Video Lesson
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Editorβs notes
In this lesson Iβll teach you how to play an acoustic version of the classic St James Infirmary Blues. Weβll be in the key of A-minor, and Iβm going to make this as accessible and beginner-friendly as possible. Iβll teach the chords, the progression, some strumming tips, and show you some neat lead licks & fills you can add in between strums of certain chords. I hope you find it helpfulβ¦ letβs get to it!
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough & greeting
- 2:05 Chords shapes needed
- 6:20 Chord progression
- 6:55 Strumming patterns
- 9:39 Adv. strumming tips
- 13:40 Fills & licks
- 21:02 Farewell
My backing track for this song
Lyrics w/ chords
Opening verses:
Am E Am Am
I went down to the St. James Infirmary
Am F E E7
I saw my ba---by there
Am E Am Am
She was laid out on a cold white table
F E Am Am
So cold, so white, so fair
Am E Am Am
Let her go, let her go, god bless her
Am F E E7
...Wherever she may be
Am E Am Am
She may search this wide world over
F E Am Am
She'll never find a sweet man like me
Other verses (use same chord progression):
When I die, bury me in my straight-leg britches
Put on a box-back coat and a Stetson hat
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So you can let all the boys know I died standing pat
An' give me six crap shooting pall bearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red hot jazz band at the top of my head
So we can raise Hallelujah as we go along
Folks, now that you have heard my story
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that booze
If anyone should ask you
You just tell 'em I've got those St. James Infirmary blues
How to play the chords
Here are the chord shapes youβll need for this song. A few quick tips. First, for the E7, feel free to play a regular E if the 3rd fret note on the B string gives you trouble. Second, for the F, feel free to sub in any simplified voicing (2 options shown below) if the full F barre chord gives you trouble.
Typical chord shapes: Alt. positions for F major:
E βββ0βββ0βββ0βββ1ββββ E βββββββββββ
B βββ1βββ0βββ3βββ1ββββ B βββ1βββ1βββ
G βββ2βββ1βββ1βββ2ββββ G βββ2βββ2βββ
D βββ2βββ2βββ2βββ3ββββ D βββ3βββ3βββ
A βββ0βββ2βββ2βββ3ββββ A βββ3βββββββ
E βββββββ0βββ0βββ1ββββ E βββββββββββ
Am E E7 F F F
Chord progression for entire song
Repeat this, over and over (read left to right, top to bottom).
Am E Am Am
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Am F E E7
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Am E Am Am
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
F E Am Am
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Strumming patterns
Simplest way is to do all down strums on the quarter notes (1, 2, 3, 4):
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + d = down strum
d d d d
Next, you could bring in a strum of only the root note (thickest string of any chord) on the 1 and 3 counts, followed by a full strum (of all strings) on the 2 and 4 counts.
A-minor: E-major:
E ββββββ0βββββββ0βββ E ββββββ0βββββββ0βββ
B ββββββ1βββββββ1βββ B ββββββ0βββββββ0βββ
G ββββββ2βββββββ2βββ G ββββββ1βββββββ1βββ
D ββββββ2βββββββ2βββ D ββββββ2βββββββ2βββ etc
A ββ0βββββββ0βββββββ A ββββββ2βββββββ2βββ
E ββββββββββββββββββ E ββ0βββββββ0βββββββ
d d d d d d d d
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
You also could bring in up-strums, which I prefer to do in this manner (note this is an 8 count pattern, which is a bit tougher):
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + d = down strum
d d u d d u d d u u u u = up strum
> > > > = accented strum
Adding fills
Hereβs the fills I demonstrate in my video lesson. These are always played on the final 2-3-4 beats of the 2nd measure (on each of the 4 lines).
Fill #1 of 4
E βββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ
B βββββββββββββββββββββββ1βββ
G βββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββ
D βββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββ
A ββββββββ0β3βββ0βββββ0ββββββ
E ββ0β3βββββββββββ3ββββββββββ
Fill #2 of 4
E ββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ
B ββββββββββββββββββββ1βββ
G ββββββββββββββββββββ2βββ
D ββ2β1β0βββββββββββββ2βββ
A βββββββββ3β0βββββ0ββββββ
E ββββββββββββββ3βββββββββ
Fill #3 of 4
E ββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ
B βββββββ1β3ββ1βββββββββ1βββ
G ββ0β2βββββββββ2β0β2βββ2βββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Fill #4 of 4
E βββ3β0ββββββββββββββββ0βββ
B ββββββββ3β1βββββββββββ1βββ
G βββββββββββββ2β0β2ββββ2βββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Good luck!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.
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