Surprisingly (to me, anyway) I’ve had a lot of requests recently to demonstrate one of my own songs.

It’s an older one, but “Don’t Lie” always seems to be a favorite, so today I’ll walk you through the basic rhythm and changes for the song. And if you’ve never heard, there’s a fun video below where you can hear the original song…

Downloads of this video – MP4 | WMV | TAB (PDF)

Now… this next video is the original recording of the song, but someone (not me) had some fun with the video.

The video you’ll see doesn’t match up with the song, but it’s the same song performed live at a little coffee house gig several years ago. So the guitar parts don’t match and the words don’t match… but somebody did a pretty decent job of lining it up so it’s at least something to watch while the song plays (the first few seconds is really funny too 🙂


    68 replies to "Don’t Lie Rhythm"

    • billyo

      Happy birthday spud
      and don’t for get the first rule of being over 50
      All birthdays are gratefully accepted
      definitely not an anticlimax when you consider some of the alternatives

    • Jim

      Happy Birthday! I hope it’s the best so far with many more to come!!!

    • WILLEM JACOBS

      HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRIFF AND MANY YEARS GUITAR PLAYING.

    • Linda S.

      Love the song! Thanks for sharing!

    • Jack Locker

      Hi Griff,

      Wow man! That’s a terrific song and nice chops. When you 1st starting showing how you play it, I thought that it’s was just like a SRV tune, however upon listen to the tune, it’s quite original end just has that “Cold Shot” feel to it. Thanx! – Jack

    • Tom Gracen

      Definitely SRV. I’ve learned so much
      about his style from you, thanks.

      Happy Birthday Sir Griff!
      (you’re a baby, I’ll be 67 in a few months)

      Tom G

    • Rock

      Great song!! Oh and Happy Birthday youngster!!

    • Ken M

      Great song Griff From a South oak cliff, That’s Dallas to you who don’t know great song . Sounds like something I used to hear in these parts .

      • Darrell H

        I agree. Grew up in Oak Cliff. Went to school with SRV and Jimmie. I guess I’m old. But you are right. Good tunes fromthere

    • Jack

      I bought your album on iTunes. It’s great. I really like this tune very much and want to thank you for giving us this lesson. It’s great.

    • pete

      Great song and great video. You know I can’t help thinking that if you were a promoter and you put this guy Hamlin on stage with Matt Schofield, Josh Smith, Eric Gales and maybe even John Mayer that he wouldn’t let the side down one little bit.

    • Strudels McCockdisease

      Who was that young stud? 😉

    • john lodyga

      Seemed like in the video it was out of sync with the playing. good tune non the less. Will give it a shot but I tend to play more slow blues .bb king box.

    • Todd Knaster

      Thanks for teaching us that cool song!! The video was also really good and of course the guitar playing was awesome!! Was that your wife that smashes the record in the beginning:)

      • Don Good

        The lady who smashed the record was Donna Reed from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

    • Ladug

      Hi Griff
      Nice to see you starting to cover your own stuff.I think there’s more people interested than you may think. I would love to see you go over your song Where Would I Begin still one of my favorites from any artist.

    • Louis

      Finally, got the CD from CDBaby!

    • DaveyJoe

      Excellent stuff Griff! Thanks for sending it out to us.
      5/25/19

    • Roadrogue

      I’m surprised that there isn’t any mention at all of the heavy string muting involved in this style. It’s integral to the sound and not so easy. A couple people posted here were wondering about it and don’t seem to know about it.

    • steve

      Great lesson and I love this style of playing – really clever to get that percussive feel throughout. More of these please Griff!

    • Interstate slim

      Thanks griff, hey you have been in the rotation on b.b. Kings bluesville. I drive a truck cross country and have heard your recent release a few times now. Good to see you guys getting some recognition. Enjoy your day.

    • david moon

      a lot (most?) of the solos in that mashup were not you. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to sync everything up and it worked. Do you know who was the player, KWS?

      And the song (chord progression and lyrics) is cool regardless.

      Reminds me of KWS “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway”

      https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=kenny+wayne+shepherd+somehow%2c+somewhere%2c+someway&&view=detail&mid=32E39F80133590C7039A32E39F80133590C7039A&FORM=VRDGAR

    • Jake Whicker

      Awesome! Really cool! I am stealing this for sure.

    • Stephen J Diotte

      Griff:
      Am I correct in thinking you are not really picking each note but just including them in the sweep action you are doing? At speed it’s hard to tell but it doesn’t look like you are picking them specifically

    • stsphen jarman from australia

      Very good performance good to see you have talent and exultant teaching videos. Keep this going. Also do you have your CD’s n pal formate.

    • Gene

      Wow!!! That was great,I wish I could do that.Good job!

    • Fred J Fowler

      very nice. tx. sing more . . . u r good. xo

    • Rob

      SRV &KWS heavy influence for sure.
      Cool song!

    • Scott

      Thank you for taking the time to describe the settings on both your guitar and pedal to get that tone.

    • Scotty

      I too am loving this song!!
      I’ve never seen you play live before so am very glad that you shared!

      Lots of you have said SRV, and I don’t think you’re wrong….
      The other guitar player I think of when I hear this is Kenny Wayne Sheppard. Others agree?

      • Scotty

        Doh! That will teach me for responding before watching all the videos. Clearly it’s a KWS inspired song too.
        Love it!

