Chords for "Albert Collins' Guitar Style: A Demonstration" Matt Schofield on BRI TV April 21, 2018
Tempo:
117.1 bpm
Chords used:
C
Eb
B
G
Ab
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[C] [Eb] What is it that sets Albert Collins apart from [N] other players?
I mean really, I don't think there's any more distinctive blues guitarist than Albert Collins.
You know, like his style is so singular to me.
You know, right from how he tunes his guitar, uses the capo or the capo up high on the neck,
which maybe I should dig out and see if I can do, but it's the tuning as well.
I mean, the fact that he played the Telecaster, which pretty much no one else did at that point.
You know, maybe Gatemouth Brown and Guitar Slim, I think both used Esquires at some point.
What is it about the Telecaster?
Is there anything about the dynamics of the [B] Telecaster that added to his sound?
Yeah, it's just that very forward, punchy sound.
I mean, I brought this.
I don't have a Tele over here in the US, but this is my closest Strat style to a Tele,
so I brought this because it doesn't have the trim, this one.
And yeah, I have a flat pole bridge pickup.
That's rather nerdy, but it does give a bit more Tele.
Character is very forward sound, very punchy, very quick and snappy on that bridge pickup.
That's what I guys use for country as well, you know, so you've got that bright, pointed, but quite fat sound at the same time.
So it's sort of bright and fat, you know, and that was Albert's tone.
Everybody talks about how cutting his tone was, but there's a lot of body in it as well, and a lot of it's very punchy and direct.
[G] So it's all, you know, you're getting [B] that snap out of it.
So, yeah, all those factors, his choice of the guitar and his tuning.
So Albert used to tune to F minor, an F minor [B] chord.
So if you were to do this on Albert's [Fm] guitar, it would have sounded like that, which [Ab] is, I don't know anybody else that ever tuned to that.
Not to mention that, so that's tuning all the strings up a semitone.
So you're putting even more tension and snappiness into the sound.
And then he'd get the capo and, you know, rarely do you see him with a capo any lower than the [F] third fret.
So, you know, not often he's got it up here, you know, up there.
So it makes for a really, really tight [C] sound.
So I'm going for the bridge pickup on the guitar as well, just because
Oh, and I didn't say he used his fingers completely, so he had the totally unique picking style as well, which was
[Cm]
So imagine I've got the capo there, I'm not going to do it because I've kind of learned to approximate his [B] style without the capo.
But, you know, he's slapping at the string and [Cm] [E] [F]
[G]
it's these [A] snappy lines, you know.
[C]
[Ab]
[Eb] [Gm]
[C] [Em]
[Eb] [C]
[Dm] [Eb]
[C] [E] [Eb]
[Am] [C]
That's my best Albert impression, you know, so it filtered through me a little bit there.
But it's all about the attack, [N] these notes and these crazy, [Bb] you [C]
know, you run all the way up the neck.
And just really grabbing at the guitar and it's really physical style as well.
So it's raw, physical, but quite sophisticated in its
As we've talked about with B.B. and Albert King, there's a sort of sophistication in the simplicity.
It's hard to do because it's so refined down to just an essence of what is Albert Collins.
[N]
I mean really, I don't think there's any more distinctive blues guitarist than Albert Collins.
You know, like his style is so singular to me.
You know, right from how he tunes his guitar, uses the capo or the capo up high on the neck,
which maybe I should dig out and see if I can do, but it's the tuning as well.
I mean, the fact that he played the Telecaster, which pretty much no one else did at that point.
You know, maybe Gatemouth Brown and Guitar Slim, I think both used Esquires at some point.
What is it about the Telecaster?
Is there anything about the dynamics of the [B] Telecaster that added to his sound?
Yeah, it's just that very forward, punchy sound.
I mean, I brought this.
I don't have a Tele over here in the US, but this is my closest Strat style to a Tele,
so I brought this because it doesn't have the trim, this one.
And yeah, I have a flat pole bridge pickup.
That's rather nerdy, but it does give a bit more Tele.
