Here's a great Steve Earle song for acoustic guitar a strong pulse which is great for live performances.
It's really a mandolin song, but a friend of my kept pushing me to play when I didn't have the mandolin. So I found a way to play it without whilst it's edge and attitude!
I have difficulty transcribing what I play, but I think it might be a good idea to learn this by understanding it rather than by joining the dots. The song isn't as difficult as it might seem at first. My method is to build is to build it up with a number of layers.
Step 1) Listen to the pulse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEFUF16hqs
Step 2) Get the main riff going on the G string. The riff just uses the open string and the 2nd, 4th and 5th Frets (or GAAA GA BAGA AA CCCBBB GAAA AA) Your ears should find it.
Step 3) The riff lacks balls so hit the adjacent open D string each time you play a note.
Step 4) Now introduce the D chord. Hold down the D note on the second string with your second finger (in other words the B string fret 3). Your index, ring and pinky are still available to play the riff! So you should now be playing the riff on the G string whilst also hitting the strings on either side. (Don't use the high E string)
Step 5) Tune the low E string down to D and hit it occasionaly to add extra depth
Step 6) See below for the chord changes
Step 7) Play a simplified version of the riff under the verse (ie. without the C note (G string fret 5)).
Step 8) Strum the G chord when you get to it. We have de-tuned the d string so play it - 55003X
Step 9) Listen to the song. Stop strumming on the last line of the verse. Hit the D chord once and let the notes ring out. Listen out for the precussive effects used on this chord at the end of verses 2 & 3.
(when you've mastered the song, as an additional option you can also tune the low E string down to D and include it in the party as an open drone string)
[D] Well, my name's John Lee Peddimore.
Same as my daddy and his daddy's before.
You hardly ever saw grandaddy down here.
He'd only come to town about twice a year.
He buy a hundred pounds o' yeast and some copper line.
Everybody knew that we made moonshine.
[G] Now, the revenue man wanted granddaddy bad.
[D] Headed up the holler with everything he had.
[G] Before my time, but I've been told.
[D Hold] He never come back from Copperhead Road.
[D] Granddaddy ran whisky in a big black Dodge.
Bought it at an auction at the Mason's Lodge.
Johnson County Sheriff painted on the side.
Just shot coat of primer, then he looked inside.
Well, him and my uncle tore that engine down.
I still remember that rumbling sound.
[G] Then the sheriff came around in the middle of the nite.
[D] Heard momma crying that something wasn't rite.
[G] He was headed down to Knoxville with the weekly load.
[D Hold] You could smell the whisky burning down Copperhead Road.
Percussion on the D chord (1&2&3 Damp 1&2&3 Damp etc)
*Bridge*
[D] I volunteered for the army on my birthday.
They draft the white trash first, round hear anyway.
I done two tours of duty in Viet Nam.
I came home with a brand new plan.
I'd take the seed from Columbia and Mexico.
I just planted up a holler down Copperhead Road.
[G] Now the DA's got a chopper in the air.
[D] I wake up screaming like back over there.
[G] I learned a thing or two from Charley,
don't you know.
[D] You better stay away from Copperhead Road.
Copperhead Road
Copperhead Road
Copperhead Road
General Savage
Well done General Savage this is a nice easy version of what I think is Steve Earle's masterpiece and best track ever.
I agree with what your saying on the thinness of the riff it does lack a little something.
A god version none the less :wink:
In the past I always used the following tab, I don't remember where it cam from but it is an extremely good tab. Yes it is a bit more advanced but it does give the feel of the song as played by Steve.
I guess you should really learn mandolin if you want to play it spot on :lol:
Any way here is the version I use (Riffs 1 through to 4 are used extensively in the first 2 verses)
(Riff 1) (Riff 2)
(D) (C) (G) (D)
|----------------------------|------|--------------------------------|-
|--3-3--3-3--3-3---3-3-3--3--|-----0h1-1-1-1-0-------0h3-3-3-3---3-3-|-
|--0h2--2-2--0-2-4-2-0-2--2--|-----0|0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-0h2-2-0-2---2-2-|-
|--0-0--0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0--0--|------|--------------0-0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|-
|----------------------------|------|--------------------------------|-
|----------------------------|------|--------------------------------|-
(Riff 3) (Riff 4)
(D) (G) (C) (G)
|--------------------------------|----3-3-3--3-3-3-3-3-3-3--3-3-------|-
|--3-3--3-3--3-0-1-0-0h3--3--3-0-|----0-0-0--0-0-1-1-1-1-0--0-0-------|-
|--0h2--2-2--2-0-0-0-0h2--2--2-0-|----0-0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--0-0-------|-
|--0-0--0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0--0--0-0-|-----------------------0--0-0-------|-
|--------------------------------|-----------------------X--X-X-------|-
|--------------------------------|--3--------------------3--3-3-------|-
(Riffs 5 to 9 are used in the instrumental solo and the last verse. They are
played over the top of Riffs 1 to 4. They sound like they were done on an
electric guitar and some of them are a bit tough to play on an acoustic
steel string - but they can be adapted to sound pretty close.
