This tune seems to be really popular as I have received a LOT of questions about what Joe is playing for the intro of this tune…
Instead of answering all the questions one at a time, I decided it was high time to just break it down for you.
Here’s the YouTube clip of Joe Bonamassa playing with Eric Clapton, live from the Royal Albert Hall… my breakdown of the intro is below. The part we’ll cover ends at the first vocal.
And here’s how I’m hearing it. Now I might have missed a couple of little details, (it’s hard to hear a live recording with a full band and Clapton playing over the top…) but I’m sure this is really close to perfect.
62 replies to "Further On Up The Road Intro"
This JB/EC performance was one of those that brings tears to my eyes. To have this intro broken down like this is awesome. Can’t wait to grab my guitar and really screw it up. 😀 But I’ll keep working at it. Thanks, Griff!
Much of this reminds me of chord progressions for SRV’s “Cold Shot”, useful stuff fo sho!
Griff this lesson is up there with all the rest of your lessons, seeing the highest form of respect that joe has and shows for Eric Clapton is refreshing now picture yourself up there that would be cool.
Yup, always a good video this… Eric and Joe trading licks like a couple of wild west gun-slingers LOL
Excellent learning example from a couple of the worlds best players; it don’t get much better than this… thanks Griff ^
Hey Griff, This lesson helped me to recall a pattern that I used to play a lot, many years ago, and somehow slipped away. I have had to put aside my playing, due to an accident, but I’m now doing everything I can to get back into the healing magic of blues guitar! It enables you to be productive and vital, and you have a great approach to simplify the process! It is all so much easier than anyone seems to realize, and you are doing a great job of helping others to enjoy the enormous pleasure of playing the blues! Thank You so much brother! I thank you for all that you are doing to help keep the blues alive, in today’s world of pro tuned, homogenized,and shiny crud that we’re being fed today! You can’t put the blues on a grid, it has a heart and soul that you just don’t hear in the
music that comes from the pro tuned world we’re living in today.. Keep up the great work Griff! You are making a lot of people very Happy! Lary
Good stuff as usual ,thank you so much. I am still an “advance beginner”…in my4 th year of 1/2 weekly lessons. Your videos have helped me so much with music theory and I strive to learn everything about this great instrument. There’s so much know and your style of teaching and sharing is so appreciated.
YOu are the best at breaking it down into digestible chunks. Makes learning and practicing sustainable and the reps get you to chop heaven. Thanks so much.
Great lesson! Taken me a while to get it right, but I’m nearly there,just need to smooth things out a bit! Not as easy as you make it look! I’m absolutely loving all of your lessons learning so many really usable things that are really making a difference to my playing! The four note solo is probably the the best lesson I’ve seen anywhere it just shows that you don’t need to be all I’ve the neck to pay a great solo! 😎
I enjoyed this lesson. Thank you very much. Question: Should I think of ‘little cords’ as ‘inversions’ ?
Hey Griff, can’t see your fingers on the fret of the guitar due to the caption blocking the view. Could you a just
.
Kinda like Johny winters playing Johny be good.
I may have heard it before. But it sounds better to me this time . Enjoyable.
Whoa Griff. Way too fast for me. I can’t see which fingers are where since it looks like it could be any one of them.
I have the tab, but still cant follow you. Maybe my 71 year old fingers aren’t up to it . . .!
Oops! There is the tab…
THOSE FIRST PART OF THAT LICK IS 1 FRET UP FROM JOHNY BE GOOD. VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD. SAW THAT VIDEO ON MTV LONG TIME AGO.
Too fast! Yes he is sometimes. There is a work around. To go the gear in the bottom right hand corner of the youtube bar. There are two great features. You can slow the video down. Also, you can select a higher resolution. This really helps.
Can you show us the tab for this?
There is a download under the video. You can download the video as well as the tab. It looks like this:
Downloads – MP4 | WMV | PDF (the tab)
Thanks Griff. One of my favorites also. Terrific lesson!
Thanks, Griff! Another great bit…I’m waiting for Joe & Eric to play with YOU!
Yea, I think we should start an email campaign to lobby for a Griff Hamlin guest sit-in! Anybody interested in joining?
I like the way you figured that whole thing out for us Griff. With variations etc. we could you use this in limitless places in the Blues.
Thanks much!
Griff thank you for this little gift, the Clip you gifted was outstanding, full of dynamic positive vibes, had me smiling all afternoon. Now to invest sometime in learning your equally positive rendition.
Thank you Griff
Great stuff, Griff. I am learning it all ready.
Thx again Griff! I look forward to all you send to us your students. My question is I’ve learned so much and have so much info in my head that it gets lost! I play almost every day. I always work on stuff I have trouble with and stuff I have played in the past. but now 2yrs with bgu I feel like I need another memory card inserted into my head!…how do you do it man! Any advice is appreciated.( any help from bgu members also ) thanks again B-)
Mark I don’t know if im right or not but I believe that lycks you have filed in your brain will just come out sometimes
Thanks! Basic Blues and a Classic Song!
