HOW TO PLAY Down On The Corner Guitar Lesson - WITH EASY BASS LINE!
Lauren Bateman teaches CCR's 'Down On The Corner' using three chords: C, G, and F. Learn two intro riffs with fingering tips, two strumming patterns from beginner to intermediate, and how the parts fit together.
Chapters
Hey, guitar enthusiast Lauren Bateman here in this guitar lesson, we're going to be going over CCRs down on the corner. I have a really cool little intro lick here for you guys. So let's get into the guitar lesson.
So this song uses three chords, which is great. We're going to be using a C chord, a G chord and an F chord. But if you don't know bar chords, you can just use the F major 7 and it'll work just fine. And the great thing about this song is we're going to be going between C and F, right, frequently. So going from C to F major 7 is a very simple switch, even if you're a beginner. And speaking about beginner stuff, this intro lick is definitely at the beginner level. So even if you can't play some of the strumming stuff, I'll show you later. This is awesome. So let's get into this first part of the riff. So the song starts off with this cool bass line. I'm going to play through it real quick for you guys so that you can hear what it sounds like. This is what it's going to sound like. Riff one.
Okay? That's the first riff. And then there's a second riff, which is.
Super cool, super awesome. So let's talk about this first riff right now. Now we're going to be using the open strings, the third fret and the second fret. So my recommendation would be. So for the third fret, anytime on the tab you see the number three, use your third finger. Anytime you see the number two, use your second finger. Keep it simple. Alright, so the first part, we're starting off on this A string and we're starting on the third fret with our third finger. And it's going to be third fret open. Okay, three open. And then we're going to move up to the top string to the third fret. So it's three, three open, top string, third fret. And then we go back to the A string. We have two threes and an open. Okay, so it's.
Okay again.
Now, I know you guys are like, lauren, how come yours sounds a little bit more like punchy than mine? Some of yours probably sounds like this right now.
And that's fine if you let the notes ring. Just so you guys know what I'm doing, because you may be hearing it. I'm playing the note and then I'm lifting my pressure on the string so it kills the note.
And that's more what they're doing. In the song. So if that's a new skill for you, you can practice that. All right, so that's our first measure of this lick. The second measure, we're starting on the top string at the third fret and it's going to be three, three. And then we're coming down to the second fret. Sorry, second fret on the A string. And then three, three on the A string. So the second half is.
Now, when learning riffs like this, I try to sing along with them, because sometimes people, they may not be good at rhythm, but they're good at singing the rhythm, even if you don't have a good singing voice. So if I were going to sing this.
I always tell people, like, if you can sing something, then instinctively you know the rhythm and you can play it. So let's play this all the way through now. Okay? So it's going to be.
Okay, that was a little bit slower. Let's do it again.
One more time. Ready?
Okay, that's our first half of the lick. So they play that little riff one twice and then they move on to riff two once and then back to riff one. So let's go check out riff number two now. So riff number two, we're starting on the third fret of the D string. Okay? So it's three open, and then moving up to the A string three and then back down to D string three. Three open. It's literally the same thing you just played. We moved everything down one string. So again, three open on the D string, three on the A string, and then three, three open on the D string. So it's going to sound like this. Just that first measure.
Again.
Hear?
Alright, now let's just wrap up this last part and then I'll play all the way through for you guys. So the last measure is going to be starting on the third fret. Okay? Third fret of the A string and we've got.
Three, three, and then second fret on the D string and then open G string. Okay.
So basically we're just following a C chord. Pretty cool, huh? So let's take this from the very top. I'm going to play Riff 1 twice, Riff 2 twice, and then Riff 1 once for this intro part of the song. All right, so the first time through, I'll play it through a little bit slower maybe than the song is, but still at a good, Good clip. Ready? 1, 2, 3, 4.
Riff1.
Riff2.
Riff1.
And there you guys go. That is the intro to down on the Corner. Now you can play this Intro riff or you can strum the chords. Whatever is your choice. It usually plays the intro riff twice and then you can play the F chord, a C chord, another C chord, and then a G for two beats and a C for two beats. Okay. But I think a lot of people like playing the little. The little riffs, so that's why I showed you guys that there. Hey, guys, Hope you're enjoying this lesson so far. Make sure to subscribe and turn on your notifications. This way you'll know when I release more videos just like this one. So now let's talk about strumming patterns because we're going to be getting into the verse and the chorus of the song and we're going to want to strum. If you did the riff for the intro, that's fine. At this point we're going to start strumming. Now, the verse, the chord progression is C for full measure and then G and C splitting a measure and then we do that again and then it's an F chord and then a C chord. Then after that we have another C chord followed by a G and a C chord splitting a measure. So that's the chord progression for our verses. Okay, so let's talk about a couple strumming patterns that we're going to use for these. The easiest one, if you're a beginner, would just to be 1 and 2, 3, 3 and 4. Down, up, down, down, up, down. All right, it's going to sound like this if I just use a C chord.
