First… this was filmed live before an audience of blues players around the world, so please pardon the few seconds at the beginning and the end while the stream fires up…

In this video I wanted to talk about ZZ Top’s “Fool For Your Stockings” chords and form. It’s a great set of chords that is basically a minor blues, but it has a fun turnaround.

Most importantly, you see dominant 11 chords in this, and you just don’t see those very often so I wanted to mention them here so you can see how they are played (they are very easy) and how they might be used.

I hope you dig the video and try putting in all the parts into your looper the way I did and noodle over it – there is very much fun to be had there 🙂

 


    40 replies to "Be A Fool For Your Looper"

    • Jim

      This was extra fun. I have been playing around with this for a few days. I am going to start using my looper more. I forgot how fun it is. This is one cool tune. It’s the perfect way to wrap up your practice session. You work on a new tune, lick or song idea for a while and then you wrap you your session up with a looper jam. Another side effect is that I had to count every thing out to make it work in time. I realized that I am not as bad as I thought at counting. 🙂

    • Clifford D Baynton

      I have a donner circle looper I haven’t really learned how to use yet but this is a good incentive

      • ACE DRAGON

        Using a Donner, Circle Looper. Has many drum patterns and 5 memory’s. one foot switch is for the guitar, with 3 settings. The drum footswitch has its own. has a selection knob for drums, volume and metronome.
        . I use my bass guitar for the bass. easy cords. You can loop over one I LOVE IT. 6 times.
        I LIKE IT BETTER THAN MY BOSS, RC3.

    • john

      Very nice I use a NUX looper really like it but i get lazy and dont put the work in
      Me personnally am glad you explain things I am not musically as knowledgeable as some and need the thought process to learn,the concept so explain where you have too and show it long enough for me to catch it
      thank you Griff

    • tom

      thank you

    • Hunter G Crawford

      i have a looper but haven mastered it for sure but gonna give it another whirl. do you reside in Mckinny? just courious I am familuar with guitar santuary.

    • Dave

      I have the Boss RC 5 looper, which gives one the ability to save the loops and play over them live. With the Boss FS 7 foot switch, you can toggle between different phrases on the fly also. I used it at a solo gig a week ago and it was well received by the folks who came out to listen. Just did some noodling over a E, F#m, G#m A with a B7 thrown in. (I Shall Be Released, Bob Dylan)

      I will definitely try this chord progression.

    • Bob K

      Wonder if I can do the same overdub on a TC Electronic Ditto+ Looper…not that I have it yet, it’s on the Father’s Day wishlist.

      Fun lesson, can’t wait to give it a go. I’ll have to download ZZ Top song too

    • Alan H

      The without a net part was great Griff. Thanks I’ve gotta try that

    • tommy rhoads

      I like your courses,I would like to know your opinion on loopers. We drop down to a duo from a full band. I was told the ditto looper is good,but I don’t want to waste money on something that doesn’t work,Thanks.

      • Steve

        I’ve tried a few, the ditto looper x2 is nice because of the two buttons which I like so when playing live I don’t have to do a double tap to stop the loop.
        Now using the Electro Harmonix 1440 for two reasons. 1. It has a midi sync so if you use a drum machine like the Beat Buddy it will sync your loop to the drum machine. 2. You can set trails after you stop the loop. I like that the loop fades away instead stopping abruptly.

    • Don Hall

      I’ve always seen these “dominant 11th” chords notated differently…for example a D11 would be annotated “C/D” as in the C major triad with a D bass. I’ve seen that a lot in pop tunes from the 70s. Same notes, so no harm no foul, but still. Nice tune choice, I will work on it.

      • Rob

        A C maj. triad is CEG. With a D in the bass it would be (from low to high) D C E G.
        A D 11 would be a D dominant chord. D F# A C and the 11th a G an octave higher than the 4th. At least how I was taught.

        • Ricardo

          D11 = D F# A C E G (1 3 5 b7 9 11)
          You can view it as a C Maj triad stacked on top of a D Maj triad.
          Leave out the 3 & 5 (F# & A) and you have C/D.
          In terms of C that’s 1 3 5 with add9 in the bass.
          However, in terms of D it’s the 1 b7 9 11.
          Enharmonically the same, but not.

