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From: homespuntapes
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  • Really fucking hard to do!

  • i met hubert....the sweetest man ive ever met. rest in peace my dear friend. ill never forget our strolls down beale and our guitar session....even our carriage ride....you'll never be forgotten.

  • god bless you hubert, you were on my bucket list this year and i missed the biscuit and bemoaed the fact that i may not get to see you at all. sadly i was right. you have left such a legacy for us though that you will always be here

  • Mr Sumlin may be gone , but his music WILL NEVER DIE! LONG LIVE THE BLUES!

  • wow. great talent, and to think he just passed on the 4th.

  • RIP Played a tribute to him earlier tonight at an open mic night.

  • We miss him already. We saw him at Levon's and I kept thinking, who is that guy? He is smooth with a sweet style. We are sorry for his family and close friends. He is a great man.

  • RIP

  • Sounds like his action is VERY low...unique tone from a LP

  • R.I.P. Brother Hubert. Play on!

  • Another one of the great blues-men is gone.

    Oh yea David J. howls on this one.

    RIP

  • RIP my friend

  • RIP Hubert.

  • they should have let Levon sing :)

  • R.I.P. Huslin .

  • didnt hear that he died 2day if he did then RIP bluesman

  • Anyone know what guitar jimmy vivino is playin? It looks like a Harmony of some sort.

  • ;)

  • RIP Hubert, who died today, Dec. 4th, 2011. I loved your music and this is the video that taught me how to play Smokestack Lightning.

  • This riff was lifted {borrowed} or what ever you like to say from "Tommy Johnson" I was listening to a song of his years ago and buried in the poor audio recording was THIS RIFF... Sorry to say i don't know name of song. maybe "Canned Heat"? anyway i think this is where Hubert got it.. Wish someone would ask him then post it in here... Peace out Bigsbydude

  • @RcUniverseGuy

    did i said anything about a year? cause i dont know what you mean

  • There is WAY more going on than you can see or hear here,

    A master plays it so effortless. the tabs for this would be insane

    if you could even tab every nuance, you cant. even seeing it you cant get it exact

    thats hubert sumlin, the only living certified master of the country blues guitar 

    heres a hint every string from the 1 to the 5 gets played open then hammer on pulled off. all six while bobbing the big e in off time pedal note, freaking insane

    put your pick down or you wont make it.

  • you cant even tab this, cause in i tab you dont show the timing, and this one has a little weird timing for the thumb. just watch and listen carefully and you will get it. thats how i started when i was 14. now im 15 and still practicing this way (mostly).

  • @pipsqueek14 Hello my young pippy,

    when you lead out you say when i was 14 , then you explain

    that was last year, i was expecting you to say,

    30 years ago ahh hha, i crack myself up

  • @flooringalabama KEEP on rocking glad to see a teenager plating hubert, and not

    lady gaga or beiber, which is the standing uggg on you tube,

    KEEP at it pippy

  • @flooringalabama lol. when i started i just played chords, then the pentatonic scale came around the corner. but now i play for example eruption by van halen. im practising about 5 hours a day so it wouldnt be good if i cant still play a little. but i learned much, very much songs in the way i desribed in my last comment. even eruption some parts (that was very difficult :) ) so it works for me, and maybe for some others too who didnt know this thing

    peace

  • @pipsqueek14 one year? took me 5 mins... you can tab this easily ...

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  • gold top Les Paul with P90 pickups used by a blues Master.

    Beautiful.

  • While I can appreciate Dave Johansen's contribution and his raspy, Wolf tone, it just doesn't have the same heart behind it as the Wolf himself. Seems too rigid.

  • Holy cow!!! That IS Levon Helm on drums!!! I gotta say, David brings it... to sing in that rough "Wolf" type voice ain't easy, I know. So, AHchela, when does YOUR blues album hit the shelves?

  • @AHchela I would really love to read your Doctoral Dissertation on Blues one of these days. Maybe I can learn what a "real blues musician" is. But in all seriousness, Dave Johansen has more street cred in his left pinky than some anonymous poster on the internet. Opinions are like assholes; everyone's got one and they all stink.

