Lauren Bateman breaks down Melissa Etheridge's "I'm The Only One" as a modern blues shuffle. Learn the G and D chord progression, two alternating lead licks over a G vamp with hammer-ons and pull-offs, and how to add a Dsus4 "pinky spice" to the chorus.
Questions this video answers
G (bar or power), F (bar or power), D major, A minor, E major, Cadd9, Dsus4
Shuffle rhythm counted "1 a 2 a 3 a 4" (emphasis on "4 and a" for licks)
Starts on 5th string: 3 → 5 hammer-on, then 3 on 4th string (notated verbally as 3,5,3 with a hammer-on 3→5).
On the 4th (D) string: 5 → pull-off to 3, then end on 5 on the A string.
2nd fret on the D string pulled to open D, then 2nd fret on the A string (playing over G→F→E bar chords).
Chapters
Foreign.
We're gonna get bluesy a little bit on this one. I had some requests from Melissa Etheridge and this is one of my all time favorites that I used to love performing this song has a lot of cool techniques to teach. We've got some palm muting, we got some lead playing, and I'm going to show you how to do it all step by step in this lesson.
So these are the chords we're going to be using. We're going to be using a G chord as a bar chord. We're going to be using an F chord as a bar chord. But again, just use those power chords if you feel that's best. Then we're going to be using a D major chord, an A minor chord. We're going to be using an E major chord. And for some spice, we also got a CAD9 in the mix as well as a DSUS4 that you can add in for a spice from time to time. But I'll show you when we're going to do that. So first things first, let's talk about the rhythm before we get into the chord progressions and how we're going to put this all together. So let's start off with just a G power chord. All right, so if we'll make it, start it off easy. So if you don't have the full G bar chord yet, that's okay.
So it's a shuffle rhythm.
It's 1, a 2, a 3, a 4, a 1, a 2, a 3, a 4, a 1, a two, a 3, a 4.
Now the cool thing about this verse section is that there's really no chord movement. It's just Melissa riffing out on a G chord. And I don't think Melissa plays the lead guitar parts, but it's just, she's just hanging out.
Doing a shuffle on a G chord for the entire verse. And this is where these little spices of lead guitar can come in and help open this up a little bit. And you guys probably heard that in the intro. So what am I doing? So we're alternating between two lead guitar licks. Okay. So we got the shuffle pattern down and in between we're going to throw in these licks and they're going to fall on 4 and A. So if this is our rhythm, 1.
A 2, a 3, a 4 and a 4 and a 1, a 2, a 3 or a 4 and a 1, a two, a three, a four and a one, a two, a three, A four and A.
So now that you guys have the timing down for these licks, what exactly are we doing? So we're starting on the fifth string for the first one and we're going three, five and then three on the fourth string. Very, very simple. Nothing complex here, very simple lick, but adds a lot of flavor to this verse.
Okay, three, five, three. And we're doing a hammer on the three to the five.
So.
Okay, first fingers playing hammer. And remember, hammer ons are about speed. It's not really about how hard. You do have to hit the string hard, but I always tell people it's like snapping your finger. If you snap your finger and you go slow, you're not going to make any sound.
But if you go fast, you'll make sounds. Same with the hammer on. It's all about. It's more about speed than how pushing hard on the string.
So we go.
Okay, so that's the first one. The next one is. Now we're going backwards. We're starting on the fourth string, the D string, and we're going for a pull off. It's going to be five to three and again pull offs. You want to pull down on the string.
Okay. And we're going to end up on the 5 on the A string when we're done. So the first one was three, hammer to five and then down to three. The second one is five, pull the three on the D string and then end on five on the A string. So I would just practice going between those two licks before throwing it in with the chord.
So now let's go really slow and let's throw this in with the chord.
So we go one, a, two, a three, a one, a two, a three, a four and a one, a two, a 3, a 4 and a 1, a 2, a 3, a four and a 1, a two, a 3, A 4 and a.
So now you got the. The timing on that. And whether you want to do it as palm muted, you can do it palm muted.
Or if you want to do it just the way I did it.
With the pulsing rhythm. What I'm doing is I'm playing the strum and then I'm releasing my pressure on my left hand to create that staccato feel. Very, very popular in blues.
So you can palm mute. There's. There's a couple options, whatever you feel is best for you.
