Song basics
Steppin' Out was written 1959 by James Bracken (1909 - 1972), co-owner and co-founder of Vee-Jay
Records. He also worked with John Lee Hooker and together they wrote songs like
Dimples or Baby Lee.
Originally a moderately fast Blues in G (chords G7/C7/D7), played by EC on the Blues
album, it soon
moved towards an up tempo Blues rock with a lot improvisations, sometimes adding
pieces of Freddie Kings
"Hideaway". Tabbing the hole live version is too much - it's mostly
improvisation, so I picked out some
essential pieces. It's also a nice song to build up a little more speed without getting
technical - there are
still a lot of bendings, vibratos and slides to do. If you can't play it this way, try
your own slow Blues
version of it. Remember EC's Layla - even the slow acoustic version was great!
We start with the Intro, starting and ending with the root note (G):G7I---------------------------------------------------|II---------------------------------------------------|II----3---3b-5-3-5b(7)-5-3-5-3-----------------------|II-/5---5----------------------5-3-5-5---3---3-5-5---|II-------------------------------------5---5---------|II---------------------------------------------------|I0:00
D7I---------------------------------------------------|II---------------------------------------------------|II---------------------------------------------------|II----3---3b-5-3-5b(7)-5-3-5-3-----------------------|II-/5---5----------------------5-3-5-5---3---3-5-5---|II-------------------------------------5---5---------|I0:04
G7I---------------------------------------------------|II---------------------------------------------------|II----3---3b-5-3-5b(7)-5-3-5-3-----------------------|II-/5---5----------------------5-3-5-5---3---3-5-5---|II-------------------------------------5---5---------|II---------------------------------------------------|I0:10
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Now let's have a look at some essential licks from the Blues Breakers version. Look at
lime-line to locate
them. You need some more fingering patterns from the G Blues scale now.
GI------------------------------------8b(10)-6b--6b(8)rb6--3---3-5b(7)-3-5------------------|II--------------------------------/8~~-----------------------5--------------------3---3b----|II---3-/7~~--7\--5-3-5-3-----3b--------------------------------------------(7)rb5---5----5--|II-5---------------------5-5----------------------------------------------------------------|II------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|II------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|I0:15 0:19 0:27
GI-----------------3---------------------------------------------------------------------|II-------3-------3--------------------------------6-6------------------------------------|II-5b(7)---5b(7)-----5b(7)rb5-p3---5-3---------/7-7-7---(7)rb5-3-5-5---5-3---------------|II-------------------------------5-----5-3-5-------------------------5-----5-3-5---...---|II---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|II---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|I 0:29 0:33
Another good lick, often repeated, is at 00:40:I--------------------------------------------------|II----13b(15)rb13-11-13----11-13b(15)-11b----11\----|II----------------------12----------------12--------|II--------------------------------------------------|II--------------------------------------------------|II--------------------------------------------------|I
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Rhythm guitar during organ solo at 01:02 (still Blues form!)
G7 C7 D7I-------------------------------|II-------------------------------|II----------------5-3-----7-5----|II------5-3----------------------|II--------------3-------5--------|II----3--------------------------|I
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After the organ solo some nice bendings:
I--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|II------6h8~~---11b(12)--13b(15)-13-11-13-11~~--12b-12-13-12-13-12br----------11-14b-11b~~----|II-/7~~----------slow------------------------------------------------12~~--12-----------------|II--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|II--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|II--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|I01:19 01:23 01:28
I-----13---------------------------------15------15------------------------------------------|II-13b----rb13-11-13----11b(13)----11-----18b(20)----18-15-18b(20)-18-15----------------------|II-------------------12---------12---------------------------------------17b(19)-17-15----17--|II-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17-----|II--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|II--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|I 01:32 01:35
I------------------------------------------------------------------------|II----------------15-------------sound like-------------------------------|II-----15-17(b)19----17p15----17-a break here---(18)rb17-15-------15b-----|II--17---------------------17-------------------------------17-17---------|II------------------------------------------------------------------------|II------------------------------------------------------------------------|I 01:37
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Finally the end of the end:I---7\-7\-7\-7\-7\--4\---0---0-----------------------------0-----|II---6\-6\-6\-6\-6\--3\---0---0-----------------------------0-----|II---7\-7\-7\-7\-7\--4\-----------7b(9)~~--7--4-------------------|II----------------------------------------------7-5---------------|II-----not sure about...----------------------------5~~-----------|II--------------------------0----------------------------0--------|I
