Week 64: Pistol Slapper Blues



Blind Boy Fuller

The Song

Pistol Slapper Blues is a blues classic, recorded by Fuller in 1938. It is a fairly upbeat 8 bar in the key of A flat. It’s played in standard tuning with a capo on the first fret.

The song has 3 parts – an 8 bar progression that is pretty similar each time (but speeds up through

out the song, ending a quite a fast pace), a brief solo and a ‘bridge’ section. The entire song is a mix of strumming with the thumb and picking out notes with the fingers. The main feature are the lead in notes that fuller uses in the bass-lines.

Fuller is a little under appreciated as a technical guitarist, but he really had a very tight attack on the axe. This song is no exception – you’ll pick up the chords in 5 minutes but will really have to get your right hand working to give it the same pop and drive that Fuller gives it. He mixes up full strums – down with the thumb, up with the fingers, with cleanly picked single string notes. This is a lot harder to do than it sounds, especially at fuller’s pace.

The turnaround I find really difficult, especially bar the start of bar 8. He plays the low G (A flat) note in the bass as the ‘and’ beat of beat 1, while you are expecting it to hit on beat 2. The good news is that, despite Fuller’s exacting performance, this song suits being played a bit rough around the edges. Focus on getting the drive and that slight sense of fun into it, and let the fingering take care of itself.



The Lyrics

G D7 I can tell my dog, G C7 Anywhere I hear him bark. G D7 I can tell my rider, G If I feel her in the dark. You's a cold, blooded murderer, When you want me out your way Says that's alright mama, You gonna need my help someday. And you say, you gonna put me Woman, down in my lonesome grave Girl you must remember I once had been your slave Solo Well, I feel like slapping, My pistol in your face. Let some brown skinned woman, Be here to take your place. Hey hey, hey-eah Mmmm-mmmm Let some brown skinned woman, Be here to take your place. You know you didn't want me, When you lied down cross my bed. Drinkin' moonshine whisky, And talking all outta your head. Bridge G Now gimme the money baby I'll catch that train and go. You don't have to kill me Cos you don't want me no more C7 D7 C7 G Hey hey Cos you don't want me no more D7 You give me the money baby D7 C7 G And I'll catch that train and go Now if you see my rider Tell her I said bring it home I ain't had no loving Since my girl been gone There's two kinda people, In this world that I can't stand. That's a lying woman, And a monkey man.

The Intro

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The Progression



$2.3.$4.5 5.$1.3 $2.3 $3.4.$4.5 $5.4 | 5 5.$4.4.$3.5.$2.3 $1.0 $5.5.$4.4.$3.5.$2.3 $5.5.$4.4.$3.5.$2.3 | $2.3.$4.5 5.$1.3 $2.3 $3.4.$4.5 $5.2 | 3 3.$3.0.$2.1 $1.0 $5.3.$3.0.$2.1 $4.3/.$2.1/ | $4.5.$2.3 $1.3 $4.5.$2.3 $3.4 $4.5.$2.5 $2.3 $4.5 $5.4 | 5 5.$4.4.$2.3 5 $5.5.$4.4 $2.3 $5.5.$3.5 $1.3 | $6.3 $1.3 $4.3 $1.3 $4.2 $1.3 $4.1 0 | $5.2.$2.0 $6.3 $4.0.$1.3 $2.0 $3.0.$6.3 $4.3/ | Not much improvisation in the verses, just a steady build up in tempo.

The Solo



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The Bridge



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The Outro



$2.3.$4.5 5.$1.3 $2.3 $3.4.$4.5 $5.4 | 5 5.$4.4.$3.5.$2.3 $1.0 $5.5.$4.4.$3.5.$2.3 $5.5.$4.4.$3.5.$2.3 | $2.3.$4.5 5.$1.3 $2.3 $3.4.$4.5 $5.2 | 3 3.$3.0.$2.1 $1.0 $5.3.$3.0.$2.1 $4.3/.$2.1/ | $4.5.$2.3 $1.3 $4.5.$2.3 $3.4 $4.5.$2.5 $2.3 $4.5 $5.4 | 5 5.$4.4.$2.3 5 $5.5.$4.4 $2.3 $5.5.$3.5 $1.3 | $6.3 $1.3 $4.3 $1.3 $4.2 $1.3 $4.1 0 | $5.1/2 $4.0 $6.3 $4.0 $3.0 $2.0 $1.1 || Same as the progression, with a little G7 shape to take us out.