Chitlins Con Carne Style Octaves Lesson
Octaves are a really hip way to spice up some mellow easy lines. They aren’t hard once you get the hang of it, and the skill in muting out the unwanted strings carries over to all aspects of your playing.
Enjoy the lesson 
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The TAB for the example.This is the TAB for the example in the middle of the video
Griff, you always keep me busy with great stuff! I love it! Thanks!
KIND OF REMINDS ME OF THE BEATLES “B;ACK BIRD: SAME CONCEPT .
So much Fun! Great tune.
ptblk49@gmail.com I was feeling lost and low before dinner, and I tried yourr easy West Montgomery octave rift song. When my ‘girlfriend’ phoned me up I told her that I was okay. At first she did not believe me because my voice revealed a little depression, but I did feel better after learning the octave song.
Sounds like you got a song right there, waiting to be written.
What a great little spoonful of Chitlins Con Carne!
You’re a wonderful teacher, Griff.
love it I actually love listening to all your lessons I never have my guitar with me as I listen while on my lunch break at work keep up the great work
Yer, been doing the Wes Mongomery thing for years.. but I normally pick the two octave notes with two fingers like a claw with my right hand… and finger the two octave notes; just seems easier to moi rather than trying to dampen unwanted strings. Also, sometimes Wes would throw in a single note slide into one of the octave notes while transitioning between ‘chords’ (and is an octave even a chord?)
the octave is only a chord if you fret the string in the middle at the same fret as the higher octave( adding the 3rd of the chord)
OK… but if you fret the note on the middle string (along with the two octave notes) on the same fret as the higher octave note, would’nt that note be a fretted 5th? Something akin to an A5 chord (key of A) with an addtional root note on top. Commonly known as a ‘power chord’ ?
Dave, you are right it would be the 5 note in the chord.
Two notes make an “interval”, in this case an interval of an octave. Need three or more to make a chord.
a dyad
Dave, a power chord is made up of the root note and the 5th. So for say an A power chord you need A on say the 6th string ( Fret 5) and it’s 5th, E on the 5th string fret 7. A root five power chord. If you add the octave…A one octave higher, then you have a power chord with the octave added…the 8 or the one depending how you look at it. For a Chord you need a root, 3rd and 5th. Either a Major or minor 3rd. So a power chord has NO 3rd making it sort of neutral, neither a Major or minor “chord”.
Very cool lesson Griff. I’ve always dug Wess Montgomery. Thanks a bunch!
Two strings down – two frets up
That’s magic — never heard that before.
Wow! Thanks! The blues scale done in octaves just opened up the fret board for me. Thank You!
Always good stuff. I’m off to start on the classic rock.happy easter
Hendrix’s Third Stone From the Sun uses this technique. Can you lay it out some time? I’m still struggling with it. Thanks Griff
Thank you Griff for your continued giving to help so many players advance. Another great lesson.
Awesome lesson Griff. I have played with octaves at the bottom of the fretboard, but was stymied by the b string previously. Your lesson helps a lot!
I heard shades of the Beatles “Hey Bulldog” in your Wes Montgomery example. One could play Hey Bulldog with octaves. Another player who used octaves often was Randy Bachman of the Guess Who and BTO. Check out “Blue Collar” and “Looking Out For Number One”. Very jazzy and bluesy at the same time.
Link doesn’t work
Oh, I like that mix of jazz and blues sound. You’ve had me hooked right from the First Blues Chords of the course I’m taking.
thank you for that very good every thang you learn it allways help outs ,
Can’t watch on iPhone
This time around, I feel more comfortable with this piece. It is also so much more fun. I must be progressing. Thank you .
Cool stuff griff keep up the great work your friend Phil got to go bud.
Best place to listen to this one is on Kenny Burrell’s disc “Midnight Blue”. The turnaround is standard and he adds those 7#9 chord punches after each phrase.
Its a standard on our set list.
It was pleasure to hear your video. I tried to follow but found that I am too junior in guitar playing for this video . Sounds attractive and motivate s to learn more .
Thanks Griff for this
This Kenny Burrell tune has been an inspiration to me for many years. No denying the heavy Blues influence on Jazz. Great song and great lesson!
Hi Griff – are you a mind reader? Just yesterday I was looking online for Chitlins con carne and I found your great video. Then today the video shows up in my inbox! Tip about muting with index finder really helped with the octaves. Thanks for all the great lessons. Also – just heard your album – terrific!
Great lesson as usual. Nice touch with the Kingston Mines !!
Don’t get the Bm to Am ?’
what’s the key then? isn’t that a 1-7 -6 your playing??
sounds like watermelon man
reminded me of fleetwood mac hypnotized and hendrixs’ villanova junction.
Riff, thanks for your time..
Burrell substituted for all chords in this progression. In C: I = C7#9. IV = G#7, turnaround = Eb7 / Db7. Try it, sounds much more like the original than a Minor Blues.
Chitlins is not actually a minor blues. Not sure what SRV played, but Kenny Burrell played C7#9/F9/C7#9/G9/C7#9. The C7#9 sounds like a Cm.
Thanks Griff for a fun lesson!
Yup, simples ain’t it. Mind you if you’ve never done this it takes a little while to land that pinkie right every time. Especially when you change pairs…and again when you come to the B string. Many techniques guitar players use aren’t that complicated .. who needs complicated? So these “techniques” can be reused over and over again, make it too complicated you have too much to remember from one song to the next. Who needs that?
This is Wes Montgomery style octave chords, not SRV.