1 and 2, 3 and 4.
1 and 2, 3 and four.
All right, when we get to those split measures, the G, we're just going to do down, up, down once and then C, we're going to do down, up, down. So if I did the first verse.
Early in the evening, just about summer.
Time, doesn't sound exactly like the song, which is what we're gonna do next, but it'll get you through the song if you're at more of the beginner stage. So this next drumming pattern is a little bit more on the intermediate side because we have a lot of hopping and up strums. Alright. If you want to learn more about intricate strumming patterns, you can always go check out my course expressive rhythm. I'll put a link in the description below. But this strumming pattern here is going. Like I said, we're going to be doing a lot of up strums in a row. We have three up strums in a row, which can be awkward for people if they've never done that before, but let me play it through just so you can hear it and then I'll explain it for you guys. Ready? So this is what it would sound like.
So now you're probably really hearing the song. And this is a peppy song. This is so much fun to play. I love this song. It's so good. Thank you for whoever recommended this. I love it. If you have a recommendation or you want songs, put a comment below. And sometimes I do get to them. Alright, so we're starting on a C chord here and that's what we'll use. So it's going to be one E and a two. We're using a 16th note strumming pattern. And that's going to be down, up, down, up, down. Okay, one E and a two. Okay, down, up, down, up down.
Okay, that's the first half. Now the next up is going to be the 16th note at the very end of the second beat. So it's going to be one E and a two. A, E a four. So it's going to be up, up, up, down. So we have one E and a two.
Up, up, up, down.
One E and a two.
Up, up, up, down.
Okay, do you hear that? Now one more time. One E and A2.
Up, up, up, down.
Again, one E and A2.
Up, up, up, down.
A lot of people find it helpful when I, when I sing the rhythms there. So that's what we're going to be doing for A four full measure. Now the split measures. What's going to happen is we are going to be switching to that C chord on that up strum after the two. So it's going to sound like this. I'll do the G chord, one E and a two. That's the G chord. And then we switch to C and.
We go up, up, up, down.
Okay, again, one E and A2.
Up, up, up, down.
Now you guys are probably hearing that hupping again. Kind of like I did with the intro on those up strums. I'm strumming the C chord and then I'm releasing the tension. I do have an open string that rings through but I'm releasing the tension a little bit on the other string. So it makes this humming sound.
Hear that? So it's gonna be one E and a two.
Up, up, up, down.
So if I played the whole thing for that verse, this is what it's gonna sound like. And I will do a playthrough for you guys at the end. Don't worry.
So you hear that kind of gives a cool little hopping pattern. If you can't do it, don't worry, just go back re watch this multiple times. Practice with me and you will get it. But those are the strumming patterns that I'm going to be using for the rest of this tutorial. So the next part of this song is going to be a refrain which is where we get to the down on the corner. It's almost kind of like a chorus because the chorus is the part that's repetitive. So we've got down on the corner.
Out in the Streets.
So we have an F chord to a C chord. Okay, again, if you're using C to F major 7, that is a very easy chord transition for you guys. So we have F to C, G to C, F to C, G to C. Okay, not so bad. But all of these chords are two beats, each one splits a measure. Alright, so depending on what strumming pattern you're using, you're either going to go.
Down, up down, down, up down, down, up down, down, up down or you're gonna go down, up down, up down, up, up, up down, down up down, up down, up, up, up down, down, up down, up down, up up, up down down up down, up down.
All right, so that's what we're going to be doing for this refrain section. Okay? So it'll sound like this. 2, 3, 4.
Down on the corner out in the streets Willy and the paw paw has a plan Bring a nickel to the.
Heat Pretty easy for a frame. And then after that we have another verse, another refrain, we have an interlude. And the interlude, that's up to you. You can either play the chords which is going to be the C, G, C or you can play Riff 1, then again you can play the chords or Riff 1 and then Riff 2, Riff 1 as well. So you can either go back to playing chords or playing riffs for that interlude. So what I'm going to do now is I'm going to do a quick little playthrough for you guys so that you can play along with me. I'm going to do an intro, I'm going to do verse and I'm going to do a refrain. So let's start it off. Hey guys, if you're liking this video, make sure to give me a thumbs up. This way. YouTube shows this video to more CCR fans just like you. All right, I'm going to start, I'm going to play the intro riff, okay. And then I'm going to go into the verses and then I'm going to play refrain and then we'll be done. Ready? Here we go. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Early in the evening? Just about supper time? Over by the courthouse? You're starting to unwind? Walking's on the corner? Trying to bring you up? Billy picks a tuna and he rolls it on the hop? Or down on the corner? Out in the streets playing the bubbles? The plan bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Hope you guys enjoyed this less so much fun. YouTube's going to pop up a couple more videos over there. If you're having fun, go check out one of those and I hope to see you in a lesson video very soon.
