This lesson is partly about how to play Hoochie Coochie Man, but more than that it’s about how to pay attention to the various ways people often play the same tune.
If you take the time to make your ear familiar with common variations of classic tunes, then when you get on a jam session you’re much better equipped to handle whichever version they do.
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39 replies to "Hoochie Coochie Man"
When your just playing this with buddy no band, what does the rhythm guitar play
Fun lesson!
I love this song and have seen and heard multiple artists perform it!
I love The late Jeff Healey’s version he did in the movie “Roadhouse” starring Patrick Swayze, Ben Gazzara, Sam Elliott and Kelly Lynch.
Fun movie and great song!
JEFF WAS BLIND AND PLAYED HIS GUITAR ON HIS LAP.
Hey Griff
First let me say I love your videos and have one of your courses. A lot of this stuff is above me ( an older novice still trying to get down my boxes), particularly the music theories which I try to keep up with. But I’ve been wondering for a while , and thought about it more on a recent Hendrix lesson you did about how these rockers and even the blues masters understood this( the theories), and was wondering what your thoughts are on this. Most of these greats were relatively young( some very) and not ( I assume) formally trained musically. Do you think it was just naturally intuitive for them, just luck from playing around or something that they picked up from others and kept at it. I also assume a lot didn’t read music as well .
would love to hear your thoughts on this_ maybe others would too.
Keep up the videos-they are great as is your courses.
Bob
Hi Griff, I have always had an issue with that hammer on from a 7th barre chord. I play a lot in the first position key of A and capo when necessary when I have to do that. As you’ve pointed out we will never increase the width of our knuckles or the length of our fingers. I noticed your fingers are considerably longer than mine. So how can I make this work when I need it?
Anyone else having trouble with the downloads? Or is it just me?
Sometimes it’s better going to Youtube to download if it’s there. I copy the link and use a third party downloader to save the video file.
Steve
Hello Griff,
Can you do a tab ?
or how about a new course… of old blues classics
on how to play them
for us beginners ?
Hi Griff, when I put my guitar down I will play my harps, being a blues harp player also I will play this tune several different ways and in several different keys. Like you said learn several different versions and you will be able to recognize which one and jump right in. Great lesson!
Hi Griff, you said in the email subject that this is a Halloween post, but “it’s not spooky”. You should have done “Hoodoo Man”, which is very similar – I’ve got a couple of versions, notably one by Junior Wells with Buddy Guy and there’s another one by Muddy Waters I’m pretty sure. That song would be spooky enough for Halloween. So, I guess there’s a topic for another post – Hoodoo Man please.
Cheers from Oz, Chris G.
The ease with which he plays is scary enough!
Really appreciate all the information you provide. Thanks Griff
I was how nice it all sounds,even if you are not playing the standard chords like 1, 4 ,5. An excellent way to approach any song. Thank you
Any chance for some tab ?
Hi KPT,
Griff mentioned, “big ears”. This simple lesson is a perfect opportunity for you to move toward that goal.
You have opportunity to work on a skill that you will use for the rest of your guitar playing life.
This skill involves doing stop start video analysis of a piece – picking it apart note for note.
This develops your eyes, your ears and applies any knowledge of the blues form you have acquired.
The day is going to come or may be now when you want to learn something Joe Bonamassa or Eric Clapton is doing and you have the blessing of a YouTube video to pick apart to learn it.
You’ll see with your eyes, hear with your ears and apply your knowledge of blues form to piece together what is being played.
By doing the video stop-start you will increase the benefit to yourself and even discover some variations of your own.
Think of the excercise as not receiving a fish but rather learning to fish. You’ll be so much better off for it.
Sorry to be so long winded. You can do it.
I have to agree with Scott R. Griff. Some advice on the tone settings of your guitar and amp would be nice since it’s so important to the particular arrangement on many songs.
I like the Jeff Henley version. I’m sure that is who you said. It has more bite.
Meant Healey.
