ZZ Top - Waitin' for the Bus?

[ddewerd]

Hi folks,

My band's been working on this tune. The basic riff and solo are pretty straight forward, but there's a part that I just can't get. (and of course you have to play this as the intro song to Jesus Just Left Chicago, which is the song we really want to play)

This tune is basically a 12-bar in A, and the part I am having problems with is the V-IV. It should be based on an E and a D, which is pretty much what I'm hearing - but "based on" and "what to play" are the hard parts for me

I found some tab on the net (so of course it must be right :? ) that looks like this, but it just doesn't sound right.

E ---------------|-------------|-----------|-------------|
B ---------------|-------3----|-----------|-------------|
G ---------------|----2-------|------2----|-------------|
D ---------------|-0----------|---2-------|-------------|
A --2---------3-|------------|-0---------|-5<3---------|
E --0---3<5----|------------|-----------|-------5--0--|

You can see this tab as E, D, A, but I don't think it even sounds close.

Any help is greatly appreciated, as I've listened to this part a million times and it's driving me nuts!

Thanks,
Doug

 

[Cheesecaster]

low e string open(E)
estring slight bend 3rd fret (G)
d string 2nd fret (E)
b string 3rd fret (D)

d string open (D)
g string 2nd fret (A)
b string 1st fret (C)

a string 5th(D)
a string 3rd(C)
e string 5th (A)
e string open (E)

sorry about the format i hate tabbing

 

[Cheesecaster]

now jesus i put a tab in before and ill bump it back up its too cool. seen billy live at the end of waiting he tunes down his a string to a g giving it the classic sound and comfort on that cool turnaround , and the open g ringing out loud and proud
why not just dump the bus for la grange

 

[ddewerd]

why not just dump the bus for la grange

Yup, already do that. But we really want to play "Jesus Just Left Chicago" and you kinda have to do "Bus" as the intro... Sort of like Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, or maybe peanut butter and jelly

We're working on a few other ZZ songs now (Balinese, Beer Drinkers, Just Got Back from Baby's, Thank You, Fool for Your Stockings, Thunderbird). I haven't played some of this stuff in years and I'm having a blast!

Cheers,
Doug

 

[jeflar]

Don't forget Blue Jean Blues.

 

[ddewerd]

Last night we blasted a few more ZZ tunes during practice. The other guitar player and the bass player know bunches of them. I am a ZZ fan, but haven't played all that many (other than the few standards). Since I'm the primary lead player, it's a lot harder for me to keep up with learning all of those great licks (and it's a heckuva lot easier for them to just carry the rhythm parts). I am kind of catching on to Billy's style, which makes it easier to improv rather than try to perfectly mimic, but lots of them are signature licks that have to be pretty close to the original.

And not to mention some of the timing... those guys are tight. My band is a pretty accomplished group from a musical perspective, but we struggle with getting some of the breaks just right. It's just a hitch here, a slight hesitation there, a half rest... we'll be cruising along just fine and then come to transition, and everyone seems to have a different interpretation of how we should play it.

But it's still a lot of fun, but we need to be careful not to turn into a ZZ tribute band

Besides, I can't see me wearing a fake beard (reminds of my days playing Santa for my nephews) and I absolutely cannot play wearing sunglasses!

Cheers,
Doug