Chords for Cristina Vane on Blind Willie Johnson's "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed"
Tempo:
129.4 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
Dm
A
E
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Dm] [E] [G#]
[A] [D] [F]
[D]
[D] [Dm]
Hey [A] everybody, my name is Christina [D] Vane and I'm here to talk about a riff that got me
hooked and I came across this riff in this song when I had I think just [D] graduated college and I
didn't know anything about [F#] the blues and I was just getting into Blind Willie Johnson and I heard
Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed which of course many of you probably know [G] Led Zeppelin covered and
I was like this is barely the same song and I fell in love with Blind Willie Johnson's version.
His playing on this song is totally out of control, it's off the chain.
So I'll play a little
bit of [C] my version and then talk [G] about what I find so cool about this [G#] riff.
[D]
[D] [Dm]
Right, so [G] Blind Willie
Johnson, first of all this song I think he recorded this in 1927 and I just think it's still one of the
coolest [D] things I hear around.
He does this awesome top string melody thing going on in a lot of his
playing so that was an easy way for me when I was starting to play slide [Em] to work on my keeping my
bass going while doing a very slow [Dm] [D]
riff.
And what else is super [A] cool is that [D] he's just sounding out
[Dm] this [D] riff throughout the song [G] and you don't need a tab especially if you're playing slide you kind
of just start to slide into the right notes if you listen to the song enough and you know the riff.
But that's that main riff that [D]
[D] [Dm]
really I've struggled with for a long time and thought it was
just the coolest thing.
What else I find pretty interesting about how [G] Blind Willie Johnson [G] plays
this is on the recording he's not really playing the bass the way [A] I just did.
He does this sort of
[D] like [F#m] [A] a very like [D] charismatic bass but it's not necessarily a super Travis style defined each
note.
He kind of like percusses and then also [G] doesn't always actually keep the bass going in a
super regular [D] way.
There are some riffs that he did he does [F#] far more um what's the word
ornamented than I might do it but he also takes his thumb out and that's something that you can
experiment with.
I personally really love Travis style picking and I like having a steady and
defined bass line in a lot of my own songs so I kind of have adapted it to this song as well when
I [E] cover it and I play it live and to be honest I actually play this song in a rock style with a
different riff sometimes kind of nodding to the Led Zeppelin cover actually.
I go in between because
this is a totally different song in some ways and this riff really defines that you don't hear this
in the other one.
[D] The other one's like or [Dm] [G]
[D] something like that and this has just [Dm] got all that definition
and that exactitude that Blind Willie Johnson played with so I think it's a much
[D]
more interesting version to be honest even though I played the other one live all the time
and I encourage you to go listen to all of [G] Blind Willie's other stuff because he's
he does this style a lot I mean that's what he basically only does is this awesome powerful bass
and then this [Dm] really really soulful and [D] quick and vibrant playing on these [E] high strings.
[D] And then he sings of course as well.
Since me and Jesus got married haven't spent a minute apart with a receiver in my hand and religion
in my heart.
I can ring them up easy.
That's virtually the whole song and then so yeah [D#] I hope you guys enjoyed watching [G] this little video
and hopefully leads you to look into Blind Willie Johnson and maybe some of the other guitar players
that had that kind of awesome Delta Blues picking going on because that's some of my favorite stuff
and yeah I hope you guys have a wonderful
[A] [D] [F]
[D]
[D] [Dm]
Hey [A] everybody, my name is Christina [D] Vane and I'm here to talk about a riff that got me
hooked and I came across this riff in this song when I had I think just [D] graduated college and I
didn't know anything about [F#] the blues and I was just getting into Blind Willie Johnson and I heard
Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed which of course many of you probably know [G] Led Zeppelin covered and
I was like this is barely the same song and I fell in love with Blind Willie Johnson's version.
His playing on this song is totally out of control, it's off the chain.
So I'll play a little
bit of [C] my version and then talk [G] about what I find so cool about this [G#] riff.
[D]
[D] [Dm]
Right, so [G] Blind Willie
Johnson, first of all this song I think he recorded this in 1927 and I just think it's still one of the
coolest [D] things I hear around.
He does this awesome top string melody thing going on in a lot of his
playing so that was an easy way for me when I was starting to play slide [Em] to work on my keeping my
bass going while doing a very slow [Dm] [D]
riff.
And what else is super [A] cool is that [D] he's just sounding out
[Dm] this [D] riff throughout the song [G] and you don't need a tab especially if you're playing slide you kind
of just start to slide into the right notes if you listen to the song enough and you know the riff.
