This is a Vaughan rendition of a Willie Dixon song. The verses and bridge are 16 bars (or measures) long instead of the standard 12. It’s blazing fast too, at 184 beats
per minute. There is a heavy use of muted strings to create a percussive sound.
The song’s tempo is at about 98 beats per minute. It’s in standard 4/4 time and the rhythm uses a shuffle pattern. Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded the song using a 12 string acoustic guitar. If you don’t have a 12 string, that’s okay. It sounds great on a six-string acoustic, too. It’s one of those rare SRV songs in standard tuning.
In this lesson, we’ll be looking at the intro lick to the song which takes place in the measures 1 and 2.
Wouldn’t you know it! The hardest part to play of Life By The Drop is the very first part. Stevie sets things up nicely with a tasteful two measure lick.
This lick seems straightforward but it is deceptively difficult. It’s not real fast, but that’s not the problem. It’s got a certain swing to it and accents that give it character.
The main thing to keep in mind when learning it is to maintain the steady triplet pattern. That’s what gives it that swing.
This song’s intro is an instrumental featuring the guitar. It helps make this blues song very unique. It’s not for the faint of heart, though. There are a few quick passages that may trouble some players.
In the video below I’ll play the entire intro for you:
Complete Transcription To “All
The Small Things” (PDF)
Complete Transcription To “All
The Small Things ” (Power Tab)
