Bdge Gnuck Herry 7) ise ‘ eRe Ue Ci ¥ Ole RUC CMe ec Bir ityDON'T BE AMUSIC _ COPYCAT! ~~ =. The copying of © copyright material is a criminal offence and may lead to prosecution. Intemational Music Publications Limited England: Griffin House 161 Hammersmith Road London W6 88S Germany: Marstallstr. 8 D-80539 Minchen Denmark: Danmusik Vognmagergade 7 DK1120 Copenhagen k Series Editor: Sadie Cook Music Transcription, Arrangement and Recordina: Martin Shellaré Music Editorial & Project Management: Artemis Music Limited Cover Photo: Michael Ochs Archives All photos supplied by Redferns Musle Picture Library Design & Production: Space DPS Limited Reproduced and printed by Halstan & Co. Ltd, Amersham, Bucks., England Published 1999 woere Publications ST ervatonal Music Publications Limited Grif Howse 161 Hammersnith Road! London W6 8BS England Reproducing this music in any form is illegal and forbidden by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 Exclusive Distributors: Carésch aly: Via Campania 12 20098 San Giuliano Milanese Milano Spain: Magallanes 25, 28015 Madrid France: 29 Rue de la Ville-Eveque 75008 ParisIn the Book... Introduction ........eseeee Tablature Key ............- Johnny B Goode .........- Maybellene ...........0008 Memphis Tennessee ....... Roll Over, Beethoven ....... Too Much Monkey Business . No Particular Place To Go... 48 58 Chuck Berry @p The cp...§ Biography hhuck Berry's influence on rock ’n’ roll is immeasurable, To this day he remains one of pop music's most enduring icons, a larger than life figure that changed the course of guitar playing forever. If there ate any certainties in life, one of guitarists will, at some point, play the intra to Johnny B Goode im must be that all Chuck was not only around at the birth of rock ‘a’ roll, he played a very big part in it. He was one of rock music's earliest singer/songwriters and, despite oties when he released his first records, his hormonally diven tales of girls and cars, complete with cheeky innuendo, struck a real being in his late ew chord with the teenage youth, Chuck was cool; his songs seemed to ‘strut’ out of the radio as he perfected the persona of a hip-alking, guitar-slinging dude with an eye f The beginnings of cock ’n’ roll have always been attributed to the ombination of what was then seen as “black? and ‘white’ music, On the one hand there was Elvis Presley, a white man who embraced gospel and blues and, on blues who loved country and western, These wo men practically defined other was Chuck Berry, a black man steeped in swing and the rock ‘a’ roll between them by forever blurring the boundaries of ‘black’ and “white’ music, Chuck combined his love of hillbilly country music with the gospel, jazz and blues he was brought up with to form a completely new sound that would take the world by storm, Berry’s status as an entertainer, duck-walking through his feel-good classes, has pechaps overshadowed his contribution to the guitar vocabulary. In the great guitarists around, norably Carl Perkins and Presley sideman Scotty Moore, but Berry's sound was something else. His brash guitar tone, combined with jaunty syncopations and slippery bends mid 'SDs there were some had an attitude all of ies own, Charles Anderson Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 18th 1926, His mother, Martha, was a teacher and his father, Henry, was a conteactor and Deacon of the local Antioch Baptist Church. His earliest exposure to music was hearing the Baprist Church choir rehearsing in his living room, but he heard the music he loved on the local black radio station, This early exposure to the swing, hoogie-woogie and blues of artists like Tampa Red, Muddy Waters and T-Bone Walker had a big effect on Berey As a child Berry attended Sumner High School, the first black high schoo! west of the Mississippi, It was at a school concert in 1941 thac Chuck gor his first taste of success, and learned a valuable lesson for the future. At an dccasion better suited to sedate crooning, Berry belted out Confessin’ The Blues by Jay McShana, Berry later cited this as a seminal moment ~ the time when he realised that an audience will always respond if you give them what they want. From that moment it became his credo and he's been follow In 1944 Berry got into trouble with the law, He and some friends stole a car for a joy ride to Kansas, They were all arrested and Chuck would spend the 4 Chuck Berrynext three years in Reformatory. He was twenty-one before his release. During the next few years he worked in a car factory, tained to be a hairdresser, freelanced as a photographer and tried his hand at carpentry More importantly he was asked to join Sir John's Trio with pianist Johnnie Johnson and drummer Eby Hardy. Chuck soon dominated the band with his showmanship and his trio became very popular in St. Louis, competing with Ike Turner and blues legend Albert King, The band pl crowd, from swing and jump to geitty Chicago blues, with Chuck adding