Chords for How To Play Eric Clapton Key To The Highway Acoustic (intro only)
Tempo:
111.75 bpm
Chords used:
Eb
E
A
F
G
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Jam Along & Learn...
[Eb] In part one of Key to the Highway we're taking a look at the introductory sequence and then verses one and two.
bar blues.
common.
for an 8 bar blues.
bars 1 and 2 of your tab with a [Eb] turnaround.
bars 1 and 2.
That's our turnaround that takes us into the first [Eb] chord of the 8 bar sequence.
A7 [Bbm] chord, effectively, is what it [Eb] is.
bar blues.
common.
for an 8 bar blues.
bars 1 and 2 of your tab with a [Eb] turnaround.
bars 1 and 2.
That's our turnaround that takes us into the first [Eb] chord of the 8 bar sequence.
A7 [Bbm] chord, effectively, is what it [Eb] is.
100% ➙ 112BPM
Eb
E
A
F
G
Eb
E
A
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] In part one of Key to the Highway we're taking a look at the introductory sequence and then verses one and two.
They all follow the same chord progression.
This song is an 8 bar blues.
Less common than 12 bar [A] structures [Eb] but still pretty common.
And the chord sequence that you see [B] in this song is absolutely standard for an 8 bar blues.
It starts, as so many blues do, bars 1 and 2 of your tab with a [Eb] turnaround.
Let's look at bar_
well, let's play bars 1 and 2.
[A] _ _ [Gbm] _ [F] _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ That's our turnaround that takes us into the first [Eb] chord of the 8 bar sequence.
We want this _ A7 [Bbm] chord, effectively, is what it [Eb] is.
It's the first and second strings of the fifth fret and the fourth string of the fifth fret. _
Don't worry about the count right now, we'll come [C] back to that.
But you want 4, 2 and 1, followed by 2 and 1. _ _
_ Then your index finger to the [G] fourth string, fourth fret, and play the same sequence with the right [A] hand. _ _ _
And now, letting the thumb drop and the left hand open up, [G] have this index finger come down to the [Eb] third fret.
Still the same pattern.
Actually, no, this is a triplet, so we want 4, 2 [F] and 1 and 2 and 1 [Am] twice more.
_ _ [Eb] And the rhythm of that first bar, it's as if there is no first beat.
So we're counting from the 2 beat.
[Am] [A] 2 and 3 and 4 and a_
_ _ [Dm] [Eb] Now come down to this end of the net.
We want an E chord.
Now, I tend to make a full E chord here, but you only need the fourth string [G] [Eb] and the third string at the [Gm] first fret.
You don't need the fifth string.
So if you want to, just make that two-finger chord if you prefer.
We want 4, 2 [E] and 1.
_ Third string.
_ Open first.
Now your little finger drops in on the second string, [Eb] third fret, to turn that chord into E7.
[D] Play that note.
First [E] string.
_ And then a block chord [Eb] from this chord shape.
So 6, 3, 2 and [E] 1.
3, 2 and 1.
And 6, 1.
Finishes that bar.
_ [Eb] The rhythm of that's a little more complicated.
[E] 1 and 2 and a 3 and 4 and_
[Em] It's not really so complicated.
The second beat is a triplet.
Here's that turnaround [Eb] again.
_ 1 [C] and 2 [Gbm] and 3 [F] and 4 [E] and a_
1 and 2 and a 3 and 4_ _
_ _ Now the 8 bar [F] cycle begins.
We want an A7 chord, but we're going to play it up at the neck at the 9th fret.
_ Notice that it's a D7 shape.
You brought the D7 chord up the neck until these two fingers reach the 9th fret.
That [Gb] creates the chord of A7.
And your bass note there is [N] the 5th string, the open A note.
We're going to play this at bar [A] 1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It's simply out of this chord shape, mostly [Eb] in triplets.
5, 3, 2 and [A] 1.
And then 3, 2 and 1 twice more. _
That's your triplet.
1 and a.
Do that twice more.
1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a_
Then do it once more, pinching 5, 3, 2 and 1.
And then the 5th string open.
This is teaching it the way Eric Clapton's doing it.
[Eb] There would be other ways you could accomplish the same thing.
[A] 1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a, 4 and_
_ Now this E7 [F] chord.
Make a half bar at the 9th fret, top 3 strings.
And with [Eb] either your middle or ring finger, [E] drop in on the 10th fret of the 1st string.
We're going to start with the 6th string open.
Let me play this bar first.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So we want the 6th string, top 3 strings.
_ Then pinch 6 on the top 3 strings.
And the top 3 strings twice more.
_ _ _ [Abm] Now add the little finger at the 12th [F] fret of the 1st string.
And [E] pinch 6, 3, 2 and 1.
_ And then I tend to play 3, 2 and 1 again here.
You could just play the 1st string, which is what the tab says.
And then 6, 3, 2 and 1, 6. _
_ Those are the notes.
Now let's check out the rhythm.
1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a, 4 and a.
_ The key to that is the triplets, [Em] beats 2 and 4.
