Rockabilly: The Basics

Demon-Dave · 2011-05-05T13:35:57+00:00

Hi all, as you may have guessed I’m passionate about Rockabilly, Swing and all them other groovy retro tracks. Although, as in any genre of music, the more a...

Rockabilly: The Basics

Norman86

I like this topic :-[
Thansks DD ?

Demon-Dave

Here is today’s diddy, and yes, its more towards the Psychobilly genre than traditional Rockabilly. I have chosen The Meteors cover of “Lil Red Riding Hood”, simply because it is a damn catchy tune and very fun to play.

Get that Reverb and Delay out, and set both quite high, listen to the track and you should hear about a second delay.

E------ 0----------0------------|
B------ 0----------0------------|
G-0---- 0-----0----0----0-------|
D---4-- 2-------4--2------4-----|
A ------2----------2------------|
E ------0----------0------------|

Em G A
E----- 0-0---------- 3-3-3---------------------------|
B----- 0-0---------- 3-3-3----2---2---2---2---2---2--|
G----- 0-0------0---0-0-0----2---2---2---2---2---2--|
D---2-----------0------------ 2---2---2---2---2---2--|
A-2-------------- 2--------0-------0-------0-----0--|
E-0----------3----------------3-------3-------3----|

G B7 Em B7
E-----3-3-3-------2-2-2----0-0------------------------------|
B-----3-3-3-------0-0-0----0-0------------------------------|
G-----0-0-0-----2-2-2-2----0-0------------------------------|
D---0---------1-----------2---------------------------------|
A-2---------2-----------2------2-2-2--0-0-0-----------------|
E-3---------------------0--------------------3-3-3--2-2-2---|

VERSE:
Em G
Little Red Ridin' Hood
A
I don't think that a big girl should go
G
Walkin' in
B7 Em B7
The streets or woods alone

CHORUS:
G
What big eyes you have
Em
The kinda eyes that'll drive wolves mad
A
So to see y' don't get chased
D
I think I ought to walk with you to be safe
G
What full lips you have
Em
You'll sure love some wolf bad
A
'Fore we get to grandma's place
D
You ought to see things just my way

POST-CHORUS:
Em G
I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on
A
Til I'm sho' that you been shown
G
That I can be trusted
B7 Em B7
To walk with you alone

singemonkey

Ah the Meteors. Demon Dave, you must have heard, "Don't Touch the Bang-Bang Fruit?" Love that song.

Demon-Dave

singemonkey wrote: Ah the Meteors. Demon Dave, you must have heard, "Don't Touch the Bang-Bang Fruit?" Love that song.

For sure! Im a massive Rockabilly/Psychobilly/Horrorpunk/Swing fan! Love them!

Demon-Dave

For today’s lesson, I’ve chosen Buddy Holly’s classic “Oh Boy”. Its really easy, and is just a few simple chords, but, they’re played damn fast. It’s a great way for beginners to practice their chord progressions and changes. Enjoy!

A A A
All of my love, all of my kissin, you don't know what you
been a missin
D D A
Oh Boy! (Oh boy) When you're with me, Oh boy (Oh boy)
The world cansee

E7 D A D A E
that you were meant for me.
Repete
All of my life I been a-waitin' tonight there'll be no hesitatin'
Oh Boy! (Oh boy) When you're with me, Oh boy (Oh boy)
The world canseethat you were meant for me.

E7 A
Stars appear and a shadows a-fallin' You can hear my heart
A-callin'
D E
little bit of lovin' makes a-everything rite, A-I'm gonna c my
baby tonite

All my love all my kissin' you don't know what u been mising
Oh boy, when you're with me, oh boy, the world can see that
you were meant for me.

All of my life I been a-waitin', tonight there'll be no hesitatin', oh
boy, when you're with me, oh boy, the world can see that
you were meant for me
Dum de dum dum oh boy dum de dum dum oh boy

[instrumental].................
REPEAT EVERYTHING

Demon-Dave

Here is a really easy tune with lots of attitude and a fortune of Fuzz!

D - D - E x 2
D - D - A x 1
D - D - E x 1
D - D - A7 X 1 (Let Ring)

*E--3--0--------------------------------------------------|
B--------3--0--------------------------------------------|
G--------------3--2--0-----------------------------------|
D-----------------------2--0-----------------------------|
A-----------------------------2--0-----------------------|
E-----------------------------------3b4p0 (let ring)-----|

#=tremelo pick (up and down really fast)

E--/12#######################/12##########################
B--/12#######################/12##########################
G -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

nick_D01

hey mr demon dave

this is a really great topic. well done on ya dude fo sharin all your knowledge, and for suggestin all these great early rock 'n roll tracks ? . wish we had more topics like these of other styles/genres in the lessons section.

