Everyone Plays This ZZ Top Song WRONG!

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[@RobertBakerGuitar]

If I'm still playing it wrong let me know :)

[@parkerb9010]

I'll ask the man himself..ppl think what he plays is easy but playing it RIGHT is a different story. Thanks bud for what you do.

[@hkguitar1984]

Using his pinky finger would seem natural with the light gauge strings he typically uses. Thanks for the extra Detective work Robert.

[@stanphillips7277]

I love how even a master like you Rob Baker can still get all silly with pride like "No one teaches this properly except meee! Me and The Rev and no one else! " You're still playing it wrong though. Sorry because I know you worked hard to get everything right but, you're still missing a huge part! You've got to stand up and SPIN THE GUITAR ON YOUR BELT BUCKLE! You're all sittin" down and never spun it once and to me that's like the most obvious part... just sayin' 🤣✌️♥️🎸🎶🙏

[@parkerb9010]

@@hkguitar1984 bro he played with 7 guage but it all depends on how you learn it felt natural to use my pinky but I've seen it be hard for ppl to start and change. I play with 10 gage's unless it's on my sg.

[@parkerb9010]

Wish I could introduce you he would really appreciate what you do

[@Bloosee]

I've always been impressed with how Billy can play the coolest riffs with the least amount of effort, it's all so economical. All that incredible music coming out and he barely looks like he's doing anything.

[@jeffreythompson3995]

Good players make it look easy.

[@victorjbarker]

The sign of a true Master

[@RyanLBrown9396]

I once saw a comment that said he plays notes like they’re expensive

[@datenimperator]

Every time I try to figure out a ZZ Billy riff, if there's too much movement or weird shapes, it's almost certainly wrong. Thanks for this!

[@phil36135]

I like to keep everything close together if it sounds good.

[@Clearview68]

This applies to most ZZ Top songs. He really does have an interesting style and technique. You don't really pick up on all the little nuances of how he's playing his stuff until you listen closely, or watch.

[@hudson3535]

Thank you... I agree totally. It sure helped me to know his way.

[@jeffnewman8633]

Thank you so much Robert as a 63 yr old , you've help make me fall in love with playing again with your wonderful and informative videos. God I wish KZbin was around when I was 16 ! :)

[@coreykoepsel]

Same here ..i wouldn't have had to put my thumb on the record player to slow it down to figure out what the guitar is doing...

[@Thermocouple2short]

Same here, hang in there

[@AlbertoHernandez-ow3xh]

That Esquire just keeps getting better and better, sounds awesome!

[@felixblanco6591]

Yeah that guitar sounds great!

[@parkerb9010]

A good buddy of mine is Billy's nephew and I tell you he is the most down to earth person you will meet. Even after all these years

[@alanleewaddell]

A roadie sold me one of Dusty Hill's guitar straps for twenty bucks, it's very fancy tooled leather and it must have been very expensive unless he bought it in Mexico. Dusty can have it back any time if he wants it, I don't know if it was stolen or not and I don't have any idea how to get ahold of any of them ....

[@TurboMountTV]

@@alanleewaddell Uhh he's dead. Geez.

[@str8shooter159]

The Rev is a riff master. I grew up jamming to ZZTop. Fandango was my first album i got from my dad when i was a kid and started playing guitar at 5 yrs old.

[@beforethunder4987]

Fandango was the first album from ZZ I listened to. I was maybe 12 yrs old. I was blown away and hooked. Great stuff!

[@elymolloy8333]

5 years old huh? 😂

[@SpookyApparition]

great video. it's always impressive how guitar legends throw in a lot of simple stuff that's hardly noticeable yet adds so much to their songs when you break it down

[@joeblankenship377]

Yeah, it's like I learned a lot of Hendrix tunes as a teenager, but 20 years later, I still hear little bits and pieces that I didn't pick up on.

