I Got My Mojo Working - tab request

[FunkyWilly]

Can someone please provide the tab for this Muddy Waters standard? I was at a blues jam, and someone called it out. I thought I could figure it out on the fly, but what I played wasn't very good. How is it supposed to be played?

Thanks.

[TomB]

You're serious?

Plug it into Youtube and see what you find. There are lots of cool ways to play it but Muddy's the root. It's the quick 2-beat feel that makes it an unusual blues tune, along with band member ''shout-outs'' on the chorus, and most important, the dead stop / time change ending. Otherwise, it's normal blues changes. I'll bet you don't need tab if you just download it and play along w/it. And most of all, never bring your tabs to a blues jam .

[FunkyWilly]

Hey, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious...

Yes, I know it's standard blues changes, and I played it like a 2-beat root-fifth groove, but it seemed like there is more to it than that. Maybe I'm wrong.

[middlebit]

Originally Posted by FunkyWilly

Hey, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious...

Yes, I know it's standard blues changes, and I played it like a 2-beat root-fifth groove, but it seemed like there is more to it than that. Maybe I'm wrong.

Muddy's version (the one I've heard) is just a straight root-fifth thing, but I play another version of this tune with my band that's got some other tricks to it. It might be the one you're talking about. I've tried emailing the tune to you - it's a really cool version, though I can't remember who plays it. There's a few little things to add, like a V chord riff. I can't TAB but I've written the notes out below. It's mainly a root-fifth thing but there's a run (in parenthesis) into it. hope you can make it out:

The I chord (F7):
I F C F C (C Eb E) I F C F C (C Eb E)I

Going to the IV (Bb7):
I Bb F Bb F (F Ab B Bb) I Bb F Bb F (F Ab B Bb) I

Then for the V Chord (C7) there’s a line that goes like this
I C C D Eb E Eb C B Bb I Break I

[BluesWalker]

I play it in the key of E, as per the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. It is a simple R-3-5-6-b7-6-5-3 pattern with the turnaround 8-8-b7-b7-6-6-#5-#5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5

E (I): e-g#-b-c#-d-c#-b-g#, 4x
A (IV): a-c#-e-f#-g-f#-e-c#, 2x
E (I): e-g#-b-c#-d-c#-b-g#, 2x
B(V): b-d#-f#-g#-a-g#-f#-d#, 1x
A(IV): a-c#-e-f#-g-f#-e-c#, 1x
E(I): e-e-d-d-c#-c#-c-c-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, 1x

The last E walks down from the octave of the e used in the previous I measures.

I hpe this makes sense.

[FunkyWilly]

Great, these are the kinds of suggestions I was looking for.

Thank you!

[BluesWalker]

You have to play it fast..............those are all eighth notes at a rate of 152 beats per minute.

[TomB]

Originally Posted by FunkyWilly

Hey, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious...

Yes, I know it's standard blues changes, and I played it like a 2-beat root-fifth groove, but it seemed like there is more to it than that. Maybe I'm wrong.

Sorry FW, I didn't mean to sound flip or question your motives. It's just that the blues is not typically a "written-out" genre, and I'd encourage anyone interested in jumping into it to work on their "play-it-by-ear" skills. These skills are highly valuable at blues jams or if you land a job w/a blues band.