  • the speed when he plays it slow.... well thats my fast speed xD

  • is that Levon on drums? 

  • Hubert -- best, thank you

  • Les Paul through a Supro is the my favorite blues tone

  • hubert is the reason why i want to get a guitar

  • this lick is "fun"damental vocabulary of the blues!

  • Hubert you are the greatest

  • Holy shit, I want that guitar tone.

  • Hubert...such a disgustingly UNDERRATED and under-known player. One of my favourite blues players of all time.

  • @jjkrause84 Billy S Gibbons a close second, VERY rootsy, im having more respect for billy s gibbons

    by the day.

  • @jjkrause84 Hubert WAS Blues. Anybody who thinks otherwise doesn't kow blues for shit.

  • How are you all going to hate on Buster Poindexter? His voice is rough and gravelly, just like a male blues singer should sound. Get your heads out of your asses. These are all top-notch musicians playing here.

  • I do declare, that appears to be Levon Helm on the drums!

  • play it slow... (plays it same speed every time)

  • Fuck yeah!!

  • inside Levon Helm's home makes everything sound better !!

  • Hubert is a GOD!

  • David Johansen... a long way from the New York Dolls!

  • @Crossfire117 Awe! You caught that, Mr Crossfire! As a yester year lover of the 70's punk rock scene, I was hooked by the Blues when I was at The Club Lingerie (82') in Hollywood waiting for 45 Grave to play and sitting at the main bar watching a Blues band in which I knew nothing about. It grabbed me because it was so RAW and I could tell they were playing how they wanted to play...like Punk Rock. Turns out it was The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Then Hubert took me to BLues School. Mmmm!

  • that's a dream band

  • I love the way he plays that riff ... I want to get that feel some day

  • cant find accurate tabs to this anywhere

  • @masterbate23 do it like us old folks had to. watch his hands and listen really hard. your ear can be the best tab book you ever had.

  • @masterbate23 Justin has a good lesson on that riff here on Youtube ... just search for "Justin Smokestack Lightnin' lesson"

  • The ABR-1 TuneOMatic began to appear in '55 and was standard in '56.

    In '55 some had it.

    \

    Nice to see Hubert with J. Vivino and party.

  • oh im so jacking some of this guys style lol

  • Justin, can you do a lesson on pulling rock faces as part of the lessons series? I have been practicing doing mine real slow, but I think I need some pointers :)

  • the singing is good ....

  • Damn, he makes it look so easy

  • great rendition by David J.

  • I bought this instructional video a few years ago, and got an autographed picture of Hubert with it,too!

  • Levon Helm is playing drums, he played in one of the best bands ever. If you don't know shit don't comment and let everyone else know your ignorance. Go to journalism school they'll like you there!

  • ah, yes, Mr. Sumlin is so great

    I'm impressed with David Johansens vocals, too... thanks for posting it

  • this is one of the coolest videos ever! I am so grateful you posted this - is's on my Favorites list... Love the goldtop Les Paul with those killer P90 pickups! Anyone know if it's a 1968 Gibson? What a sound! And Muddy Waters teaching it - how cool is that?!?!? Peace thru superior music...

  • @BostonRocker51 No, not Muddy, it's Hubert Sumlin. Muddy has been dead for over 25 years.

  • @BostonRocker51 Nah man, it's a 1955 Gibson LP. Easily recognisable by the pickups and missing tune - o - matic bridge with the tail piece (didn't come about til 56).

  • In the context of the lesson David's singing isn't too bad. Lacking passion and timing but hey;this is about Hubert and his riff.

  • Hubert Sumlin is a LEGAND!!!

  • Just fantastic! and David Johansen is awesome too !