[@rwest8905]

Signal chain PLEASE! I know you’ve started doing it sometimes, but it’s nice to know if it’s tubes, Kemper, pedals, etc. All respect to Tim Pierce; but you consistently have the best tones out there. Thanks!

[@Meylan191083]

Every time you think Billy Gibbons can't possibly be any cooler, this pops up and you realise there are further levels of coolness to come.

[@georgepagakis9854]

Billy is a blues master, His riffs and solos are very unique and so is his timing. His playing is so impressive that even the earliest years are just as exciting to listen too. Nice job Robert!

[@denmar355]

Billy does a lot of things by hybrid picking with middle and ring. I think here as well. But if we all play it and it sounds really good, then it will likely work fine. BTW, Your way sounds great! And your tone is epic!

[@graemegourley7616]

I saw, or read, an interview a few years ago with Billy and he was saying that over the years he has found the most economic way to play the songs he can so that there is a lot less effort required.

[@parkerb9010]

Imagine going to the liquor store with the man himself he thrives on younge players

[@stanphillips7277]

Robert Baker Guitar Detective! That's got a ring to it huh man? I love how you still have such a newbies sense of wonderment about guitar playing. You're like radiating joy over discovering the little details that make _all_ the difference. Plus "Billy plays _his_ power chords with his pinky just like mee! 🤣 You're wife is awesome for laughing...or you're awesome for being so excited that you made her laugh. I'm laughin' so I think it's both. Thanks bro for all the research and detective work just to bring us some killer content on The Rev's way of playin' it properly and now we know tooo, thanks to yooou! It really did sound so much better with those open string's. Dirtier and Billyer ! Many thanks for the lesson and the entertainment. Who says learning can't be fun!? ✌️♥️🎸🎶🙏

[@r1ckgr1m3s8]

Not tooting my own horn but I been playing that G chord d&g string for years I call it the "cheater G". Works well in a lot of AC/DC songs too

[@phil36135]

Im with you on that chord, its easy and sounds good. I think I picked it up playing bluegrass. Not many bluegrass pickers use power chords but I do sometimes.

[@MatteoTorgy]

That Esquire is next level cool and the tone is exquisite.

[@r.llynch4124]

Billy sounds like he's playing simple but if you dive into it deeper it's always a curve ball.

[@dwilliams6642]

Absolutely

[@dylanadams1455]

Billy's the Master of Economy! I always found live videos great bc you can see exactly how someone plays something. I remember struggling with that little lead motif at the beginning of For Whom The Bell Tolls. Then I saw footage from Day on the Green - the tab was wrong! The official Metallica tab was wrong, it notated in an awkward string skipping manner over three strings when Kirk plays it on two. Big moment for me. Anytime something seems unusually tricky I look for another way to play it.

[@blpaul3]

Thank you Robert!! I play this wrong, but no longer!

[@kennikuhlmann-clark9860]

Because major and minor third harmonies in 12-TET (equal temperament) can sound dissonant, and especially horrid through distortion devices. In-studio, special tuning adjustments for different songs can be used to change the intervals (usually to just intonation) if those intervals are expressly needed for the song. Go to any perfectly 12-TET tuned piano and play major and minor third harmonies and hear the warble (beat frequencies). It can be tolerated to some varying extent. 10ths (adding an octave to the major/minor third) can sound even more dissonant, especially on a guitar for some reason.

[@gameon2000]

The tele is the best guitar type to play that twangy lazy open strings ZZ Top style bluesy stuff (as they did in their early to middle stages of their carreer in the 80s - where they did write all their hits - btw. before they changed their setup for Gibson)

[@GibsonSG.]

Hey man great video when are your going to announce the Gibson sg giveaway

[@elevensbest]

Such a great lesson! Your passion for accuracy and for the playing of The Rev. is palpable.

[@ianstewart6021]

I ardently agree. 😅

[@srficarra]

I always thought he used his LP “pearly gates” on the recording. And I normally use a LP when I play it. But I have seen him play it with a tele, LP, SG and custom built guitars live. Curious about what he actually used for the recording?! But it does sound great on a tele and a Les Paul nonetheless. Actually it’s a great song played through any guitar as long as you’re plugged into a pissed off amp

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Im not real sure what he used on Eliminator. Im sure Pearly is all over it though. The majority of live videos I watched he was playing Tele/Esquire but who knows what he used on the track in the studio.

[@groovetrain5756]

@Mygabrielle74 I heard he used a Dean ML to record Eliminator

[@truckercowboyed2638]

@@RobertBakerGuitar for the record his esquires sound amazing,alot of tone out of one pickup....

[@SoloSi2024]

Great video, but try it open G with a slide on your pinky. You can still get the hammer on for the C chord etc. Have your bottom E down to D also. Invite a keyboard player along, and you're good to go as the only guitarist.

[@stephenpinder9567]

Pretty sure Billy's playing it wrong

[@derekclacton]

😂 👏

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

🤣🤣🤣

[@thenovicenoisemaker]

😂

[@RicCrouch]

After all, what does HE know? Bah….. ;)

[@threeshocks5769]

Yeah but he sure gives those Jim Dunlap strings one hell of a workout 😎

[@ChadieB]

Billy's the man....a break down of a ZZ top jam + that Esquire + being ended blues = another fun and educational video Rock on, Robert!

[@VPicksGuitarPicks]

Jeff, Billy is a good friend of mine. We spend the afternoon together often. And yes, you are correct. This is indeed how he plays the song. One thing to add. Sometimes he does not play the C note on the B string. He just hits the open G. Kind of a lazy way of doing it.

[@pedraw]

One of my fav ZZ Top tunes is "My Heads in Mississippi"

[@cacornett58]

Billy does alot of interesting things with open strings and harmonies. Sometimes when what I am playing just doesn't sound like the Rev, I sit down and listen again and again. You'll find alot of stuff that he's playing, nobody else does.

[@jcburger733]

Thanks for the quick example of what we can expect from the Billy Gibbons legends course. I ordered it as soon as you released it. Thanks for all your great courses!!

[@brutallyremastered4255]

What a great lesson! Love the way you worked out these tricks with such enthusiasm.

[@Roosterboi21]

I think I saw a lesson somewhere saying Sharp Dressed Man was recorded in drop C with the riff being played at the 12th fret. Could be a load of crap but it made sense at the time. Having the open low C and the open "D" shape being the C chord sounded really heavy.

[@aaronlarsen7447]

Billy Gibbons should be core for anyone learning to play rock on guitar. The way he held his pick, barely stickinging out. The finesse. He used pinched harmonics. He played in close, muffled the bridge with his palm, used double stops, and the tastiest licks. I saw a guy strumming it on acoustic. The acoustic was not so much a problem, but the strumming Billy Gibbons, with his arm swinging sounds like some kind of sacrilegious, white as the Brady bunch, Hank Williams train wreck. Billy was funky. It swings.

[@mp-kq3vc]

Bought the course. After I saw that G double power chord in this vid I knew there would be many more good insights in the course. Thanks!

[@thelolguy007]

Brilliant Robert. Fair play man 👏. This makes so much sense. I used to play this in a band and couldn’t figure out why I didn’t enjoy it - as I love the song. It’s because I was playing it wrong. I probably learned it off some of those tutorial videos you mentioned ha

[@dyakel101]

Dude, that tone is INSANE!

[@jakewyatt6393]

I would love to know how he plays “gimme all your lovin” live. Especially the high c note. Awesome video and love your work

[@waltjames407]

The G & C power chord w/ just one finger both fretting the root and muting the adjacent string, w/ the next open string being the 5th is an old trick I let my students in on, most people get it wrong on songs that use it, classic rock players all know it, though.

[@mars6433]

@2:36 What is the musical notation for :"Stank" ??