some hillbilly co the R and B. 4 variety of styles to suit che occasion and the In 1955 he travelled to Chicago and met blues legend Muddy Waters. Muddy encouraged Chuck ro meet with Leonard Chess, head of Chess Records, Chess wanted to hear a tape of the band and Chuck told him he would return with one a week later. In that following week Berry wrote and recorded four songs with his trio and returned to Chicago to play it to Chess. The tape inclided some slow blues tunes as well as an up-beat number called Ida Red which convinced him co sign Chuck up. Ida Red was later reworked into Maybellene which was released as Berry’s frst single Prof chee! Ochs Archives Maybellene went to no.S in che Billboard chart and was the no.1 rhythm and blues song in America, toppling Rock Avound The Clock from the top pen. of she charts. This was followed up by Thirty Days which also went Chuck Berry had arrived and music would never be the same again. ‘One of the reasons that Chuck succeeded in the largely white pop chare was his use of language. His lyrics spoke directly to the ten youth of America (and therefore the world, and Roll Music and Sweet Little Sixteen described life as they knew it and theie response was phenomenal. Chuck isa very asture musician and had about their culture. Songs ike Schooldays, Rock learned as a youngster how ro give the people what they wanted. In the next few years Chuck released a stream of classic rock ‘a’ rll songs with definitive guitar playing like Roll Over, Beetboven, Rock and Roll Music and Johnny B Goode Becry’s repertoire provided rich pickings for the up-and-coming bands of the ‘60s. I would he hard to imagine what The Rolling Stones or The Beatles would sound like without him. The Beach Boys leaned so heavily on Chuck's hie Sweet Litle Sixteen when they recorded their song Surfin U.S.A. that they were later forced to give him a songwriting credit 661; YOU tried CO QIVE soevne ne santos and spo one hve releases, Bercy decided to study business law, accounting and rock ’n’ roll another — mmmnsnmiedtynmheoun stare Chaetoat a ‘came in 1972 when My Ding-a-L.ing topped the charts on both sides lof the Atlantic, Although far from being his best song, it was a huge name, you might call it inci seston publishing, it gave him huge financial rewards, ‘Chuck Berry’. YY cssicssienssntstoonrns vine ‘urns up with just a guitar and plays with a locally hired band, a luxury when he tours he John Lennon we mlvinelsheiion ors ‘When NASA launched the U.S. satellite Voyager into outer space, amongst the messages of greeting representing Farth’s culture was a recording of Johnny B Goode Chuck Berry 5Musical Style Chuck Berry burst onto the scene in 1955 with his first single Maybellene which contains his trademark blend of frenetic syncopation and slinky string bends. The most striking thing about this first release is that Chuck's guitar playing style is completely defined. All the elements that mark him out are here, the double stops and string bends played with a ‘take-no-prisoners ‘Chuck's geeatest talent on che guitar is the ability to entertains he ct nection mk ce Everything I wrot : wasn’t about me, Mimi isin visitor» But about the people -amilined and economical, the slick way he navigates 2 12-bar Progression speaks volumes for his musicality listening. 9 9 Rhythm oceuy His early influences ranged from country to big band jazz and, es a very important role in Chuck's playing. At times, for example when he’s playing a repeated lick with different syncopations, he sounds more like a percussionist than a guitar player. Check out the intro to Jobnny B Goode for a classic example The country influence in his playing is obvious, listen to the double stop intro ‘of Maybellene or the double stop bends in the solo of No Particular Place To Go, His tone and phrasing is steeped in the blues of Muddy Waters. Despite the huge number of actists to cover his songs, no one plays them auite like Chuck. There is something in the chythmic interplay between him nd his band that defies imitation and the sheer force of his personality shines through everything he’s ever recorded Performance Notes johnny B Go This has got to be the one of the most recorded songs of all time. To date there have been over a hundred cover versions of it, and that's not including the countless garage-band versions. The guitar intro is certainly the most recognisable piece of guitar playing ever recorded. The tune isin Bh so Chuck stays mostly around the 6th fret position but spices things up with double-stop slides and a great sense of rhythm He uses a classic 12-har rhythm guitar partern as the backbone of the verses in this song but lifts the chorus with some sliding double stop: Maybellone Few people, including Chuck himself, could have realised the effect his, music would have, when he released this first single in 1955, It was an instant success and blazed a trail for decades of rack ‘n" roll ro come The combination of music in this song is remarkable ~ the fast tempo and 2/4 fee! are pure hillbilly country, while the guitar playing is a hybrid of big band horns and uptown Chicago blues. Chuck's story-telling vocal style was The rhythm style om this track also comes from country music, Notice the way that Chuck covers the part a bass would normally play. Remember that 6 Chuck Berry(OU ChGnniata Title ‘ter Schoo! Sessions One Dozen Berrys Bory fs On Top Poking At The Hops New Jukobox Hits Chuck Borry Onstage Two Great Gutars (with Bo Diddley) St Louis To Liverpoo! ‘Chuck Berry n London Frech Borys Memphis. ve At The Filmore From St. Louis To Frisco Back Home San Francisoo Duos ‘The Great Twenty Eight Golden Decades vol. 1-3 oll Rarities Vol 1-3 Date (1957) (1958) (1959) (1360) (1961) (1962) (1964) (164) (1965) (1966) (1367) (1967) (1968) (1370 (1972) (0973) i975) (is79) 1982) f until they recorded this tune, his trio had no bass player ~ Willie Dixon was drafted in to play bass by Leonard Chess to fill out the sound, Memphis Tennessee Released in 1959 this track is a marked departure in style for Berry. It's liking guitar figure and swooping bass have an almost Appalachian feel, and the tone of the song is much more laid-back than his earlier rockers The guitar playing throughout is delicate and imaginative. Most of the lead guitar partis played with sweet-sounding sixths to spell out the chordal harmony, over a jazzy 12-bar chord pattern. The solo is an extension of the main song with Chuck skilfully moving his double stops through the chord changes. Roll Over, Beathoven Next to Joby B Goode this is probably Chuck's most famous song. Iris certainly a classic in its own right, which many artistes, including, The Beatles, have covered. From the opening, driving guitar inteo co the chunky rhychm part, Chuck pushes this song along with an infectious energy. Berry is a great fan of simplicity and a wise and experienced player. The rhythm part in this song shows this, but when you have a melody and lyric as strong as these you can afford to sit back a litlet This track has one of Chuck's most memorable guitar intros; his trademark use of double stops and bends really set the tone. For extra bite, play all of the double stops with heavy down strokes. Too Much Monkey Business As well as being a groundbreaking lead g tarist, Chuck was also a great ensemble player. This track has a particularly interesting ehythm guitar rif that works well over each chord. ‘The rhythmic feel ro this track is quite tough to master. As with a lot of his ongs, it has a loose, slightly swinging, fel chat isn’t quite a full shuffle but is a long way from being square! Notice the way that Chuck uses the strong and dense rhychm part for the chorus section then, in the verses where the vocal is very busy, he lays right back to make room for it No Particular Place To Go A slower tempo and 12/8 feel give the perfect ‘eruising with the top down’ feel to this track. This teack was released in 1964 and was a return to ‘Chuck's harder edged rock 'a’ rol style We are in the more familiar key of G and the opening D augmented chord shows some of Chuck's jazzier influences. Fort verses, Chuck plays a subtle double stop lick that he alters slightly eo fie each chord, ¢ broken up feel of the Chuck Berry 7Tablature Key Pull-off Hammer-on Pray thes note tei one ger then yanmar nother finger on the He ied Same a legato sl except the a Whole-tone bend ay he moe then be up a whole © Bend the not 8 Full shown blore Allow the pick iodo es ity fmthe ots we Sound, pia the without picking Pull be ger 0 found he lower ay the none th enlups quarter x ne pe ow tented” — - ‘then rerun hack to Double stop bend and return Half-tone bend be . He Pre-bend Mutffled strings oF — Arpeggiate Pay he fis ote Fige up o down rote rondo Bend the nota shown before wing Lay the fet hand Tigh ers he Stings hen play seen pcehind ‘hem intheI JOHNNY B GOODE Words and Music by Chuck Berry e oF oF ‘CORR REE TSR] | GREE -170 NC. ete tie 8 tay pore oll Pull ts} © 1958 & 1999 Ate Music Corp, USA Jewel Music Pub Co Lid, London WC2H 8NA Johnny B Goodefff se f= ae eS = Gown in Igyi-si = 3 = 9a" to New Or ~ leaps way hack up in the woods a-mong the cary chs. iicar in” a) gun-ny sack zo, sit be-neath a. wee by Ree ORB Stheday you dr ROR ERG you wh BE he Sd eae OF e088 8 10-8 ee 8 | 8 9 wee 809 Ie ee ee eee ee ee 8 ek & fio fe == See = =| ever = greens. There stood a log ca- bin made of earth and wood, where tal = Toad rack Ot ghey “en gh - moercome See him Osit= ting ip” the shade lap bie old band. Ma - ny peo - ple coming from miles 'a ~ round, to tee Pi ek ES So th Sk Gop a5 yadeed o . oe + = — r - a “pe p10 — a = Po oop PE Boe To Coda® 2 be | # he * v= ee es i wete so. well Buy he could play a guitar just Whe a tingrng a bell” Go, got amet ge A MSI PAY te de” a EE coticaty BOR cin plan Got Bot @ be in lights say-ing John-ny B. Goode to-night, 10 Johnny B GoodeVerse 7) 8 8 84 0010 — 10K John-ny go, - ———— a - jo io 101010 fap 99 9 8 9 | Poe ag 819 8 e888 6 6 eS 8 Johny BGoode 11Fal Full = Go, John-ny go, gol. rz) op oe ees — * tS + : 5 Saas L Pe t = ae Fae ‘ - a: Ee | B 7 — _— 4 === = Johnny B. Gooden @ 5s 2. Fe $e ees — © - 7 Ey c - a B <<< SSS Se 12. Jobnny B GoodeARR ate mh Tf A A ES a by be Johnny B Goode 13DS. al Coda His - $ === rss 29-19 = ee B28 ws 8 8= e Be _ be ~ } SS poly sv be $f tet — . Go— go, go —John-ny go! — Johnny B Goode 15The Solo Johnny B Goode and a real test This is the most well-known guitar lick eve of any guitarist is to make it sound as good as Chuck’s original version. The guitar intro is an all time classic and to make it sound authentic play the first four bars all with downstrokes. This makes a big difference to the sound and feel of the lick, if you use alternate picking it loses that ng quality. The solo has all of Berry’s trademarks, opening with a reprise of the intro and launching into burning single-note lines. Ext This is a classic Chuck Berry lick that really sets the tone for the solo. It’s played in the 6th fret position with your first finger barring the top two strings. Use your third 16 Jonny B Goodefinger to play the first double stop on G and B-strings. Hammer-on to the D natural with your riff second finger. Use heavy downstrokes to play the whole phrase and make sure that the rhythm is consistent. Chuck is a master of pentatonic and blues-style playing, in this lick he uses the C-note in the first bar to make the shape more melodic. He’s playing over an Eb chord but he sticks to the Bb shape, this adds tension to his playing which he resolves by anticipating the Bb chord at the end of the second bar, You can use your second finger to bend the G-string then, after playing the Ab note with your third, use the second again for the C-note on the top string. Johnny BGoode 17Ex3 & qh oe e Sea e a This lick is a combination of double stops and his famous syncopated bending riffs. It’s a little trickier than the rest of the solo so make sure to follow the fingering. The slide ups on the G and B-string are played by flattening. your third finger and barring the two strings. The top two strings are held down with the first finger. Notice the way that all of the notes are played short, this will give you enough time to move from the 10th fret to the 6th, and don’t forget the duckwalk!Ex4 MERE oo 2 ai), Chuck rounds off the solo with a line played completely with double stops. The bend at the start of the first bar is played with the third finger. Normally, when playing a double bend, you would flatten a finger across the strings and pull them toward the floor. The top strings are too close to the edge of the neck for this so you have to carefully position the third finger to hold down both strings, the same way you'd play one string, and bend in As usual your first finger is barring the top strings, this time at the 6th fret because of the Bb key: | | Johnny BGoode 19MAYBELLENE Words and Music by Chuck Berry Fe #232 Intro NG. B | Te May ~ bel Chorus Oh, May ~ bel = lene why can’t. you be true? sige {You done © 1955 & 1999 Are Music Corp, USA Jewel Music Pub Co Ltd, London WC2H SNA 20 Maybellene8 a oe start = ed, dosing the things you used 10 do. Started back do=ing the things you used to do. Sas fs pf St | , | re ler Foy Ma linen 1 dag TR cd GAT tn asea Ry Pee BR MMT a tt co homtrcted Sanne He RG#™ Soh Fawn RS hen al Rh ' é prog : HI: = = = 5 a ee A i 3 z 3 . fr = : A 4 4 a + 4 t a | $ | ee 2 2 S yf + ee ES = | é d Peed ep I A Ca -dil - lac roll-ing on op en road, bur ff Som ee lime om et ig ' A a a ke eS \ a é ye 2 ~ 2 @ 2 ‘ . aS f SS | ' Kime and Ten! oa hate‘ le ae Along ike ies a thy N ‘ = = ote 4 Lf 7 4 — — { i — 5 2 2 Sj Maybellene 24Gan SS : — $j nine — ty five, we was bump-er to bump er ing side to side lun-der ry hood, TP new that was) do ing my mo = tor good. f May - bel sit = ting still” and 1 caughe May - hel - lene M the top of the hull Bie ———- Saas Tr — 4 ; i Bo 2 2 ttt = . = lene, why can't. you be true? Ob May - bel - lene, 4 $ a ¢ ¢ 4 34 ms “BSB started back do-ing che things em Ora 4 4 22 Maybellenepoe = solo starts Full ull Ex. 3 Maybellene_— solo ends 24 Maybellene| | | | The Solo Maybellene ‘This is the song that started it all off, an up-tempo guitar driven 12-bar blues with a sprinkling of country and rockabilly. Chuck’s guitar work is ably supported by his long-time sidemen Johnnie Johnson and Ebby Hardy, with the addition of Willie Dixon on upright bass. The rhythm section lays down a driving, slightly swinging backbeat for Berry to play over. In 1955 Chuck’s playing must have been a revelation, His tone is loud and proud and he really makes the most of his licks. One of the keys to Berry’s style is the simplicity of it, he strips his solos down to the bare bones and works them into an entertaining 24 bars. Chuck is a master at adding rhythmic variety to his licks. The first eight bars of this solo consist of no more than three notes, but his clever use of syncopation really grabs your ear from the start. Maybellene 25This song is in the key of B and the solo is based around the 7th fret position. If you see Chuck play this kind of lick you'll notice that he uses his second finger to bend the G- string, with a first finger barre on the top two. This is fine if you have big hands like him, if not you'll find it easier to use your third finger to play the bends. Despite coming from a blues background, Chuck's playing is mainly based around a major tonality, like the country players that he admired. You can see that in the double stops of this example where he emphasises the major thirds of the B chord. Double stops are a major part of Chuck’s sound. He often uses them to build a solo from single note phrases.This whole lick can be played with your third finger on the lower string, D-string for the first bar and the B-string for the second, with your riff second finger playing the higher note. To add to the syncopated rhythm, keep the notes in the second bar short, after sliding up to them. Notice the way that Berry uses the 7th fret blues scale position as a home base’ and returns to it after excursions to higher positions. This lick starts up near the 12th fret and slickly moves back to the 7th fret. Maybellene 27Start with your third and second fingers on the B and E- strings for those sweet sounding thirds, then use a first finger barre at the 9th fret. You’ve got enough time to move this barre to the 7th fret because of the rest. You'll need to hammer-on with your second and third fingers simultaneously, try and make sure that both notes sound at exactly the same time. At the end of the second bar use your second finger to hammer-on the D#. Keep the top note ringing as you hammer-on. For this passage of double-string bends you'll have to master the knack of bending two strings with one finger. These can be played with cither the second or third finger; the technique is the same for both. Flatten your finger across the G and B-strings and, with your thumb curled over the top of the neck, pull the two strings away from you, towards the floor, For the first lick you have to hold the strings after bending and restrike them before releasing the bend. 28 Maybellene| MEMPHIS TENNESSEE Words and Music by Chuck Berry | oo Fm eo | Tune all strings down one semitone on, give me Mem-phis, Ten - nes - see Helpme find the party aryin’ co She's the on'=ly one who'd phone. me here from (1) dis-tance in form 2.) Help me in for-ma-tion, get in touch with my Ma rie.— © a * of fe . o —f st Sth ft ri : =e — ow ‘ get in rouch_with me. She could not leave her num=ber— but T— know who placed the call, “eause my Mem-phis Ten nes ~ see Her home ison the South-side high up ona ridge, © 1959 & 1999 Arc Music Corp, USA Jewel Musie Pub Co Led, London WC2H 8NA Memphis Tennessee 28De Ds ps 6 = SS - — oS Sj un = cle took the mes = sage and he wrote it onthe wal. — ive halk Sail from — the Mis sis = sin = ‘pi bridge a é - et = 10 * ——+ ss 4 ott 7 = i = = j 1% = 1110 7 1087-56 2 (iii SO ps pe 13139-1219 70— 1012 fa 10— 102 131913121509 Set 4 Memphis Tennessee— me in = forma tion, more than that 1 cannot ad on lo : : p ~ ; a 6 8 give i he p- SS po 7S oe we had ta fy f—_fe 5 — 7 7 Memphis Tennessee 31did nor co . te ed = a a ee, and Sets 12-110 10. 10 13 rl es , a — . loco, wav = ing me ood - bye, Memphis Tennesseeas SS SSS jo A, e Par A, — whut pois FRE § — — a — bs Bo = — 7 + et = te fe tits SS —— ——SS——| oF 19. 13 134 0. 13 42-12—10-10 5 7 erie 14 4141210} to-1a——14 12 12 1010. eB — Ds be tryin’ t pur me 6) rel through to her— in Mem = phis, ‘Ten-nes ~ see 2, ee pt see £ > a> » — 7 EE Tr a —— 8 — Fade —! 1 Memphis TennesseeThe Solo Memphis Tennessee ssual 10-1 With its un ar structure and subtle guitar playing, . The this track is a long way from Chuck’s earlier classi delicate, fingerpicked sixths in the solo are a natural progression from the verse guitar part. The sweet sounding, double stops that Chuck plays throughout owe much more to country music than the blues, while the rhythm track combines hillbilly and Cajun influences. The solo is short and sweet with Chuck being the very model of musical restraint, 34 Memphis Termessee‘There are two shapes for playing sixths on the G and E- strings, for the first one play the G-string with your second finger and the E-string with your first finger. When you come to the double-stops played at the 7th fret use your second finger on the G-string and move your third finger to the E-string Notice the use of rests and staccato notes in this example, this gives a very elegant feel to this lick, which adds nicely to the laid-back rhythm track. Unlike most of Chuck’s playing, there are a lot of position changes in this solo; it’s also more melodic than usual thanks to his skilful handling of the intervals, Notice the strong relationship between what he’s playing and the backing chords. Memphis Tennessee 95As in Example 1 the fingering will depend on the shape of the double-stop, but where there are notes on the same fret as in the first bar, it’s better to use separate fingers rather than a barre because of the position shifts. 