  • "the others are shit"?-i suppose you could do better,huh,casu3?(lol)-well,im­o they do a pretty credible job,esp.for guys who aren't primarily known as blues musicians(exc.perhaps vivino)-johanssen surprised my how much he sounded like chester burnett,tho' he can't quite do the howl,like the man himself .(don van vliet(aka capt.beefheart)used to channel the wolf pretty good,but he's been outta the music game for 20 years now.-hubert is a real class act,and that old goldtop is awesome.

  • hubert is a pearl and the others there are shit

  • This is IT the real deal!!!

  • brilliant! and WHAT an atmosphere there! haha the singer looks like a bum version of brad pit. thats brilliant. really amazing. :D

  • I didn´t say that i invented the lick!... i just realized it sounds pretty familiar to an own song of mine.. And i even didn´t play the guitarlick. It was my guitarist.

  • before i ever sow this clip i realise that the Lick sounds pretty familiar as my own song "I did it Right".. see myspace/rockincarbonara

  • @rockincarbonara come on are u the chicken or the egg?

  • thatnk god I found this it was driving me crazy trying to find a legit lesson. the guy with the red guitar is kind annoying though.

  • Is jimmy vivino related to 'uncle floyd' vivino who did that late-nite tv show in NY during the 80's?. Re; Johanson - I used to see him often at 'Tramps', NYC as Buster Poindexter. He was a lot of fun, good voice, great band. Hearing him here, I'm thinking "Has he actually Heard 'Smokestack Lightnin'?". Great to see Levon keepin busy.

  • Dat sur do look like LEVON on drums

  • It is. Levon has an instructional drum video out on this 'Homespun' label production company.

  • I checked out Levon's Video from the library teaching drums and found it one of the most informative pieces, brilliant. I teach music in schools and need to understand all the instruments even if I don't play them. Thanks Happy and Levon!

  • is the singer Brad Pit in a bad time?

  • is the singer Brad Pitt in a bad time?

  • this is supposed to be an instructional video?

    i hate when people use chromekey in guitar videos, it is impossible to look at both screens at once! -.-

  • @dramsig then watch is twice

  • @dramsig. You could try alternating......

  • E blues scale... All the licks are done based on the E7 chord and the E pentatonic scale... If you don't know that yet, I suggest you to get familiar with it before watching this video...

  • its a reet reeler-keyster ride in the bingelew ^^

  • "Pick up the step!"

    Real cool, sparky, real cool. Come on, Ella, quit your whining and start your howlin'.

  • Haha, yooze yo earz not yo eyes eat a piece of bluezy pies

  • "Shinin' jes' like GOLD ... "

  • Thanks!

  • At no point in this video does Hubert Sumlin actually 'teach' "Smokestack Lightning."

  • Well, ... ya' kinda' gotta' already know what the fuck yer' doin'

    Just watch, man.  Pick up the step!

    ;-D

  • watch? You can't see what frets he's actually playing on what strings!! Why don't they film from the pov of the guitar player - looking down on the fretboard, you could probably see more easily what it is he's doing?

  • Pick up that guitBox. Position your fingers like yer gonna play You're already s'posed to know how sound and fret/finger position corelate. Now approximate where YOUR fingers are with where Hubert's finger are and where they go & hit it. The strings you pick with your right are tricky also but you'll pick it up. It's a soul thing. Ya gotta' FEEL it. Ya' gotta' love what you're doing. &.. You have to work at it. You don't just wake up one morning and start playing groovy bitchen tunes ;-)

  • haha! Thanks for your concern, but I can already play guitar. It is within my capacity as a guitar player that I wanted to point out that this does not constitute good teaching, so anyone that's learning, don't get disheartened - if you can't pick it up from this video, I'm not surprised.

  • I kinda hafta agree - Jimmy he doesn't really slow it down so much as play it softer ;) But it's great to see him with a great band and singer.

  • Enough to play it i would say.

  • GREAT PLAYING 5* FROM GERMANY

  • wow! sumlin is amazing, he's actually using a classical rest stroke with the right hand. what a legendary guitarist. david sounds amazing. wow!

  • no he doesnt.

