The Year That Clayton Delaney Died

by Tom T. Hall • Lesson #132 • Feb 8, 2018

Video lesson

Song Sheet Temporarily Unavailable...

For copyright reasons, my printable song sheet is temporarily unavailable while I move it over to Musicnotes.com, a sheet music service that is providing licensing for my song arrangements.

Want me to priortize this song, so the song sheet is ready sooner? Click the button below and let me know – this helps me know which songs to work on next!

Click to Request

Learn more about my library of song sheets & instructional PDFs.

Editor’s notes

In this video I’ll show a tutorial for the the classic country intro lick heard in “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died” by Tom T. Hall. Even if you’ve never heard this song before, I’ll bet the style of this intro lick is one you feel like you’ve heard a thousand times. It uses only two chords, but requires a bit of practice to pull of… I’ll show you how it’s done, complete with some tabs and exercise to break things into small pieces.

Capo 1st fret

If you want to play along with the album version, through a capo on the 1st fret and use the chords I show here. This is how Tim T. Hall plays this song. You don’t need the capo - without it, you’ll just be a half-step lower in pitch (which is okay if you’re not playing along with his recorded version).

Chords needed

E –––3––––––––1––––1––––
B –––1–––1––––1––––0––––
G –––0–––3––––2––––0––––
D –––2–––2––––3––––0––––
A –––3–––3––––3––––2––––
E ––––––––––––1––––3––––
     C   C7   F    G7

Chord progression

Here’s the chord progression written out - 4 counts per measure. Play each line once, then repeat the whole thing for each verse.

C . . . G7 . . . C . . . C7 . . .
F . . . F  . . . C . . . C  . . .
F . . . F  . . . F . . . C  . . .
C . . . G7 . . . C . . . C  . . .

Lyrics with chords

(capo 1st fret)

    C                    G7              C      C7
I remember the year that Clayton Delaney died
     F                                                C
They said for the last two weeks that he suffered and cried
   F                                                     C
It made a big impression on me although I was a barefoot kid
     C                           G7                       C
They said he got religion at the end and I'm glad that he did

        (use same progression for each verse)

Clayton was the best guitar picker in our town
I thought he was a hero and I used to follow Clayton around
I often wondered why Clayton who seemed so good to me
Never took his guitar and made it down in Tennessee

Well daddy said he drank a lot but I could never understand
I knew he used to picked up in Ohio with a five piece band
Clayton used to tell me son you better put that old guitar away
Ain't no money in it it'll lead you to an early grave

I guess if I'd admit it Clayton taught me how to drink booze
I can see him half stoned a picking out the Lovesick Blues
When Clayton died I made him a promise I was gonna carry on somehow
I'd give a hundred dollars if he could only see me now

I remember the year that Clayton Delaney died
Nobody ever knew it but I went out in the woods and I cried
Well I know there's a lotta big preachers that know a lot more than I do
But it could be that the good Lord likes a little picking too

Yeah I remember the year that Clayton Delaney died

Strumming pattern

1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +
D     D  U     U  D  U

Intro riff

Sneak in extra strums of each chord as you’re able (I’m only showing a single strum of each here, for space reasons). Listen along to the song (or my video lesson) for context.

E ––––––––––––3––––––3–––––––––1–––––1–––––––––––3–––––––––––––––1–––––
B ––––––––––––1––––––1–––––––––0–––––0–––––––––––1–––––––––––––––0–––––
G ––––––––––––0––––––0–––––––––0–––––0–––––––––––0–––––––––––––––0–––––
D ––––––––––––2–––2––2––––1–0––0–––––0–––––––––––2–––––––––––––––0–––––
A –––––0–2–3––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–2–3––3––––––3–2–0––––2–––––
E –––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––3–––––––––––––––––––––3––3–––––
              C               G7                 C               G7

Intro riff exercises

Learning the above intro riff can be difficult, especially playing it at full speed. Here’s a way to practice the riff through breaking things into two exercise that build up the skills you’ll need to play this.

First, practice accenting these changing bass notes in a groove while strumming. Practice this on repeat. This will help establish the foundation you’ll need before you add the additional runs to and from the G chord.

E ––––––––––––3––––––3–––––––––1–––––1–––––––––––
B ––––––––––––1––––––1–––––––––0–––––0–––––––––––
G ––––––––––––0––––––0–––––––––0–––––0–––––––––––
D ––––––––––––2–––2––2––––––0––0–––––0–––––––––––
A –––––––––3––3––––––––––––––––––––––2–––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3––3–––––––––––
              C               G7

Second, practice this bassline sequence. Try to do it in time with the song, if you can (listen along for context). Start slow, get it down, and increase your speed until you can play it at full speed.

E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––––––––––––––––2–––––––1–0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––0–2–3––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–2–3–––––––––3–2–0––––––––––
E –––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––3–––––––––––––––––––––3––––––––
              C             G7                C               G7

WHen you’re comfortable with both exercises above, try combining them to create the full intro riff. Break that full riff into phrases (sections) if you can - don’t pretend you’ll be able to do it all at once!

Good luck!

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 217 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!

If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Fret Monster

Interactive fretboard map! See the patterns behind every scale in any key.

View

Capo Captain

An easy way to calculate key & chord combinations, for any capo location!

View

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!


Recent Lessons

  • March 22, 2024

    Lead Guitar & the F1 Theme Song

    Let's look at the catchy Formula 1 theme song and learn how to play it on lead guitar...including handy trick for dealing with the key change.

  • March 15, 2023

    Pink Floyd's "Breathe" - with Simpler Chords Included

    Learn to play through Pink Floyd's 1973 classic! I'll teach the chords they use, while also showing a handful of useful simplifications and riffs to make this work on a single acoustic guitar.

  • March 6, 2024

    Q&A: 8 Tips to Avoid Muting Strings

    If you're frustrated by muffled, muted, or buzzing strings when playing chords, you're not alone! Here's 8 tips to avoid this common issue.

  • March 1, 2024

    Blues Shuffle Riffs - Using Just 2 Strings!

    A step-by-step introduction to blues shuffle riffs in open position, which are an amazingly fun-to-play way to get that blues sound with just a few fingers.

  • February 16, 2024

    Soulful Lead Guitar with "America the Beautiful"

    Here's a few ways to approach playing melodic lead guitar over America is Beautiful - shown both on an acoustic and electric guitar. Lots of fun!

  • February 8, 2024

    Country Honk by The Rolling Stones

    Let's learn how to play The Stones' acoustic & countrified version of Honky Tonk Women — with all the riffs included!

  • January 31, 2024

    Beginner Blues - New Course Sneak Peek!

    Watch the first three videos of my upcoming course, Beginner Blues Guitar — where I'll teach youthe 12 bar blues, dominant 7th chords, and the shuffle (swing) rhythm.

  • January 23, 2024

    Strumming with Accented Notes

    A deep-dive into this must-know intermediate strumming technique, with step-by-step exercises to get up to speed! Featuring the Green Day song Time of Your Life.

  • January 13, 2024

    Lead Guitar Finger Placement – ft. La Sitiera (The Mavericks)

    Ever find yourself learning a riff, and not being sure which fingers to use? I'll give you a few tips in this video that'll help, no matter what you're playing!

  • January 9, 2024

    Hybrid Fingerstyle - First Steps!

    Let's look at combining percussive strumming with Travis-style fingerpicking melodies. I'll show 4-5 exercises & song examples to get you started.

Browse All Recent Lessons →

Browse All My Lessons

By lesson type

By technique

By musical genre

By decade

By musical key

By popular artist


← back to homepage