36 Memphis Tennessee‘This lick happens a few times during this song and can be tricky because it’s played high up the neck. The basic shape is a G major chord on the top three strings, so use your second finger on the G-string and a first finger barre at the 15th fret. Damp the staccato marked notes by lifting your fretting hand, your picking hand is busy enough. You can play this lick fingerstyle - using your thumb to pick the G- string and first two fingers on the top two strings. If you are using a pick use a strict alternate picking approach, starting with a downstroke. The upstrokes will give the top string a little more ‘snap’.ROLL OVER, BEETHOVEN Words and Music by Chuck Berry BT AT alr se OR RE RY of Sf wiean cone $8 A pn eee 8 ; ey _ (ry . —: Srey Sas oo Bets wees, Sfp (© 1956 & 1999 Arc Music Corp, USA Jewel Music Pub Co Ltd, London WC2H 8NA, 38 Roll Over, BeethovenePoet fe : wore oe Gowtagee agit em bog! D | oe RD Rc — = \ ¥ pedicit p88 | ——— eee pte == pee eS jumpin revcord 1 want my jock-ey to play Hearts fhy-thmm and my soul keep a-sing-ing the Blues thotis sitting down at oa shy-thm re view Roll ov © Bet-ho - wm fee Roll ov fer Beet ho = vey they"te got -ta hear it a= gain 2. You know my tell Tehai = kov-sky the news 3. TP gor the \@ tks’ into. by Bo. Well if you Roll Over, Beethoven 39fa SSS 5 £ = f 0. get your lov - er then reel and rock it = hg — g SSSa5 2 os os = a8 oe = Roll it ay - er then move on up yes = sir try for _fur-ther then reel and roll with fone another, Roll ov er Beot-ho - ven, these rhythm and blues. $ftafts eee ee SS 40 Roll Over, BeethovenSt Fall Ful nn 6 3-14 y 3 nh giv-ing you my warn-ing don't you step on iy blue suede ee + Pst ee - o oe oe rE = = = 2- = 4 ES ee aaa a ee = === === Roll Over, Beethoven 41air = Hey— did dle did - a cea zy part dle Im a fid -dle, reel play-ing_my gor ne, fought to see him and Bi SSS = rock, got no-thing to Rell “Long, er Beet - ho she gota dime, tt erry 6 — ri tell Tehai-kov ~ sky the news 5. You know she leap sic wont ne er oop 42 Roll Over, Beethovenz 1 == j * . ao 5 ‘ — —, —)] - a = ‘ = et == Orr = s8 i = = . or = ¢ 2 3 Be 8 et wt air ee ee fibete pn eet SSS SS Sa roll ov er Bot = ho vem roll ov et Beet = 5 fee 3 os oe 6 === ho = vem roll ov © er Beet = ho = ven dig these o Pd Se a == aa aa or hI 3 8 3 = 108 re wot ot eo} Eto & —=, __—. fai iape ap ter= — rhythm and — blues. Roll Over, BeethovenThe Solo Roll Over, Beethoven Released in 1956, the message in this song is clear. There was a new wave of youth culture happening and it was fuelled by the rock ‘n’ roll sounds that defined it. Unusually for a guitar-based song, although not for Berry, the key is Eb. Chuck attributes his frequent use of flat keys to his broad range of influences. He has a great love of jazz and big band music as well as soul and blues, Whatever the reason, playing in keys like E> and Bb will do wonders for your fingerboard knowledge. 44 Roll Over, BeethovenChuck starts this solo off with a phrase similar to the intro. As usual it’s based around the blues-box shape, this time at the 11th fret because of the Eb key. This solo is more single-note based than his others and involves some nimble finger work. As you'd expect with a blues-box, your first finger will barre the 11th fret, so your second and third fingers will cover the other frets. In the second half of the second bar, use a single downstroke to play the semiquavers from G to Eb. This is a great example of Berry’s use of rhythm. He takes a three-note phrase; one G-string bend followed by the same note played twice on the B-string, He repeats chis phrase in a quaver rhythm so thar it crosses over the 4/4 backing and forms an interesting cross-rhythm. This is classic Berry, making the most out of simple ingredients, Chuck usually plays the G-string bends in this kind of lick with his second Roll Over, Beethoven 45finger and it does sound more authentic this way, but you may find it more comfortable to play them with your third finger. Ex3 Chuck's solos abound with short repeating licks like this one, he seems to have an inexhaustible supply of memorable blues-box licks. What makes his playing great is the way that he uses these to construct great solos that sound improvised but have very logical structures. The fingering for this lick is similar to the earlier examples, use a first finger barre at the 11th fret and play the higher double stops by flattening your third finger across the G and B-strings.= Notice the similarity between the first part of this example and the end of Example 1, Although the notes and rhythms are the same, in this lick Chuck plays them in a different place in the bar. Part of Chuck’s characteristic sound is his use of downstrokes. He plays this entire lick picking in this way which gives the line great definition. For the last two quavers of double-stops use either your second or third finger for the first ones and a first finger barre for the second. Roll Over, Beethoven 47TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS Words and Music by Chuck Berry & F cc oF i HEE 1d) NC. pf PFS FSS 24 (TD Intro re let ring. Inf sian coe sho © 1956 & 1999 Are Music Corp, USA Jewel Music Pub Co Ltd, London WC2H SNA 48 Too Much Monkey BusinessRon 2 Sales man alle to and. fe ing to me, cryin" the mill, working at a creek vo “ran me up Bee | a inthe mail here i, go. on try it youcan Suan bu we § Pay phone some thing wrong, dime gone,“will T ought to sue the op'ra - tor for ban 2 == Rit = car! Mo Pe mn, == SS EBs ¢ — — ae at come room bil } Val ing ‘me a ‘tae, aht much mon Too mach mon So le PM. 5 hap bal = nes forme to be in = vohed. in je - 2 —- | + = ——— = § 4 eo - eee 3 e _ om : wi i 3 a > = | —— _—= - — 3 Too Much Monkey BusinessVerse get_me hooked, Want me to marry, get _a_home, a need in me com-plain'ing my ob ~ 3, Blond hair good looking, tryin’ 10 oS getcting up, going to school No the ane Se may, Se “my chow amy 4. Same thing “eve-ry day, fay been fight-ing in been to Yo" kos @ . yo mon key eS down, write a book, jec-tion’s ov = er-culed, abt. \@ clothes, ar a Cc == — ae: = SSS See : : gt | = tI — = 5 (Gears Foe eS — 3 t FE 7 4 or sa c= = 343 4 ee cB — = —— 33 50 Too Much Monkey BusinessLLL 9°07 F Qa es -- b - = be way eee iat a= ae ? SS ES Se Sa | pt fal Pal Fal Ft Fu | |FE 13 at 3 8 ae at oS r ie — % — | [B— | | Mmmm i HL ec BP | Pull Fut : 1 7 15131958 18: \ Fe ig 1 yee se 9-19 Be 8 ges 3 Soe ee t0 101910 \ (EB e154 38 i 19—10-19-19- 39 4 : Gy Be a 8 910 49-19-73} 10 10 tot a NAB AB ae BBO 18028. 118-8 Pee =| Too Much Monkey Business 51“is £ 2 at] , » —» $e Be eee BoB ee 3-18 — Bes —— 8 | = = x4 ti if if ree F Di alCade == a . = f ee pe et —— — << — vende 7 x § = ———— a oi ee chores Bb Gor Wiese iH 2S Ed | coo mich mon = key isi ~ ness 1 Too much mon key @ don't want your bo-ther-a = tion, 52 Too Much Monkey BusinessA 191919 A eA Too Much Monkey Business 53The Solo Too Much Monkey Business As well as being a showease for his flair with language and lyrics, this track contains some of Berry’s most interesting playing. From the echo-drenched, country-style intro to the strong rhythm parts, this track is packed with great playing. The solo ranges from Chuck’s trademark syncopated bending licks to some great rhythmic chord playing. Chuck is great at pacing his solos so that even the longer ones have a real feeling of progression and increasing excitement. Chuck starts this solo in familiar territory with this rhythmic bending lick. The key to these licks is to get the rhythmic feel right. Go for a very rigid feel, the notes should be kept short and the feel very ‘square’. With a swingin’ rhythm section this feel sounds great! 54 Too Much Monkey BusinessAs before use your first finger to barre the top strings. This is played up at the 13th fret so you can use your second finger to bend the G-string, Notice the way that Chuck uses these short, repeating licks to build his solos. This one adds a few more notes to the first lick which also adds to the feeling of progression. It takes a lot of disciy ¢ to plan a solo like this, the natural thing to do is go in with all guns blazing, but when you have to fill 24 bars with guitar you need to make it interesting. Berry is great at this, when the lines are simple he adds rhythmic interest and here, where the melody is more important he keeps the chythm simple Too Much Monkey Business 55For the second half of this solo Chuck moves from single- note lines to a more chord-based approach. Notice the way that he contrasts the three or four notes at the 19th fret with the single notes on the D-string. Use your first finger to barre the strings ar the 10th fret nd your third finger to play the D-string at the 12th fret. Use downstrokes, to play the chords for a slightly accented feel to the lick 56 Too Much Monkey BusinessFor the end of the solo Chuck uses another repeating phrase, this time using the chordal idea from the previous bars. As before, use a first finger barre at the 10th fret. Make sure to use downstrokes for the chords and upstrokes for the single notes. This isn’t quite alternate picking and may feel awkward at first but to get a consistent sound to the chords you have to pick them all in the same direction. Too Much Monkey Business 87No PARTICULAR | PLACE TO GO | Words and Music by Chuck Berry | > on | 6 oc “pga sg) ERE BRE RS aa SS pets 1. Riding a-long in my au to-mo —— —— ce (14 bile my ba - by so we parked Ghia = SS ep te wheel 1 stole a kiss at the turn of a The might was young and the moon was Are Music Corp, USA Jewel Music Pub Co Led, London WC2H BNA 58 No Particular Place To Go& mile, my cu sowe both Cruisin’ and play-ing the ra - di ~ Can you =margine the way T de-cid-ed fio. si- ty: eun-ning wild ro take a” stroll