[@jroxzayala6291]

Great lesson. So many times I’m looking at lessons only to return to the track with my face all 😑. See Three Libras. Where other lessons put out the bones of the song, you found its soul. Thank you so much.

[@tdz69]

Brilliant video! A terrific reminder to use our ears when learning other players’ music. Been playing this song wrong and learned a lot. Thank you

[@ryanguffy4739]

Love hearing these fine details! They are easy to miss for those of us musically challenged players!

[@atlantaguitar9689]

Thanks for the video. The strength of the guitar as an instrument are the possibilities afforded by open strings - changing chord voicings to include them makes the chords sound huge when playing at volume (or even at home).

[@kafkaworkshere]

Excellent tutorial! You're right; it's far more interesting than people could have imagined.

[@Gypsy-Brown]

its a refreshing change to hear someone's learned something the way I do, by watching the actual dude who wrote it over and over using as many clips as possible to get it down, tedious as it can be its the only way to nail it. If you're gonna post a "how to" surely you should have the integrity, the basic respect for the viewers, the original artist and not least yourself to make it worth your actually learning the damn tune first!? I mean correct me if I'm wrong (which I won't be because I wouldn't even be posting this comment if I wasn't sure of its accuracy) but there are more half-assed attempts from dudes scraping around for an ego boost and a cheap grab at being a star, who seem to like the sound of their own voice and mistakenly assume we share their belief making these how to's incorrectly than there are the preferred way. So hats off to you and thank you for making the effort, you are one of the good runs. And as The Rev. Willy G himself says, "Ya don't have to be the best one, just be a good 'un". Peace

[@mrnomad55]

Rob your attention to detail is awesome. So good. great lesson as always man.

[@toadrunnertv5946]

Robert, any chance you breakdown that actual video? There is so much going on there! I've been going back to it for years. Thank you!

[@awittypilot8961]

Coll Robert.... I'm in a band in a small town...trust me..they would never hear this...but when I joined I played what they told me to play. Never suggest tunes...never play better than the lead guitar player....or louder. hehe But he left the band ( great player...does some better than me and I do some better than him) and now I'm lead...I try to get as close as NEEDED.... So if you haven't heard of it, youtube has different speeds you can dial in on the menu and it stays pitch correct. helped me a ton on many tunes. Also there is a program called Song Surgeon....you can change pitch and speed....it's not pricey. Changed the way I study tunes and made me better payer. Anyway...picking up the open strings in this tune not only makes it better but it's a hell of a lot easier. Billy is a great blues player (duh) but he's also lazy as hell. Most great players take short cuts and that becomes our standard to play to. Thanks for the great work dude.

[@jeffsedletzeck3882]

Have you noticed that everyone is the solo to No more tears wrong too! The final climb has "pick-up" notes before each postion shift. Check out his play through

[@davidjean2635]

Billy is a winner and Ricky Bobby said “Winners get to do what they want!” Thanks again Robert!

[@ParaBellum2024]

Some people have OCD about playing everything exactly the way someone played it in a studio when tape was rolling, but to me, as long as the audience recognises the song, that's close enough. It also means minimal rehearsal before gigging. There are some songs and riffs that _have_ to be played "like the record", but for most songs, that's not the case.

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

Yep, agreed... there's a corollary: "Hey! Yer strumming it wrong!! It's up-up-down-up-down-up-down-down!"

[@Timmiemetz]

Not learning it fully, while sounding like the song, is lazy and disrespectful to the song. I say, take the time and learn it correctly first. Then...be yourself about it.

[@ParaBellum2024]

@@Timmiemetz Not disrespectful, but yes, I have no problem with being a little lazy with regards to rehearsal etc. I was going to respond more harshly, but I can see from your videos that your own band is pretty good, and well rehearsed so I can't be too hard on you! The guy with the gold top (Waldorf video) gets some good tones. I'm a tele man myself, and am not keen on those little Boss amps (mine's a Fender BDR), but you got some decent tones too.

