Chords for SING A SIMPLE SONG by Sly & The Family Stone (Guitar Tutorial)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Okay, this is Sly and the Family of Stones, _ Single Simple Song. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ [Gb] _ _ _ [Em] _ _ [B] _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ [G] _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ Okay, this main riff is _ _ _ _ essentially three sections.
First section, [E] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ this thing, _ [F] the most important thing [Ab] I think is the picking technique.
_ _ [E] _ [D] All my down strokes _
[G] go _ into the next string.
Essentially, they're rest strokes.
All my down strokes are rest strokes.
[Gb] _ Where I'm going through a string such as this A string, playing the E over here on the [E] A string.
[G] So my pick goes through the A [E] string and [F] goes up against the D string.
_ [C] _
Basically, I throw it right up against the [Gb] D string. _
_ [F] All my down strokes do that.
My up strokes just cut back [E] out.
_ Like that. _
Okay.
_ _ _ _ _ [G] It's a lot spankier, [Bb] _ _ fatter sounding to me.
_ _ [Db] _ _ [G] _ Definitely, it's quicker too.
_ _ I really rarely pick out like [Em] this.
_ [G] _ _
[C] It just doesn't sound as [E] good for this kind of stuff to [G] pick out like that.
So go in with your rest strokes like that.
Same thing on the power chords which are G [E] _ _
and A.
[G] G power chord, A power chord, rooted from the E string.
I'm going through the two strings, the E and the A, up against the D string again here.
Okay.
_ [D] _ _
_ [G] Isolating [B] _ _ [A] the chords, right?
[G] _ That's another thing about rest strokes.
They help isolate things, [Ab] keep things clean.
_ _ [G] _ _
[E] So [C] it's the same thing for the power chord [Am] as well as this line [C] that begins the [E] whole thing.
_ _ [D] _ _ [E] _ _ _
Okay.
[Ab] _ Third part is [Gb] the E dominant 9th chord. _ _ _ _
_ When you do this chord, bring [N] your thumb over.
It will help keep this area up here barred.
That's really important to this chord.
The most important notes of this chord are the top three _ _ notes, right?
_ On the top three strings.
[Ab] _ _
_ When I play through _ the chord, I'm pretty much centering _ my stroke right around where _ the E and the B string are.
Right about here.
I'm staying away from these guys.
Completely staying away from them. _ _ _ _
[Ab] It's brighter.
I want [G] a brighter sound.
[Gb] I want a sound that's going to cut [Ab] through an 11-piece funk band.
You know? _ _ _ _ _ _
So, when I do this, _ _ _ I'm going to [F] make sure the _ _ speed of my stroke is pretty quick as well.
[Bm] Okay?
When you go through this stuff, _ [Cm] the stroke should be pretty much the same rate [N] _ _
_ regardless what tempo you're playing it.
Like if you're playing a funk rhythm at a very slow tempo _ like this. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Bm] _ _ _ _ Right?
_ [E] _ _ _ Those strokes are the same _ speed or at [Ab] the same rate as if [Db] I was playing at a faster tempo. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ So, regardless what tempo I'm playing at, _ _ the velocity of my stroke is the same.
Okay?
The rate at which I'm cutting through the strings is exactly the same. Okay?
So, that's kind of important to playing funk as well.
_ _ [E] _ _
Being able to mute out your [D] chord effectively and cleanly so [Ab] all you hear is nothing but scratch in between.
By the [F] way, the scratch should only be up on [G] the E and the B strings.
Right?
Don't go through all [E] your strings when you do scratches for funk.
Right?
_ [G] That's like too much.
Right?
It's too much of a good [Bm] thing.
_ _ Keep things light.
Right?
_ And keep [Ab] things so that you cut. Right?
It's going to be a very important thing playing funk in a big band.
Right?
Is to be able to cut through all that stuff.
[G] Right?
So, anyway, here's the whole thing all over again.
Okay?
Right.
_ [Db] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _