Blues In The Bottle by Lightnin Hopkins
Tabbed from "Lightnin Hopkins - Blues In My Bottle" album.
This is a loose 12 bar blues in E played finger style using only the thumb and index finger.
It's a good song to work on playing base and melody independently so you can improvise while keeping
the beat going with your thumb.
The chorus chord sequence is:
4 bars E major
2 bars A major
2 bars E major
1 bar B7
1 bar A7
2 bars E major
Though he doesn't always stick to it for the last few bars....
Intro -
E
e|--------------------0---------0--------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------0---------0--------------------------------------------|
G|--------------------1---------1--------------------------------------------|
D|----0--0--2----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-2-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------0----0-----0----0----------------------------------------------|
Chorus - He plays variations of this throughout the song (8 times), all very similar. I've tabbed
the most complex section so you can just simplify if/when you sing. The timing for the base notes is
constant, you just have to get the feel and it'll come naturally.
E
e|----0--0--0-----------0-----0--0--0-----------0-------------0--------------|
B|-------------3--0-----0--------------3--0-----0-----3--3---------3----0----|
G|----------------------1-----------------------1----------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0----0----0----0----|
E
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-2--2--0-------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------2----------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-0-----0-----0--0----------------------------------------------------------|
^play this on the off beat, possibly with finger to help keep the rhythm solid
A
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----2--2--2--0--------------2--2----0--------------------------------------|
D|----------------2--0---------------------2---------------------------------|
A|-0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0----0----0---------------------------------|
E|----------------------0----------------------------------------------------|
E B A
e|---------0----------------------------------------0------------------------|
B|-0-------------0--3--3----0--3--0-----0-----3--3-----3--0------------------|
G|-----------------------------------2-----------------------2-2-0-2-0-------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------2-2---|
A|-----------------------------------------------2-----2-----2-----2-----0---|
E|-0----0-----0-----0----0-----0-----0-----0---------------------------------|
E B#7 B7
e|---------------------------0--3----2------0--------------------------------|
B|---0--3--3--0--------------0--5----4------0--------------------------------|
G|---------------2--2-0------1--3----2---------------------------------------|
D|----------------------2-------5----4---------------------------------------|
A|------0-----0-----0-----------3----2---------------------------------------|
E|------------------------0--------------------------------------------------|
|
