I thought it might be fun today to look at how you can play a complete song in a simple arrangement.

One of the bestest things about blues is the fact that you can make most any song  as easy or as difficult as you want… you can easily scale it to fit your current level.

Plus, I recently played this song with my buddy Steve (sloslunas on the forum) at the BGU Roadtrip in Allen, Texas and I was thinking what a great lesson this would make because it’s such an iconic song (one of my personal favorites) and the vocal goes opposite the riff in true all-and-response fashion.

Now… there’s no TAB… that’s on purpose. I want you to use your ears and work this out for yourself. Watch the video several times if you have to but listen to me count and follow me. It’s important to learn to use your ears as well as your eyes when it comes to playing music (probably even more so!)

Enjoy this and I hope you have a great time and can play it the whole way through!

 

Download this video? MP4 | WMV


    38 replies to "Easy Blues Song Arrangement – Hoochie Coochie Man"

    • Fred Landry

      Griff, I love this type of lesson. This and Gary Clark JR’s “when my train pulls in” have boosted my confidence. Thank you for what you do.

    • Dave

      Oh hell yes, Griff, this is great! Gonna add it to my open mic playlist!

    • Paul

      Fun!

      I can see where George Thorogood got his inspiration. 🙂

    • Don

      That was great Griff. Thank you.

    • Charles Lee Pealer II

      Hey Griff you have my guitar’s twin. Mine’s an 83′ what year is yours?

      • John Conoscenti

        I also have a 1983, a top loader but with a maple finger board

    • Jeff

      Roy Buchanan does a song, “I’m Evil” (off his Livestock album) that uses the same rif, etc. Pretty much same song, different words.

      GRIFF. I would like it, and I’ll bet your followers would like it too, if you could do a series of “easy” songs to play all the way through. Ideally, they wouldn’t sound too much like each other so it sounds like you’re playing something way different with each song, yet still 12-bar blues.

      Of course this is a good one–Hoochie Coochie Man. Maybe “Mary Had A Little Lamb” last song in Beginning Blues Guitar. And maybe “Tore Down” from BGU 2.0.

      If you could do a series of 5 or 6 easy ones with maybe 2 guitar parts worked out for each song THAT would be something a lot of your followers would like, I’m sure. Either a free set of emails OR OR OR you could do a whole new “course” with half dozen easy songs showing 2 different guitar parts for each. I”ll bet it would be popular.

      • Don

        That is a great idea

    • Peter S

      Thank you so much for this, at last a piece which feels like I can do it with some practise. Which there were tabs, but I will try to create them myself.

    • Graham

      Bringing it back to basics. Can be done with friends and family. So good. Thanks yet again Griff.

    • Rip

      That was great! Looking forward to many more.

    • Ernest Peterson

      Thanks Griff. A different take on Hoochie Coochie Man than the straight riff all the way through that I like playing in the style of Eric Clapton. There must be a hundred different ways to play this old blues classic, but the riff remains the same.

    • Kenneth Hotz

      This was really fun Griff. Do more like it!!

    • David Pelletier

      Hi Griff. Luv it. I like when you get into a furmulur song and break it down. My interest is actually rockabilly and some of those slow rythum ballads with a cool turn around style like you hear by the Everley Bros, Ricky Nelson ballards and Dion. Just to name a few. They have the blues swing with a borrowed swing Country sound. There so much I want to learn and play. It’s not so much the lyrics. It’s the sound I most like to enjoy and capture. I look forward to your viewing your next video. Step into my blue shade shoes. Dave in Massachusetts.

    • Douglas

      Grear!,,

    • Mitch

      If you could see my face right now,I actually feel like I am making music! I have been trying to play for a year and a half and OMG this really got me to have some rhythm with it,thanks a lot.Mitch

    • kimberley Christie

      Thanks so much Griff. I worked away at it and had some success. confidence boosted!

    • Michael Chappell

      Thanks Griff, One of my favourites and I have seen you singing this with your band on Facebook a few times..

      I will certainly be working on this as it would be a great song for jams. I took down the lyrics when you were singing so that I could learn at least one verse.

      I like the way you make us work hard to play by ear and follow you, I seem to learn it faster than just reading the Tab.

      It would be good if you could provide other songs in this simplified arrangement..

      All the very best.

      Michael-Sydney-Australia 6th Nov 2017.

    • Paul

      Love that song. Thanks, Griff. Just finishing Beginners and am moving on up. Old dogs can learn a new trick or 3.
      Ordering Blues Unleased today!

    • Pat

      That has boosted my confidence a great deal thank you

      Cheers pat

    • Bob

      Thanks for the great lesson. I keep enjoying picking up pieces of many of your lessons. Being in the beginner ranks this is one I think I can put fully under my fingers with a bit of practice — and it’s one that sounds good. I was feeling a bit stuck with some of the lessons I’ve been working on this week, so it is great timing!
      Bob

    • Ralph hammond

      Great lesson

    • jeff

      Buy Griff’s Ultimate Jams (1st addition) to have a backing track for this song.

    • jean dominique

      This is what I have been waiting for. I am going to spend some time following it until I have full control .Thank you so much.

    • Dave C

      Griff, thank you for this cool lesson. And thank you for giving something that a lot of us can learn to play and have fun with!!!

    • Dave

      Great idea Griff to give us this basic song pattern to work with. It’s a great jumping off point to other blues tunes. You are the best!

    • Augustino

      Wow! Thanks Griff, This is one I should be able to do. I’ll work on it! I really need some easy jams to do or I get frustrated and lose motivation. This is the ticket at least for now! 🎸 😀 – Tino

    • Steve

      Thanks Griff. This is also one of my all time favorites. I have been very fortunate to be able to play this tune with you on several occasions (In Maine, Corona California (Grazianos), Memphis on the rooftop!, and a few times in Dallas. Each time was very special for me. I also really like the very cool guitar that you are playing…

      Steve

      • PAUL

        NEVER HAVE HEARED THIS SONG . THERE IS A LOT OF BLUSE SONGS I HAVE NEVER LISTENED TOO. I LKE YOUR TELE. VERY EASY SONG TO PLAY AND SING. I’LL HAVE TO GO TO YOU TUBE AND FIND IT NICE GRIFF!

    • JACK FLASH

      Great I love it they way you teach…

    • RollyS

      Always wanted to do that song! Now I can! THANKS!

    • Jameskostan

      On the seventh hour of the seventh day seven doctors oh, I am the Hoochie Coochie Man great teach for beginners of the Blues one of my first songs I’ve learned good song for your timing

    • Nick T

      Super cool little jam thanks man !!

    • Kirk

      Great lesson Griff, I remember starting out how important it was to play something that sounded really good and cool in order to motivate me for the more mundane practice. This not only sounded great but was great for hand co-ordination. Kinda like practice but sounding good at the same time.

      You never fail to impress me with your teachings

    • Paul Grammas

      Easy is always good! Thanks Griff

    • Keith

      Thanks, Griff…..I remember this as a favourite song while growing up, but had sort of forgotten about it it. Now I have another to add to my “repertoire”. Way cool!

    • Alan T

      Thanks Griff another great lesson.

      To learn a song is what it’s all about for me.

      Alan
      Worcester UK

    • Tracy Laven

      Really cool. Great fun. Thank you

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