So for dynamic sake, you may want to palm mute the first verse and then as the song opens up, the second verse, you may want to expand it a little bit more. But just a couple options for you guys. So once we get through the verse section, we've now got the chorus, and this is where things really opens up. We get a lot more chords here. We're not just playing a G chord and a couple of licks. There is a lick in this section, and I'm going to show you how to incorporate it over the chords. So we're starting off with an A minor chord, and we're sticking with the shuffle beat. And we're not doing any palm muting or staccato feel here.
I'm just letting those chords ring because this is where the part of the song really opens up.
Go on and hold it till the screaming is gone.
No, unbeliever when she.
Tells you nothing's around.
All right, you.
Can tell I love Melissa Etheridge.
She's one of my big influences. I actually did an entire set of Melissa Etheridge one night for a show, and it was awesome. So what did I do here? I started on A minor. You saw that. Then I went to a D chord. And then you heard that first spice come in that D sus 4. So what did I do?
I went 1, a 2, a 3.
A 4 to the D chord.
One a 2, a 3, a four, a.
Go on and hold it till the.
Screaming is gone So I went 3, 4. So I just took this sus 4. And on the third beat, I put my pinky down. See, my pinky came down. And then I just released it quickly. So we got.
Go on and hold til the screamin.
Is gone.
3A4, 3a4 okay, so the 3 was dsus4. And then when I got back to the 4, it was right back to D. And then we just repeat the whole thing.
Go on believer when she tells you.
Nothing'S wrong okay, so you can hear.
I'm just accenting a little bit with that spice. You don't have to. You could just do the D chord straight through, and that would also be fine. But I just want to let you guys know how I like to play the song. So this next section we're going to go into is a lot of bar chords. All right? We got a G bar chord. You can use power chords, too. The F and then an E. And there's a little lead line that comes in here. And I'm going to show you a couple different ways to play it. One with strumming and one without. This lead line is going to be the second fret on the D string, okay? And we're going to go. We're going to pull to the open string, and then second finger is going to Come up to the second fret on the A string. So it's going to be 1 and.
A 2 and a 3 and a.
Or it might even be 2 and.
A 3 and a 4 and a.
1 right back into the G. Okay.
So it's 1, a 2, a 3, a 4, a 1, a 2, a 3 or a 4, a 1, 2.
And a 3, and a 4 and.
A 1, a 2, a three, a.
Four, a one, a two, a three.
A 4, a one, one and a.
Two and a three and a four, four.
And I just noticed as I was playing this live, because I'm playing the E major chord, I'm actually doing those hammer ons in those pull offs or the pull offs with my third finger. I wasn't. I wasn't doing it with my second finger. I told you I was doing that earlier. Just want to make that correction for you guys. I'm using my third finger in real application because my finger is already here. This third finger is already here. So just use it.
Okay, but what if we don't want to go between playing lead line and we just want to play chords like I did when I just. Just showed you? So we got one, a two, a.
Three, a four, a one, a two, a three or a four, a one.
Two and a three and a four and a.
I'm doing the entire chord. This way I can stay chordal if I want to.
I like doing that when I'm live as opposed to playing the single line because it's just. I think it sounds fuller, particularly when I'm playing by myself. You know, that little.
Kind of takes away the feel. And this is such a powerful part of the song. I don't want to lose those chords. So that's what I do when I'm playing live for this section. We go through that twice and then we come back out on an A minor.
Here's the C I9.
The demons that you're hiding from and.
Here'S the F. When all your promises.
Are gone back to C9.
I'm the only one.
And then you go right back into the beginning of the verse. I'm going to do a quick play through on the end here for you guys to hear how this all comes together. And this way you guys can practice playing along with me.
One, A two, a three, a four.
Please, baby, can't you see My mind's a burning hell, girl Razors are ripping and tearing and scraping my heart apart as well.
Tonight you told me that you wait for something new like some other woman's looking like something that might be good for you.
Go on and hold her til the screaming is down.
Though I believe her she tells you.
Not in the wrong But I'm the only one? Who walk across the fire for you.
And I'm the only one drowning my desire for you.
It'S only fear that makes you from the demons that you're hiding from when all your promises alone I'm the only one.
If you guys are as big of Melissa Etheridge fans as I am, then you're really going to enjoy my lesson video on Come to my Window where I show you some really cool strumming patterns to play it just the way Melissa does. I'll see you guys in that lesson over there.
