Chords for How To Play "Hesitation Blues"

_ [G] _ _ [Cm] _ _ [G] _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ Hi, I'm Will Fly and I'm going to show you how to play a basic fingerstyle version of the Reverend Gary Davis classic
Hesitation Blues _ _
Here's what I'm going to show you. _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ [Cm] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Bb] _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Gm] _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Eb] _
_ [G] _ _ Let's start by [Eb] looking at the chord sequence
The only barred chords in the tune are the F and F9
_ Some chords are not played in their entirety, but by single notes passing through the chord
_ I'm going to play the tune with the capo on the third fret
So let's remind ourselves what the chords look like with the capo on.
Here's A minor
_ E, _ _ _ C7, _ F
_ _ F9 and the little finger or pinky plays the G or ninth note of the chord C and
_ finally G7
I'm going to use fretboard diagrams and live playing to demonstrate the tune and I use the following conventions
The chords are shown as a mixture of blue and red circles
The blue circles indicate notes which are fretted but not picked.
The red circles indicate notes
Which are picked.
The letters T
1 2 & 3
Indicate the thumb and fingers of the picking hand
_ Do note though that the fingering is not set in stone.
Use your own fingering if you find it easier
Let's start with the first four bars slowed down and with fret [Cm] diagrams
_ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
[Gm] _ here are the same bars played live and slow and showing the fretting [Cm] hand and
_ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Db] _
_ _ [Cm] Here are the same four bars played live and slow showing the picking hand
_ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ [C] _
[Gm] _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ [Ab] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _
_ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Eb] _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Cm] _ _
Here are the last four bars bars 9 to 12 as fret diagrams
_ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Abm] _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ [Cm] bars 9 to 12
showing the fretting hand _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ [Bb] _
_ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Abm] _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ Here are bars 9 to 12 [Cm] showing the picking hand _ _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ [Abm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ You'll probably have noticed that the final E chord of the verse leads back into the first A minor of the following verse
For the final verse the tune ends with a B and C7 sequence
[C] Here are the fret diagrams
_ _ _ [Cm] _ _ [C] _ _ [Gm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _
_ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Here are those four bars again showing the fretting hand
[Cm] Here _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ [Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ are two choruses of the tune played normally and showing the ending
[Cm] _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Eb] _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _
_ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ [G] _ _ [Cm] _ _ [G] _ _ [G] _
_ [Cm] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _
_ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Bb] _
[Eb] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Cm] _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ _ _ Well, I hope you enjoyed that if you want to pick up the tab for this go to
www _ _ _ _ .mjra.net
_ Will fly Enjoy
[N] _