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Click Here To Learn More!Sittin’ On The Dock of The Bay Guitar Tutorial
Welcome to my Sittin’ On The Dock of The Bay Guitar Tutorial by Otis Redding. This classic acoustic strummer uses some basic 7th chords and a very easy strumming pattern. We will learn it all in a simple step-by-step way, giving you time to practice everything before moving forward.
Sittin’ On The Dock of The Bay GUITAR TAB pdf is now published on Musicnotes (direct product links and FULL SONG PLAY-THROUGH are available on my Patreon page):
Click hereHere’s a video further covering the strumming pattern used in this song.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 0:00 – INTRO
- 1:35 – CHORDS + TIPS
- 2:55 – SWITCHING PRACTICE
- 4:04 – STRUMMING PATTERN
- 5:26 – PLAYALONG (VERSE)
- 6:12 – MORE STRUMMING
- 8:15 – CHORUS
- 9:28 – BRIDGE
- 12:35 – INTRO/OUTRO
- 13:12 – PUTTING IT TOGETHER
- 13:51 – FINAL PLAYALONG
It’s a classic strummer made up of some pretty simple components and a great opportunity to work on some lesser practiced chord switches, like from G to B7 for instance. Even if you’re fairly new to guitar, you could play each section of this song, except probably the bridge. But even then, I will show you a simpler way to do it so that will be possible.
The lesson starts off with the chords needed to play the verse: G, B7, C, A7. We talk a little bit about switching between them and how to practice that effectively and then we play them in order, using downstrokes only, just to get the counting right.
After that, we take a look at a strumming pattern. It’s the most common strumming pattern ever. I have an entire lesson on it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y36X-j3EqME). Regardless, we still work through it. My biggest advice is to learn how to say it, that’s going to get you there the fastest if you are having trouble with stuff like this. Then we practice putting it together with the chord shapes.
Regardless, we still work through it. My biggest advice is to learn how to say it, that’s going to get you there the fastest if you are having trouble with stuff like this. Then we practice putting it together with the chord shapes.
After that, just for completion sake, I’ve included another strumming pattern that you hear the guitar playing on the recording. I don’t recommend using this one if it’s a solo performance but if you do play with a band, this pattern is the one that they use and it sounds great. It’s a 16th note pattern, it’s twice as dense as the other one. We talk about how to count it out, learn how to play it, and then we move on and learn the rest of the tune.
The chorus is very, very straightforward. Not too much needs to be said about that, but the bridge does have a couple things we need to take a look at. First of all, we’re splitting measures, meaning we have to split our strumming pattern among two chord shapes. We do this just by using the first half, down down-up, on each of the two shapes within the measure. And we also have to deal with a barre chord, the F chord. I have an easy F chord that I show you, you’re welcome to use either that or the F bar chord.
Either way, we practice through every single section of this song intro, verse, chorus bridge outro. And then we practice putting it together.
Enjoy!
-James
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