  • what a great guitar!! what a great song..hubert sumlin is an amazing guitar player and howlin wolf wrote and performed some of the HEAVIEST BLUES , ever !!

  • wow ,he should let it pip loud, seems like the wolf had him beat down.

  • could somebody please tell me what kinda guitar hubert is playing!

  • 1954 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop

  • The new york dolls singer??? woow!

  • Nice piece of video this is third eye definitely

  • great video! watching the master teach. Hubert on Gold Top w/ p90;s.....what a great sound. THANKS!

  • those are funky looking pickups,, what is it?

  • They are P-90s, the predecessors of humbuckers on most Gibson guitars.

  • what does a dude have for breakfast when he knows he's supposed to go off and get videotaped singing Howlin Wolf tunes with Hubert Sumlin?

  • Whiskey, I guess. Or perhaps something stronger.

  • he has lead cereal

  • so fuckin difficult

  • Oh I love Hubert , what a soul he is .

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  • Hubert is my man.Nobody got that nasty/cool tone n the way he plays.

    Thanks for posting this vid.

  • Thank You, mister Hubert Sumlin!

  • The 1964 version of this song is so good its scary. Hubert Sumlin still has it.

  • Scary good is right, awesome

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  • i didnt want a guitar till i saw hubert play this song. NOW I WANT A GUITAR SOOOOOOOOOO BAD! LOL!

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  • Dont strum it, you got to note it, huburt says

  • OUTSTANDING PLAYING FROM HUBERT!... somewhat let down by newyork dolls man's singing, but his harp playing is a bit better..... Nothing compared to the big bad wolf though!

    yes, its all about simplicity but with lashings of soul (in Sumlins case anyway).... its hard to nail that vibe on guitar... Steve vai type technicians COULD play it but it'd just be sterile and souless....

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  • @teletoneboner dude the singing was aweomse idk what your talkin about

  • @teletoneboner i agree that guy is kinda messing up the song with his singing but like you said ole wolf was hard to beat,,lol

  • @teletoneboner i agree that guy is kinda messing up the song with his singing ,but like you said the ole wolf was hard to beat,and thats basically all the oldtime blues man played by soul alone ,thats what puts the spunk in it !!and in anything soul has got to be there before it can be worth anything!!!

  • Is Hubert not the best in the world? My favorite song ever!

  • Great I always thought David Johansen would be a good Blues singer.

  • uh i beleive this was for instructional purposes... i mean cumon why are you judging this version of the song. gimme a break. i cant stand when disrespectful people have nothing better to do but to hate on someone or something they have no clue about, id like to see you post a better version, if you could good for you, if you cant just shut up and go look up something else

  • Hubert RULES!

  • I can't quite do the constant thumping on the E string, is it because I'm white?

  • Don't think like that.

  • Well, I thought it was funny.

  • Yeah, but its all about background and experience, not skin color. Look at Hootie.

  • @PageandPlant4Life Keb Mo has an instructional vid that really helped me a lot with finger picking. It is called "The Blues Guitar Of Keb' Mo': Basic techniques for the contemporary player." He talks about difficulty he had thumb picking the bass line and shows how to overcome it. I had given up playing that style, but now know how.

  • His hands look so young for and old timer.

  • is hubert in regular tuning?

  • He is in standard, I believe.

  • @bona4626 yes he is in regular but a little up

    too little

  • To be honest, nothing can touch the original, that was the best.

  • come on now.. you're killing me.. Howling Wolf is rolling in his grave..

  • actually he's not. Hubert Sumlin is the original guitarist for Howlin Wolf. It shows the real Hubert and the fake one in the movie Cadillac Records

  • ugh... actually he is.. I know who Hubert Sumlin is.. my comments are about the timing, timbre and temperament of the Vocal.. Anybody could play this guitar part.. it's a one chord song.. it's not so special..what is special is the timing, perspective and energy of the vocal.. this stiff, soul-less version is, as I said before, killing me.. The actor in the movie did a much better job..

  • Well..............

