# Song and Tune Projects > Song and Tune Projects >  Southern flavor

## bluemtgrass

Discovered this song and am trying to learn it. My guitar picker needs chords. Seems like its out of A or E ( this is
the Bill Monroe version with Marty Stuart ) The B chord definitely seems to be in but when I try to chord it, the B
is ok but what should be the E chord doesn't sound correct.
 Any help would be appreciated. I have most of a lead figured
out ( to my ability anyway ) but am lost with the chords.

Thanks

----------


## hedding

some people play it as Em or E5, without the third.

So it's:

Em/E5 to B7 back to Em then then turnaround G F# Em Thats the A Part.

B Part:

D E D B7 goes back into the second half of the A part.

----------


## evanreilly

check on Youtube; I think you can see Tom Ewing's chords on the clip I put up.

----------


## AlanN

I like the flat 3 played against major chords, adds that 'hurt'. You may like the minor, it's all good.

----------


## Peter Hackman

> Discovered this song and am trying to learn it. My guitar picker needs chords. Seems like its out of A or E ( this is
> the Bill Monroe version with Marty Stuart ) #The B chord definitely seems to be in but when I try to chord it, the B
> is ok but what should be the E chord doesn't sound correct.
>  #Any help would be appreciated. I have most of a lead figured
> out ( to my ability anyway ) but am lost with the chords.
> 
> Thanks


Stuart capos 2nd, presumably to utilize the open a and d strings
while going up the neck on the higher strings.

 He exctracts a magic sound out of that cheap Korean cardboard box and almost steals the show with his haunting solo (referring to the version with spoken introduction). 

But I like the birthday version, too; Monroe could be quite funny at times.

----------


## mandogreg2

Hello Nathan,

I'm not sure if you are familiar with Mandozine.com but if you search in their Tabledit files section you can download a tab of the song Southern Flavor which will include the chords. Key of E

Greg

----------


## bluemtgrass

Peter, I'd be interested after Stuart capos up to the second fret, what the chords are at that point. I dont read tab and am trying this by trial and error. My guitar player is kinda basic, he's fine with the major chords, a few minors but thats about it. If someone could break it down to the bare essentials it would help a lot.
 At present I have a version of this tune that doesnt sound too bad but has a part or two that dont seem to go anywhere fast enough. However, I'm still in the fine tuning phases. The strange part is I'm not picking anywhere near the same amount of notes as B.M. but it sounds really close. Perhaps because I'm picking the same note or notes several times to fill in where he's picking different ones ?
 One last note.. Why dont I hear this at more bluegrass festivals either on stage or in the parking lot ?

----------


## Peter Hackman

the chords would be dm, A7, and F-E-dm on the A part;
C,D,C,A7 on the B.

Actually I believe Stuart uses drop D tuning, i.e., he tunes the low e string down a full step.

(And I believe that cardboard box is actually a Martin D45).

----------


## bluemtgrass

Thanks for the info.. Since its a new tune to me, I find myself hearing ang playing on occasion bits of John Henry and others that have similar runs. Probably make a good medley tune.

 If that " cardboard box " isnt a Martin, I want one and I dont care where it came from. The bass on that thing was nothing short of amazing.. And you're right good thing he only
played a bit.. it was B.M.'s birthday and Stuarts guitar solo had my jaw drop a bit in admiration.

----------


## bluemtgrass

Thanks to all for the help. Hedding's chords worked the best for the guitar player, only had to show him the F#. This is really a fun tune though I'm spending way too much time with it, kinda gets in your head and cant get it out. I was trying to learn Salt Creek when I found this one and now I cant remember Salt Creek anymore.

----------


## GRW3

The Tabedit file is in the wrong key signature. It's in E and the tune is Em. The notes are right but every sharp, except for the F#, is naturaled out. So there should only be one sharp not four, that is G/Em.

----------


## Mike Bunting

> I like the flat 3 played against major chords, adds that 'hurt'.


Me too, I think that's what gives it its southern flavor.

----------


## swampstomper

I've always wondered about that F# as a resolving chord to the Em. The B7 fits much better there, and it's used in the first phrase of the tune. But Mon definitely has his guitar player do the F#... Both chords have the F# note of course but the B7 is the dominant (V7) of Em. The F# sounds quite jarring to my ear, I would have said it's a mistake but I can't argue with the songwriter.

