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2025 May Challenge Cowboy Song Dieter

Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › 2025 May Challenge Cowboy Song Dieter

  • This topic has 18 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 1 week, 5 days ago by Reuben B.
Viewing 18 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • June 8, 2025 at 3:37 pm #395514
      Dieter
      Participant

        Hello, I’ve had quite a few “enlightening insights” since I’ve been exchanging ideas with you Am-ers. What seems important to me is the infinite variety of musical styles, guitar techniques, approaches, preferences, creativity etc. here in the community and in general. You don’t need high-speed runs or virtuoso skills. You can also make good music with very simple means. And I also love the variety of instruments and different types of music. With this in mind, here’s an old cowboy song “Spanish is the loving tongue”, which of course only needs simple cowboy chords. For the picking guitar I partly used an arrangement of the great Happy Traum. For a “carpet of sound” in the background, I used my old Hoyer with soft strumming. And so that it doesn’t get too boring, my harmonica is used a little again. I downloaded the vocals from the internet.

        Dieter

      • June 8, 2025 at 3:56 pm #395519
        sunjamr
        Participant

          Nice arrangement, Dieter, I’ve never heard that song before. That’s strange, because my grandfather owned the largest cattle ranch in Florida, where there were more cattle even than Texas. After he retired, I remember him sitting in a big easy chair listening to songs similar to this one most afternoons. Well played!

          Sunjamr Steve

        • June 8, 2025 at 4:07 pm #395521
          JoLa
          Participant

            Very nice playing, Dieter, love the two guitar layers, and even a harmonica!

            Totally agree with “You can also make good music with very simple means” – absolutely, that’s my mantra as well 🙂

            You are very creative with your arrangements, including finding vocals on the internet, impressive!

            🎸JoLa

          • June 8, 2025 at 4:50 pm #395525
            Dieter
            Participant

              Hi Jola and Steve, I’m glad you like the song. I only came across the song by chance. Bob Dylan also sang it, by the way. Here is his piano version.

              Dieter

            • June 8, 2025 at 5:04 pm #395526
              AndréM
              Participant

                I agree with you Dieter, you don’t have to be a shredder to make good music.
                And you did that very well here.
                Well done my friend.

                AndréM

                AndréM

              • June 8, 2025 at 5:31 pm #395534
                KT
                Participant

                  Enjoyed listening to your easy cowboy music
                  Well done

                • June 8, 2025 at 5:40 pm #395539
                  Alan L
                  Participant

                    Really nice, and a great point on simplicity. The production is really good, vocals excellent! Enjoyed this one

                  • June 8, 2025 at 5:45 pm #395542
                    JoeD1
                    Participant

                      What a great submission Dieter. And I agree with all that you said. You don’t need a ton of notes, just the right ones like you’ve played here.

                      Joe

                      The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
                      Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
                      --Graeme Edge

                    • June 8, 2025 at 7:56 pm #395577
                      Bob Utberg
                      Participant

                        Awesome idea and so true Dieter! BB King was never accused of having the speed of Eddie Van Halen on the fretboard! However, he is one of THE greatest of all time! Nice harp playing here, too! I really enjoyed your sub!

                        Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

                      • June 8, 2025 at 8:24 pm #395580
                        John H
                        Participant

                          Fantastic contribution Deiter. Love this genre and you cover it well. This is truly an ensemble. Love the layered guitars and of course the harmonica steals the show. thank you for sharing.

                          John

                        • June 9, 2025 at 1:03 am #395592
                          Manfred M
                          Participant

                            So well put together, Dieter. A beautiful song and you made it even more beautiful with your well thought out arrangement. You are absolutely right, often the music we like the most is really quite simple.

                            Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
                            The next Meetup will probably take place in July/August 2025

                            There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in good time.

                            I look forward to meet you.
                            Manfred

                          • June 9, 2025 at 3:44 am #395598
                            Martin W
                            Participant

                              Yep I totally agree , making music doesn’t have to be complicated, often the simple ideas work the best .
                              Nice arrangement, the guitar playing was to the point and that harmonica complimented beautifully.

                              Martin

                            • June 9, 2025 at 5:23 am #395611
                              Mark T
                              Participant

                                Nice submission, Dieter – I too remember this from Dylan’s album, and thought he’d written it, but it seems Dylan took the words from a poem. – Mark 👍🎶😎

                              • June 9, 2025 at 6:20 am #395613
                                charjo
                                Moderator

                                  I enjoyed that , Dieter. I especially like the second guitar voice you added. The solo with guitar and harmonica was terrific, also.
                                  John

                                • June 9, 2025 at 6:26 am #395614
                                  Laurel C
                                  Moderator

                                    Making music Dieter, that is what you do so well with your arrangements adding layers to make complete songs. Loved the addition of the harmonica. Didn’t you recently celebrate 200 Submissions to AM. That would be an interesting catalogue of your work.

                                  • June 9, 2025 at 1:30 pm #395635
                                    Michael L
                                    Participant

                                      Hi Dieter, you always put together nice arrangement. It’s a tricky thing to layer in all the parts and keep the tempo and have it all hang together. You’re an expert at it!

                                    • June 9, 2025 at 2:05 pm #395642
                                      James B
                                      Participant

                                        Great song, Dieter. Your arrangement complimented the vocals very well.

                                        James

                                      • June 9, 2025 at 2:16 pm #395643
                                        JoeD1
                                        Participant

                                          I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed your harmonica playing too!

                                          Joe

                                          The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
                                          Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
                                          --Graeme Edge

                                        • June 10, 2025 at 9:06 am #395670
                                          Reuben B
                                          Participant

                                            What a really beautiful song Dieter! And great rendition at that, especially with that harmonica and vocal, very suitable to the song. And I completely wholeheartedly agree with you: one can make beautiful music even with the simplest means, without virtuoso skills and etc. This is what I always believe as well. I really enjoyed listening to this! Thanks for sharing.

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