Look Who it Was Random video

Learn the Solo to "A Well A Take Em A Joe" by Slim Gaillard

1,459 views · Published 13 June 2018 · 11:41 · Indexed 28 October 2026

Channel: New Secret Guitar Teacher · 2018 · Music

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Learn the first half of the guitar solo by Slim Gaillard from the fun jazz tune A- Well- a- Take- 'em- a -Joe and gain some insight into how simple Jazz solos are constructed.

Guitar tab and backing tracks to play along to are available on the Secret Guitar Teacher site, sign up for a free trial now! https://www.secretguitarteacher.com/
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Catch up with part one: https://youtu.be/l45reBOfm5Y 
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Abridged Script:
In this lesson we’ll take a close-up look at the first 16 bars of the solo that Slim Gaillard plays.  
The first line of the solo is firmly based on an F chord. In fact, if you imagine the basic four-string F chord transported 12 frets up the neck this will help orientate you to most of the licks used in this solo.
The pick-up notes are played at fret 13 on the second string then we outline the chord by playing this note again – this C note at fret 13 being the 5th note of the F scale followed by the minor 3rd, quickly corrected to the major 3rd. So that’s Ab to A – frets 13 to 14 on the 3rd string then resolving down to the root note F at fret 15 on the 4th string.
Next, we work the F6 chord from the top octave F note at fret 13 on the 1st string. 
Descending via the 6th note of the F scale played at fret 15 on the 2nd string to the 5th – the C note at fret 13 …before coming back up the chord using the same trick as in the opening lick – the flat 3rd at fret 13 to the major 3rd at fret 14 on the 3rd string then back to the note we started on, to the 5th, the C note at fret 13.
Great guitar solos usually mix their methods. In this next line we move away from chord-based soloing to play a couple of bars based purely on the F major pentatonic scale.. so after bouncing 3 times on the C note in the lower octave down here at fret 10 on the 4th string we play two notes per beat straight up the scale. 
But once we reach the F at fret 13 on the top string we jump up to the A note at fret 17
Which works nicely as the underlying chord changes to Bb major. Then we come to a beautiful lick based on a Bbm9 which works because the underlying chord fleetingly moves through Bbm at this point. 
So, after the A at fret 17 on the top string we play G at fret 15 quickly followed by F at fret 13 and Db at fret 14 on the 2nd string. This is then woven back into the F6 chord by playing this lick… So, from the Db at fret 14 we get back on harmonically safe ground by passing to the D at fret 15 then up to F at fret 13 on the top string back down the major sixth chord shape again via the notes at fret 15 and 13 on the 2nd string before anchoring down through the same minor to major 3rd trick as used earlier – fret 13 to 14 on the 3rd string, fret 13 on the 2nd string, then enclosing the A note by playing 15 13 14 on the 3rd string before anchoring down to the root and fifth at fret 15 on the 4th and 5th strings. 
Time for a recap of solo so far, first at slow speed. Then at tempo. 
The next two bars look easy on the tab – the same note played 16 times in a row. But learning to count this and play it with the right rhythmic feel may present problems to less-experienced players.
The note is the F at fret 10 on the 3rd string and the best way I know of to count this is to use a method of vocalizing that is often used by swing players and that is to count 1 a 2 a 3 a 4 a for each bar. So, over these two bars that’s… The next three notes are played with the same rhythm.
So that’s the F at fret 10 on the 3rd string followed by frets 13 and 12 on the 4th string – a snippet of F mixolydian mode which then lands on the C note at fret 10 on the 4th string firmly on the 3rd beat of the bar – so you can count this 1 a 2  3. Then we hit the C note at fret 10 again followed by the Bb at fret 13 on the fifth string – both chord tones from the C7 chord that comes at the end of this line in the rhythm part.

As we come into the last line we return to working the F chord as we did at the start of this solo.
Again using the minor to major 3rd trick fret 13 to 14 on the 3rd string then up to the C note at fret 13 on the 2nd string back to the F at fret 15 on the 4th string. This is then repeated over the Bb to Bbm change then we play a phrase using the same first three notes, but linked with a hammer-on to give them that 1 a 2  timing before landing on the Bb note at fret 15 on the 3rd string firmly on beat 3 of the bar as the underlying chord changes to C7 then finally using a pre-bend to play the last three notes of the F minor scale Ab by bending the G string up a semitone from fret 12 releasing the bend to play the note G before resolving on the F at fret 10 on the 3rd string which is played twice to emphasise the full stop effect.
With this lesson on the Secret Guitar Teacher site, I am making available two backing tracks – slow and normal speed to help you practice this solo.
In the next lesson in this series, I’ll go over the
Second half of the solo. Hope to see you then.

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