Chords for Steely Dan Black Friday Guitar Lesson + Tutorial + TABS

[E] _ _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _ _ [E] _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
[G] _ [F#] _ _ [G] _ _ [D#m] _ [D] _ [A] _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _
[D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [A] _
[B] Hey friend, John McLennan here, and in this video you're going to learn how to play Black
Friday as recorded by Steely Dan on guitar.
This is an incredible song with a great groove.
It starts off with a blues riff that's all based around just an E chord.
That part is relatively simple.
That's most of the song, just playing that riff.
Then it goes to some really cool harmonies, some total curveball chord changes in the B section.
I'm going to break it all down for you, top to bottom.
If you're looking for a song that's going to help you break out of your typical blues
rhythm patterns, this is a great one to work on.
Before we dive into it, I want to hook you up with something right away.
At the first link down below, I've got a free tab sample pack.
These are some exclusive handouts and digital downloads that go along with lessons here
on my YouTube channel.
They're just going to make learning from my videos so much easier.
Check that out as my gift to you.
With that said, let's break this song down.
Let's learn how to play Black Friday as recorded by Steely Dan on guitar.
We've got two sections to cover.
We've got a main riff, which is really just based off an E blues rhythm pattern.
Then we have the chorus section, which goes into some unique harmony.
Let's start off with the main riff.
It's going to sound like [A] this.
[E] _ [D] _ [E] _ _
[D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _ _ [E] _
_ This is based off an E blues rhythm pattern.
You might have seen something like this, _ _ _ which is very common in a blues style.
We're going to break up the riff a little bit and play individual notes.
We're going to start with the low E string.
[B] _
Then we'll play the second fret of the fifth string.
Then walk up four, [E] five, all on the fifth string.
[D] _
_ _ Then we'll play the low E.
[E] _ Then go four, two on the fifth string.
_ [D] _ [E] _
_ _ One and two and three and four and _
We're playing all eighth notes there with a little tie.
[C#] One and [E] two and three and four and [D] _
[E] _ _ _
[C#m] _ [B] [Cm] We've got a little [E] light palm muting going on with
the strum hand here.
[D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [C#m] _ [B] It's loose.
Sometimes some [D] notes might come out.
[E] That note a little bit.
Then I'll mute some more.
It's just sort of improvised with the muting.
[D] _ [E] _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _
[G#m] _ That's what the guitar is doing.
That's one of the guitar parts.
That's sort of the main riff that I would play.
The piano has some really interesting harmony going on.
The keyboard is playing [E] this [C#] sort of a triplet kind of thing in the left hand of the piano.
[F#] Then [Em] _ _ [E] over that [F#] E, [G] _ _
you've got [F#] an F sharp [G] triad to a G triad.
That's part of the blues sound.
It's sort of like doing [E] like [A] [E] _
_ [A] _ [E] But with [F#] _ [D] _
[A] _
Instead of [D] _ [C#] _ [D] _
That's a really [E] cool sound.
You can add a little bit of that in.
You could [A#m] go [G] [A] _
[Em] _ [G] _ [A] _ [G#m] _ [C#] That's just using six. _
[D] _ Then I go [C#m] back [A] to that [E] A shape and then an [A] E.
It's like an A [G] over C [E] sharp and then an E seven.
That would go [C#] _ [D] [A] _
[G] [G#m] You could [A] also just play the A [G#m] over C sharp to the [E] E seven like this.
[D] _ [A] _ [E] _
That's just kind of a cool thing to add in because you're playing this. _
[D] _ [E] _ Start out [E] _
Do like 16 bars of that.
It'd be 16 times.
Part way through you can _ [A] _
[E] _ _ [D] _ [E] _ [D] _ [A] _ [E] _
[D] _ [E] _ Just add a little bit more rhythm to that to spice it up.
Moving on, we're going to go into the chorus.
We come out of this E blues riff into an A chord.
It's going to sound like this.
[D] _ [A] _
_ [G] _ _ [F#] _ _ [G] _ _ [D#m] _
[D] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _
We have that little riff there to come out of the chorus.
We're starting on that E riff.
[C#m] One and two [E] and three [C#m] and four.
[B] Instead of going [A] to the second fret on the and of four, we're going to leave off that
last note and go to an A chord.
I do that just with one [E] finger.
[D] One and two and [C#m] three and [A] four.
_ _ _ These chords are syncopated.
Three and four and [G] one and two and three and [F#] four and [G] one and two and [F#] three and four and
[D] one and two and [A] three and four.
They're all on the ands.
And of four, we're going to this A chord. _
One, [G] two.
_ Then I go to an E minor with a G in the bass.
I'm playing just triads here or three note chords.
This sounds great with the recording.
_ _ I'm playing the third fret of the low E to the second fret on [E] the fourth string [Em] and then
the fourth fret on the third string.
_ _ Then down to an F [F#] sharp seven.
_ _ _ Second fret, second fret, third fret.
Second fret [E] on the low E, second fret on the fourth string, third fret on the [F#] third string.
_ Back up [C#] to the E [Em] minor over G.
_ _ Then another little three note voicing here.
This is [C] E flat [D#m] minor seven.
_ _ [D#] This is [D#m] six, four, six. _
Starting on the fifth string.
[D#] Then drop [D] this low note _ down to D major seven.
And then finish [A] with an A triad _ with a B in the bass.
Now you can play it like this.
That's easier, but I use the thumb.
_ _ [E] So one and [Dm] two and [C#m] three and [A] four.
[G] Two and three and [F#] four.
[Em] Two and three [D#m] and four.
[D] Two and [A] three and four.
[B] We do this little lick.
[C#] _ [E] _ _ _ _ [B] It's kind of a jazzy blues lick, right?
Starts off on the fourth fret of the third string.
Then do this little [C#] hammer pull off, [D] _ [Bm] _ _
little [A#m] slur [Bm] there.
[C#] [D] That's six, seven, [B] six, four.
[E] And then the note E there on the fifth fret of the second [G] string.
Then down to this blues phrase.
[E] _
_ [G] That's _ a little blues bend on the fifth fret of the fourth string.
_ [E] And then finish with the E note there, seventh fret of the fifth [C#] string.
_ [Em] _ [E] _
_ _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [A#]
[Am] Right back [E] into that main riff.
So here's the whole chorus played as one piece.
A one, two, three, four.
_ [D] _ [A] _ _
[Em] _ _ [F#] _ _ [G] _ [D#m] _ _ [D] _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ [D] _ [E] _
_ [D] _ [E] _ _ _ Congrats on making it through this classic Steely Dan lesson.
Remember that it starts off with that blues figure,
and then these other chords really show sort of a emphasis
or an influence of jazz harmony.
So if these chord shapes are new for you,
be sure to give your hands some time to get used to that muscle memory of those chords.
But take it slow and just be patient with yourself.
Learning this sort of advanced style of guitar playing takes time.
And to help you along your way,
be sure to download my free tab sample pack at the first link down below.
And this is going to make learning from my YouTube lessons so much easier.
So you can get those tabs at the link down below
or just go to johnmcclennon.com slash tabs.
Also, let me know your number one song that you would like to see me teach here next on the channel.
Just comment it down below.
Thanks for your support with the videos, and until next time.
_ [D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [E] _ _ [D] _ [A] _
_ [G] _ _ [F#] _ _ [G] _ [F#] _ _
[D] _ [A] _ [E] _ _ _ _ [D] _ [E] _
_ [D] _ [E] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _