and the vocals and phrasing is perfect. I just love this song...and it needs some courage to interpret mr. Martyn's songs. You make it great.
All the best from Viveca
Nice one, Ian, this really captures that feeling which is so special to John's music.
wow!!! Amazing cover!!
This is sooooo gooood!
I better get it outa the shed in the morning, couple of mandolins and dobro there too..LOL....oh, when I was down at my guitar buddies in Darwen, he was telling me annoyed about lettin' go a Mesa Boogie ? amp, as he thought that was the problem he had with his 'sound' ..( before he got the Tokai ).he's using this Tokai through a wee Fender amp and mighty pleased with it too.
Jim
Great version of this un...you actually sounded like JM as you came in on the sweet little mystery bit.. I like the guitar by the way... I recently rebuilt one of my strats (not that I play em much recently) ... I've got right into that G&L asat teleaster that I begged .....cos I've always been a tele fellah at heart Hopefully I'll give john wayne a whirl in the not to distant future (when I get mi bum back from sunshineland)
You lift my soul Mike. Thanks for your very kind words, appreciated muchly. - Ian
Awesome stuff Ian, great tones from the strat. You are raising the bloody bar again sir! Where's me boltcutters?
Many thanks for appreciation Karl. One Ive played awhile now, never uploaded till now. It should be gettin earmer in your neck o woods lately..cooler here now!
Ta very much Joao! Much appreciated.
Thanks v much John. Not been on utube lately, tho been playing often, in between work etc, so will have missed much I think. I like playing this one..like alot of his stuff..not too hard to get 75% there guitar wise..but the other 1/4 seems to need infinite concentration, though interesting to try!
Great stuff Ian, as per usual. You've inspired me to make that great leap from dadgad to John's 'electric' tuning. But hey? no middle 8 ??? think its Am Em Thanks keep on slapin'
Viveca...you're a soul lifter! Thank you very much for your appreciation and Im really glad you like the sounds. It is a great song, simple in structure, but a very effective one. I think my love of Johns music and intense desire to make the sounds overcomes any reticence to perform em, especially now Im no spring chicken ! (Give my regards to that bloke we both know, and tell him hes a very lucky chap too ;-) )- Luv n peace , vi ses, Ian
Hiya Paul..Based on a rare video..he played this with another chap on acoustic...1989 TV program...so its that structure. Am and Em though would take you out of the key this is in..Abmajor...but those equivalent chords would be in this key Fm and Cm. I used here..Fm and Bbm, the same as on videos of JM, honest. Yeh..as a start on cfccgd...this is a good one, on electric its easier to get the shape on the 10 th fret.
Liked this Ian....don't recall seeing you on electric.....Sam Cooke coulda sang this...
When I was back down in Darwen ( Lancs ) this week, my old gtr. buddy was showing me his knew electric job....he's really an acoustic player...a Tokia..He handed it to me to have a 'go'...faffed around for a minute, gave it him back...hadn't a clue what to do wi' it....see...acoustic or nuthin'...it sounded and felt pretty good tho'.
Jim
The peavey "strat" (probably a predator or a falcon) are superb guitars ...in fact nearly all of the US made peaveys are great guitars and very underrated ... Gerry Donahue for years played peavey "tele's" ... but if you like the les paul sound but prefer the fender feel/playability ..why not build yourself a partsacaster with humbuckers.. and if you get humbuckers that you can split the coils to get the single coil sound or better still stick P90's on it
Cheers Jim. Yes, it is summat like hed have sung thinkin about it! Ive used electrics on uploads now n again, not many. I like, for somethings, the electric guitar, depending on sound I want, and though it is a bit different in playing, not alot, the way I myself play guitar. Probably less advantage in using open strings than on acoustic ( hence open tunings much except for slide).Tokai strats, JM used those in the 80s, good guitars Im told. Joe Pass does fine, fingerstyle on archtop gtr! ;-)
Wow! Men! Your voice is incredible! Remind someone's. But it's cool!
Cheers Davey, Ive played this awhile now. A good *first* tune in cfccgd to do, but easier on electric due to the barred Bb minor chord at fret 10. (Watch vid of him picking this, Im not doing exactly same, cos I reverted to an old habit, but the rhythm ends up exactly the same. )
I believe those ovation deacons are very collectable Jim, you may be sitting on a small fortune?!
Great version,,,but what is is the tuning?
Heyop Kev. Sounded like him? You mean in his wheelchair period? ( bless his cotton sock) ;-). You know, Ive held teles, never really played one. I have (at a mates in UK) a Peavey strat copy, and plays as good as this one to me. The feel-like theyre playing themselves almost. The Les Paul sound I usually prefer though, but the feel of my L Paul junior 59 is an outside toilet door in comparison. John Wayne, yet to be covered properly to my ears, so down to you. There, gauntlet thrown down. ;-)
Yes, and thats a good idea..I should get mi arse into gear ready for retirement...By the way..( or message me) you off to Spain? Around in UK over June?
Shows how much I know-or don't know about guitars eh ? LOL..I'd never geard of TOKAI guitars.....I have an electric gtr....Ovation Deacon....weird shaped thing.....great fretboard and action tho'...never use it...in fact I've only had two electrics...the other , long gone , a Guild Starfire.
Jim
Warmer!! I meant.
A boltcutter comment...people just dont realise Ben....mi bottom lips guin nar...