    • Mike

      Griff,
      What looper do you recommend? I bought the Trio Plus pedal but it’s not working out very well!

    • TA Ratko

      Griff: I thought that was very cool, with the looper and building the whole song. Have you seen Nashville session man Tom Bukovac’s Homeskoolin’ Youtube shows? He builds entire loops, including bass guitar tracks, then builds guitar solos and unusual chord voicings over it like what you did with Billy Gibbons stuff today. Great job and very “nutrient rich” musically.

    • Alan H

      The flyin’ by the seat of your pants thing was cool Griff. Way cool and gutsy.

    • Michael Chappell

      Hey Griff, Came across this lesson on FB and enjoyed it so much that I have save the lesson for later. But a cool way to use the Looper for the Bass and I just like the sound. Good lesson as always.
      Take care and stay safe.

      Thanks

      Michael-Sydney-Australia Aug 13th, 2020

    • Tom Carpenter

      Great job with the looper. I try doing that, but but my entry isn’t always as clean. Could use a looper lesson on it’s own.

    • tony

      Smooth animal I dig it . I think it is like a Jazz mix in there . Want do want it is Billy the preacher man.

    • Marty

      Griff,bI live in Leechburg, PA Take care.

      Marty. Oh, how do I talk to you on Facebook ?

    • Marty

      Hi. I HV been playing since 1966 I now have neuropathy and can hardly use my pinky. Do you think that is feasible to play most chords and leads without the inability to play chords.

      • benj1707

        Google Django Reinhart. Famous jazz guitarist played with two fingers on his left hand.

    • Chester boy

      Great lesson Griff

    • bogie

      Great less Griff !
      I grew up in the era lead playing…. now these type lessons are making me enjoy
      Rhythm playing even more than a lick video,

    • michael hechler

      Thanks Teach ! It takes a bit to get use to using the looper !

    • dale

      very good Griff I really dig this kind of lessons..

      Thanks for OKlahoma..

    • Bob K

      Hey Griff, thanks again for your insight and generosity.

    • Martin

      Riff a bit reminiscent of Magic Sam’s “Easy Bay” (Willie Dixon tune?)

      • PAUL

        VEY COOL. THIS IS GREAT FOR A SLOW BLUES LOVE SONG. I THINK I WILL STEAL THIS AND CAHNGE A BIT AND WRITE A NEW SONG.
        STAY HAPPY GRIFF, THANKS BROTHER.

    • Mike

      Very good lesson on overdubbing into a looper with the bonus of that great chord progession. A twofer! Thanks man!

    • Dave D

      Is a dominant 7 chord the same as maj7 chord and is the dominant 11 chord the same as a maj7 with the #11 added? Can anyone help me?
      Thanks!
      Dave

      • DEWESQ

        No, a dominant 7 is NOT the same as a Maj. 7. Dominant 7, i.e., D7 has a flatted 7th (1 whole step lower than the octave root). Maj. 7 has a Maj 7th (1/2 step below the octave root).

      • Griff

        In addition, 11 chords are dominant 7th with the addition of the 9 and 11, not #11.

    • Jeff

      Great lesson, lots of fun play along with your Jam track

    • Scott R

      Superb little lesson Griff…. I just love it how you lay it out in such a simple and straight forward way.
      When I first heard this song it felt “out of reach” but you closed the gap. Again, thank you.

    • Pete Star

      They say old dogs can’t lean new tricks sorry for type o

      • Jimmy D

        Yeah but can old bluesmen learn new licks?
        I B 68!

    • Pete Star

      Love your jams, just bought your beginners blues and your intermediate lessons.I been doing your lessons on line, i live all your lessons their ggreat. They say old is can’t learn new tricks, well they are wrong. I will be 61 soon and I learned from you; but I still have a long way to go and I am loving it. Thank you Griff my friend it’s a lot of fun learning with you.

    • Sam

      He uses open tuning?

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