Transcription: Rat Race

Composer: Count Basie
Transcription starts at 0'18"; ends at 0'45"
From the album: Shoutin' Blues
Leader of the session: Count Basie
Recorded: February 6, 1950; New York City, New York USA
CD: Past Perfect 204550-202; one of ten CDs in the boxed set "Count Basie: The Big Band Leader".

This superb, yet inexpensive, collection includes recordings from 1939 to 1951.
This tune is a 12 bar blues in C. Freddie plays one note, two note, and three note voicings. Three note voicings with the top note on the second string are found in measures 11, 14, and15.

In measures 12/13, and in measures 23/24, Freddie employs a rhythm banjo cliche. He precedes the tonic chord (C major) with a diminished chord built on the same root (C). The diminished chord is played on a weak beat, two or four, and resolved to the tonic chord on a strong beat, one or three.

Please note that measures 15 and 16 may not be completely accurate as Freddie's guitar is very hard to hear due to the bass and piano.

See the "Lessons and Technique" section of this website for details about Freddie's playing style.

Transcribed by Michael Pettersen, August 2003