To make it through this tune you will need to play this 8 bar riff as close as you can to perfectly 4 times, and to keep it exciting, you're gonna need to keep whipping the dog out of it. Actually, the final time you cycle through it, the last few measures add a new element of trickiness, and if you've got weak old hands, like I do, then you might find it a bit of a marathon, but you will need to save a tiny reserve of strength in order to really sting the very last lick.
The white-space in this riff is a vital element. With three guitars it is critical to minimize superflous ringing. Constantly try to dampen with both hands. The harmonies will sound very messy unless you do.
Don't overlook the swing time indication in the rehearsal mark.
Pickup bar:
Count off four, then come in on the upbeat of 3 in the pickup bar.
Pickup bar:
Count off four, then come in on the upbeat of 3 in the pickup bar.
Measure 1:
In the first measure, notice that the A is on the downbeat 1 and repeated as the upbeat on 2. To get a feel for this, practice picking beat two with an upstroke. If you repeat the downstroke as in beat 1, then there can be a tendency for your timing to drift toward the downbeat of beat 3. The riff then begins to swing less and march more. Not good, unless you're planning to perform this at a high school football game. Notice that the accents are on the upbeat of 1 and the downbeat of 3. We're already starting to boogie!
Also don't ignore the scratch(es)* on beat 4. They help to set up the correct rhythm of the lick in the next measure. Notice that JJ scratches both the down and upbeat, while JD scratches only the downbeat. This double-scratch the first measure of the song is ghosted in measure 5 when the riff repeats in the JJ line.
Measure 2:
The notes in this second measure, this must snap and sparkle! All the notes must be very even. When you release the g-string on the phrase in beat one, don't let the b-string ring. I try to damp it with tip of my ring finger while I'm snapping that g-string with my bird finger. Keep it ultra-clean and spank that downbeat of 1.
Measure 3:
Almost like the first, but differing in the single scratch on the downbeat of 4, and the F# on the upbeat, which should be played with an upstroke in order to be set up correctly for the next measure. I was wrong about this -- John plays it with a downstroke in order to accent the hammer-on to the G. This F#, the 6th scale tone in A-Major, as well as the 7th tone in G, leads the ear into the A to G chord change. That this change precedes the downbeat of the next measure by 1/2 a beat, rather than waiting until the downbeat where our musical mind anticipates the change, gives this run a sense of movement, and makes it feel faster than it is actually played. It lends a sense of urgency.
Measure 4:
The hammer-on (downbeat of 1) must be very audible and crisp. Try to accent every downbeat of this measure. Make sure that every note gets its full share, and that no notes get 'lost in the sauce'. I hear a slight crescendo spanning the measure which I try to practice.
Measures 5-8
These repeat measure 1-4, and then the whole eight bars repeat. I'm going to count the first measure of the bridge beginning with 9, even though it's really 17.
Additional notes:
Notice that WR laying out a bit, playing footballs of just a partial A-chord (root, 5th, octave) in the measures 1 and 2. Later in the song he will play the full part, as JD adds a harmonic line to this riff which will include the C# on the B-string. And then he will add his own harmony in the final cycle. The effectiveness of this spice will be lost if added too soon. Introducing new harmonies throughout the tune is another device used to keep the riffs from becoming monotonous and keep challenging the listener's ear. This is something we've known since J.S. Bach began writing fugues.
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