These are just a guide.)
(Riff 5) (Riff 6)
(D) . .
|--2-2-2-|-2-2--X-2-2--2-2-2-2--|----|-----------------------------------|-
|--3-3-3-|-3-3--X-3-3--3-3-3-3--|----|-----------------------------------|-
|--0-2-0-|-2-2--X-2-2--4-2-0-2--|---1/2-2-2--------------1h2p1h2---------|-
|--0-0-0-|-0-0--X-0-0--0-0-0-0--|----|-------3/4-4-3h4-----------3h4p3h4-|-
|--------|----------------------|----|-----------------------------------|-
|--------|----------------------|----|-----------------------------------|-
(Riff 7) (Riff 8)
(D) (D) (G) (C)(D)
|----------------------|-------------------------------------|-
|----------------------|--0h1-3p1p0--------------------------|-
|----------------------|-------------2-4p0-----------2--2-2--|-
|--------------4-------|--------------------4p0------0--0-0--|-
|--3b5-3b5-------5---|--------------------------3----------|-
|----------------------|-------------------------------------|-
(Riff 9) (Riff 10)
(C) (G) (D)
---|---3---3-----------------2--2-2-2--2-2-|--2|2--2-2--2-2--2--2------------2-------
--0h1----1---0h1p0-------0-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-|--3|3--3-3--3-3--3--3--0h1p0-----3-------
---|----------------2-0--0h2-2--2-0-2--2-2-|--0h2--0h2--0h2--0--2--0-----2-0-2-------
---|----------------0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-|--0|0--0-0--0-0--0--0--------0-0-0-------
---|---------------------------------------|---|-------------------------------------
---|---------------------------------------|---|-------------------------------------
*********************************************************************
****************(Actual Song - Studio Version)**************
*********************************************************************
(Brief organ Solo)
-Intro Proper
--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
---(Riff 1)---|---(Riff 2)---|---(Riff 1 or 3)---|---(Riff 2)---|-
--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
Well.....
--------------|-------------------|-----------------------|-
--------------|-------------------|-----------------------|-
---(Riff 4)---|---(Riff 1 or 3)---|---(Riff 1 or 3)-------|-
--------------|-------------------|-----------------------|-
--------------|-------------------|-----------------------|-
--------------|-------------------|-----------------------|-
(1st Verse)
(D)
...my name's John Lee Pettimore.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
Same as my daddy and his daddy before.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
You hardly ever saw Grandaddy down here.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
He only come to town about twice a year.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
He'd buy a hundred pounds of yeast and some copper line.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
Everybody knew that he made moonshine.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(G) (C) (G)
Now the revenue man wanted Grandaddy bad.
(D)
He headed up the holler with everything he had.
(G) (C) (G)
It's before my time but I've been told.
.
(D)-(No Chord)
He never come back from Copperhead Road.
|--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
|--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
|---(Riff 1)---|---(Riff 2)---|---(Riff 1 or 3)---|---(Riff 2)---|-
|--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
|--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
|--------------|--------------|-------------------|--------------|-
(2nd Verse)
(D)
Now Daddy ran the whiskey in a big block dodge.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
Bought it at an auction at the Mason's Lodge.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
Johnson County Sheriff painted on the side.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
Just shot a coat of primer and they looked inside.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
Well him and my uncle tore that engine down.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(D)
I still remember that rumblin' sound.....(Riff 1 or 3)
(G) (C) (G)
Well the sheriff came around in the middle of the night.
(D)
Heard Mama cryin' knew something wasn't right.
(G) (C) (G)
He was headed down to Knoxville with the weekly load.
(D - Let Ring)
You could smell the whiskey burning' down Copperhead Road.
. . .