But that's that main riff that [D]
[D] [Dm]
really I've struggled with for a long time and thought it was
just the coolest thing.
What else I find pretty interesting about how [G] Blind Willie Johnson [G] plays
this is on the recording he's not really playing the bass the way [A] I just did.
He does this sort of
[D] like [F#m] [A] a very like [D] charismatic bass but it's not necessarily a super Travis style defined each
note.
He kind of like percusses and then also [G] doesn't always actually keep the bass going in a
super regular [D] way.
There are some riffs that he did he does [F#] far more um what's the word
ornamented than I might do it but he also takes his thumb out and that's something that you can
experiment with.
I personally really love Travis style picking and I like having a steady and
defined bass line in a lot of my own songs so I kind of have adapted it to this song as well when
I [E] cover it and I play it live and to be honest I actually play this song in a rock style with a
different riff sometimes kind of nodding to the Led Zeppelin cover actually.
I go in between because
this is a totally different song in some ways and this riff really defines that you don't hear this
in the other one.
[D] The other one's like or [Dm] [G]
[D] something like that and this has just [Dm] got all that definition
and that exactitude that Blind Willie Johnson played with so I think it's a much
[D]
more interesting version to be honest even though I played the other one live all the time
and I encourage you to go listen to all of [G] Blind Willie's other stuff because he's
he does this style a lot I mean that's what he basically only does is this awesome powerful bass
and then this [Dm] really really soulful and [D] quick and vibrant playing on these [E] high strings.
[D] And then he sings of course as well.
Since me and Jesus got married haven't spent a minute apart with a receiver in my hand and religion
in my heart.
I can ring them up easy.
That's virtually the whole song and then so yeah [D#] I hope you guys enjoyed watching [G] this little video
and hopefully leads you to look into Blind Willie Johnson and maybe some of the other guitar players
that had that kind of awesome Delta Blues picking going on because that's some of my favorite stuff
and yeah I hope you guys have a wonderful
Key:
D
G
Dm
A
E
D
G
Dm
_ [Dm] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ [G#] _
_ [A] _ _ _ [D] _ _ [F] _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Hey [A] everybody, my name is Christina [D] Vane and I'm here to talk about a riff that got me
hooked and I came across this riff in this song when I had I think just [D] graduated college and I
didn't know anything about [F#] the blues and I was just getting into Blind Willie Johnson and I heard
Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed which of course many of you probably know [G] Led Zeppelin covered and
I was like this is barely the same song and I fell in love with Blind Willie Johnson's version.
His playing on this song is totally out of control, it's off the chain.
So I'll play a little
bit of [C] my version and then talk [G] about what I find so cool about this [G#] riff.
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Right, so [G] Blind Willie
Johnson, _ _ _ first of all this song I think he recorded this in 1927 _ and I just think it's still one of the
coolest [D] things I hear around.
He does this awesome _ top string melody thing going on in a lot of his
playing so that was an easy way for me when I was starting to play slide [Em] to work on my keeping my
bass going while doing a very slow [Dm] _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
riff.
And what else is super [A] cool is that _ [D] he's just sounding _ _ out
[Dm] this _ [D] riff throughout the song [G] and you don't need a tab especially if you're playing slide you kind
of just start to slide into the right notes if you listen to the song enough and you know the riff.
But that's that main riff that [D] _
_ [D] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ really I've struggled with for a long time and thought it was
just the coolest thing. _ _ _
What else I find pretty interesting about how [G] Blind Willie Johnson [G] plays
this is on the recording he's not really playing the bass the way [A] I just did.
He does this sort of
[D] like _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ [A] a very like [D] charismatic bass but it's not necessarily a super Travis style _ _ _ _ defined each
note.
He kind of like _ percusses and then also _ [G] doesn't always actually keep the bass going in a
super regular [D] way.
There are some riffs that he did he does _ [F#] far more um _ _ what's the word
ornamented than I might do it but he also takes his thumb out and that's something that you can
experiment with.
I personally really love Travis style picking and I like having a steady and
defined bass line in a lot of my own songs so I kind of have adapted it to this song as well when
I [E] cover it and I play it live and to be honest _ I actually play this song in a rock style with a
different riff sometimes kind of nodding to the Led Zeppelin cover actually.
I go in between because
this is a totally different song in some ways and this riff really defines that you don't hear this
in the other one.
