Artist: John Mayall and the Blues Breakers
Song: Ramblin’ on my Mind
The electric version played by EC is a kind of electric Delta Blues, compared to the Chicago Blues style it sounds cruder, less jazz-like. Recently EC played Ramblin' unplugged, closer to the original.
Ramblin' on my mind is a slow basic Blues shuffle in E, with a quick change 12 bar Blues scheme. You can use the minor pentatonic Blues scale as described before.
You need the following chords: E7 - A7 - B7 (I-IV-V)
The main chord progression is (12 bar quick change Blues)
E7 - A7 - E7 - E7
A7 - A7 - E7 - E7
B7 - A7 - E7 - B7
The song structure is:
1st verse, 2nd verse, solo, 3rd verse, ending
Rhythm guitar
This is the basic riff, played with some variations. You can use also other fitting riffs or start with playing chords. Try them out!
E7 A7 B7
I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I
I-------------------I I-------------------I I----0-0--0-0--0----I
I-------------------I I-------------------I I-------------------I
I-------------------I I--2-2-4-4-5-5-0----I I-------------------I
I--2-2-4-4-5-5-0----I I--0-0-0-0-0-0---4--I I--2---2------------I
I--0-0-0-0-0-0---3b-I I-------------------I I----------------3b-I
Intro
The intro starts with with a double stop (two notes played together) combined with a bending on one of the notes, followed by some common Blues licks: 0tr1 means a triller: fast hammer-on and pull-off (0h1p0h1p0 etc.)
I---7--7--I-7--7--7----0-I-----------------------I-----------I------------------I
I---8b-8b-I-8b-8b-8------I-----------------------I-----------I------0---0-0-----I
I---------I---------------I-----------------------I---0h1-2-3-I-4---------------I
I---------I---------------I-0tr2--0h2-------------I-2---------I------------------I
I---------I-----------2---I-----------2-1-0-------I-----------I----2---2-----2h4-I
I---------I---------------I-----------------3b-0--I-----------I--------------0---I
|- piano starts here I've got
First Verse
E7 A7 E7 E7
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I-------------------------I
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I-------------------------I
I-------------------I--------------------I-----0tr1-2-0tr1---------I-----0tr1-2 0tr1---------I
I-------------------I--2-2-4-4-5-5-0-----I-------------------0-1-2-I-------------------0-1-2-I
I-2-2-4-4-5-5-0-----I--0-0-0-0-0-0---4---I-----------------2-------I-----------------2-------I
I-0-0-0-0-0-0---3b--I--------------------I-0-0---------------------I-0-0---------------------I
ramblin' I've got ramblin' I've got
all on my mind
A7 A7 E7 E7
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I-------------------------I
I-------------------I--------------------I-------------------------I-------------------------I
I---------------2---I---------------2----I-----0tr1-2 0tr1---------I-----0tr1-2 0tr1---------I
I-2-2-4-4-5-5-4---2-I-2-2-4-4-5-5-4---2--I-------------------0-1-2-I-------------------0-1-2-I
I-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0-I-0-0-0-0-0-0-0---0--I-----------------2-------I-----------------2-------I
I-------------------I--------------------I-0-0---------------------I-0-0---------------------I
ramblin' I've got ramblin Is to leave
all on my mind
B7 A7 A7 A7
I-------------------I---------------------------I-------------------------I-------------------I
I---0-0--0-0--0-----I---------------------------I-------------------------I----0---0----------I
I-------------------I---------------------------I-------------------------I----2-2-2----------I
I-------------------I-2---2----2--4b-2-4-2---2--I------0-1-2-0------------I--2----------0-1-2-I
I-2---2---------3b--I-0-0---/4-------------4----I--------------2-1-0------I-----------2-------I
I-------------------I---------------------------I--0-0---------------3b-0-I-------------------I
my baby, 'cause she treats me so unkind I'm goin'
Second verse
(I'm goin') down to the station,
catch that old fast milk train, you'll see. I'm going down to the station,
catch that old fast milk train, you'll see.
I've got the (continued as following:)
B7
I-----------2---2-------I---------------------------I-0-----------------------I---------------I
I---0-0---0---0---------I---------------------------I--------------------0----I---0---0-0--0--I
I-------2---------------I---------------------------I------0tr1-1-2-2-3-------I---------------I
I-----------------2-0-1-I-2-2--4-4--5-5--0----------I-------------------------I---------------I
I-----------------------I-0-0--0-0--0-0-------------I-----------2-3-3-4-------I-2---2---2-----I
I-----------------------I------------------0--------I-0--0--------------------I---------------I
Blues about Miss So 'n So, and the sun got the Blues 'bout me.
Solo
He plays around 1 note (!) doing full, half and quarter bends.
To keep the tab in a comfortable length, I've used (only for this song)
bf for a full-tone bend,
bh for a half tone bend,
bq for a quarter tone bend and
hb for hold bend, that means pick the string after bending it.
It's a good idea to practice these bends before playing the solo. I think it's impossible to make an absolute exact tab of this solo, you must listen to the record...
Solo:
I----8bh---8bh---I-10bf-10hb-10hb-(repeat 7 times)-I
I-/9-----9-------I----------------------------------I
I----------------I----------------------------------I
I----------------I----------------------------------I
I----------------I----------------------------------I
I-----------------------------------------------I
I-10hb-10hb-10hb-8-8bh-10hb-10bh-10bq-10br-8-10-I
I-----------------------------------------------I
I-----------------------------------------------I
I-----------------------------------------------I
I-----------------------------------------------I
I-----------------------I-7-5--------------------------I---------------I
I-10br-8---8-10-8-----5-I-----7rb-5---7-7bf-bh-7-5-7---I-7bf-7hb-7br-5-I
I--------9---------/6---I-----------6----------------6-I---------------I
I-----------------------I------------------------------I---------------I
I-----------------------I------------------------------I---------------I
I-----------------------I------------------------------I---------------I
I-----7---------7--------------------------------------I------------------------------I
I-7bf---7hb-7bf---7hb-5----5-7--7bf-7bf-5-5-5--7bh-----I----3-3-----------------------I
I------------------------6--------------------------6--I-/4-----2-2-2tr0-------------I
I------------------------------------------------------I------------------2---0h2-----I
I------------------------------------------------------I--------------------2---------I
I------------------------------------------------------I------------------------------I
I-----0--0-----0-0-----0-0---I----------------I
I---0----0-------0-------0---I-0---0--0---0---I
I----------3p2-----3p2-------I-1--------2-----I
I----------------------------I----------------I
I----------------------------I---2-2------2---I
I-0--------------------------I----------------I
Third verse
(Played same as first) (I got) mean things,
I've got mean things all on my mind. Little girl, little girl,
I've got mean things all on my mind. Is to leave my baby,
cause she treats me so unkind.
Ending
I------------------------------3/4----I
I------------------------------2/3----I
I---0tr1-------2----3----4----3/4----I
I-------------------------------------I
I------2-------3-3--4-4--5-----------I
I-0-------3b-0------------------------I
That was it!