(D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D)
|---2-2-2-2--2-----2-2-2-2--2--|---2-2-2-2--2-----2-2-2-2--2---2-2--|-
|---3-3-3-3--3-----3-3-3-3--3--|---3-3-3-3--3-----3-3-3-3--3---3-3--|-
|---2-2-2-2--2-----2-2-2-2--2--|---2-2-2-2--2-----2-2-2-2--2---2-2--|-
|---0-0-0-0--0-----0-0-0-0--0--|---0-0-0-0--0-----0-0-0-0--0---0-0--|-
|---0-0-0-0--0-----0-0-0-0--0--|---0-0-0-0--0-----0-0-0-0--0---0-0--|-
|------------------------------|------------------------------------|-
(Instrumental Solo)
(D) (C) (G) (D)
|--------------------------------|--3---3------------------------------|-
|--3-3--3-3--3-3---3-3-3-3------0h1---1---1-0-------3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3--|-
|--0h2--2-2--0-2-4-2-0h2-2-------|--------0-0--2-0--0h2-2--2-0-2--2-2--|-
|--0-0--0-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-------|-------------0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0--|-
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-
(D)
|----------------------------------|---------------------|-
|--3-3--3-3--3-3--1p0-------3-3----|---------------------|-
|--0h2--2-2--0-2--0-0--2p0--2-2----|-----(Riff 9)--------|-
|--0-0--0-0--0-0-------0-0--0-0----|---------------------|-
|----------------------------------|---------------------|-
|----------------------------------|---------------------|-
(G) (C) (G)
|--3-3-3-3----------------------|---------------------|-
|--0-0-0-0----0-1-3-1---0--0-0--|---------------------|-
|--0-0-0-0--2---------2----0-0--|-----(Riff 8)--------|-
|--0-0-0-0-----------------0-0--|---------------------|-
|--X----------------------------|---------------------|-
|--3----------------------------|---------------------|-
(G) (C) (G)
|--3-3-3-3---------------------|---------------------|-
|--0-0-0-0----0-1-0---0---0-0--|---------------------|-
|--0-0-0-0--2-0-0-0-2-0---0-0--|------(Riff 8)-------|-
|--0-0-0-0--0-------0-----0-0--|---------------------|-
|--X---------------------------|---------------------|-
|--3---------------------------|---------------------|-
(D) (G) (C)(D)
|-----------------------------|-
|--------------------------3--|-
|------2p0-----------------2--|-
|--0h4-----4p0---0--2p0----0--|-
|--------------3---------3----|-
|-----------------------------|-
(3rd Verse)
(D)
I volunteered for the army on my birthday.....(Riff 5)
(D)
They draft the white trash first, 'round here anyway.....(Riff 7)
(D)
I done two tours of duty in Vietnam.....(Riff 8)
(D)
And I came home with a brand new plan.....(Riff 5)
(D)
I take the seed from Columbia and Mexico.....(Riff 6)
(D)
I plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road.....(Riff 7)
(G) (C)
Well the D.E.A.'s got a chopper in the air.
(D)
I wake up screamin' like I'm back over there.
(G) (C)
I learned a thing or two from Charlie don't you know.
(D)
You better stay away from Copperhead Road.
. . .
(D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D)
|---2-2-2-2--2--X-X--2-2-2-2--2--X-X-|---2-2-2-2--2--X-X-X----2-2-2-2--2---2-2--|-
|---3-3-3-3--3--X-X--3-3-3-3--3--X-X-|---3-3-3-3--3--X-X-X----3-3-3-3--3---3-3--|-
|---2-2-2-2--2--X-X--2-2-2-2--2--X-X-|---2-2-2-2--2--X-X-X----2-2-2-2--2---2-2--|-
|---0-0-0-0--0--X-X--0-0-0-0--0--X-X-|---0-0-0-0--0--X-X-X----0-0-0-0--0---0-0--|-
|---0-0-0-0--0--X-X--0-0-0-0--0--X-X-|---0-0-0-0--0--X-X-X----0-0-0-0--0---0-0--|-
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-
__________
(Riff 10) - (Riff 9) ---|Repeat 3|
Copperhead Road ---| times |
---|________|
Thanks again General nice version well done.
Rod :wink: :wink:
Be excellent to each other & party on dudes!
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=686668
Your tab gets a similar effect, but I think I can help you to get a thicker sound.
First of all, keep the C notes of the riff on the G string rather moving them to the B string as per the tab.
It gives a better continuity of tone to keep the main riff it on the same string. But more importantly than this, you can remain committed to the D chord throughout the riff; meaning, that you can keep all the harmony and drone strings ringing.
Finally, don't forget to lower the bottom E down to D to provide the 'evil' low end.
These differences will remove the 'thinness' you are experiencing. I'll post some Mp3's if I can fathom it out.
Frank
General Savage
