Chords for These Boots are made for Walking - Easy Guitar Lesson

_ [C] _ _ [Db] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [G] What we're going to look at today is a real classic written by a guy called Lee
Hazelwood who also produced the 1966 recording sung by Nancy Sinatra which
went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
_ _ _ Now on the original it's been
played by a whole band but I've adapted it, I've arranged it for just one guitar.
_ I'm going to play it today on the acoustic guitar but it works just as well
on the electric.
The intro to the song features a descending bass run _ which
we're going to play starting at the 12th fret on the 6th string _ and we basically
play at each fret on the on the 6th string on the bottom E string all the
[E] way down to [Eb] _ _ [D] _ _ _
[Db] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [B] _ _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ [A] _ the 5th fret.
[G] When we get to the 5th fret we only hit that note once
_ and then jump to the 3rd fret which we play with a slight bend.
_ _ Don't overdo it
just lean on the note and then [E] open E _ as we go into the _ [Em] E chord [G] for the main
rhythm.
_ So that's done [E] something like this sort of speed. _ _
[Ebm] _ _ [D] _ _ [C] _ _ _ [Bb] _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ To [Gm] get this rhythm _ just right and running really smoothly it's quite
important to pick this [Em] _ down down up so each group of three notes is a [Dbm] down down
[Em] up _ [G] and try and keep this hand moving while you make the left hand keep up
with it.
So you watch my right hand it's [C] very very regular.
_ [G] _ _ [Em] Haha let's start that again.
_ _ _ [D] _ _
[Db] _ _ [C] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [G] _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ And that will take a bit of [G] practice to get nice and smooth.
_ _ Okay so [C] we come out
of that chromatic run down
_ [B] _ _ _ [E] _
_ into the E chord and basically keep that going as long as you like really sort of
build things up.
_ As soon as the vocals start that's when you're into your 12
bar sequence.
You keep saying you got something for me. _
_ _ _ _ [G] So that's when the
actual 12 bars starts.
_ Now the [G] rhythm of this song has a sort of 16 beat feel _ but
we need to [Em] emphasise the upbeat.
It's a sort of 16 beat rock [B] rhythm really.
I'll just
show you this.
[Gm] To get a 16 beat rhythm if you think of your four down strokes one
[G] two three four and then double them one two three four.
_ [E] Notice I double it by
using up strokes as well as down [Db] and _
_ _ _ _ _ [Gm] _ then quadruple it by just putting twice
as many [G] down ups in.
One E and a two E and a three E and a four E.
That's a 16 beat rhythm.
You need quite a free right [Db] hand.
_ [E] _ _ _ _
[G] We put the chord in on that.
_ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ Now if I'm [N] counting that one E and a two [F] E and a three E and a four E and a it's on the
ands that I'm emphasising it.
One [E] E and a two E and a three E and a four E and a one E and a two E and a three E and a four E.
You keep saying you got something for me.
_ _ _ _ [C] That's the basis of that rhythm.
It's a bit faster than that in the actual song but you may need to drill it slow to begin with.
Now looking at the [Db] actual chord sequence the [C] first four bars are [Dm] exactly what you'd expect from a basic [Ab] 12 bar.
_ [Eb] Just four bars of E.
[E] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ Then the next line we've got two bars of [Em] A back to two bars of E. _ _ _
_ But then the last line things look a [G] little bit different.
_ _ _ We've got half a bar on G and half a bar
on E.
The G chord is quite unusual when 12 bar blues in E but it works really well [C] and it's what
makes this song a little bit special if you [Em] like.
_ _ [G] And that G to E is repeated all together.
It's played three times _ and then on the last E we kind of hit and hold it to emphasise the vocal
punch line.
Let's just show you how that works.
_ So _ [E] _
[C] we've come out of our intro.
_ _ _ [B] _
_ _ _ [E] _ _ _ Build it up. _ _ _ _ _ _
You keep _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ saying
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Gb] you've got something for me.
_ _ _ Something you call a [E] bug and pest. _ _
_ _ [A] You've been messing where you ought not to be messing.
_ _ _ _ [E] Now someone else is getting by your best.
_ _ _ [G] These hoots are made [E] for walking [G] and that's just what they'll [E] do. _
_ [G] One of these hoots are gonna walk all over you.
[Eb] _ _ [D] _ _
[Db] _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ That's about [G] as much of the words as I'm going to remember.
_ So you see there at the end we just
[G] segued back into the turnaround which is exactly the same as the intro _ _ [Eb] _ _ [D] _
_ _ [C] _ _ [B] _ _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ and on into the next verse
and basically [G] that's how the song goes.
Nothing more to it than that.
_ _ _ Okay so that's about it for that one.
Nice simple song. _
Great one to play at parties,
get everyone singing along _ _ and have fun with it and I look forward to seeing you in the next lesson.
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _
[D] _ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _ _