Hopefully, in today's class we will have time to talk about some fundamentals of blues as it's played on guitar. I will explain the famous 12-bar blues form and teach a classic vintage blues song, "How Long Blues." Many versions of this song have been recorded and performed over the decades, and it uses a lot of "floating verses" -- lyrics that sometimes appear in many different songs. Here's a version of the song as done by John Lee Hooker on his "Country Blues" album (this record got me hooked on acoustic blues when I was first learning to play).
Here are some of the many verses I've heard sung in this song:
How Long Blues
A7
How long, baby how long
D7
Has that evening train been gone?
A7 E7 D7 A7 E7
How long, how long, baby how long?
Went to the station, didn't see no train
Down in my heart, I have an aching pain
How long, how how long, baby how long?
I feel disgusted, I feel so bad
Thinking 'bout the good times that I once have had
How long, how how long, baby how long?
I could see the green grass growing on the hill
I ain't seen no greenback on a dollar bill
How long, how how long, baby how long?
You're gonna be sorry you'll feel so blue
When you want me, baby, I declare I want, want you
How long, how how long, baby how long?
Don't have no money for to ride the train
I would ride the rods, baby, to be with you again
How long, how how long, baby how long?
How long, baby how long
Must I keep my, my watch in pawn?
How long, how how long, baby how long?
If I could holler like a mountain jack
I'd climb up that mountain, call my baby back
How long, how long, baby how long?
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Here's the basic 12-bar form spelled out with chord numbers. Below is the same idea, with the chords in the key of A.
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