----------


## Mandolin Mick

Mandozine has a tab of it. But, I used it for mandolin, not sure about the guitar tab's accuracy.

----------


## Mike Bunting

> I've always wondered about that F# as a resolving chord to the Em. The B7 fits much better there, and it's used in the first phrase of the tune. But Mon definitely has his guitar player do the F#... Both chords have the F# note of course but the B7 is the dominant (V7) of Em. The F# sounds quite jarring to my ear, I would have said it's a mistake but I can't argue with the songwriter.


I think that the only reason that it works is because of its chromatic nature.  The F# doublestop would sure jar against the B7 doublestop...........A#(Bb) F# vs B, F#, gave me pause for thought.

----------


## evanreilly

Here you go....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBjCN2EGrIw
Tom Ewing appears to be playing an Em!!!
No guitar breaks, tho....

----------


## Mike Bromley

> Me too, I think that's what gives it its southern flavor.


You sure as heck can hear Bill chopping an E major 9677 there.  He also passes through the x62x E major shape in the B part, further "ambiguizing" the melody/chord relationship. The fiddle does that too.  

Ah, Mr. Monroe.  That's why we keep listening.

----------


## Perry

Funny I was just revisiting this tune today...

Personally I like the E5 concept (no third in the chord) however in the "B" section then a full blown E chord with the third

But we can alll season to taste...nice closeup of Bill doing it on the Homespun DVD






> Why dont I hear this at more bluegrass festivals either on stage or in the parking lot ?


I think because it is in key of  E which some may view as not fiddle or mando friendly?

----------


## ralph johansson

> Funny I was just revisiting this tune today...
> 
> Personally I like the E5 concept (no third in the chord) however in the "B" section then a full blown E chord with the third
> 
> But we can alll season to taste...nice closeup of Bill doing it on the Homespun DVD
> 
> I think because it is in key of  E which some may view as not fiddle or mando friendly?



First of all, almost all of the melody notes are in an e minor scale, the relative minor to G major. Secondly Bluegrass players are expected to handle any
major key from (at least) Bb (two flats) to B (five sharps). And there really are no mandolin friendly or non friendly keys. Either you're familiar with a key or not.

----------


## Perry

Well Ralph personally I love the key of E but I think you will find a fair amount of folks who would have more difficulty improvising on an E blues then a G blues when it comes to the mandolin. Many mandolin players view G, A, and D as mandolin friendly keys.  That's just the way it is.

----------


## swampstomper

> Many mandolin players view G, A, and D as mandolin friendly keys.  That's just the way it is.


Maybe, but they're missing some very cool sounds in C, E, Bb, Ab, B, F in first position.

C has open G (5th, D (2nd), A (6th) and E (3rd) strings, Rawhide, Panhandle Country, Farewell Blues etc. 

E has the open E string of course but also the open D is the 7th.

Bb has the open D string and Frank Wakefield.

Ab has Jethro and a relative Fm.

B natural has... well you know... maybe a few fellows named Bill and Herschel and Dan and Ronnie and... the open A string (7th), E (4th), D (flat 3rd -- very bluesy)

F has the Monroe Brothers and an open A string.

I admit to having no repertoire in Db, Eb (apart from some modulations in Jethro Ab tunes) or Gb but there are good jazz and pop tunes there. Thanks to FFcP I have no problem playing in them.

A great way to thin out a jam is to call a good tune in these keys. Southern Flavour is a really good choice for that.

----------


## Pete Hicks

The deal with Southern Flavor (a very popular jam tune out here in California) is that part one uses the E minor, a B chord, and a G before the last B in part 1.  In part 2, after the D, the first E is MAJOR (Sharpen G note to G#) and the last E is minor again.  This give us that lovely ambiguous major/minor thing that we grassers love so much.  Nobody I know who plays it uses an F#.  Jack Tuttle has it transcribed, I think, in one of his wonderful books.

----------


## Greg H.

> Many mandolin players view G, A, and D as mandolin friendly keys.  That's just the way it is.