_ _ _ [Eb] Now we want to come right down the other end of the neck.
[E] So that last open 6th string is buying you just the time you need
to [Eb] get into a D7 shape.
Plus, if you want to play it just like Clapton,
hook that thumb over on the 6th string, 2nd fret.
Very important to the sound of this [Fm] song.
If you really can't do it, you're going to [D] have to play the 4th string of the bass note here.
[Eb] But he uses this note and some [Dm] little mini [F]-runs of this note.
So you'll see what I mean
_ [Eb] In part one of Key to the Highway we're taking a look at the introductory sequence and then verses one and two.
They all follow the same chord progression.
This song is an 8 bar blues.
Less common than 12 bar [A] structures [Eb] but still pretty common.
And the chord sequence that you see [B] in this song is absolutely standard for an 8 bar blues.
It starts, as so many blues do, bars 1 and 2 of your tab with a [Eb] turnaround.
Let's look at bar_
well, let's play bars 1 and 2.
[A] _ _ [Gbm] _ [F] _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ That's our turnaround that takes us into the first [Eb] chord of the 8 bar sequence.
We want this _ A7 [Bbm] chord, effectively, is what it [Eb] is.
It's the first and second strings of the fifth fret and the fourth string of the fifth fret. _
Don't worry about the count right now, we'll come [C] back to that.
But you want 4, 2 and 1, followed by 2 and 1. _ _
_ Then your index finger to the [G] fourth string, fourth fret, and play the same sequence with the right [A] hand. _ _ _
And now, letting the thumb drop and the left hand open up, [G] have this index finger come down to the [Eb] third fret.
Still the same pattern.
Actually, no, this is a triplet, so we want 4, 2 [F] and 1 and 2 and 1 [Am] twice more.
_ _ [Eb] And the rhythm of that first bar, it's as if there is no first beat.
So we're counting from the 2 beat.
[Am] [A] 2 and 3 and 4 and a_
_ _ [Dm] [Eb] Now come down to this end of the net.
We want an E chord.
Now, I tend to make a full E chord here, but you only need the fourth string [G] [Eb] and the third string at the [Gm] first fret.
You don't need the fifth string.
So if you want to, just make that two-finger chord if you prefer.
We want 4, 2 [E] and 1.
_ Third string.
_ Open first.
Now your little finger drops in on the second string, [Eb] third fret, to turn that chord into E7.
[D] Play that note.
First [E] string.
_ And then a block chord [Eb] from this chord shape.
So 6, 3, 2 and [E] 1.
3, 2 and 1.
And 6, 1.
Finishes that bar.
_ [Eb] The rhythm of that's a little more complicated.
[E] 1 and 2 and a 3 and 4 and_
[Em] It's not really so complicated.
The second beat is a triplet.
Here's that turnaround [Eb] again.
_ 1 [C] and 2 [Gbm] and 3 [F] and 4 [E] and a_
1 and 2 and a 3 and 4_ _
_ _ Now the 8 bar [F] cycle begins.
We want an A7 chord, but we're going to play it up at the neck at the 9th fret.
_ Notice that it's a D7 shape.
You brought the D7 chord up the neck until these two fingers reach the 9th fret.
That [Gb] creates the chord of A7.
And your bass note there is [N] the 5th string, the open A note.
We're going to play this at bar [A] 1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It's simply out of this chord shape, mostly [Eb] in triplets.
5, 3, 2 and [A] 1.
And then 3, 2 and 1 twice more. _
That's your triplet.
1 and a.
Do that twice more.
1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a_
Then do it once more, pinching 5, 3, 2 and 1.
And then the 5th string open.
This is teaching it the way Eric Clapton's doing it.
[Eb] There would be other ways you could accomplish the same thing.
[A] 1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a, 4 and_
_ Now this E7 [F] chord.
Make a half bar at the 9th fret, top 3 strings.
And with [Eb] either your middle or ring finger, [E] drop in on the 10th fret of the 1st string.
We're going to start with the 6th string open.
Let me play this bar first.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So we want the 6th string, top 3 strings.
_ Then pinch 6 on the top 3 strings.
And the top 3 strings twice more.
_ _ _ [Abm] Now add the little finger at the 12th [F] fret of the 1st string.
And [E] pinch 6, 3, 2 and 1.
_ And then I tend to play 3, 2 and 1 again here.
You could just play the 1st string, which is what the tab says.
And then 6, 3, 2 and 1, 6. _
_ Those are the notes.
Now let's check out the rhythm.
1 and a, 2 and a, 3 and a, 4 and a.
_ The key to that is the triplets, [Em] beats 2 and 4.
_ _ _ [Eb] Now we want to come right down the other end of the neck.
[E] So that last open 6th string is buying you just the time you need
to [Eb] get into a D7 shape.
Plus, if you want to play it just like Clapton,
hook that thumb over on the 6th string, 2nd fret.
Very important to the sound of this [Fm] song.
If you really can't do it, you're going to [D] have to play the 4th string of the bass note here.
[Eb] But he uses this note and some [Dm] little mini [F]-runs of this note.
So you'll see what I mean
