Learn to Play "Going Down Slow" by Jimmy Witherspoon on the Guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Going Down Slow on the guitar. We're going to explore this classic blues tune, loosely based on the Robin Ford and Jimmy Witherspoon version. If you love the blues, you'll find this song an excellent addition to your repertoire!

Going Down Slow is a 12-bar blues song that's great for practicing the G7, C7, and D7 chords. These dominant chords are staples of many blues songs, and getting familiar with them will help you easily navigate this musical genre.

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Basic Chord Progression

The basic sequence of this song involves switching between the G7, C7, and D7 chords. Here's a simple breakdown:

Start with one bar of G7 for four strums, switch to C7 for four strums, go back to G7 for eight strums, back to C7, back to G7, D7 for one bar, C7 for one bar, G7 for half a bar (two beats), C7 for two beats, back to G7 for two beats, and then off to D7 for two beats.

Don't worry if it sounds a bit slow at first. The vocals will give the whole thing a push, and you can always add a bit of a groove by introducing a triplet feel.

Adding a Triplet Feel

Adding a triplet feel can do wonders if you're playing it by yourself and want to give it a little more juice. Think of it as emphasizing the beat a little more. And remember, varying where you're putting those triplets can make quite a big difference to where it's going.

Singing and Playing

The most challenging part of playing a slow blues like this is getting the rhythm right for the words, especially if you're going to sing and play at the same time. It's not like other pop songs. The way you sing it and where you place the rhythms is pretty free. The key is to make sure your guitar playing is solid. You need to be really confident that you're doing the right thing before you start playing around with the vocal.

Wrapping Up

I hope you have fun playing this tune. It's a nice, easy one, just a 12-bar blues, great for getting your dominant chords. Watch the video for a more detailed breakdown and some practical tips on how to bring out the best in this classic blues song. Keep practicing, and before you know it, you'll be playing Going Down Slow like a pro!

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A lot of people ask about the intro... so here it is. You should be able to catch the fingering on the video, but basically, the thinnest string is played by the little finger. Notes on strings 4 and 2 are played with fingers 3 and 4 the first time and then with a 1st finger bar for the rest. At the end, it's simply a D7 chord!

-----3-------3----3-----3-----------------2--
--3----3--2----1-----0------------------1----
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--3----3--2----1-----0--------------0--------
---------------------------0--3--4-----------
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