Guitar Lesson: Playing Billy Preston's Nothing From Nothing

[@natheisler2918]

brought tears to my eyes , to finally get those basic yet elusive chords after all these years of playing guitar. thank you!

[@robertmathews3565]

I tried numerous times over the past few decades to figure this tune out. Exciting to hear someone play it on the guitar. Very cool, thank you for taking the time to help those of us that need it.

[@leonc1234]

You're welcome!

[@sanghaoflove]

@@leonc1234 yes - ditto dear Leon C - - this lesson gives us many, many cool chord voicings in a very clear manner. Thank you and many blessings.

[@leonc1234]

@@sanghaoflove You're welcome!

[@realsamladd]

Thank you for sharing your hard-earned knowledge.

[@leonc1234]

My pleasure!

[@franciscocampos3407]

Thanks a lot ! ..I love this song

[@chrispower475]

FINALLY, I've found what I'm looking for! You sir are amazing but you already know this ...

[@icitnow]

This is so cool! I love the song, but thought..."nah...no one will have a guitar lesson on this" but first entry is this! Perfect. This is it! You nailed the chords and voicings for this song, and the iconic piano lick. Thanks!!

[@leonc1234]

You're welcome, thanks.

[@Feo_De_La_Vega]

I juste had the exactly same reaction 😅 Thank you for this moment and for the lesson obviously!

[@todddaigneault4300]

Sounds great. Good lesson

[@MAKATUKA40]

Good job ! thanks ! let's groove !

[@carlosfire4hire753]

Fantastic! Thank you. Wish you had used a mic on your voice.

[@jeanlarroque9127]

Leon…Thanks for all of your awesome videos! Much Appreciation!

[@michaelpacinus242]

Killer job

[@leonc1234]

Thank you!

[@Jeff_H_the_Guitarist]

Thanks for the guitar lesson. Have always wanted to know all those funky chords that have pleased my ear for years. I don't know about you, but the new Beatles documentary has got me appreciating the Beatles and great songwriting. A new fire for learning has been re-kindled. Of course all that includes the fifth Beatle Billy Preston.

[@leonc1234]

You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it.

[@smw397]

Likewise, ever since hearing the story about how Billy came to be not just in that session but to literally become a Beatle in the space of his first few minutes of jamming with them, this has been the song I'm earworming. It's been on my list of eventual conquests for years but now I'm finally working on it. I can already fake my way through it with the terrible chord tabs from Ultimate Guitar but this is a waaay better way to approach it.

[@biloux18]

Excellent ! Thank you for your work et transcription !

[@leonc1234]

You're very welcome.

[@JacobReedTorrisi]

Thank you for this! Awesome blues riff in the piano I was having trouble figuring out on the guitar and this video nailed it

[@leonc1234]

You're welcome, glad you found it useful.

[@bernard6817]

un grand merci monsieur

[@leonc1234]

C'est rien.

[@gary5014]

Nice!

[@LiveToPlayGuitar]

Love this tune! Many thanks for breaking it down...

[@EmanuelBardanis]

So great - sounds perfect and well-presented to make it easy. Thank you!

[@johnnybuggz625]

Thanks, glad you found it useful.

[@HeavyVanjia]

Thank you so much!

[@nfijef]

Dude thank you sooo much, adding this without a keyboardist so I was wondering how to handle it, really appreciate it.

[@leonc1234]

You're welcome!

[@nfijef]

@@leonc1234 Cycle heaven man, you da man brotha

[@ohbrotherflyaway]

Dude your amps (touch

[@leonc1234]

Thank you!

[@jato1956]

Thanks Man! Our band is doing this one...with two guitars and a horn section! Hope all is well on the coast!

[@leonc1234]

Hey Steve. All good here. Get ready to have fun with this--what a classic! BTW, I later (in one of the comments below) pointed out that the little chromatic thing I was doing at the top of the verse, moving from C7 to B7 to Bb7 to Am could also be played C7 to Bm7b5 to Bb7b5 to Am7... roots still move chromatically from C down to A.

[@jato1956]

@@leonc1234 Yep...since we have two players, I always get the task of using altered/extended chord voicings. Which has really helped my playing! So my band leader can stay in his happy place, and me in mine. Also, the band sounds fatter because of this. And I try to use a different guitar a lot too. Viva la difference mate!

[@fredericlebel6788]

Good job my man!

[@TJ16800kayak]

Pretty good job. The only thing you missed was instead of the Bb in the first C9-B-Bb sequence, it actually goes C9-B-Em7.

[@bobk9572]

Thanks for this version - really enjoyed it. I gave it a try.

[@leonc1234]

Thanks Bob K; glad you enjoyed it.

[@HMJohnsonGuitar]

Very cool!

[@leonc1234]

Thanks HJ. My keyboard player tells me he actually plays the first descending chords as C7, B-7b5 to E7 to Bb7. Of course what I'm hearing is a reasonable substitution. But now that I'm playing it in an ensemble context, I'm using just a B-7 (less the 5th) to E7 so as not to conflict.

[@DLPugh]

Thank you Leon!

[@leonc1234]

My pleasure

[@alex_the_excellent]

Many thanks! I'm going to use this and tell people you taught it to me :)

[@leonc1234]

Alex Ah, so I get the blame, huh? 😁

[@patlav344]

Super

[@leonc1234]

Thank you.

[@algarvemike]

Please could you help complete the names of some of the chords as they were in audible to me and I’m trying to write the names out, here’s what I’ve got so far?: C7, B7, Bb7, Em7, G m7, C9, F,F, E7,Dm,???? Am7, Gm7, C9, F, A7, ??, D7, G7, C It’s the 2 chords with ?? That I’m asking for a little help with. Many thanks for an excellent video.

[@ChrisBoyleOfficial]

Got tab

[@seanmcmahon5231]

I really like the voicings on these chords but it’s quite advanced and I’m very rusty. I’ve looked at some other chord charts online but they seem to be mostly basic open chords. Is there anywhere to find a chart with these exact inversions in order or a way to view half speed? Otherwise this is gonna take quite a while....

[@leonc1234]

Sean, unfortunately, no...the charts you find in music stores and even online rarely (if ever!) concern themselves with the chord voicings used in a specific version of a song. When songs are "copy written", it's just the melody, lyrics and fundamental chords (in fact, I don't think you can copyright chords).

[@lauried.2708]

Love it thank you. Do you prefer a certain brand & gauge of strings for that guitar?

[@leonc1234]

Thanks! Funny you should ask that question. Yes...I switched to Curt Mangan NickleWound Lights (.010 - .046) on that Les Paul. I've used GHS Boomers (same gauge) on most of my guitars but found that this particular LP Custom was rather bright and sounded more to my liking when using these NickleWound strings.

[@lauried.2708]

@@leonc1234 thank you.

[@stephencraig8578]

I feel like I 'm having to rush to start the main riff when coming off of the G note. Is it just a matter of feeling the rhythm?

[@johnnybuggz625]

Yeah, I understand what you're saying...it is a bit of a rust to get from that G to the initial C riff. I'd suggest practicing with a metronome. Play it over and over, starting slowly--perhaps around 80 bpm--and gradually speed it up of the course of a half hour or so to get it back up to the correct tempo (about 103 bpm).

[@stephencraig8578]

@@johnnybuggz625 ok,will do! I never would of thought of playing this song but,I like the arrangement this way.I appreciate you.thx much!

[@teeblacksmyth6089]

after the 50th time watching on 0.75 speed, I still don't know what im doing