Character is very forward sound, very punchy, very quick and snappy on that bridge pickup.
That's what I guys use for country as well, you know, so you've got that bright, pointed, but quite fat sound at the same time.
So it's sort of bright and fat, you know, and that was Albert's tone.
Everybody talks about how cutting his tone was, but there's a lot of body in it as well, and a lot of it's very punchy and direct.
[G] So it's all, you know, you're getting [B] that snap out of it.
So, yeah, all those factors, his choice of the guitar and his tuning.
So Albert used to tune to F minor, an F minor [B] chord.
So if you were to do this on Albert's [Fm] guitar, it would have sounded like that, which [Ab] is, I don't know anybody else that ever tuned to that.
Not to mention that, so that's tuning all the strings up a semitone.
So you're putting even more tension and snappiness into the sound.
And then he'd get the capo and, you know, rarely do you see him with a capo any lower than the [F] third fret.
So, you know, not often he's got it up here, you know, up there.
So it makes for a really, really tight [C] sound.
So I'm going for the bridge pickup on the guitar as well, just because
Oh, and I didn't say he used his fingers completely, so he had the totally unique picking style as well, which was
[Cm]
So imagine I've got the capo there, I'm not going to do it because I've kind of learned to approximate his [B] style without the capo.
But, you know, he's slapping at the string and [Cm] [E] [F]
[G]
it's these [A] snappy lines, you know.
[C]
[Ab]
[Eb] [Gm]
[C] [Em]
[Eb] [C]
[Dm] [Eb]
[C] [E] [Eb]
[Am] [C]
That's my best Albert impression, you know, so it filtered through me a little bit there.
But it's all about the attack, [N] these notes and these crazy, [Bb] you [C]
know, you run all the way up the neck.
And just really grabbing at the guitar and it's really physical style as well.
So it's raw, physical, but quite sophisticated in its
As we've talked about with B.B. and Albert King, there's a sort of sophistication in the simplicity.
It's hard to do because it's so refined down to just an essence of what is Albert Collins.
[N]
Key:
C
Eb
B
G
Ab
C
Eb
B
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [Eb] What is it that sets Albert Collins apart from [N] other players?
I mean really, I don't think there's any more distinctive blues guitarist than Albert Collins.
You know, like his style is so singular to me.
You know, right from how he tunes his guitar, _ uses the capo or the capo up high on the neck, _
_ which maybe I should dig out and see if I can do, but it's the tuning as well.
I mean, the fact that he played the Telecaster, which pretty much no one else did at that point.
You know, maybe _ Gatemouth Brown and Guitar Slim, I think both used Esquires at some point.
What is it about the Telecaster?
Is there anything about the dynamics of the [B] Telecaster that added to his sound?
Yeah, it's just that very forward, _ punchy sound.
I mean, I brought this.
I don't have a Tele over here in the US, but this is my closest _ Strat style to a Tele,
so I brought this because it doesn't have the trim, this one. _ _
And yeah, I have a flat pole bridge pickup.
That's rather nerdy, but it does give a bit more Tele.
Character is very forward sound, very punchy, very quick and snappy on that bridge pickup.
That's what I guys use for country as well, you know, so you've got that bright, _ _ pointed, but quite fat sound at the same time.
So it's sort of bright and fat, you know, and that was Albert's tone.
Everybody talks about how cutting his tone was, but there's a lot of body in it as well, and a lot of it's very punchy and direct.
[G] So it's all, you know, you're getting [B] that snap out of it. _
_ So, yeah, all those factors, his choice of the guitar and his tuning.
So Albert used to tune to _ F _ minor, an F minor [B] chord.
So if you were to do this on Albert's [Fm] guitar, _ it would have sounded like that, which [Ab] is, I don't know anybody else that ever tuned to that.
Not to mention that, so that's tuning all the strings up a semitone.
So you're putting even more tension and snappiness into the sound.
And then he'd get the capo and, you know, rarely do you see him with a capo any lower than the [F] _ _ third fret.
So, you know, not often he's got it up here, you know, _ up there.