[@lesgibbs326]

Thanks so much Robert I started learning it wrong too . Then I googled the lesson and quess you and one other instructor were the only guitarists playing it Billy style with open strings ringing Thanks mate we value your lessons so much 👍

[@StefanGBucher]

Excellent lesson! Thank you! Totally peripheral question: Why is your pick guard not aligned with the guitar body at the horn?

[@rolfhauf4266]

Outstanding lesson Robert, keep on doing things like that guitarMan.🎸

[@tallpaul1020]

Great lesson Robert!!! Hope to work on it on a new SG soon!!! Lol 👍🎸🤘

[@tonk-8]

Its crazy how little Billy moves his left hand when playing, and yet is still so awesome.

[@mickstick5112]

Great video! Makes so much sense, the open strings in a three man band. Necessity, the mother of invention.

[@The_Macaroon]

Lol been playing this wrong for 30 years. Ah well every day is a school day

[@johnnyjohnson2942]

I had to pick up my G to see how I played it back in the 80s and the only real diff is I played the C t A t E t G I play/played in bar cords the tricky part is the timing of the walk up (it has to be precise) Unlike Billy I always did the walk where I know most times he may leave it out (live) and just do the upper part. But he's BG and as ya'll know a original bad ass.

[@mobydick3895]

I doubt that he plays those opening double-stops with the pick. I would say he plucks them together with his second and third fingers. That is what gives it that rhythmic ripping sound and doesn't sound as sloppy. With those 0.007s he uses, that is how he "sounds distorted without *being* distorted", as he says it. It lets you turn the power amp up higher.

[@electricjed]

Great lesson Robert. Ty🙏. I know these videos take time. I appreciate it !

[@joaoaugustolandim]

That inverted G power chord with open strings is what makes this song have a full sound, you know? And that was a wholesome moment when you told us about you figuring it out by yourself and your wife laughing hahaha Nice teacher, you are! (and "nice" is more than "amazing", for me).

[@niroshanfernando4784]

What's the tuning standard or half step down? I'm playing it with diads (2 note) power chords) 8th 10th frets & guitar tuned a half step down & playing to the record almost perfectly! But I'll definitely hear from the bearded blues-rock wizard Mr. BG himself! 🤘🏾🧙🏾‍♂️🎸

[@joaoaugustolandim]

BB King Stevie Ray Vaughan ZZ Top The top 3 who defined blues. (I didn't put Jimi Hendrix because he's more psychadelic for me than blues, once his sound was more dirty and experimental).

[@godfreytan1001]

Nice tutorial...you're right about how others/some teach how to play this song. Thanks...

[@johndavies4317]

HI Robert, I just wanted to say thanks for the course that you put out there, I have three so far. You Billy and Angus course, that is pretty awesome, but I really enjoyed you course on boot camp, Am and Am blues adding extra note, I have finished and it is money well spent. Thanks again. All the best to you and you family. John in Cornwall UK.

[@mikaelstrom1114]

The "double power chord", G, thanks for figuring this out!

[@macguillen7089]

hi from Mexico! thank for figure it out my favorite song from ZZ top!

[@gerdeywii]

Thank you for doing the research Robert. There are some amazing morsels you pulled out for us.

[@kurtlonde5892]

... my experience.... it s necessary to know... whats right... but at the end... the best thing is that it sounds good...!!

[@mrjosh92100]

I know how it’s played, and how it’s recorded but I always peddle that bass note way more than he does to fatten it up, and it seems to fit my groups style a little better that way 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@claudedisnard862]

Soo good man !!!!Top notch

[@rainbowpenguin1982]

my band is playing this for your next setlist, ur video was really good and im glad we are gonna be messing anythign up

[@arunviswanathan5555]

Robert, I love your videos and I love the Rev BFG! Thanks for this. I have been playing this one a lot over the years but thanks for showing us the right way!

