Tabs
Key To the Highway
Eric Clapton and B.B. King
>From the album ‘Riding with the King’
This tab is completely my own work. It’s my first tab, so it’s not 100%
accurate. Also, this tab does not show timings, so you’ll have to listen to
the song for accurate timings.
This is an easy Clapton/King song that should give you more rhythm ideas and
increase your repertoire of blues licks.
Rhythm ideas:
The chord pattern is A, E7, F#m, F#m, A, E7, 
A augmentedA
Here are some rhythm ideas that are used throughout the song:
e|-/9-9-9-9-9-9-9-----------10101010-----2-2-2-2-
BB|-/10101010101010----------9-9-9-9------2-2-2-2-
G+G|-/9-9-9-9-9-9-9-----------9-9-9-9------2-2-2-2-
D MajorD|-----------------/11-10-9-9-9-9-9------4-4-4-4-
A augmentedA|---------------------------------------4-4-4-4-
E MajorE|-----------------------------------0-1-2-2-2-2- etc etc
A augmentedA 
E7E7 
F# minorF#m
There are countless variations on this theme throughout the song, so you can
stick to the chord shapes shown or make up your own variations.
Chord pattern example: verse 1:
I’ve got the key to the ...
A augmentedA E7E7
Be all...
F# minorF#m
Gonna l...
A augmentedA
Walkin’s most too slow
E MajorE A augmentedA (turnaround)
Here’s a simple turnaround idea, which can be expanded upon if you like,
although you don’t have to include a turnaround at all.
e|-----------------
BB|--5-3-2-1--------
G+G|-----------------
D MajorD|-----------------
A augmentedA|-7-5-4-3-2-0-1-2-
E MajorE|-----------------
Here’s an example of a fill that’s sometimes used when changing from A augmentedA to E:
A augmentedA|---2-0-----
E MajorE|-0-----3-0-
Lead: This lead section is fairly accurate, although again timing is not
shown. It isn’t clear which parts Clapton or King play throughout this song.
Intro lead:
e|----------------------------12b14-12b14-12-10----------------
BB|-12b14-12b14-12b14-12b14-12-------------------13-12----12----
G+G|----------------------------------------------------14----11-
e|---------------------12----------------------12-11-10----------
BB|------12b14-12b14-15----12b14-12-------10-------------13h14----
G+G|-11-14---------------------------11-14-11-14----------------14-
e|-----------------
BB|-7h8-5---------5-
G+G|-------7-5-5h6---
In the verses some parts are played after the sung parts, whereas other
parts continue into the sung parts etc. You’ll have to listen to the song to
know when to play each bit.
Verse 1 lead – Clapton sings
e|----------------------7-------------------
BB|----------10---8b9-10---------10-10-------
G+G|-------6/9-------------9-7/11------11-----
D MajorD|----7-9------------------------------12---
A augmentedA|-7-9--------------------------------------
E MajorE|------------------------------------------
e|-12b14-12-10-10------------9------------------------
BB|----------------13-13-10-------------------------10-
G+G|-------------------------11---9p7p6---9------9-11---
D MajorD|----------------------------------------9h11--------
A augmentedA|----------------------------------------------------
E MajorE|----------------------------------------------------
e|---------------------------------
BB|-11/13-12-12-10--10-10/14--------
G+G|-x-------------11-----------12---
D MajorD|-------------------------14---14-
A augmentedA|---------------------------------
E MajorE|---------------------------------
Verse 2 lead – King sings
In this verse there is hardly any lead guitar at all. For most of the verse
the only lead guitar to be heard is this:
BB|-10
G+G|-11
So you can improvise a lead using ideas from the licks in this tab. At the
end of the verse there is a bit of lead:
e|------------------7/9----------
BB|-13-12-12-10-10----------------
G+G|----------------9-----9-9-9—-9-
D MajorD|-----------------------------9-
A augmentedA|-------------------------------
E MajorE|-------------------------------
Verse 3 lead – Clapton sings
e|-------------------------------------------13b14-12-10-------
BB|----------10-------------------------------------------13-10-
G+G|-------6-9---------------------------10----------------------
D MajorD|----7-9---------8-11b12r11-9---9-9/11------------------------
A augmentedA|-7-9-------------------------11------------------------------
E MajorE|-------------------------------------------------------------
e|----9\7---------------------------------------------------5-7-5-
BB|------------------------10-8------------------------5-----------
G+G|-11-----9----6-7-8-9—9-------9-7------------------6---4-6-------
D MajorD|-----------9---------------------10p7-10b11-7-7-----------------
A augmentedA|----------------------------------------------------------------
E MajorE|----------------------------------------------------------------
Solo
e|-5-5--9-9-9-9-9-9-9---12b14-12-10-------------------------------
BB|-5—5-10101010101010—10------------14-13-12-10-----10--10--------
G+G|-6-6--9-9-9-9-9-9-9---------------------------9/11--10—-11------
D MajorD|-7-7-------------------------------------------------------11---
A augmentedA|-------------------------------------------------------------12-
E MajorE|----------------------------------------------------------------
e|-12b14r12-12-10-9-----------------------------12-10----------
BB|------------------13-13-10-----10-12b14r12-10-------13-12-10-
G+G|---------------------------9-11------------------------------
D MajorD|-------------------------------------------------------------
A augmentedA|-------------------------------------------------------------
E MajorE|-------------------------------------------------------------
e|--------------------------------------------------
BB|-----------------14b16r14-14-10-8-7-------------5-
G+G|-12b13-11-9--7-9--------------------10-9--------5-
D MajorD|----------------------------------------11------6-
A augmentedA|------------------------------------------12----7-
E MajorE|--------------------------------------------12----
Solo contd (GTR II) Note that the beginning of this solo can be used as a
rhythm idea elsewhere in the song. The rhythm guitar plays this solo
section, while the lead guitar plays the occasional note in the background.
e|-/9-9-9-9-9-9-9-----------10---10--10-12------2--------------------
BB|-/10101010101010-----------9-9---10-----------2-----10-12b13-12b13-
G+G|-/9-9-9-9-9-9-9------------9------------------2-9/11---------------
D MajorD|------------------/11-10-9-9------------------4--------------------
A augmentedA|----------------------------------------------4--------------------
E MajorE|-----------------------------------------12\2-2--------------------
e|------------------------------------------------------------------
BB|-12b13-12b13-12b13r12-10h12p10-10-10-8----------------------------
G+G|---------------------------------------9------------------9-------
D MajorD|-----------------------------------------12-9h11------/11---12-11-
A augmentedA|-------------------------------------------------12---------------
E MajorE|------------------------------------------------------------------
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------
BB|-----------------------------------------------------------5---5-5-
G+G|----------------9-7/9-9-7/9-7/9-7-5—7/5------------------6---6-----
D MajorD|----------------------------------------7---77-55-44-2-------------
A augmentedA|-12---------------------------------------0------------------------
E MajorE|---12-10-11-12-----------------------------------------------------
That’s pretty much it. There’s no need for me to tab out the last two
verses, since you can make up / improvise your own lead using the many blues
licks scattered throughout this tab. The outro is similar to the intro, but
with minor variations.
Key to the tablature:
h = hammer-on
p = pull-off
x = mute string with fretting hand and play it
b = bend to next note to pitch of next note
r = release bent note to pitch of next note
/ or \ = slide to next note
Email me with any corrections / suggestions - [email protected]
JK
Other versions of Key To The Highway
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Key To The Highway by Eric Clapton
