Before You Accuse Me - Unplugged Blues "The Blues are what I've turned to, what has given me the inspiration and relief in all of the trials of my life" (Eric Clapton) Before You Accuse Me appeared first on "Journeyman", EC played the electric version. On "Unplugged" he played it acoustic on his Martin guitar. Bo Diddley also played (t)his song on the EC Tribute album 1999. It's not the absolutely exact tablature as played by EC, it's a little bit easier to play - remember, this is for beginners. Most of us have the "Unplugged" CD and a CD-Player, you can also get a video or a songbook with tabs of all songs from "Unplugged". Buy EC CD's and Videos/DVD's online at Amazon.com or CDNow! This song is tabbed almost completely, so that you have something to play without the need of learning the basics or the scale before. However, it's nice to discover later what's behind these notes... Song structure Before You Accuse Me was written in 1957 by Elias (Eugene) McDaniels (= Bo Diddley). It's a medium shuffle (around 95 bpm = beats per minute) in E, played in fingerstyle on an acoustic guitar. For the simple version you need the following chords: E7 - A7 - B7, sometimes D7, Eb7 and E It's a 12 bar "quick change" Blues: E7 - A7 - E7 - E7 A7 - A7 - E7 - E7 B7 - A7 - E7 - B7 Rhythm guitar This is the basic riff, played with some variations: E7 A7 B7 I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I I--2-2-4-4-2-2-4-4--I I--4-4-6-6-4-4-6-6--I I--2-2-4-4-2-2-4-4--I I--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--I I--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--I I--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--I I-------------------I I-------------------I (Usually this is played with the thumb, I use thumb and index finger for a better control) Intro The intro is a variation of a very often used Blues lick. The descending chords are E7-Eb7-D7-E-B7 and it looks like: E7 Eb7 D7 Em/E B7 I-3/4-4-4-4--4--4-4-I-3-3--2-2-I------------0-3-0-3-0------------I-0--------2---0---I I-2/3-3-3-3--3--3-3-I-2-2--1-1-I------------0-3-0-3-0--3---------I-0----0-0-0---0---I I-3/4-4-4-4--4--4-4-I-3-3--2-2-I-0tr1.....---------------3-2-0h1-I------2-2-2-------I -I-------------------I----------I---------------------------------I------------------I I-------------------I----------I---------------------------------I----2-----2-------I I-------------------I----------I---------------------------------I------------------I (Triller, fast hammer-on and pull-off) Be- Vocals First verse: E7 A7 E7 I-------------------I-----------------------I-----------------I--------------------I I-------------------I-----------------------I-----------------I--------------------I I----------------0--I------------------0----I-----------------I---------------2-0--I I----------------0--I-2-2--4-4--2-2--4---4--I-----------------I---------------2-0--I I--2-2-4-4-2-2-0----I-0-0--0-0--0-0--0---0--I-2-2-4-4-2-2-4-4-I-2-2-4-4-2-2-4------I I--0-0-0-0-0-0------I-----------------------I-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-I-0-0-0-0-0-0-0------I fore you accuse me take a look at your-self Be- E7 A7 E7 I-------------------I-----------------------I-------0----0-------I-0-------------------I I-------------------I-----------------------I-------0-3b-0-------I-0-------------------I I----------------0--I------------------0----I-----1--------2-0h1-I---------------------I I----------------0--I-2-2--4-4--2-2--4---4--I-----2--------------I---------------------I I--2-2-4-4-2-2-0----I-0-0--0-0--0-0--0---0--I-2------------------I----4-4-2-2-0-1-2----I I--0-0-0-0-0-0------I-----------------------I-0-0----------------I----0-0-0-0----------I fore you accuse me take a look at your-self you say I'm B7 A7 E7 B7 I------------------------I-------------------I--0-3-0-3-0------------I-0--------2---0--I I------------------------I-------------------I--0-3-0-3-0--3---------I-0----0-0-0---0--I I------------------------I-------------------I---------------3-2-0h1-I------2-2-2------I I--4-4-6-6-4-4-6-6-------I-2-2-4-4-5-5-4-4---I-----------------------I-----------------I I--2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-------I-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---I-----------------------I----2-----2------I I------------------------I-------------------I-----------------------I-----------------I spendin' you're my money taking money on other women from someone else Second verse, played same as above: I called your mama 'bout three-or-four nights ago I called your mama 'bout three-or-four nights ago well, your mama said: son don't call my daughter no more! Third verse: - same as first!