Guitar lesson for

Apple Blossom

by The White Stripes  •  Lesson #30

Video lesson

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Editor’s notes

Hey friends! Here’s a new PDF for my lesson teaching “Apple Blossom” by The White Stripes (it also appears on Jack White’s acoustic album from 2016). It includes chords, tabs, and strumming patterns – showing how to play this song in standard tuning on an acoustic guitar. This is a song I enjoyed quite a bit during my college days (1999-2003), but I fell in love with it again after hearing it used in Quentin Tarantino’s movie “The Hateful Eight”.

Video timestamps:

Lyrics

INTRO
    Am

VERSE
    Am
    Hey little apple blossom
         Dm
    What... seems to be the problem
    Am
    ...All the ones you tell your troubles to
         E            G        Am
    They don't really care for you

    Am
    ...Come and tell me what you're thinking
           Dm
    Cause just when the boat is sinking
    Am
    ...A little light is blinking
        E               G      Am
    And I will come and rescue you

REFRAIN
        Dm                     Am
        ...Lots of girls walk around in tears
        E                      Am
        But that's not for you...
        Dm                          Am
        ...You've been looking all around for years
                B (let ring)                    E  G
        For someone to tell your troubles to

    Am
    ...Come and sit with me and talk awhile
    Dm
    ...Let me see your pretty little smile
    Am
    ...Put your troubles in a little pile
        E                G       Am
    And I will sort them out for you

    (solo)

        Dm                     Am
        ...Lots of girls walk around in tears
        E                      Am
        But that's not for you...
        Dm                          Am
        ...You've been looking all around for years
                B (let ring)                    E  G
        For someone to tell your troubles to

    Am
    ...Come and sit with me and talk awhile
    Dm
    ...Let me see your pretty little smile
    Am
    ...Put your troubles in a little pile
        E                G       Am
    And I will sort them out for you

    E               G           Am
    ...I'll fall in love with you...
    E               G         Am
    ...I think I'll marry you

Chords used

Here’s the regular open version of the chords:

E –|–––––0–––––1–––––0––––––––––––––|–
B –|–––––1–––––3–––––0––––––––––4–––|–
G –|–––––2–––––2–––––1–––––0––––4–––|–
D –|–––––2–––––0–––––2–––––0––––4–––|–
A –|–––––0–––––––––––2–––––2––––2–––|–
E –|–––––––––––––––––0–––––3––––––––|–
         Am    Dm    E     G    B

And here’s an all-barre chord edition, if you have something against open chords.

E –|–––––5–––––5–––––––––––––––––––––|–
B –|–––––5–––––6–––––––––––––––––––––|–
G –|–––––5–––––7–––––1–––––4––––8––––|–
D –|–––––7–––––7–––––2–––––5––––9––––|–
A –|–––––7–––––5–––––2–––––5––––9––––|–
E –|–––––5–––––––––––0–––––3––––7––––|–
         Am    Dm    E     G    B

Chord Progression

Verse:

Am . . . Am . . . Dm . . . Dm . . .
Am . . . Am . . . E  . G . Am . . .

Refrain

Dm . . . Am . . . E . . . Am . . .
Dm . . . Am . . . B . . . E  . . .

Strumming pattern

Verse

Here, you want to do all down strums, one per beat. Optionally, you can add an up-strum on the eighth note at the very end of each measure. Also, you want to slightly lift your pressed fingers off the fretboard just after each strum, which punctuates each strum.

E ||––0––––0––––0––––0––––0–|––0––––0––––0––––0––––0–|––
B ||––1––––1––––1––––1––––0–|––1––––1––––1––––1––––0–|––
G ||––2––––2––––2––––2––––0–|––2––––2––––2––––2––––0–|––
D ||––2––––2––––2––––2––––0–|––2––––2––––2––––2––––0–|––  etc
A ||––0––––0––––0––––0––––––|––0––––0––––0––––0––––––|––
E ||––––––––––––––––––––––––|––––––––––––––––––––––––|––
      v    v    v    v    ^    v    v    v    v    ^
      Am                       Am

Refrain

Here, you want to emphasize the bass note of each chord with a single, clean downstrum – and then do some casual down-up, up-down-up afterwards. Use this as a blueprint, and add the strums in.

E –|––––––1–––  –––––0–––  –––––0––––  –––––0––––|–
B –|––––––3–––  –––––1–––  –––––0––––  –––––1––––|–
G –|––––––2–––  –––––2–––  –––––1––––  –––––2––––|–
D –|–––0––––––  –––––2–––  –––––2––––  –––––2––––|–
A –|––––––––––  ––0––––––  –––––2––––  ––0–––––––|–
E –|––––––––––  –––––––––  ––0–––––––  ––––––––––|–
       Dm         Am         E           Am

Solo tab

Here’s a simple “bassier” version, in the lower register:

E ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––|–
B ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––|–
G ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––|–
D ||–––––––––––––––––––––––––|––5/7––7–5–––––––––––––|–
A ||–––5/7––7–7–5––––––––––––|––––––––––––/8–––7–5–––|–
E ||–––––––––––––––/8–––7–5––|–––––––––––––––––––––––|–
       Am                       Dm

E –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
B –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
G –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
D –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
A –|–––0–7––––0–5––––0–3––––0––3––5––3––––––––––|–
E –|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-/7–––5––|–
       Am                      

E –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
B –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
G –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
D –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
A –|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
E –|–––/7–7–7–7–––8––8––7~~–0––––––3––|–
        E

And here’s a version that is an octave higher. I’m sure Jack White doesn’t play it like this, and that’s fine – this version is optimized so you can do some loose strumming in the open chord positions.

E –|–––––0––0––––––––––––––|–––––5––5––––––––––––––|–
B –|–––––1–––––3––1––0–––––|–––––6–––––8––6––5–––––|–
G –|–––––2––––––––––––––2––|–––––7––––––––––––––7––|–
D –|–––––2–––––––––––––––––|––0––––––––––––––––––––|–
A –|––0––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––|–
E –|–––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––|–
      Am                      Dm


E –|–––––0––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
B –|–––––1––––––3––3–––1––1–––0––1––0––––––|–
G –|–––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2––|–
D –|–––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
A –|––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
E –|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
      Am


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

Good luck!

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

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