Young Thing - Teaching

Young Thing - A Tribute to Bill Young

That was Young Thing. I wrote that for a finger picker over in North Carolina. His name was Bill Young, and he got the dreaded disease ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). I played that tune for him before he died, and he loved it.

Inspiration Behind the Title

I called it Young Thing for Bill Young. It's difficult to play. I don't know why I keep writing these things that are too difficult for me to play. But anyway, I just play a boogie woogie bass.

Playing Techniques

• While I'm doing that, I make like a piano player and play C9.
• Once in a while, I do that; I think I leave out a bass note when I do, but it's effective.

Making It Work

This is a little difficult here. Someday, I'll make up another lick that'll be easier, but right now, I don't know what.

Then we go to the bridge, which I like the voicing on.

"I like that."

And then we play with a bass line. It's difficult, but you can do it. If I can do it, anybody can do it. Maybe you can make up some better licks of your own, you know.

Transitioning Licks

After that, I play. I can't play it down here, so I have to adjust. And then we do a little thing like in Pine Tops Boogie to give it a little relief and get out of the blues mode medium for a minute.

• It's a pickup note and one all the time.
• You keep that finger anchored.

A little Jerry Reed there.

Revisiting the Bridge

And then what comes next? Yeah, and then the bridge again.

"Young thing, a young thing."

Then back to the chorus. See how you do that with a little finger? The Jerry Reed thing again.

Concluding Thoughts

And then, let's see, it's an augmented chord. I usually play that fast, like I heard Pat Donahue play a tune like that. And who else? Someone else, Brad Jones. So I made up my own because I liked it.

Then I listened to theirs again, and mine was not like theirs. I was happy about that, so hope you like it!