- First solo Remember the E pentatonic Blues scale for this solo: (The chord progression of the solo is the same as above) This solo contains many standard licks, which occur also on other acoustic Blues songs, for example Malted Milk. The bends are mostly quarter tone bends, the slides are over one or two frets. Not every vibrato is noted, and to get the rhythm listen to the CD! E7 A7 I-/10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--9---9-I-7-0-----------0-I I-/12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-10--10-I-9-0-----------0-I I------------------------------------I-----------------I I------------------------------------I-----4-4-2-2-4---I I------------------------------------I-----0-0-0-0-0---I I------------------------------------I-----------------I E7 E7 I-/10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-I-/10-10-10--9--9-7--0-------I I-/12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-I-/12-12-12-10-10-9--0-------I I--------------------------------------I----------------------------I I--------------------------------------I-----------------------4-4--I I--------------------------------------I-----------------------0-0--I I--------------------------------------I----------------------------I A7 A7 I-----------0-7-6-5-------I-7-6-5----5-------------I I---------5---------8b--5-I------8b---8b-5---5-5~--I I----4/6------------------I----------------6-------I I-2-----------------------I------------------------I I-0-----------------------I------------------------I I-------------------------I------------------------I E7 E7 I-3/4-4-4-4-4-4--I-4-4-3--4-4------I I-2/3-3-3-3-3-3--I-3-3-2--3-3------I I-3/4-4-4-4-4-4--I-4-4-3--4-4------I I----------------I-----------------I I----------------I-----------------I I----------------I-----------------I B7 A7 I-----------0-0-9-8-7------0------I---0-7-6-5----5----------I I---------5-----------10~---------I-5---------8b---8b-5-----I I------/6----------------------/6-I---------------------5-6-I I---------------------------------I-------------------------I I---------------------------------I-------------------------I I---------------------------------I-------------------------I E7 B7 I-0-0--4-0-4-0---------I---0---0-0---I I---0--3-3-3-3-3-------I---2---2-2---I I------4-4-4-4---4\2-0-I---0---0-0---I I----------------------I-------------I I----------------------I-2---2---2---I I----------------------I-------------I (or alternative the turnaround from the intro) Vocals 4th verse Come on back home baby. try my love one more time Come on back home baby. try my love one more time You know if things don't go suit you, I think I'll lose my mind 5th verse -again same as first verse- Second solo (The chord progression of the solo is still the same as above) The solo starts like the first solo, then it jumps into the ending: E7 A7 I-/10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--9---9-I-7-0-----------0-I I-/12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-10--10-I-9-0-----------0-I I------------------------------------I-----------------I I------------------------------------I-----4-4-2-2-4---I I------------------------------------I-----0-0-0-0-0---I I------------------------------------I-----------------I E7 E7 I-/10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-I-/10-10-10--9--9-7--0-------I I-/12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-I-/12-12-12-10-10-9--0-------I I--------------------------------------I----------------------------I I--------------------------------------I-----------------------4-4--I I--------------------------------------I-----------------------0-0--I I--------------------------------------I----------------------------I From here it's a little bit different: A7 A7 I-----------7-6-5----5--------0-----I---7-6-5----5--------0--I I---------5-------8b---8b-5-0---0---I-5-------8b---8b-5---5--I I----4/6--------------------------6-I-------------------6----I I-2---------------------------------I------------------------I I-0---------------------------------I------------------------I I-----------------------------------I------------------------I E7 E7 I-0-0--4-0-4-0------------I-0---------------------I I-5-0--3-3-3-3-3----------I--3-2-0---0------------I I-6----4-4-4-4---4-2-0h1--I--------2---0h1p0------I I-----------------------2-I-----------------------I I-------------------------I-------------------0-1-I I-------------------------I-----------------------I B7 A7 I-------2-2-2-2-----I-3--/7-6-5----------I I-----0---0-0-0-----I-2---------8b-5---5-I I---2-----2-2-2-----I-2--------------6---I I-------------------I--------------------I I-2-------------3-4-I--------------------I I-------------------I--------------------I E7 D#9 E9 I--7b-7b--0----------I-0---------I I--8b-8b--0--0-------I-----6--7--I I--------------2-0h1-I-----6--7--I I--------------------I-----5--6--I I--------------------I---6----7--I I--------------------I-----------I Congratulations: That was it! © 2002 by Gerd Klaassen.