[D] The other one's like or [Dm] _ _ _ [G] _
_ [D] _ _ something like that _ _ _ and this has just [Dm] got all that definition
and that exactitude that Blind Willie Johnson played with so I think it's a much
[D]
more interesting version to be honest even though I played the other one live all the time
and I encourage you to go listen to all of [G] Blind Willie's other stuff because he's
he does this style a lot I mean that's what he basically only does is this awesome powerful bass
and then this [Dm] really really soulful and [D] quick and vibrant playing on these [E] high strings.
_ [D] And _ then he sings of course as well. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Since me and Jesus got _ _ married _ haven't spent a minute _ apart _ _ _ with a receiver in my hand and religion
in my heart.
_ _ I can ring them up easy. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ That's virtually the whole song and then so _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ yeah [D#] I hope you guys enjoyed watching [G] this little video
_ _ and hopefully leads you to look into Blind Willie Johnson and maybe some of the other guitar players
that had that kind of awesome Delta Blues picking going on because that's some of my favorite stuff
_ and yeah I hope you guys have a wonderful
_ [A] _ _ _ [D] _ _ [F] _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Hey [A] everybody, my name is Christina [D] Vane and I'm here to talk about a riff that got me
hooked and I came across this riff in this song when I had I think just [D] graduated college and I
didn't know anything about [F#] the blues and I was just getting into Blind Willie Johnson and I heard
Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed which of course many of you probably know [G] Led Zeppelin covered and
I was like this is barely the same song and I fell in love with Blind Willie Johnson's version.
His playing on this song is totally out of control, it's off the chain.
So I'll play a little
bit of [C] my version and then talk [G] about what I find so cool about this [G#] riff.
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Right, so [G] Blind Willie
Johnson, _ _ _ first of all this song I think he recorded this in 1927 _ and I just think it's still one of the
coolest [D] things I hear around.
He does this awesome _ top string melody thing going on in a lot of his
playing so that was an easy way for me when I was starting to play slide [Em] to work on my keeping my
bass going while doing a very slow [Dm] _ _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
riff.
And what else is super [A] cool is that _ [D] he's just sounding _ _ out
[Dm] this _ [D] riff throughout the song [G] and you don't need a tab especially if you're playing slide you kind
of just start to slide into the right notes if you listen to the song enough and you know the riff.
But that's that main riff that [D] _
_ [D] _ _ _ [Dm] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ really I've struggled with for a long time and thought it was
just the coolest thing. _ _ _
What else I find pretty interesting about how [G] Blind Willie Johnson [G] plays
this is on the recording he's not really playing the bass the way [A] I just did.
He does this sort of
[D] like _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ [A] a very like [D] charismatic bass but it's not necessarily a super Travis style _ _ _ _ defined each
note.
He kind of like _ percusses and then also _ [G] doesn't always actually keep the bass going in a
super regular [D] way.
There are some riffs that he did he does _ [F#] far more um _ _ what's the word
ornamented than I might do it but he also takes his thumb out and that's something that you can
experiment with.
I personally really love Travis style picking and I like having a steady and
defined bass line in a lot of my own songs so I kind of have adapted it to this song as well when
I [E] cover it and I play it live and to be honest _ I actually play this song in a rock style with a
different riff sometimes kind of nodding to the Led Zeppelin cover actually.
I go in between because
this is a totally different song in some ways and this riff really defines that you don't hear this
in the other one.
[D] The other one's like or [Dm] _ _ _ [G] _
_ [D] _ _ something like that _ _ _ and this has just [Dm] got all that definition
and that exactitude that Blind Willie Johnson played with so I think it's a much
[D]
more interesting version to be honest even though I played the other one live all the time
and I encourage you to go listen to all of [G] Blind Willie's other stuff because he's
he does this style a lot I mean that's what he basically only does is this awesome powerful bass
and then this [Dm] really really soulful and [D] quick and vibrant playing on these [E] high strings.
_ [D] And _ then he sings of course as well. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Since me and Jesus got _ _ married _ haven't spent a minute _ apart _ _ _ with a receiver in my hand and religion
in my heart.
_ _ I can ring them up easy. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ That's virtually the whole song and then so _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ yeah [D#] I hope you guys enjoyed watching [G] this little video
_ _ and hopefully leads you to look into Blind Willie Johnson and maybe some of the other guitar players
that had that kind of awesome Delta Blues picking going on because that's some of my favorite stuff
_ and yeah I hope you guys have a wonderful