    • John

      AWESOME,

      Griff why hasn’t Eric Clapton or any of the other BIG blues names covered this song?????????
      TREEEEEMENDOUS BOY!
      oh and by the way thanks for all your free lessons

    • Tom Anthony

      Great Stuff Griff, Love the Energy….Cheers

    • Bruce McDermott

      Really want to learn this. Where can I find the lyrics?

    • Michael Chappell

      Hey Griff,

      You have to show us How to play your own songs maybe the next BGIAB V3..This song is so COOL that I am going to learn the Rhythm of it. It just has a great groove & feeling.. I have a Strat same colour as yours, not sure I have a tube screamer but on my Boss ME 80 (Effects Board) it is bound to be in there or close to.
      This song seems to have the influence of SRV sound but much better.. because it comes from our best guitar teacher Griff Hamlin.

      Michael-Sydney-Australia 29 April 2017.

    • Manticore

      A few years ago? Mon ami, that live recording was of a gig a decade ago!

    • John

      This makes for a great opening song! This one is stoked with lots of coffee! caffeinated indeed!
      I enjoy this number and the style. But it’s your song. Lots of high-class attention getter…
      I printed out the sheet music, maybe hope to learn a portion of this. I have lots of learning to do.

      Thank you, Grif!

    • Steven Siegel

      Good tune. Stevie Ray is not easy to get his groove down right. Best I have herd is him and Albert in session recording and they both were a pure delight to listen too.

    • Jeff

      I’m truly amazed! I watched Joe Bonamassa at the Greek show the other day. He’s exceptional, but… I much prefer watching what you have demonstrated with this video. I can’t play very well yet but watching this video inspires me to keep at it. BTW you’re instruction is by far the best that I have been able to find anywhere.

      • Kimball

        Re the best instruction : I second that emotion. As Jimi said, “Play on…play on.”

    • Neil Snow

      Great song. It has a cool groove to it.

      Thanks
      Neil

    • Karey Reese

      That was very cool! I couldn’t see you picking the notes. Look to me like you were just strumming. I need to slow this way down so I can see how you picked the notes. I want to learn to play this. I really dug it.

      • Clark

        I have slowed it way down (50%, 25%)–you simply can’t see the note being picked. I assume that he is extremely good at muting 5 strings because the notes being played are very clean and clear with no mute noise that I can detect–so clean it’s as if someone else was playing them (looper?). The only way I can get that clean a sound is by playing the whole thing finger style–but of course you loose the SRV effect in doing so.
        Griff, please enlighten us….with either a comment or another follow-on lesson.

    • Dr. Bo

      Saw you do this song at BGU Live and really loved it. I was hoping to learn it. This is perfect! Thanks.

    • Jack

      Hi, Griff.

      That’s just a GREAT song. I liked it VERY much.
      you say it’s been a while since your last album.
      Make another. “Don’t Lie” is just great.

    • PETER HOOIVELD

      Great song Griff! Love the haunting sound of the turnaround!!

    • Tom Hopsicker

      BTW, that song and the rest of the album is available on iTunes. 😎

    • Joyce

      Love it! Thank you for sharing!

    • Seth Tyrssen

      Well damn, Griff, that was cool!

    • Layne Oliver

      Griff, that was AWESOME, fun to watch and hear and very inspirational!

    • Ronald L Mitchell

      Oh yeah the boy can sing to Your juat to kewell 4 School.
      makes me wanna burn my guitars.
      well maby not

    • Mark Wales uk

      Cheers Griff
      For the lesson how did you leave this one out
      Of the gig in a box courses 😎🎶

    • Louie o.

      Very SRV like rhythm pattern. I was always partial to your song When Evil Comes. Love to play along to that song. Loved your album when it came out always disappointed you didn’t follow up!

    • Dave G

      Awesome Griff!!! I concur with whoever said how about showing us the whole thing, thank you 🎸⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    • Andrew

      I knew you were a great guitar player, but you sing very well too. That’s just not fair 😭. How come so many musicians can do both? I will be happy just to crack the guitar.

    • Kevin O'Sullivan

      Hey Griff – that was truly Awesome! You really should put more of your songs out there. Top blues vocals too. You been keeping this stuff from us? I just loved it Griff.
      Thank you

    • PapaThor

      Very enjoyable, hope our responses encourage you to give us all of this great tune, many thanks.

    • Tom Hopsicker

      How cool would it be to learn that song and then get to play it with Griff’s band? Oh wait, that happened.

      • Tony Ludwig

        Yeah, every chance I get with Griff and his band…the first song I play and last year he allowed me to do some vocals…if you are a SRV fan you gotta love this song…my favorite at every BGU event

    • John

      Griff: Thanks for the lesson – great tune and good lesson. Love the son as well.

    • John

      It’s a pity you didn’t put the PDF on two pages, so that both could be open at the same time. It’s more awkward to have a PDF on three pages on the music stand.

      • Blackbelt

        Really John? REALLY…

    • Mike

      WOW!!!! any more like that? That is something to aspire to. Great Griff, thanks.

    • Paul Korchuk

      Must really like Stevie Ray.Saw him live when he was just getting started. You sound and play very close when he was younger. Excellent great listening tune. Paul

    • Dennis Miller

      Great song….just wanted to give you a heads up. The last two video clips I received from you aren’t synced. The video and audio are out of sync.

    • Bill F.

      Nice job Griff. You have a great voice. I like the tune…a little SRV-ish. Great playing.

    • Dq

      Love the song and look forward to learning the lead parts. Were you using a looper when you were playing the lead?

    • Mark d.

      Where’s that been hiding!…great voice!….smoking guitar!

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