    You know what makes it special is , a few things.

    For one , why is it that the simplest music has the most power?

    It has the deepest voice.

    Sure , simple chords here , but not anyone can play it this way.

    Yes, this is a "dramatization' and not the most amazing version , but not everyone can play like Sumlin.

  • David is fuckin' awesome. . .but I think he's a little intimidated by jamming with Sumlin. Geez, wouldn't You be?

    His tone kills, but the timing isn't quite there. I've tried to pull this one off myself and, Man it's just like alchemy. So hard to find that off-pocket pocket.

    Sumlin drops the beat here and there too, but nobody says shit. . .'cause he's Hubert.

  • That man is amazing!

  • david johansen, the art school punk, missed his cue. in order to make the song work, he has to come in on the offbeat. that is the gimmick of it. the band ist fantastic though.

  • Oh man, he sounds terrible, too onbeat, no swing, straight eight notes, he sounds like he's singing a drinking song.

  • you're so right, but you gotta make sure who you're talking about, cause otherwise the y-tube swarm is going to get ya, haha!

    i like the nydolls (l.a.m.f.), but here he is so out of context.

  • hahaha, oh yeah, I mean Johnansesn. He rocks in a NYDOLLS context, but his rhythm isn't funky enough right here

  • But I will say, despite his rhythmic failings, his voice has a nice authentic rough timbre that I could see applied more effectively.

  • true true.

  • haha slow it down for the folks who wanna hear it.

    he slows down like 4 bpm. awesome song though!

  • However, you children at home should not attempt this until you have mastered

    "Blues Guitar for Children Vol. 1."

    Sincerely,

    The Legendary Danny O'Doul

  • I make it a habit not to trust youtubers who sign comments with their full name.

    This goes double toward those who prefix their full name with "Legendary".

  • Crap, meant to say :Susie Q was written by Hawkins/Burton....Not this song which is Howlin Wolf.

  • Davis is Buster !

  • that's not david johansen, that's Buster Poindexter.

  • david jo? h sumlin? together?  could i ask for more?

  • I didn't care for the singer. Everyone else way superb

  • The singer is the legendary David Johanson of the New York Dolls. Kind of a trip to see this godfather of punk with Levon.

  • Punk is gay. and whoever gave me a thumbs-down can suck by balls.

  • Punk? I mean, you are generizing pretty broadly there. Funny, you seem to like some cool things (Yardbirds), I'm suprised you wouldn't like some good aggressive guitar driven 70's punk. Oh well, I am not getting into a little bitch fest over it.

  • Punk isn't really gay. It it just musically boring. the yardbirds are blues inspired and they have some pretty cool riffs.

  • It's sort of an all encompasing statement. There are so many diverse bands that fall under the label of "punk". That would include everyone from The Stooges (talk about blues inspired) to the Buzzcocks. Getting back to the Stooges, their stuff is as close to the Howlin' Wolf voodoo blues as any rock band ever was. Music shouldn't fall into such need categories. That is why Levon and Johanson can jam together because they both "get it".

  • yeah yeah im lickin ya balls

  • Credence Clearwater stole this lick for Suzi Q! It's just a bit different accents, that's all. :)

  • fogerty didn't "steal" this lick for suzy-q. he just psychedelicized the original rockabilly version by dale hawkins, which stompeth supreme. the lick is similar, as are many others of this ilk. there have been countless other variations of this type of lick done by every bluesman to come along BEFORE this sumlin variation AND after.

  • It would be nearly impossible to figure out where this lick originated. Students of the blues and jazz simply know it as "vocab." The core of it can be found in a majority of solos and blues riffs.

  • This was written by Dale Hawkins and James Burton genius...

  • David Jo Hansen's vocal style owes a lot to Howlin' Wolf for sure, as does Captain Beefheart's. Also, there's a guy in New Orleans named Coco Robicheaux whose vocals sound a bit like Wolf, too. You can catch him Friday nights at the Apple Barrel on Frenchmen St. on a fairly regular basis.