Demon-Dave

nick_D01 wrote: hey mr demon dave

this is a really great topic. well done on ya dude fo sharin all your knowledge, and for suggestin all these great early rock 'n roll tracks ? . wish we had more topics like these of other styles/genres in the lessons section.

Thanks Nick, really appreciated. Yeah, I’ll be starting the Hard Rock Beginner Basics within the next few days. I have so much teaching material to sift through, it’s actually quite frightening. The whole reason for me doing this is that I’m tired of the same things being rammed down people’s throats by lazy guitar teachers. People out there should have more options presented to them, hell, you do not need to learn Smoke on the Water as your first song… LOL! There are so many great songs out there that a really easy to play, it need not be the usual prescribed boring songs. ?

Demon-Dave

Here is one of my all-time greatest bands doing a great rockabilly track in their true Horrorpunk fashion:

The Misfits – Saturday Night

Intro
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--7-------7---------7--7---------------------------------------------------|
D|--7-------7---------7--7---------9------9---------9--9------5-----5--------|
A|--5-------5---------5--5---------9------9---------9--9------5-----5--------|
E|-----------------------------------7------9---------7--7------3-----3--------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--5--5------7--7-----------------------------------------------------------|
A|--5--5------7--7-----------------------------------------------------------|
E|--3--3------5--7-----------------------------------------------------------|

Intro solo
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5---7-/-9---7---5---7--/-9---5-------5---7-/-9---7-/-9--7--5---7----9---7-|
E|-------------------------------------7----------------------------------------|

Verse
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7-----9--9--9--9--9--9--9----5--5--5--5--5--5--5--------|
A|-5--5--5--5--5--5--5-----9--9--9--9--9--9--9----5--5--5--5--5--5--5--------|
E|----------------------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7----3--3--3--3--3--3--3--------|
................... ................... ...................
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7------------play this twice-------------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7----------------------------------------------------|
E|-5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----------------------------------------------------|
......................

bridge???
e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7-----7-------7--7---------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7-----7-------7--7-------9----9----9--9--------5--5--5--5--5--5--5---------|
A|-5-----5-------5--5-------9----9----9--9--------5--5--5--5--5--5--5---------|
E|----------------------------7----7----7--7--------3--3--3--3--3--3--3---------|
...................
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7----------------------------------------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7----------------------------------------------------|
E|-5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----------------------------------------------------|
......................

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------7--7--7--7--7--7------------------------------|
D|-5----let-----------7--------7--7--7--7--7--7----------play twice----------|
A|-5----ring----------7--------5--5--5--5--5--5------------------------------|
E|-3------------------5------------------------------------------------------|
................
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-5----7-----4-4-4-4-4----5-5-5-5-5----5--------7---------------------------|
A|-5----7-----4-4-4-4-4----5-5-5-5-5----5--------7---------------------------|
E|-3----5-----2-2-2-2-2----3-3-3-3-3----3--------5---------------------------|
......... .........

chorus
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------------------------------------------------|
D|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7-----9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-------------------|
A|-5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5-----9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-------------------|
E|-----------------------------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------------------|

e|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7-----------|
D|-5--5--5--5--5------7--7--7--7--7--7----7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7-----------|repeat
A|-5--5--5--5--5------7--7--7--7--7--7----5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5-----------|
E|-3--3--3--3--3------5--5--5--5--5--5----------------------------------------|

Intro solo again
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-5---7-/-9---7---5---7--/-9---5-------5---7-/-9---7-/-9--7--5---7----9---9-|
E|-------------------------------------7----------------------------------------|

