Mr. Bojangles - Teaching
With
Chet Atkins
What's in the course
19 lessons (1h 24m) · 1 free
01. Maybelle - Performance
Free lesson2:37
02. Bye Bye Blackbird - Performance
2:31
03. Londonderry Aire - Teaching
6:25
04. Petite Waltz - Teaching
4:14
05. Young Thing - Teaching
6:17
06. Young Thing - Performance
3:14
07. Chet talks
10:26
08. When You Wish Upon A Star - Performance
2:35
09. Londonderry Aire - Performance
3:12
10. Mr. Bojangles - Teaching
You are here6:45
11. Mr. Bojangles - Performance
3:11
12. Lover Come Back - Performance
2:19
13. Maybelle - Teaching
3:02
14. Petite Waltz - Performance
2:24
15. When You Wish Upon A Star - Teaching
5:23
16. Lover Come Back - Teaching
5:51
17. Bye Bye Blackbrid - Teaching
6:33
18. Happy Again - Teaching
4:41
19. Happy Again - Performance
2:24
Lesson transcript
Music Lesson: "Mr. Bojangles"
Introduction
"Mr. Bojangles." Great song! You know what makes a great song? It's good lyrics and a great melody. Too often, I think writers just come up with a nice idea and then stick whatever tune comes to mind. That's not how you create a great song. However, I love to play this one.
Rhythm and Melody
- It has a unique rhythm that I play between each section.
- The song features a moving bass line throughout, blending low bass with harmony simultaneously.
- There are also little slurs that give a country sound to the melody, inspired by:
- Bob Wills on the fiddle
- Floyd Cramer on the piano
Chord Changes
Let's break down the chord changes:
- We start with F Major 7.
- I usually slide up that E A with the G in the bass.
- A minor D leads into an A minor seven and then a diminished chord (I apologize for that confusion).
- After repeating the melody, we transition back to F Major 7 and then to E minor seven.
Adding Jazz Changes
I incorporate jazz changes to make the tune a little more interesting. Then, it transitions to the chorus, which I play back to the intro.
Improvisation
Right here, I improvise on the melody because I refuse to play the same melody again.
- You have to keep it interesting.
- Think of it as telling a story: if you tell it again, you need to add more details, much like telling a joke.
I change the melody this way, adjusting where necessary. For example, I move from a B flat down to a G.
Finger Technique
It's very important, when playing, to keep your little finger anchored. This technique makes it a lot easier to navigate the strings:
- If your fingers are flying up all the time, finding the strings again can become troublesome.
- Keeping a finger anchored is crucial.
Final Chords
I enjoy that little jazz change from B flat to D minor, then returning to the chorus of "Mr. Bojangles."
I end the song with a chromatic bass line to an A flat and then a G. The ending has a flavor similar to a Beatles tune, though I can't recall which one. But, you know what? I don't care, I use it anyway!
Conclusion
That's it! Enjoy playing "Mr. Bojangles."
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Known as "Mr. Guitar", Chet Atkins is the most recorded solo instrumentalist in music history. His signature picking style was inspired by Merle Travis, with other major influences including Django Reinhardt, George Barnes, Les Paul and, later, Jerry Reed. That trademark picking style and musicianship won him admirers within and well beyond the country scene, both in the United States and internationally.
As a studio musician, his playing graced records by Elvis Presley, Kitty Wells, The Everly Brothers, Hank Williams and dozens of other Nashville legends. His style went on to influence pop greats such as Mark Knopfler, Duane Eddy, George Harrison, The Ventures, George Benson and Eddie Cochran, as well as thousands of country pickers. He won nine CMA Awards as Musician of the Year, four Playboy jazz poll honours and thirteen Grammys.
With more than 35 million copies of his 75-plus original releases sold, Atkins was also a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
He helped create the Nashville sound, a style of country music that owed nearly as much to pop as it did to honky tonks - and without him, country may never have crossed over into the pop charts in the '50s and '60s.
Learn from the master - just click on one of the courses on this page!
