The Gospel Blues Guitar Of The Singing Reverend – Gary Davis
Gary Davis born in South Carolina in 1896 was an amazing singer in that swinging technique sometimes named Piedmont, which is a predominantly ragtime blues style.
Even within the general description ‘ragtime’ guitar, there are sub categories, like piano style ragtime picking and ragtime blues. This style was born due to the fact guitar players tried to replicate the joyful dance music of the piano technique developed by Scott Joplin amongst others. Guitarists in that time were intrigued by the alternating ‘bum-chick’ bass rhythm and general rhythmic approach.
In that part of the South, when Davis was starting his playing career, the accepted guitar master was a man named Willie Walker, who played very precisely and very fast, much like Blind Blake. Gary Davis picked up several tunes up from Willie Walker, which included Cincinatti Flow Drag and Make Believe Stunt. That encounter was probably vital to the creation of Davis’ style, without doubt rounding out his range and repertoire. By his own account, he ‘was scared o’ no guitarist’ by the time he was 30 years old.
Although an expert in ragtime picking, he could expertly perform in any style and in any key with the same expertise. When he was ordained to be a reverend, he wouldn’t play the classic blues tunes, and favored gospel songs spreading the word of God. He also had many good time pieces in his repertoire. Musicians at that time entertained outside in parking lots, parties, and any place they could get a little money, a pallet on the floor or a plate of food. It was essential that they played different kinds of music and offer songs attractive to different kinds of listeners.
Gary Davis played a large bodied Gibson guitar, chosen for its rich, deep basses and penetrating trebles – very proficient for making himself heard above street noise. He also played with finger picks, which behave like a natural amplifier and save the fingers from becoming sore after playing over many hours, as musicians did at that time. He wore a thick plastic thumb pick pushed high up, near his hand, and a steel pick for his first finger.
Unbelievably, he used just one finger to pick the strings, which doesn’t seem possible, keeping the complexity of his music. The thumb could jump around on the strings, never being happy to strike only the lower strings. It may additionally pick out of time and double the beat, which represents amazing dexterity. Yet another trademark technique was his single string run work. Davis would strike a single string alternately using his thumb and fore finger in quick succession at breathtaking speed, and sing at the same time!
Many master guitarists played using only one finger (Doc Watson, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Boy Fuller) but no one was as fast and inventive as Gary Davis. His music was truly creative with a wide mixture in chord progressions used. Many ragtime blues songs exploit an accepted chord progression which depends upon the key used, and they progressions are notably more complicated than a normal blues chord progression in An or E, but the Reverend further extended these progressions giving a high plateau of richness.
Reverend Gary Davis has been a fountain of inspiration for a great number of musicians through the decades and his legacy will always be there.
Also gather more details on how to play blues guitar and learn blues guitar.
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