So easy but yet so hard! Magnifico Maestro!
Thanks Griff, I do remember this about a year ago but was not as advanced as I am now and learning faster. This is certainly one of the most Bluesy comping /licks used by the Star Guitar players. I have mastered the Pick hideaway for finger comping as I watched Matt Schofield as he does it, I just need to be able to play the guitar like the Masters… all good.
In your lessons like this one it would be good to KNOW what effects Pedal you are using as we learners have a few pedals but still learning on the effects side of things.
Next Lesson you might share with us the Solo for this song by Joe & Eric as in the end they were Copycat…ing a bit.
All great.
Michael – Sydney -Australia
Hey Griff,
Always a great refresher I save this back in 2016 but always great to see it again.. since then I have worked out the effects sound you get with my Boss ME 80 Pedal effects..
All great..
Thanks
Michael-Sydney-Australia 22 June 2017.
Thanks Griff! Really helpful and useful!!
you have to finish that song.my favorite.
Thanks so much. These things add so much to a song.
hey griff if anyone cares roy buchannan does excellant job on this tune on his live stock album
Someone asked me to play further on up the road. So I went further up the road. This person called me Long Distance and said “That’s fine, now I can’t hear you!:-)
All I can say is, this is boss!
Hey Griff! This is still one of my fave videos! Maybe some day you could do a lesson on pick hiding? I love how Joe goes from fingers to pick. Brian Setzer also uses the technique a lot. Thanks for all the great lessons!
just fold your index finger over your pick. I watched Joe do it and have been doing it since. I used to stick my pick in my mouth. lol
Great lesson, and excellent job on breaking down the licks into something digestible.
Is it just me or did others find it strange that Eric Clapton didn’t show more warmth towards Joe at the end of the Jam.
He basically put his guitar down, and walked off. Maybe he’s not a Joe fan?
It’s you. There was a bow and a hand shake, and it IS after all, the RAH. And, It’s Joe’s show and EC is only a guest. It is an ancient ritual. The King is dead, Long live the King.
I guess you’re right… What does RAH stand for?
Royal Albert Hall
nice sandard jam. good little lick i learned in the lesson afterwards. thanks
A nice version from back in the day is from the film “The Last Waltz” featuring of course “The Band.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Eg95vF72k
Man ERIC And JOE sound so awesome What a treat FANTASTIC !!
Thanks Griff…I saw this one way back and felt it doable too. You have a way of teaching it so it’s not so daunting. It sounds and appears his verse and chorus are offshoots of what you’ve shown us….true?
Thanks again!
Rich
Good breakdown – I’m going to steal it. Thanks
Didn’t you send this out about a year ago?
Very applicable stuff. Next time we have another B.G.U.Live event, I hope we can work this in somewhere. Not sure if we went in to this much detail when we played this at one of the earlier B.G.U. Live events. Man…I’ve got to get cracking on the 52 Rhythm Fills and Variations. Just barely started it awhile back and I definitely need some work there.
Thanks Griff!
All the best,
DaveyJoe
Another home run Griff. I’ve been working on rhythm, trying to “spiff it up” and your 52 Rhythms course, and certainly this video, go a long way towards my goal.
Thanks Griff, Good-Looking-Out Man! I love this tune ( way-back to Bobby blue bland days.WLB
Awesome lesson Griff! Appreciate the frequent inspiration and insight.
One off-topic question: have you ever analyzed licks to understand what makes a “great lick”?
This is good stuff. I think the more movement you have within a chord structure the better it sounds, and also the person playing the guitar comes across as really knowing his stuff. When I work on music now I try to think in terms of playing piano on the guitar, so all of this little movement that goes on that keeps the song alive and moving to me is great.
Thanks for another great “lesson” and explanation for us to use. The tab looks very complicated but the teaching makes it recognizable and doable – not easy, as most guitar playing is not easy, but very nice.
Thanks.
I like it!! It’s something I can add to the bag of tricks in short order.
My three favorite guitarist! Joe and Eric trading licks at the RAH and Griff showing me how it’s done!
Thank You!
A few days ago I graduated from my “Guitars for Vets” class. It was just some basic music therapy for Vets that were disabled in Service. But I was really helped along by these videos. I was miles ahead of the other student. 🙂
Cheers Griff
For the lesson the 52 rhythms and variations course is an excellent course
As all your courses are
Now back to your theory course ?
hey griff you never did this before ? I watched the entire concert . J B is pretty good .I like it when Eric and Joe trade off lead and then together thats my kinda playing I like best. I have been seeing the G7 cord move Your right it comes up alot .I think I can do this one with my eyes shut.TY for the demo
Very nice illustration. I am learning more how blues is played. I heared your picking 2 strings at the same time, but, I can see only one. The sound seemed your guitar was switched to chorus. Anyway I am really gaining. Thanks Griff.
Thanks Griff I have been trying to figure out this song for a long time.
Another great lesson, despite that pesky old Eric Clapton. 😉