David's Tip of the Day: T-Bone Shuffle - Blues Standards

Our next song on the School of the Blues House Band Standards list is "T-Bone Shuffle." We use the Boz Scaggs version in G (from the Come On Home album), with the harp player commonly using a C Harp.

This is another example of a song hanging on the I in the opening, in this case the form starting when the head is played by the horns. This is an iconic head for blues harmonica players, all very playable and a good challenge to those working on their half step bending control. It's also a classic example of the 3 Draw Rule (if the 3 draw B is present on the I Chord, it's commonly played on the IV Chord as 3' Bb and V Chord 3" A).

As a harp player you can play the common Charleston Accompaniment pattern (shown in Accompaniment Study 2) or have fun using some of the horn section ideas found in the song.

From the bands perspective it's just another shuffle, but with the chords of the guitar and piano being played on the upbeat this shuffle type (generically known as a T-Bone Shuffle) is a great choice for a song that's swingin', but not all the way a swing (or not as syncopated as a Flat Tire groove). It's a great variation on the shuffle to have as a band.