Guitar lesson for

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

by Bob Dylan • Lesson #26

Video Lesson

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Chord progression cheat-sheet

Verse

E . . . Emaj7 . . . A . . . A . . .
E . . . E     . . . B . . . B . . .
E . . . Emaj7 . . . A . . . A . . .
E . . . B     . . . E . . . E . . .

Refrain

A6 . . . A6   . . . E  . . . E    . . .
A6 . . . A6   . . . E  . . . E    . . .
F# . . . F#/E . . . F# . . . F#/E . . .
A  . . . A    . . . B  . . . B    . . .

Chords used

Verse chords

As I note in my video lesson, there’s a few caveats of note here. Whenever I play the E-major chord that precedes an E-major-7, I’ll only play the highest 4 strings – which lets the walk-down in the bass note be heard much more prominently. Also, my A-major is technically an Asus2 chord – play whicever you like. Likewise, I’m doing a modified (easier) B where the highest two strings are left open. You can replace this with a normal B-major, if you like, obviously.

E ||––––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––
B ||––––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––
G ||––––1–––––1–––––2–––––4–––––
D ||––––2–––––1–––––2–––––4–––––
A ||–––(2)––––––––––0–––––2–––––
E ||–––(0)––––––––––––––––––––––
        E   Emaj7   A     B

Refrain chords

I’m playing an Aadd6 for the “A6” chord I note below. You could also make that a F#-minor if you want. I’m playing the A-major and B-major the same way I play them in the verse, but again – play them like normal if you prefer.

E ||––––2–––––0–––––2––––––2–––––0–––––0–––––
B ||––––2–––––0–––––2––––––2–––––0–––––0–––––
G ||––––2–––––1–––––3––––––3–––––2–––––4–––––
D ||––––2–––––2–––––4––––––4–––––2–––––4–––––
A ||––––0–––––2–––––4––––––4–––––0–––––2–––––
E ||––––––––––0–––––2––––––0–––––––––––––––––
        A6    E     F#    F#/E   A     B

Strumming with bass-note emphasis

Strumming pattern basics

For strumming pattern, I like to use the following approach – where each chord’s bass note is picked once at the beginning of each strum sequence. The bass down-strum is indicated by the “B” below:

B = downstrum, bass note only
D = downstrum, all strings of the chord
U = upstrum

B D  U D U

Which when repeated in sequence looks like this:

B D  U D U B D  U D U B D  U D U B D  U D U B D  U D U (etc)

Simple bass-note emphasis

In practice that look like this:

E ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
B ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
G ||––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––|–
D ||–––0––2–––2–2–2––––1––1–––1–1–1–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––|–
A ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––0–––0–0–0––––0––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
       E               Emaj7           A               A

E ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
B ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
G ||––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––|–
D ||––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––|–
A ||––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––2–2–2––––2––2–––2–2–2––––2––2–––2–2–2–––––|–
E ||–––0––0–––0–0–0––––0––0–––0–0–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
       E               E               B               B

And so on.

Advanced bass-note emphasis:

E ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––|–
B ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––|–
G ||––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––––2–2–––––|–
D ||–––0––2–––2–2–2––––1––1–––1–1–1–––––––2–––2–2–2––––2––2–––––2–2–––––|–
A ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––0–––0–0–0–––––––––––0–0–0–––––|–
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
       E               Emaj7           A               A

E ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––|–
B ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––|–
G ||––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––1–––––1–1–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––––4–––––4–4–––––|–
D ||––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––––2–2–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––|–
A ||––––––2–––2–2–2––––2––2–––––2–2––––2––2–––2–2–2––––2––2–––––––––––––|–
E ||–––0––0–––0–0–0–––––––––––0–0–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
       E               E               B               B

E ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––|–
B ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––––0–0–––––|–
G ||––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––––2–2–––––|–
D ||–––0––2–––2–2–2––––1––1–––1–1–1–––––––2–––2–2–2––––2––2–––––2–2–––––|–
A ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0––0–––0–0–0–––––––––––0–0–0–––––|–
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
       E               Emaj7           A               A

E ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
B ||––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
G ||––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––––1–––1–1–1–––––––1–––1–1–1–––––|–
D ||––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––4–––4–4–4–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––|–
A ||––––––2–––2–2–2––––2––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––––2–––2–2–2–––––|–
E ||–––0––0–––0–0–0––––––––––––––––––––0––0–––0–0–0––––0––0–––0–0–0–––––|–
       E               B               E               E

Lyrics and chords

INTRO

      E . . . Emaj7 . . . A . . . A . . .
      E . . . E     . . . B . . . B . . .
      E . . . Emaj7 . . . A . . . A . . .
      E . . . B     . . . E . . . E . . .

VERSE

    E                 Emaj7
    I've seen love go by my door
         A
    It's never been this close before
    E                           B
    ...Never been so easy or so slow
              E                   Emaj7
    I've been shooting in the dark too long
         A
    When something's not right it's wrong
    E                    B                 E
    You're gonna make me lonesome when you go

    (repeat that same chord sequence for each verse)

    Dragon clouds so high above
    I've only known careless love
    It's always hit me from below
    This time around it's more correct
    Right on target, so direct
    You're gonna make me lonesome when you go

    Purple clover, Queen Anne lace
    Crimson hair across your face
    You could make me cry if you don't know
    Can't remember what I was thinkin' of
    You might be spoilin' me too much, love
    You're gonna make me lonesome when you go

REFRAIN
        A6                                   E
        ...Flowers on the hillside, bloomin' crazy
        A6                                    E
        ...Crickets talkin' back and forth in rhyme
        F#            F#/E             F#      F#/E
        ...Blue river runnin' slow and lazy
        A                                  B
        I could stay with you forever, and never realize the time

        (repeat that same chord sequence for each refrain)

    Situations have ended sad
    Relationships have all been bad
    Mine've been like Verlaine's and Rimbaud
    But there's no way I can compare
    All those scenes to this affair
    You're gonna make me lonesome when you go

        You're gonna make me wonder what I'm doin'
        Stayin' far behind without you
        You're gonna make me wonder what I'm sayin'
        You're gonna make me give myself a good talkin' to

    I'll look for you in old Honolula
    San Francisco, Ashtabula
    You're gonna have to leave me now, I know
    But I'll see you in the sky above
    In the tall grass, in the ones I love
    You're gonna make me lonesome when you go

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