Video lesson
Here’s my video lesson, definitely check this out to see how everything below is played:
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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:
- 3:22 Chords Used
- 4:08 Verse Strumming Technique
- 5:57 Refrain Strumming Technique
- 7:54 Barre Chords
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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