Just my opinion, but trying to cover Jeff Healey means you need an additional finger. Hard to beat someone that can use 4 fingers _and_ a thumb on the fretboard.
Another excellent lesson. Griff, you and I have played this song together on several occasions (In the key of ‘A’). Some of the highlights of my brief career. Nuff said about that…but, I believe the correct spelling is Hoochie Coochie Man??
Steve
Hi Griff,
As an ongoing request for your video lessons…
Could you take 20-30 seconds, after you play the snipet, and then describe how you’re getting the tone for that particular piece.
An example: Tele, neck pickup, clean tone with a bit of gain and reverb.
I for one would love you to do this so that I can get better at matching tones for different songs and blues styles.
Thanks…
Scott
Thanks Griff…that was special. Steppenwolf covered this on o me of their early albums…Michael Monarch did the fills…please check it out and tell me what you think. It’s a real nice cover!
Rich
Rich, I could not agree with you more. Michael Monarch’s tone and feel on this song was haunting and other worldly. He had amazing sustain. It is hard to believe he was only 17 years old when he played it. By far the BEST cover of this song I have ever heard. The song is on Steppenwolf’s 1967 debut album “Steppenwolf”.
Griff, Thanks for both the blues and classic blues-rock lessons you provide. You are an excellent teacher. You explain things in a way even I can understand. Please listen to Steppenwolf’s cover of Hoochie Coochie Man and let us know what you think. Any help on how to emulate his tone would be greatly appreciated…Layne
And if you flip this upside down, I hear Tush by that ‘lil ol band from Texas. At least my 8 months a newbie 60 year old ears hear it…..
Love it! Griff you unpack this stuff in ways that make it so easy to understand.
Presumably Clapton’s modulation was to accommodate his vocal range.
Thanks Griff. I sure like being part of the team.
clif
Thanks Griff! I enjoy learning all these variations.
The opening riff I have used for playing the song in A is E-G-E-G-A. Thanks for showing the riff in all these other ways and keys.
I obviously appreciate how hard you work, Griff, to offer something every day. Unfortunately, I am a beginner so references to notes are completely unuseful to me. It would be wonderful if tabs were provided…but again, I know you are already working hard and I know that this stuff is free to us so I’m not complaining, only stating the situation. Thanks again.
Im a newbie too, and Ive recently learned tabs are extremely helpful, but they only show you how…..not the why. The why is even more important, wish I had focused more on the why in the very early days of my 8 months experience..:)
The “why” lets you noodle around, and I think the learning comes faster that way. Try to learn E minor pentatonic, focus on that and try to make up your own little ditties and rhymes with it. Like “My dog got fleas…..yeah baby”!
TAB please
I am a visual learner…need to see it on paper…TAB…TAB…TAB…
Two Hearts
This is a very good lesson and another reason why knowing the notes on the guitar is important. If you were doing a jam session with a band playing a song like this it would be really boring if you weren’t able to move from where the riff starts. I actually liked Jeff Healey’s version the best because it felt so powerful when he did it. Good lesson.
Thanks Griff…
Food for thought…my bonus lesson learned.
I believe this lesson goes way beyond this or any one particular song. Knowing how to play alternate versions of simple baselines is a key to being able to add to a jam mix especiallly when there are multiple guitars that all sound similar. I always bring my Tele cause everyone else is playing humbuckers….
tab brother / tab
thanks!
Agree:-)
There’s a version by Eric Clapton you should really see. He knocks it out of the park. ‘Course it’s Clapton, so what’s not to expect.
http://www.vagalume.com.br/eric-clapton/hoochie-coochie-man.html
Excellent choice my man.
great lesson as always, griff is the guy that shows u what others won’t. very dedicated artist, you can learn quite abit from a talent like this. so keep your eyes
and ears on him, your playing will eventually come around and someday as griff
you will have a lot of talent. guitar is forever you never stop learning
and it’s great u have have talent like this that will show
u the way. I have stumbled on his site here and there and very dedicated to u people as artists.
hang in there