Before You Accuse Me

Creedence (CCR) does a great version of this too.  It's a pretty traditional blues tune.

Okay, my suggestion, don't get hung up on the trip - o -lets (a way to count them out).

When I play this song (and most blues shuffles) I use all downstrokes too.  Alternate strumming (up and down) gives you more of a rockabilly, Blue Suede Shoes kinda feel, I think.

Though this tends to be a moderately fast blues, play it slow and funky for a while.  Then you can pick up tempo.

I just count it out:
one and two  and three and four and

Just be sure you to "boogie on the notes" while holding a beat.  You'll start to hear that blues groove emerging.  Really.  It helps to imagine you're sitting out on a wooden porch in really humid river "Watchin' the River Flow", to quote Mr. Zimmerman.

Hope that helps a little.

Clapton does this on unplugged no?

thanks Musenfreund.

I don't understand what you meant by:
"Just be sure you get pinky up there to "boogie on the notes" while holding a beat." I'm using just my index & ring fingers to play this, should my pinky be doing something?

My mistake.  You've got the right fingers.  I often play these shuffles up the neck where you need the pinky. Sorry. Ignore the pinky advice for now.   :-X  (I fixed it upstairs to avoid further confusion -- I tend to type before thinking.)

Clapton does this on unplugged no?

Yep.  At least on the DVD.  

It's on the CD too. It ROX my SOCKS OFF!

Sorry to get off topic but is there a lesson for Running On Faith round here? Its an awsome slide tune also On Unplugged.

Let's try to stay on the Before  You Accuse Me lesson to give this beginner group test thread a chance.  DaSniper, I think David and Nick are always open to suggestions.  It would be a good idea to post the suggestion down on the suggestions forum. They'd be glad to consider it.
Tim

Hi, thanks for putting this as a starter lesson - hope you keep it going.
I've been working on this lesson (Before you Accuse Me)- I didn't think I'd be able to understand the Blues, but hey, I now am (starting to), even my family were impressed at my modest attempts at the shuffle!!
I found Eric Clapton's version of Before you Accuse Me to download for personal use at: http://www.12bar.de/byama.htm .
There's also some small egs of blues riffs on mp3 there.
Hope you follow up with Roll Over Beethoven next week, :)
best to all, Allison

Hi, thanks for putting this as a starter lesson - hope you keep it going.
I've been working on this lesson (Before you Accuse Me)- I didn't think I'd be able to understand the Blues, but hey, I now am (starting to), even my family were impressed at my modest attempts at the shuffle!!
I found Eric Clapton's version of Before you Accuse Me to download for personal use at: http://www.12bar.de/byama.htm .
There's also some small egs of blues riffs on mp3 there.
Hope you follow up with Roll Over Beethoven next week, :)
best to all, Allison

Allison--
Welcome to the madhouse.  Glad you've got the shuffle working.   8)

Allison,
 Yes the shuffle fattern is a very informat progession to learn, and yes it does take time to get it sound and play the way you want to.

Once you get the basic formula down and start listening to other songs , It won't take you long to hear that style OR Pattern and then be able to play it.

Even try using in with barre chords and work on sretching you fingers.

Must of all have fun with it.

Joe

Musenfreund - thanks for the welcome

Joe - thanks very much for the helpful advice and encouraging remarks, much appreciated - I'll be working on them,

Allison

Go the Girls!!  I was at my lessons today & I got a very good rap for my blues shuffle......yep, Before you accuse me !!!  Looks like the girls are gonna be Queens of the Blues before the week is over!   ;D ;D :-*

Allison--
Welcome to the madhouse.  Glad you've got the shuffle working.   8)

There goes that madhouse talk again. I'm not crazy! I swear I like having my room padded like this. *Runs headlong into wall.*

Right. Anyway, its true that now that you know what the blues shuffle is you will hear it everywhere! And I do mean EVERYWHERE. It is in a rediclous amout of rock songs, not to mention every other blues song.

*curls into a ball* I'll never tellll. I'll never telllllll.

Allison and Everyone;
  Here is another example as why it important to practice this pattern with barre chords.
Here's the way a B5 chord on the second fret second string.
As you see I use my pinky to do the extra note
                 
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|---
B|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|---
G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|---
D|-----|-----|-----|----3|-----|----4|---
A|-----|----1|-----|-----|-----|-----|---
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|---

This is the beging to the sond "Take it off" by " The Donnas"
The very first part of the song starts out with that.
I know this one my be more than you asked about, I just wanted to show you how that pattern can be used in more than just blues.

------------------------------------------------3---------------------
-------------3---------3-3----------------------0----------3----------
-------------2---2---2-2-2-2--------------------0------2---2---2------
--4-6-6-4----2---2---2-2-2-2--------4-6-6-4-----0------2---2---2------
--2-2-2-2--------0---0-----0--------2-2-2-2-----2------0-------0------
------------------------------------------------3---------------------

Yes it will take practice to get your fingers just where they need to go, at the different speeds, also the difference 's in sound.

Another Example would be " Taken care of Business " by Bachman Overdrive

Joe