So it makes for a really, _ _ really tight [C] sound. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ So I'm going for the bridge pickup on the guitar as well, just because_ _ _ _
Oh, and I didn't say he used his fingers completely, so he had the totally unique picking style as well, which was_
_ [Cm] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ So imagine I've got the capo there, I'm not going to do it because I've kind of learned to approximate his [B] style without the capo.
But, _ _ you know, he's slapping at the string and [Cm] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
it's these [A] snappy lines, you know.
_ _ [C] _
_ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ That's my best Albert impression, you know, so it filtered through me a little bit there.
But it's all about the attack, _ [N] _ these notes and these crazy, _ [Bb] _ you _ _ [C] _
know, you run all the way up the neck.
And _ just really grabbing at the guitar and it's really physical style as well.
So _ _ _ it's _ raw, physical, but quite _ sophisticated in its_
As we've talked about with B.B. and Albert King, _ _ there's a sort of _ _ sophistication in the simplicity.
It's hard to do because it's so refined down to just an essence of what is Albert Collins. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [Eb] What is it that sets Albert Collins apart from [N] other players?
I mean really, I don't think there's any more distinctive blues guitarist than Albert Collins.
You know, like his style is so singular to me.
You know, right from how he tunes his guitar, _ uses the capo or the capo up high on the neck, _
_ which maybe I should dig out and see if I can do, but it's the tuning as well.
I mean, the fact that he played the Telecaster, which pretty much no one else did at that point.
You know, maybe _ Gatemouth Brown and Guitar Slim, I think both used Esquires at some point.
What is it about the Telecaster?
Is there anything about the dynamics of the [B] Telecaster that added to his sound?
Yeah, it's just that very forward, _ punchy sound.
I mean, I brought this.
I don't have a Tele over here in the US, but this is my closest _ Strat style to a Tele,
so I brought this because it doesn't have the trim, this one. _ _
And yeah, I have a flat pole bridge pickup.
That's rather nerdy, but it does give a bit more Tele.
Character is very forward sound, very punchy, very quick and snappy on that bridge pickup.
That's what I guys use for country as well, you know, so you've got that bright, _ _ pointed, but quite fat sound at the same time.
So it's sort of bright and fat, you know, and that was Albert's tone.
Everybody talks about how cutting his tone was, but there's a lot of body in it as well, and a lot of it's very punchy and direct.
[G] So it's all, you know, you're getting [B] that snap out of it. _
_ So, yeah, all those factors, his choice of the guitar and his tuning.
So Albert used to tune to _ F _ minor, an F minor [B] chord.
So if you were to do this on Albert's [Fm] guitar, _ it would have sounded like that, which [Ab] is, I don't know anybody else that ever tuned to that.
Not to mention that, so that's tuning all the strings up a semitone.
So you're putting even more tension and snappiness into the sound.
And then he'd get the capo and, you know, rarely do you see him with a capo any lower than the [F] _ _ third fret.
So, you know, not often he's got it up here, you know, _ up there.
So it makes for a really, _ _ really tight [C] sound. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ So I'm going for the bridge pickup on the guitar as well, just because_ _ _ _
Oh, and I didn't say he used his fingers completely, so he had the totally unique picking style as well, which was_
_ [Cm] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ So imagine I've got the capo there, I'm not going to do it because I've kind of learned to approximate his [B] style without the capo.
But, _ _ you know, he's slapping at the string and [Cm] _ _ _ [E] _ _ [F] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
it's these [A] snappy lines, you know.
_ _ [C] _
_ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ [C] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ That's my best Albert impression, you know, so it filtered through me a little bit there.
But it's all about the attack, _ [N] _ these notes and these crazy, _ [Bb] _ you _ _ [C] _
know, you run all the way up the neck.
And _ just really grabbing at the guitar and it's really physical style as well.
So _ _ _ it's _ raw, physical, but quite _ sophisticated in its_
As we've talked about with B.B. and Albert King, _ _ there's a sort of _ _ sophistication in the simplicity.
It's hard to do because it's so refined down to just an essence of what is Albert Collins. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _