Chords for Robert Johnson Lesson: Last Fair Deal Gone Down
Tempo:
114.6 bpm
Chords used:
A
D
G
F
E
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
This lesson will be on how to play Robert Johnson's song called Last Fair Deal Gone Down.
And to get this song you'll have to get your guitar tuned to open G, Spanish style.
So that'll be a low D string.
[Gm] A G.
[D]
[G]
[Gb] [Fm] [D]
[F] And then with the capo just [A] capo the second fret.
[N] The song starts out with a slide into, with the capo, what is the 12th fret, with the top two strings.
So that'll be four slides into that.
And then you play the strings G and B, the fourth and fifth [Gbm] strings.
[Abm]
[A] [G] And then on the fourth string, where there's the G, [Dm] slide down.
[N]
And then right underneath the third fret.
[F] And then you can [G] slide into that [Gb] third fret twice.
[A]
So again, [Bb] all together that's
[Ab]
[Abm] [A] [F] And just like crossroads, it's really important to get that slide down and then that slide [C] up.
[N] So make sure you try and [G] work to get that sound of the slide.
[A]
[D] And then he [A] plays [E] a
So [F] that'll be the second string and the third string [E] open.
[Gm] And then a slide [F]
into the fourth [E] fret.
And then that third string open.
[D] Then he plays his typical turnaround where on the third [F] string he'll be descending [G] chromatically downwards
[Gb] [F]
[E] [C] with an open fourth string [A] right above.
[G] [F] [A]
And then [E] he does the same slide.
[C] So the intro all [Ab] together is
[Am]
[D] [Gbm]
[E]
And really throughout the song, [F] Robert Johnson plays the same sort of [A] thing,
which is [G] a Texas style sort of bass, [E] monotonous that is,
[Ab] on the second [A] and third strings.
Getting them both with this style.
And this is a little bit different from [D] just playing one string.
So try [Am] and get an even sound across both strings.
[F] And then he plays a sort [A] of
[D] Where he slides into the twelfth fret [Ab] on the fifth string.
[D] And then hits [Eb] the top two [Ab] strings together.
And to get the [E] actual sound of it, if you want [Gb] to get into details,
get that first sort [C] of attack note really short and brief.
And [Dbm] then hit the double string.
[Fm]
And [B] that'll give it a sort of bite that it wouldn't otherwise have.
So really he just scatters this all over the place on all the beats.
So [G] when we actually play it right now, it's just an example of what he might [A] play.
[Ab] So in that sense, [A] we're playing
[N] With that slide starting at the tenth.
[B] And then the twelfth frets.
And he'll actually sometimes come down [G] after he does one of those slides and play this.
[Gbm] [A] [D] So that'll be first finger on the [Ab] second fret of the third [A] string.
[C] Of course, playing the second and third strings [A] together.
[G] And another way you can get an even more authentic sound is to get the [A] upstrokes in there too.
[D] And you'll really have to work at getting that slide up here
and also coming way back down to play that bass line.
And then going way back up without getting too many beats [Eb] lost
or too many extraneous sounds being played.
So you can work at that.
The other thing [G] he plays when he actually deviates from this theme
is he'll play the top two strings at the third fret.
And you can borrow this with, for example, your third finger.
And [A]
[E] [D] so you'll want to get a really extra staccato sound here.
And snap the strings with your index and [Em] middle fingers.
[D] And then with your thumb, you'll want to have a [G] really bouncy [A] bass line.
[F] And [C] notice how we're still adding in [Db] that little embellishment on [A] the bass line.
[E]
[A] [Fm] So after Robert Johnson [E] plays [A] that theme,
he'll play a turnaround that is a bit different than what he plays in the intro.
So this will involve the third and fourth strings [D] playing that same sort of
[A] [Bb] But this time we're going to be adding the octave on the first string, the bottom string.
So then what you'll be playing is
[Gbm] [A]
[C] That's really the general sound.
[A]
And so, of [D] course, you'll be playing the top two strings first and then the bass.
And so this is how he [G] actually plays it.
[A] [E]
[D] He'll always kind of change it up a bit.
But in general, if he does [Db] offset the bass and the mid-range strings,
he'll play the mid-range strings first.
So, for example
And to get this song you'll have to get your guitar tuned to open G, Spanish style.
So that'll be a low D string.
[Gm] A G.
[D]
[G]
[Gb] [Fm] [D]
[F] And then with the capo just [A] capo the second fret.
[N] The song starts out with a slide into, with the capo, what is the 12th fret, with the top two strings.
So that'll be four slides into that.
And then you play the strings G and B, the fourth and fifth [Gbm] strings.
[Abm]
[A] [G] And then on the fourth string, where there's the G, [Dm] slide down.
[N]
And then right underneath the third fret.
[F] And then you can [G] slide into that [Gb] third fret twice.
[A]
So again, [Bb] all together that's
[Ab]
[Abm] [A] [F] And just like crossroads, it's really important to get that slide down and then that slide [C] up.
[N] So make sure you try and [G] work to get that sound of the slide.
[A]
[D] And then he [A] plays [E] a
So [F] that'll be the second string and the third string [E] open.
[Gm] And then a slide [F]
into the fourth [E] fret.
And then that third string open.
[D] Then he plays his typical turnaround where on the third [F] string he'll be descending [G] chromatically downwards
[Gb] [F]
[E] [C] with an open fourth string [A] right above.
[G] [F] [A]
And then [E] he does the same slide.
[C] So the intro all [Ab] together is
[Am]
[D] [Gbm]
[E]
And really throughout the song, [F] Robert Johnson plays the same sort of [A] thing,
which is [G] a Texas style sort of bass, [E] monotonous that is,
[Ab] on the second [A] and third strings.
Getting them both with this style.
And this is a little bit different from [D] just playing one string.
So try [Am] and get an even sound across both strings.
[F] And then he plays a sort [A] of
[D] Where he slides into the twelfth fret [Ab] on the fifth string.
[D] And then hits [Eb] the top two [Ab] strings together.
And to get the [E] actual sound of it, if you want [Gb] to get into details,
get that first sort [C] of attack note really short and brief.
And [Dbm] then hit the double string.
[Fm]
And [B] that'll give it a sort of bite that it wouldn't otherwise have.
So really he just scatters this all over the place on all the beats.
So [G] when we actually play it right now, it's just an example of what he might [A] play.
[Ab] So in that sense, [A] we're playing
[N] With that slide starting at the tenth.
[B] And then the twelfth frets.
And he'll actually sometimes come down [G] after he does one of those slides and play this.
[Gbm] [A] [D] So that'll be first finger on the [Ab] second fret of the third [A] string.
[C] Of course, playing the second and third strings [A] together.
[G] And another way you can get an even more authentic sound is to get the [A] upstrokes in there too.
[D] And you'll really have to work at getting that slide up here
and also coming way back down to play that bass line.
And then going way back up without getting too many beats [Eb] lost
or too many extraneous sounds being played.
So you can work at that.
The other thing [G] he plays when he actually deviates from this theme
is he'll play the top two strings at the third fret.
And you can borrow this with, for example, your third finger.
And [A]
[E] [D] so you'll want to get a really extra staccato sound here.
And snap the strings with your index and [Em] middle fingers.
[D] And then with your thumb, you'll want to have a [G] really bouncy [A] bass line.
[F] And [C] notice how we're still adding in [Db] that little embellishment on [A] the bass line.
[E]
[A] [Fm] So after Robert Johnson [E] plays [A] that theme,
he'll play a turnaround that is a bit different than what he plays in the intro.
So this will involve the third and fourth strings [D] playing that same sort of
[A] [Bb] But this time we're going to be adding the octave on the first string, the bottom string.
So then what you'll be playing is
[Gbm] [A]
[C] That's really the general sound.
[A]
And so, of [D] course, you'll be playing the top two strings first and then the bass.
And so this is how he [G] actually plays it.
[A] [E]
[D] He'll always kind of change it up a bit.
But in general, if he does [Db] offset the bass and the mid-range strings,
he'll play the mid-range strings first.
So, for example
Key:
A
D
G
F
E
A
D
G
This lesson will be on how to play Robert Johnson's song called Last Fair Deal Gone Down.
And to get this song you'll have to get your guitar tuned to open G, Spanish style.
So that'll be a low _ D string. _ _ _
[Gm] A G.
_ _ _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ [F] And then with the capo just [A] capo the second fret.
_ [N] The song starts out with a slide into, with the capo, what is the 12th fret, with the top two strings.
So _ _ _ that'll be four slides into that. _ _ _ _
And then you play the strings G and B, the fourth and fifth [Gbm] strings.
_ [Abm] _ _ _
[A] _ _ [G] And then on the fourth string, where there's the G, [Dm] slide down.
_ [N] _ _ _
And then right underneath the third fret.
_ _ _ _ _ [F] _ And then you can [G] slide into that [Gb] third fret twice.
_ _ [A] _ _
So again, [Bb] all together that's_
_ _ [Ab] _ _
[Abm] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ [F] And just like crossroads, it's really important to get that slide down and then that slide [C] up.
_ [N] _ So make sure you try and [G] work to get that sound of the slide.
[A] _ _
_ _ _ [D] And then he [A] plays [E] a_
_ _ So [F] that'll be the second string and the third string [E] open.
_ [Gm] And then a slide [F] _
into _ the fourth [E] fret.
_ And then that third string open. _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] Then he plays his typical turnaround where on the third [F] string he'll be descending [G] chromatically downwards
_ [Gb] _ [F] _
_ [E] _ [C] with an open fourth string [A] right above.
[G] _ _ _ [F] _ _ [A] _
And then [E] he does the same slide.
_ _ _ [C] So the intro all [Ab] together is_
_ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [Gbm] _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
And really throughout the song, [F] Robert Johnson plays the same sort of [A] thing,
which is _ [G] a Texas style sort of bass, _ [E] monotonous that is,
_ [Ab] on the second [A] and third strings.
Getting them both with this style.
_ And this is a little bit different from [D] just playing one string.
So try [Am] and get an even sound across both strings. _ _
_ [F] _ And then he plays a sort [A] of_
_ _ _ _ _ [D] Where he slides into the twelfth fret [Ab] on the fifth string.
_ [D] And then hits [Eb] the top two [Ab] strings together. _ _ _ _
_ And to get the [E] actual sound of it, if you want [Gb] to get into details,
get that first sort [C] of attack note really short and brief.
And [Dbm] then hit the double string. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Fm] _
And [B] that'll give it a sort of bite that it wouldn't otherwise have.
So _ really he just scatters this all over the place on all the beats.
So [G] when we actually play it right now, it's just an example of what he might [A] play. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Ab] So in that sense, [A] we're playing_ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[N] With that slide starting at the tenth.
[B] And then the twelfth frets.
_ And he'll actually sometimes come down [G] after he does one of those slides and play this.
[Gbm] _ _ [A] _ _ [D] So that'll be first finger on the [Ab] second fret of the third [A] string. _ _
[C] Of course, playing the second and third strings [A] together. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] And another way you can get an even more authentic sound is to get the [A] upstrokes in there too.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] And you'll really have to work at getting that slide up here
and also coming way back down to play that bass line.
And then going way back up without getting too many beats [Eb] lost
or too many extraneous sounds being played.
So you can work at that.
The other thing [G] he plays when he actually deviates from this theme
is he'll play the top two strings at the third fret.
And you can borrow this with, for example, your third finger.
And [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ [D] _ so you'll want to get a really _ extra staccato sound here.
And snap the strings with your _ index and [Em] middle fingers. _ _ _ _ _
[D] And then with your thumb, you'll want to have a [G] really bouncy [A] bass line. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] And [C] notice how we're still adding in [Db] that little embellishment on [A] the bass line.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ [Fm] So after Robert Johnson [E] plays [A] that theme, _ _ _ _ _ _
he'll play a turnaround that is a bit different than what he plays in the intro.
So this will involve the third and fourth strings [D] playing that same sort of_
[A] _ _ [Bb] But this time we're going to be adding the octave on the first string, the bottom string.
So then what you'll be playing is_
_ _ [Gbm] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
[C] That's really the general sound.
_ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ And so, of [D] course, you'll be playing the top two strings first and then the bass.
And so this is how he [G] actually plays it.
_ [A] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _
[D] He'll always kind of change it up a bit.
But in general, if he does [Db] offset the bass and the mid-range strings,
he'll play the mid-range strings first.
So, for example_
And to get this song you'll have to get your guitar tuned to open G, Spanish style.
So that'll be a low _ D string. _ _ _
[Gm] A G.
_ _ _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _ [D] _
_ _ _ [F] And then with the capo just [A] capo the second fret.
_ [N] The song starts out with a slide into, with the capo, what is the 12th fret, with the top two strings.
So _ _ _ that'll be four slides into that. _ _ _ _
And then you play the strings G and B, the fourth and fifth [Gbm] strings.
_ [Abm] _ _ _
[A] _ _ [G] And then on the fourth string, where there's the G, [Dm] slide down.
_ [N] _ _ _
And then right underneath the third fret.
_ _ _ _ _ [F] _ And then you can [G] slide into that [Gb] third fret twice.
_ _ [A] _ _
So again, [Bb] all together that's_
_ _ [Ab] _ _
[Abm] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ [F] And just like crossroads, it's really important to get that slide down and then that slide [C] up.
_ [N] _ So make sure you try and [G] work to get that sound of the slide.
[A] _ _
_ _ _ [D] And then he [A] plays [E] a_
_ _ So [F] that'll be the second string and the third string [E] open.
_ [Gm] And then a slide [F] _
into _ the fourth [E] fret.
_ And then that third string open. _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] Then he plays his typical turnaround where on the third [F] string he'll be descending [G] chromatically downwards
_ [Gb] _ [F] _
_ [E] _ [C] with an open fourth string [A] right above.
[G] _ _ _ [F] _ _ [A] _
And then [E] he does the same slide.
_ _ _ [C] So the intro all [Ab] together is_
_ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ [Gbm] _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
And really throughout the song, [F] Robert Johnson plays the same sort of [A] thing,
which is _ [G] a Texas style sort of bass, _ [E] monotonous that is,
_ [Ab] on the second [A] and third strings.
Getting them both with this style.
_ And this is a little bit different from [D] just playing one string.
So try [Am] and get an even sound across both strings. _ _
_ [F] _ And then he plays a sort [A] of_
_ _ _ _ _ [D] Where he slides into the twelfth fret [Ab] on the fifth string.
_ [D] And then hits [Eb] the top two [Ab] strings together. _ _ _ _
_ And to get the [E] actual sound of it, if you want [Gb] to get into details,
get that first sort [C] of attack note really short and brief.
And [Dbm] then hit the double string. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Fm] _
And [B] that'll give it a sort of bite that it wouldn't otherwise have.
So _ really he just scatters this all over the place on all the beats.
So [G] when we actually play it right now, it's just an example of what he might [A] play. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Ab] So in that sense, [A] we're playing_ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[N] With that slide starting at the tenth.
[B] And then the twelfth frets.
_ And he'll actually sometimes come down [G] after he does one of those slides and play this.
[Gbm] _ _ [A] _ _ [D] So that'll be first finger on the [Ab] second fret of the third [A] string. _ _
[C] Of course, playing the second and third strings [A] together. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [G] And another way you can get an even more authentic sound is to get the [A] upstrokes in there too.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] And you'll really have to work at getting that slide up here
and also coming way back down to play that bass line.
And then going way back up without getting too many beats [Eb] lost
or too many extraneous sounds being played.
So you can work at that.
The other thing [G] he plays when he actually deviates from this theme
is he'll play the top two strings at the third fret.
And you can borrow this with, for example, your third finger.
And [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ [D] _ so you'll want to get a really _ extra staccato sound here.
And snap the strings with your _ index and [Em] middle fingers. _ _ _ _ _
[D] And then with your thumb, you'll want to have a [G] really bouncy [A] bass line. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[F] And [C] notice how we're still adding in [Db] that little embellishment on [A] the bass line.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ [Fm] So after Robert Johnson [E] plays [A] that theme, _ _ _ _ _ _
he'll play a turnaround that is a bit different than what he plays in the intro.
So this will involve the third and fourth strings [D] playing that same sort of_
[A] _ _ [Bb] But this time we're going to be adding the octave on the first string, the bottom string.
So then what you'll be playing is_
_ _ [Gbm] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
[C] That's really the general sound.
_ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ And so, of [D] course, you'll be playing the top two strings first and then the bass.
And so this is how he [G] actually plays it.
_ [A] _ _ _ _ [E] _ _
[D] He'll always kind of change it up a bit.
But in general, if he does [Db] offset the bass and the mid-range strings,
he'll play the mid-range strings first.
So, for example_