Well, actually it boils down to whatever key ends up being the lead singer friendly key, and that's really the way it is. I'm still not particularly thrilled with lead singers that like Eb. . . but that's my problem from not having worked with it enough.

----------


## Mike Bunting

> Well, actually it boils down to whatever key ends up being the lead singer friendly key, and that's really the way it is. I'm still not particularly thrilled with lead singers that like Eb. . . but that's my problem from not having worked with it enough.


Exactly!

----------


## mando-tech

Hey folks,...as I have said so many times...-it's all MAJOR,   remember nothing MINOR about Southern Flavor,...if you think it is...then its just an 'audio illusion'  !

----------


## MandoManCaleb

> Hey folks,...as I have said so many times...-it's all MAJOR,   remember nothing MINOR about Southern Flavor,...if you think it is...then its just an 'audio illusion'  !


This is just not correct. Many many versions of this song (including Monroe's) are in E minor. If you want to play major chords over it, that's fine and will create a different sound, but most of the versions of this song that people are familiar with use an E minor for the A section.

----------


## T.D.Nydn

Southern flavor is a great tune whether it's played slow or at brake neck speed. The tune,as I printed out the sheet music,is in the key of E..that would make the first part Emaj. Going to B7,Emaj. Then Gm,F#m,Emaj. Or 1,1,5,1,3,2,1...the second part would be Dm,Emaj. Dm,B7,,or 7,1,7,5..resolves to 1.. now I never play it that way myself,I play all minor's except the B7,,the second part I play,Dm,Em,Dm,B7,,I like the intensity of the Dm,Em Dm sound,,this tune like so many others is open to interpretation .

----------


## Bernie Daniel

> Hey folks,...as I have said so many times...-it's all MAJOR,   remember nothing MINOR about Southern Flavor,...if you think it is...then its just an 'audio illusion'  !


You do realize that you are commenting on a thread started 11 years ago and last commented on in February, 2010?

----------

FLATROCK HILL

----------


## ralph johansson

> Hey folks,...as I have said so many times...-it's all MAJOR,   remember nothing MINOR about Southern Flavor,...if you think it is...then its just an 'audio illusion'  !



Well, on the studio version, with fiddles, there's a descending bass run leading back from the bridge, and that line clearly is b-a-g-f#, emphasizing the minor character. That line is missing from the live version at Mountain Stage. 

 And, actually, the final very deliberate E major chord only accentuates the minor character of what comes before it. I believe there's confusion here because people are referring to different versions of the tune. 

In the end its a matter of personal choice. I want Southern Flavor (except the bridge) in e minor, just as I want Northern White Clouds (with a similar bridge) in major with e minor or e minor penta superimposed  over the major chords.

----------

FLATROCK HILL

----------


## T.D.Nydn

> Well, on the studio version, with fiddles, there's a descending bass run leading back from the bridge, and that line clearly is b-a-g-f#, emphasizing the minor character. That line is missing from the live version at Mountain Stage. 
> 
>  And, actually, the final very deliberate E major chord .


 That is because the bass is descending down to G ,which the chord is Gm,then F# , which the chord would be F#m and resolves to E maj..look at the chords I posted above.

----------


## T.D.Nydn

Playing this yesterday I realize I'm all over the place with this tune,,I play the first round pretty straight forward and after that anything goes,,I play it entirely in minors,,when I hit the B7 or whatever ,I usually solo with a B m7 pentatonic ,which sounds real killer to me,,so the rules to this tune is whatever sounds good to you,,,

----------


## KOakley

https://youtu.be/I4EJmj42W5A  Hope this works

----------


## ralph johansson

> That is because the bass is descending down to G ,which the chord is Gm,then F# , which the chord would be F#m and resolves to E maj..look at the chords I posted above.


That's not what I hear. To my ears the bridge ends with two bars of B7, the fiddles holding their notes. The four note bass line I'm referring to,  leading back to the  beginning, occurs in the second of these two bars. I don't hear any gm or f#m chord there.

 Also, three different chords within one single bar is not what I expect to hear in a Monroe recording.

----------


## bigskygirl

This is the way we play it, I don't think TD meant 3 chords in 1 bar...I'll have to try it with the Gm and F#m next time we play it.

----------

T.D.Nydn

----------