verse (two frets higher than the 1st)
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9-------------------------------------------------------|
D|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--------11--11--11--11--11--11--11---------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--------11--11--11--11--11--11--11---------------------|
E|-------------------------------9---9---9---9---9---9---9---------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7---------9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9---------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7---------9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9---------------------|
E|-5--5--5--5--5--5--5---------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7---------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9-------------------------------------------------------|
D|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9-------11--11--11--11--11--11--11----------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------11--11--11--11--11--11--11----------------------|
E|-------------------------------9---9---9---9---9---9---9----------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7-----7------9-----9-------------7--7--7--7--7-------9--9--9--9--9--9-----|
A|-7-----7------9-----9-------------7--7--7--7--7-------9--9--9--9--9--9-----|
E|-5-----5------7-----7----0-/12----5--5--5--5--5-------7--7--7--7--7--7-----|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--9---9-----------------------------------------------9---9--------------------|
D|--9---9-------2--2--2--2--2--2-----7-------9------9---9-----2--2--2--2--2--|
A|--7---7-------2--2--2--2--2--2-----7-------9------7---7-----2--2--2--2--2--|
E|--------------0--0--0--0--0--0------5-------7----------------0--0--0--0--0--|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7----9-----6--6--6--6--6---7--7--7--7--7----7-----9-----------------------|
A|-7----9-----6--6--6--6--6---7--7--7--7--7----7-----9-----------------------|
E|-5----7-----4--4--4--4--4---5--5--5--5--5----5-----7-----------------------|
............. .............

chorus
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9-------------------------------------------------------|
D|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--------11--11--11--11--11--11--11---------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--------11--11--11--11--11--11--11---------------------|
E|--------------------------------9---9---9---9----9----9----9---------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7---------9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9---------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7---------9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9---------------------|
E|-5--5--5--5--5--5--5---------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7---------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-------------------------------------------------|
D|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9------------do twice-----------------------------|
A|-7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7-------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-9--9--9--9----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-9--9--9--9------------------11--11--11--11-------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
A|-7--7--7--7------7~--6~----11--11--11--11-------------7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
E|--------------------------------9---9---9---9-----9~-7~---5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------9--9--9--9----------------------------------------------|
D|-9--9--9--9--9-----9--9--9--9------------------11--11--11--11-----------------|
A|-9--9--9--9--9-----7--7--7--7----7~--6~-----11--11--11--11-----------------|
E|-7--7--7--7--7-------------------------------9---9---9---9-------9~--7~----|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--5-----------------7--------------------2----------------------2----------|
A|--5-----------------7--------------------2------feed------------2----------|
E|--3-----------------5--------------------0------back------------0----------|

WOAH!!!!!! Oh!!!!! NO!!!!!!

Verse:
There's 52 ways to murder anyone
One or two are the same,
And they both work as well
I'm coming clean for Amy,
Julie doesn't scream as well
And the cops won't listen all night
And so maybe, maybe I'll be over
Just as soon as I fill them all in

And I can remember when I saw her last
We were running all around and having a blast
But the back seat of the drive-in
Is so lonely without you
I know when you're home
I was thinking about you,
There was was something I forgot to say
I was crying on a Saturday night
I was out cruising without you,
They were playing our song
Crying on Saturday night

As the moon becomes the night time
You go viciously, quietly away
I'm sitting in the bedroom,
Where we used to sit and smoke cigarettes
Now I'm watching, watching you die

I can remember when I saw her last
We were running all around and having a blast
But the back seat of the drive-in
Is so lonely without you
I know when you're home
I was thinking about you,
There was was something I forgot to say
I was crying on a Saturday night
I was out cruising without you,
They were playing our song
Crying on Saturday night

singemonkey

Haha. Nice. Never heard anyone describe The Misfits as rockabilly before, but they do rely on those early '60s song-structures, so it makes sense. My buddy and I do Return of the Fly. Misfits songs are just the best raw material for covering in any number of ways.

Demon-Dave

singemonkey wrote: Haha. Nice. Never heard anyone describe The Misfits as rockabilly before, but they do rely on those early '60s song-structures, so it makes sense. My buddy and I do Return of the Fly. Misfits songs are just the best raw material for covering in any number of ways.

Have you heard this album, Misfits – Project 1950, covers of some of the best rockabilly!

Yeah, that’s the thing about the misfits, they might be Horrorpunk, but they still swing!

singemonkey

Don't know about that. Does it still have Glenn Danzig>? cos otherwise I'm not interested ?

Bob-Dubery

nick_D01 wrote: hey mr demon dave

this is a really great topic. well done on ya dude fo sharin all your knowledge, and for suggestin all these great early rock 'n roll tracks ? . wish we had more topics like these of other styles/genres in the lessons section.

+ 1 to all that. Well done DD. :applause: :applause: :applause:

PeteM

Yeah Demon Dave... this is a great thread and thanks for your input, particularly with regards to steering me into listening to a wider rendition of rockabilly. Have you heard the Baseballs BTW?