[@simonpeek37]

Great video!! Billy is one of my all time favorites...his "feel" is unmatched...except for maybe Gilmour. Quick question...the Esquire, is the cut-away, cut a bit more or is the pickguard a different shape? Either way, it sounds amazing and I love it.

[@colinduffy2065]

Just signed up to the billy Gibbons course only watched a couple of phases looks good 👍

[@Old_Sailor85]

BFG has to play live songs that have 3 or more guitar overdubs on the albums. I'm still amazed and still trying to copy his licks...

[@CerealDust-nStuff]

Dang dude, this is one of my favorite KZbin channels ever!! Gonna snag that Billy Gibbons course fo shizzle.

[@CA10Z]

Phuck'n great discovery Robert, I bet you were most definitely proud. Keep it up..

[@jeffrey.a.hanson]

The bass still does the slide live so it balances it out. What a damn classic this is.

[@hillrocks]

Dude, I learned it wrong but not sure which way is easier for me as a beginner but I’m on board for learning it the Billy way, thanks

[@autocrow]

Cool stuff to know! I'm totally into it. I love Billys guitar playing. Thanks for sharing.

[@Wildmutationblu]

Great instruction. My licks library version is soooooo wrong!

[@brucehelppie6119]

good breakdown, robert...billy is a true master, and you're right; he does what he wants. he's almost like a magician in that he makes very subtle changes with nuances inside his songs. he would likely tell you that he plays his famous riffs a little differently every time he plays them. good catch on the open strings. i'm a beginner guitar player even though i've been at it for years. my favorite guitar players in no particular order are billy, jimi hendrix and stevie ray vaughn. thanks for showing us this, you sound great.

[@funkynelg]

yup figured this out years ago. You only have to look at him playing it live

[@gameon2000]

As a notoriously lazy ass arthritic old man, I approve Billy's playing style 🤣

[@flapjackson6077]

I enjoyed that! Billy is very economical in his movements. 🤙

[@johncollins5552]

How cool are those riffs and how cool it sounds on a Tele, I only have a fender champ and ac15 that sound a bit too....sharp, I fancy an Orange amp next to get the sound I have in mind next.

[@johncollins5552]

Sorry, esquire , such a hipster guitar like the Gibson junior, pay more to get less for your money is a guitar manufacturers wet dream!

[@Mssrmikeone]

Tone is awesome. What part of the collection is driving that Squire on the back end? The front end is clearly in “good hands”!!

[@OdieHunt]

GREAT VIDEO BUD.... I WOULD BE PRETTY PUMPED TOO ... GETTING IT RIGHT IS HARD TO FIGURE OUT BUT YOU SEEM TO HAVE IT HANDLED.

[@yeayeasautoadventures1161]

Im proud of you too, I never thought of those open strings as a G chord @ 8:35 they sound cool tho, think money for nothin

[@jcathell100]

Would love too see you do riffs and lead parts to ZZ Top and ccr songs

[@jameslow5536]

never underestimate anyone who will climb into a ball of rebar and get tossed out of a pick up truck and ride in the sparks lol

[@deweywilliams331]

It’s plenty close enough for rock n roll enjoy watching your videos the excitement when it hits you that’s it

[@evanmiller2579]

Killer lesson. Love the tone. What is that signal chain? Awesome and thank you.

[@bluesstoney]

Nice Job Sir. You play what I hear from the Rev. only missing to hear from you that darn cool thumpedi-thump- oomping in the intro each time before the main riff comes again. It is not only muted C on 8th fret. So what I think is Rev plays that G-A#-C you showed for the verse, also in the intro.

[@peaner083]

Damn,thats pretty awesome bro with those open strings and other titbits,thanks,iam coming back to this🤘

[@gergemall]

Fantastic Rob , thank you. You’re right , I’ve never seen anyone every play it correctly.

[@tigermcflash131]

Thanks Robert. Nice analysis...!