Have you ever loved a woman - Chicago Blues in C with kindly permission from www.12bar.de This song is one of EC's signature songs - after many years he's still playing it. It's a slow Blues in C, basically using the minor Blues pentatonic and adding some notes from the major scale, playing it in the cool Chicago Blues (urban Blues) style. This version is from "24 nights", sometimes compared to the earlier version on "Layla and other assorted love songs". Another really great version by EC and the Blues Breakers is on Crossroads I. The song was written by Billy Myles (= Freddie King!) back in 1960. The Chicago Blues style developed from the Delta Blues when the black population started to migrate northwards, to the big industrial cities like Chicago and Detroit, which promised a better life. The Blues became electrified and was played in a band with drums, bass and piano. Influenced by jazz music, Blues players like T-Bone Walker or B.B. (Blues Boy) King created the new Chicago style, which was different to the electrified Delta sound from players like Howlin' Wolf or John Lee Hooker. Song basics At first we need the scale, easy to get as described before: taking the well-known E scale and moving it 4 frets down. But how do we know where to move the pattern? Look at the following fretboard scheme and locate the C-note at the bass E string - it's 4 frets down (or 8 frets above...) the E-note: E I-F-I---I-G-I---I-A-I---I-B-I-C-I---I-D-I---I-E-I-F-I---I-G-I... B I-C-I---I-D-I---I-E-I-F-I---I-G-I---I-A-I---I-B-I-C-I---I-D-I... G I---I-A-I---I-B-I-C-I---I-D-I---I-E-I-F-I---I-G-I---I-A-I---I... D I---I-E-I-F-I---I-G-I---I-A-I---I-B-I-C-I---I-D-I---I-E-I-F-I... A I---I-B-I-C-I---I-D-I---I-E-I-F-I---I-G-I---I-A-I---I-B-I-C-I... E I-F-I---I-G-I---I-A-I---I-B-I-C-I---I-D-I---I-E-I-F-I---I-G-I... I III V VII IX XII <--------------I fretboard scheme with notes So we get C minor Blues scale: The first Blues pattern we learned with the E scale now starts at the 8th fret. You can start playing here, using the minor Blues scale - it still fits. But soon you'll hear that some notes are missing - you don't get this cool Chicago feeling with only this scale. We add some notes from the major scale (and sometimes other notes from the subdominant or dominant scale), combined with the minor Blues scale as the base. Look at the pattern scheme above to locate the major notes. Don't think too much in scales - maybe it's somewhat limiting your style. Every note on your fretboard belongs to so many different scales, learning them all would take a long time and not nececcarily improve your playing, as long as it's for personal use. Keep the basics in mind and try out what sounds cool. We also leave the dominant 7th chords like E7, A7 or B7 and use dominant 9th chords like C9, F9 and G9 instead - they sound "cooler". They are also named C7/9, because they are basically the 7th chord plus the additional 9th note. They are used often in the Chicago Blues style. Listen to "Third Degree" (on From the Cradle) for a another good example - cool, mellow, grown-up. Typical Players are BB King, Albert King, Otis Rush, or Muddy Waters. Chord chart: C9 F9 G9 E I--3-----8----10---I B I--3-----8----10---I G I--3-----8----10---I D I--2-----7-----9---I A I--3-----8----10---I E I------------------I Intro (24 Nights) C9 F9 C9 I------------------------11--------11-13-(15)rb13p11----11------------------------------------I I--------------13-13~~~---------13-------------------13----13-13---11-------------------------I I--------12-14--------------------------------------------------------12-10-8----8h9----------I I--13h14----------------------------------------------------------------------10-----10-------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10----I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 0:00 0:07 0:10 We start with an ascending lick into the root note (C), putting a cool vibrato on it and closing the lick with a very short note, picked and muted immediately. It follows a release bending lick, than descending and resolving into the C major chord. C9 F9 I------------8---------------------------------------13h15p13---------------------------------I I--------------11-10-8----8-----------------------------------16b--13----13-13-16b------------I I-piano--/9------------10---8h9---------------------------------------15----------------------I I-------------------------------10------------------------------------------------------------I I----------------------------------10-9-8---6h7~~\--------------------------------------------I I-----------------------------------------8---------------------------------------------------I 0:11 0:18 0:20 The following licks have the same characteristics: small Blues bendings, very sensitive vibrato and the fluid phrasing between minor and major scale. F9 C9 I---15-13-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I---------16-13-----13-15-13h15p13----13-13~~~~---11-8------------------------8-10-(12)rb10-8-I I---------------15-----------------14------------------10-8h9-------piano-8-9-----------------I I-------------------------------------------------------------10------------------------------I I----------------------------------------------------------------10---------------------------I I-------------------------------------------------very smooth---------------------------------I 0:22 0:25 C9 G9 F9 I----------------------10-8h10p8----8--------------------------13h15p13-----13h15p13-11-13-11-I I------8----------8-8------------11---11-8----8-------------------------16b-------------------I I---10---10-8h9----------------------------10---10/13~-10p8-----------------------------------I I-----------------------------------------------------------10--------------------------------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 0:32 0:38 F9 I---------------------11--13b(15)-11b---------------------------------------------------------I I-------------------------------------11-8----------------------------------------------------I I---13-11-13-11-13-13----------------------10-8b--------10b(12)p8--------------------8h9------I I------------------------------------------------10---------------10------10----7-10-----10~~-I I---------------------------------------------------10---------------10------10---------------I I--------------------------------------once-again-resolving-into-the--major-chord!------------I 0:39 Intro (LAOALS) OK, so far the intro from 24 nights. Now let's compare it to the version on Layla and other assorted love songs (LAAOLS). It's also in C, but not so much Chicago-like, more straight-forward rock style. You can use mostly the same scale as above. Sometimes Old Slowhand is getting really fast and it's hard to follow. A good CD may help - there are some shareware programs which can reduce the speed while not changing the pitch (using fourier-transformation). At first the rhythm part: The typical slow Blues shuffle rhythm. Chords for the riffs are: C5/C6/C7; F5/F6/F7; G5/G6/G7, played for example: C5 C6 C7 C6 F5 F6 F7 F5 G5 G6 G7 G5 I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I----------------------------10-10-12-12-13-13-12-12---12-12-14-14-15-15-14-14---I I-10-10-12-12-13-13-12-12-----8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8---10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10---I I--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8--------------------------------------------------------I Now the intro from LAOALS: C5 I------------8-----------------------------------------------------------------------------I I----------8-8-/13~~--11b(13)rb11p10p8-----8-----------------------------------------------I I--10b(12)-----------------------------10---10b(12)rb10----10----8-------------------------I I-------------------------very fast---------------------10----10---10p8--------------------I I-----------------------------------------------------------------------10p8---------------I I----------------------------------------------------------------------------11\-----------I 0:00 0:06 F5 C5 I----11-13--13b(15)-repeat-several times-13-11-13-13b(15)rb13p11--------11------------------I I-13-------------------------------------------------------------13-13~----13---------------I I-----------------------------------------------------------------------------10-8----10----I I----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10----10-I I-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 0:08 0:12 C5 F5 I-------------------------8---------8--------11----13/15b(17)-15-13-------------------------I I-----------------------8---8-----8---/13~~-----13------------------15br-p13----13-13~~-----I I--8h9---------------/9--------/9--------------------------------------------14---------\14-I I------10-----8~~\--------------------------------------------------------------------------I I---------10--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 0:18 0:21 C5 I----------------------8------------------------------------------------8---------11b(13)----I I------------------8-8---10p8----8------------------------------------8---11p8---------------I I-----8-10-10b(12)------------10---10b(12)rb(10)-p8-----10----10b(12)------------------------I I--10------------------------------------------------10----10--------------------------------I I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 0:25 0:29 C5 G5 I--11b(12)-8---------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I------------11-8----------------------------------------8-11---------8----------------------I I-----------------10b(12)-10-8----8h9---------------8-10------10b(12)---10-9----8-10-10b(12)-I I------------------------------10-----10----8\---10--------------------------10--------------I I----------------------------------------10--------------------------------------------------I I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 0:31 G5 F5 I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I-8-11------8--------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I-------10b---10b(12)rb(10)-p8----10----9----------------------------------------------------I I------------------------------10----10---10h8-------------------------8---------------------I I----------------------------------------------10\8\7\6---6tr8---/8/10---10\8\6---8---6/8/10-I I-------------------------------------------------------8-----------------------8---8--------I 0:36 0:40 F5 C5 I-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------8\-------I I------------------------------------------------11b(13)rb11--8-------------------8----------I I--------------8--10-10b(12)rb10-p8h10-8h9----------------------10-8h9--------8-9------------I I-8-10----8-10-----------------------------10~~~-----------------------10~~------------------I I------10------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 0:49 Hard to play, really... But if you take a closer look at the fast licks, you see a common structure: Example: I---------------------------------I I---------------------------------I I-10b(12)rb10-p8----10----8-------I I----------------10----10---10----I I------------------------------10-I I---------------------------------I Lyrics (both versions) Have you ever loved a woman so much you tremble in pain? Have you ever loved a woman so much you tremble in pain? All the time you know (yeah) she bears another man's name But you just love that woman so much it' a shame and a sin But you just love that woman so much it' a shame and a sin But all the time you know, yes you know, she belongs to your very best friend... (Sorry, George - oops...) Solo pieces from "24 Nights" (look at the bottom time line to get the right starting point: I------11-13-13b(15)-13b(15)----11-13-(15)rb13-p11----------11----11b(13)--13b(15)-repeat-----I I---13-----------------------13--------------------13-13-13----13------------------15-times---I I----------------------------------------------------------------------------------with-------I I----------------------------------------------------------------------------------different--I I----------------------------------------------------------------------------------attacks----I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 02:26 02:35 I-11----11----11-(15)rb13-p11-13-11-----11-13-15-13p11----13-11-----------11----11-13-----13--I I----13----13------------------------13----------------13-------13-13-13~----13-------16b-----I I-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------repeat--I I-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-times-I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 02:43 02:45 Less then a fistful of notes, but enough to make a great solo... Later in this solo: I-------11-13-15-13-11-13--(15)rb13-p11----11-13-15-repeat--11-13-11-13-12-13-(15)rb13-p11----I I-11-13---------------------------------13----------several--------------------------------13-I I---------------------------------------------------times-------------------------------------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 3:14 03:18 03:23 The first solo closes with a nice turnaround: I-----------------------I I------------8----------I I------------8h9--------I I-----8-9-10-----10~~---I I--10-------------------I I-----------------------I 04:04 And now parts of the second solo. We leave the pattern above, playing in the beginning of the solo at around 3rd fret. Take a second look at the scale above, to know which notes can be played. The solo starts with a strong double stop, two notes played together: I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I---------------------------------------------------4-----------------------------------------I I--/5--/5--repeat---3---------------------/5-/5-/5----5-5~~--3--------------------------------I I--/5--/5--3 times----5-4-3-----3---1h3p1-/5-/5-/5-------------5-3-1---3---1------------------I I---------------------------6-3---3----------------------------------3---3---3p1h3p1h3--------I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 04:55 05:00 05:03 The repeating pattern at 05:17 (a C minor chord): I----------------------I I----------------------I I-8---------8----------I I---10-8------10-8-----I I--------10--------10--I I----------------------I 05:17 Another great change of mood at 06:01 I----------------------------15-14-13--11-13-11----------------------I I--/11--/11--/12--/14---------------------------13-11-13-------------I I--/12--/12--/13--/14-------------------------------------15b(17)\---I I--------------------------------------------------------------------I I--fast up and down strokes------------------------------------------I I--------------------------------------------------------------------I The rest of the solo is played along our first pattern. We close our tour now with the ending: F9 C9 F9 G9 Db9 C9 I---13b(15)-11b----13b(15)-11b-----------------------8-13b(15)-11b--13b(15)-11----------4--3--I I---------------13-------------13---------------8-10---------------------------13-------4--3--I I---------------------------------10-8------8-9-----------------------------------/12\--4--3--I I--------------------------------------10-----------------------------------------------3--2--I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4--3--I I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 06:25 06:28 Always remember: you don't need to play this note for note. You don't need to learn the complete scale before you start playing. Pick out a part of the scale, try out which notes are added to get this cool sound and then just listen and play. Discover all the small bendings and vibratos which are not noted here. A fluid playing is very important for this sound, try out to close your eyes while playing. This helps you to get more reliability. Chicago (Urban) Blues summary fluid phrasing, just cooooool lots of small bendings and vibrato use dominant 9th chords instead of 7th keys are preferably C or G avoid open strings use notes of the major scale © 2002 by Gerd Klaassen.