with no T couldn’ un-fast-en her safety pac-ti- cu-lar place to PSS SSS] ing along in my Rid ing along in my a= Tachooss | FSi tag: SS Tyas anx-i sill ty fopiopte bo jous to teller the way in’ to gether belt isi No Particular Place ToGo 59pt hte erie: . — ¥ y+ So 1 told her soft-ly and sin AIL the way home T held a and she leaned and whis-pered in. my for the safe - ry bele that would-nt budge nage and driv - ing slow, Cruising and play-ing the ma di — 0, oi ptt with no parcti-cuslar place to s heb bbb Bobs Ging a Foss —— Aaa ewes ees ext a Pal ul Pl ul Fall Ful a eliatwtetwtotetatote tot REZ AZIZ OZIaZ dada zanzon aT “a 8 8 oll Pull Full Full ll Full Full ull Pall Fall a Fat sett who siete te tied we hoa) soto} — (ZAZA we He | A B No Particular Place To Go 1. 8 6 6 Pat Ft Fl Fl an Flt atl t 710-1010} 10} 10} aise 10} so So} sot 10 t10-F 10 gg 8 11) C0) = 10 1 oh ago gdh hs ea ean ean No Particular Place To Go 61DS. al Coda SS No par- i= cu-lar place to Coda ge os parti - cu - lar place my _ ofofofot ftahchf r Ft ttt IAA AD AoA y= A — bob fabbet beh fofbed pe fefich bebo bohfahoos at 5 8 8 68 6 65 6 6 6 B BB Full th hh Full Fyll oll Full ull all Ful 8 8 c Fun Pa Pa Pal Ea) Ell Pll Pl Pal Pall Pll a iii aed ame 3-56 33-33-34 3833 No Particular Place To GoPig 3 pts ies oe @ + ° 8 bobsbabfabel tt oi ge 5 = 8 $2 8 ote 88 Stet € pees — No Particular Place ToGo 68Fall gst 3g 9g 3 33 Se 3 3 3 33 oy 64 No Particular Place To GoThe Solo No Particular Place To Go This track has a much more bluesy sound to his earlier songs; the upbeat 12/8 feel has a distinct Chicago blues influence. Berry, as usual, stamps his own personality over it, with a great melody and lyric and some of his best guitar playing on record. Chuck plays most of his songs primarily with downstrokes, this gives his playing a distinctive, driving edge. For this track, with its lilting swing feel, he plays with alternating, stroke: using a light strumming action for the opening chord. This D augmented chord is unusual for a rock *n’ roll song; has a jazzy sound more associated with western swing and big band music, both of which were a big influence on Chuck, There is no straight rhythm guitar in the verses of this song; Berry uses the unusual stop/start feel to fit in some slick and inventive pentatonic licks. Ext seein ‘ see -3 310} 10}. oso t10} 10 tro ti fr¢F10}- No Particular Place ToGo 65This is a great hybrid of country-style double string bends and rock *n’ roll attitude. The top note is held with your fourth finger as the B-string is played with your third. Hold the top note and bend the B-string up a tone, try not to bend the top string as you do. After the initial bend, hold the B-string and use an alternate strumming action to play the rhythm for the rest of the bar. Keep your hand as relaxed as possible when holding the bends. You'll need to keep a smooth pick-hand action for this lick, the alternate strumming is an important part of the sound but can be tricky to keep consistent. Try angling your pick direction so you are strumming down towards the body of the guitar; this will make it easier to hit the strings cleanly. apf AA fp tt Sees As with most of Berry’s solos, this one can be broken down into one or two bar chunks. Chuck uses this as a way to structure his solos; it’s easier to think in two-bar phrases than a 12-bar sequence. This is a good thing to practice, as it will encourage you to play in a more musical and logical 66 No Particular Place To Goway. Concentrate on building these short phrases throughout your solos. For these first double-stops you need to use your first and second fingers on the G and B-strings. Use alternate picking again, this sounds much different to straight down-picking, especially if you are playing intervals. At the end of the second bar use your third and first finger to barre the G and B-strings. Ex3 Notice the way that he sets up the G-chord’s tonality before stretching it in the next bar, We've just come from a C- chord, so Chuck plays the whole bar using two of the G- chord’s notes. Although Chuck is only playing two-note chords here, his clever use of them spells out the harmony as well as adding to it. In the first bar he plays a B and D which sounds right at home over the G chord, In the next bar he slides the same shape up to D and F, which also works, but the F adds a 7th to the chord which makes it No Particular Place ToGo 67sound like it’s about to change, which it does. The key to great soloing is not just to follow chord changes but to anticipate them. This final lick is a combination of double-stops and double. bends. Once again you need to be careful with the top string bends, they can be tricky to play in a hurry, The double-stops are all played by barring the two strings. You'll need to use your first, second and third fingers to play this line smoothly. Use the rest at the end of the first bar to give yourself time to line up the final G- chord. 68 — No Particular Place To Go 199