Tabs
CRAZY MAMA J.J. CALE
Submitted by Erik Davis
This is a fingerstyle arrangement of JJ Cale's 24-bar blues song "Crazy
Mama"
Each dash represents 1/16th note, and since the song is in 12/8 time (aka
swing time), there are 24 dashes per measure. I have tried to be concise
and get it right, but if I fucked up, just remember, it's blues. The
rhythm in the average measure is /dum'de dum'de dum'de dum'de/
(trochaic quadrimiter, for all you poets out there, and [dotted eighth note
+ sixteenth note] x 4 for all the rest of you). Enjoy.
FIG1
The following rhythm figure is repeated (ad nauseum) during the verses.
[Repeat15 times]
E MajorE|------------------------|
BB|------------------------|
G+G|------------------------|
D MajorD|------2-----2-----2--2--|
A augmentedA|------4-----2-----4--2--|
E MajorE|0---0-----0-----0-------| RH mute bases
FIG2
Played on last line of each verse [the 16th bar of the song]
E MajorE|---------------------2--|
BB|---------------------3--|
G+G|---------------------2--|
D MajorD|------2-----2-----2-----|
A augmentedA|------4-----2-----4-----|
E MajorE|0---0-----0-----0-------| RH mute bases
FIG 3
Played in between verses [repeated 3x, bars 17-22]
*'s indicate a 3/8 long "hard rest", i.e. rhythmic slapping of strings
* * * * *
E MajorE|----2-----0-----0-----0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-|
BB|----3-----2-----2-----0-|----0-----0-----0-----0-|
G+G|----2-----2-----2-----1-|----1-----1-----1-----1-|
D MajorD|0-----------------------|------------------------|
A augmentedA|------------0-----------|------------------------|
E MajorE|------------------------|0-----------------------|
FIG4
Transition back into verse (or into solo). Bars 23-24.
* * let last "e"chord of bar 23 ring into bar 24
E MajorE|----2-----0-----0-----0-|------------------------|
BB|----3-----2-----2-----0-|------------------------|
G+G|----2-----2-----2-----1-|------------------------|
D MajorD|0-----------------------|------------------------|
A augmentedA|------------0-----------|------------------------|
E MajorE|------------------------|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
Here are the lyrics (before I get to the solo)
/ Fig 1 (x15) .......
Crazy ..
Crazy ..
You ..
Crazy ..
....... / Fig 2 / Fig 3 (x3) / Fig 4/ ==>
verse 2
Crazy ..
2. Standin' ..
Standin' ..
Lord ..
Crazy ..
Crazy ..
SOLO: I usually play it after verse two, and then end the song by
repeating the first verse.
Remember, the following symbols replace a dash (1/16 in the notation) so
don't assume that 0h2 takes 2/16 to play; it takes 3/16.
h - hammer
p - pull off
s - slide
s - above the slide up to that note (grace note)
b - above the bend up to that note (ghost note)
P.S. I broke up the the upper strings at the end of each bar to make it
even again with the bass, so it's easier to see what's going on without
counting
dashes.
s
E MajorE|------------------------ |------------------------ |------------------------|
BB|------------------------ |------------------------ |------------------------|
G+G|------------------------ |------------------------ |------------------------|
D MajorD|----0------------------- |2p0---0---------0-------
|------------------------|
A augmentedA|0h2---------------------
|----2---2p0-2p0---2p0---|------------------------|
E MajorE|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---3-|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
s
E MajorE|------------------------ |------------------------
|7-6p5-------------------|
BB|------------------------ |------------------------
|------8p5---8p5---------|
G+G|------------------------ |0-----------------------
|----------7-------------|
D MajorD|--0-----0-----0---2p0--- |--2---------------------
|------------------------|
A augmentedA|5-----5-----5---------2- |------------------------
|------------------------|
E MajorE|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
s b
E MajorE|------------------------ |------------------------ |-9----
7---0-------------|
BB|--8---------------------
|------------------------ |-10----9-----------------|
G+G|------------------------ |--7---9-------7---9----- |----------
9-------------|
D MajorD|9---9-8p7--------------- |--7---9-------7---9-----
|------------------------|
A augmentedA|----------10-7-----------|------------------------ |------------------------|
E MajorE|0---0-0---0- 0---0-0---0-|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|0---
0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
b
E MajorE|------------------------ |-9---- 7---0-------------
|3p2---0-----------------|
BB|------------------------ |-10----9-----------------
|----3---3p0-----0-------|
G+G|--7---9-------7---9----- |---------- 9------------- |------------
3p2---2p0---|
D MajorD|--7---9-------7---9----- |------------------------
|---------------------- 2-|
A augmentedA|------------------------ |------------------------
|------------------------|
E MajorE|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|0---
0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
s
E MajorE|------------------------ |3s4---------------3----- |------------------
0-----|
BB|------------------------ |----5-4s3---5p3-5---5p3- |--3-----------------
3p0-|
G+G|0----------------------- |----------4------------- |4---4-3s2-0-2p0---------|
D MajorD|--2p0------------------- |------------------------ |----------------
2-------|
A augmentedA|----------2------------- |------------------------ |----------
0-------------|
E MajorE|0---0-3h4-0-0---0-0---0-|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|0---0-0---
0-0---0-0---0-|
b b b b
E MajorE|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0- |
BB|5-----5-----5-----5----- |
G+G|------------------------ | ===> Fig 3 (x3) / Fig 4/ ==> verse 1
D MajorD|------------------------ |
A augmentedA|------------------------ |
E MajorE|0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
Other versions of Crazy Mama
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Crazy mama (Ver. 2) by Cale J J