Demon-Dave

@ singemonkey: Nope, it’s the bassist Jerry Only doing vocals now, so it still has that Dazig feel, but, Michale Graves is still my best Misfits era.

@ X-rated Bob: Thanks man, really appreciate it, just trying to keep the passion alive ?

@ PeteM: I have a couple hundred albums in the Rockabilly/Psychobilly/Horrorpunk genres, so yeah, I really love the music, so if you ever need to know whats new or hot in the scene, just give me a holla ?

Oh yeah, I’ve heard about the Baseballs, I’m a member of the official “Baseballs Suck” club. There have been several issues with them and the older guys of Rockabilly like the Meteors and Mad Sin, basically, they’re arrogant and have shocking attitudes. Also, they’re a manufactured band, like Backstreet Boys. I don’t like the whole processed music vibe of taking modern songs and making them sound retro by a boy band, its kinda like Justin Beiber sings Elvis. On the o0ther side of the coin, I also don’t like the attitude of “I only listen to Authentic rockabilly” type attitude. Hell, I’ll listen to any good music where the musician is talented and passionate about what they do.

PeteM

@Demon Dave. The reason I asked about the Baseballs is that when I first heard them I said "that's great" but after several listens somehow they didn't ring true... they're bit too slick and I thought this might have just been the German 'attention to detail' syndrome. Interesting that you say that they're a 'manufactured' band. Now I understand my reaction.

Demon-Dave

PeteM wrote: @Demon Dave. The reason I asked about the Baseballs is that when I first heard them I said "that's great" but after several listens somehow they didn't ring true... they're bit too slick and I thought this might have just been the German 'attention to detail' syndrome. Interesting that you say that they're a 'manufactured' band. Now I understand my reaction.

That’s my problem with them, if you listen to the older rockabilly from the 50’s, it was wild, uncensored and raw, much like the 1st wave of Punk like the Ramones and the Clash. I liken the Baseballs to processed sliced cheese, it may look like the real stuff, but at the end of the day its just processed, a bit to thin and it just aint the real thing ?

But, converse to that, I think Brian Setzer sums up the new revival of Rockabilly best in his track “Really Rockabilly” of his album “13”. This whole, “I’m more Rockabilly than you are” attitude that’s doing the rounds is a bit pathetic. I have the tattoo on my neck, have my cuffed Levis and my gelled up quaff, only listen to pure neo yaya rockabilly, is just stupid! Rockabilly is just music about sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, played in the good ol fashioned way is all.

PeteM

We play a bit of rockabilly in our band and we've been considering focusing on it because we believe it might give us a point of difference. We all grew up playing this music so we have an inherent feel for it. The audience however is much younger than us and we reckon that they would be expecting to hear the more modern take on rockabilly. I've been looking at arrangements of this kind but hey, I can't get the real thing out of my mind... the newer stuff doesn't work for me, so maybe we're wasting our time. What do you think?

singemonkey

Some of the newer stuff is amazing, Pete. Reverend Horton Heat. Brian Setzer are two of the best known. My take on it is that the audience won't demand a new take on it, they'll just want it to have energy. Some of the Bill Halley stuff, for example, sounds a bit tame by today's standards. But things like Elvis's Sun stuff, Jerry-Lee, Eddie Cochrane, Wanda Jackson, Buddy Holly... done with energy, I think anyone from 5 to 75 will eat it up.

Demon-Dave

PeteM wrote: We play a bit of rockabilly in our band and we've been considering focusing on it because we believe it might give us a point of difference. We all grew up playing this music so we have an inherent feel for it. The audience however is much younger than us and we reckon that they would be expecting to hear the more modern take on rockabilly. I've been looking at arrangements of this kind but hey, I can't get the real thing out of my mind... the newer stuff doesn't work for me, so maybe we're wasting our time. What do you think?

I really think people should play what’s in their hearts and deep in their souls! That’s why I’m putting together a Big Band/Swing/Rockabilly Orchestra. I’m tired of playing what people expect me to play. Yes, I am a metal guitarist, yes, I played in a few well know Metal/Hard Rock bands, but that was a few years ago. I still love my metal and rock and punk, but playing it doesn’t fulfil what is in me… damn, I sound like a hippy, but I really believe that what you play with passion, and played well, then people will always appreciate it!!!