Rumble Lesson

To Adam & Warren:

I theorize that Link Wray came up with Rumble before he fully learned to land a B7 chord. He never hits it all at once, but rather, he first strikes the root (maybe to allow his hand to catch up) and/or glissandos his pick over the strings. Whatever the case, the song is great inspiration and a practice study of the B7 and the descending pentatonic (5 note) scale. Not to mention, it is one cool chord riff that recalls a time when classic car meant the Model T. The riff has inspired many great guitarists. It may be blasphemy that I am playing this on an acoustic, even though it is distorted. It is ideally played on an electric through an amp that has screwdriver holes in the speaker cones. Do not go that far, but look up the recording (in my favorites) and read the history of Link Wray and this song. Once you learn the riff, play it to the recording. Enjoy

Tab for the descending E minor pentatonic scale:


---3--0----------------------------------------
----------3--0---------------------------------
-----------------2--0--------------------------
------------------------2--0-------------------
--------------------------------2--0-----------
----------------------------------------3--0---

Category:

Education

Tags:

• rumble
• link
• wray
• guitar
• lesson
• 1958
• rock
• rockabilly
• power
• chord
• pentatonic
• B7
• yeah

[CoolVIguy]

Thats great man!! I tuned up with your E tuning screen then found this..played along instantly. I didnt know this tune was called "rumble", I always thought of it as that Quentin Tarantino tune..lol.. I think it was in Pulp Fiction during the restaurant scene with Vincent Vega and Mia wallace. Cool man :)

[GuitarSource]

@CoolVIguy yes it is in that scene, but unfortunately the song isn't on the soundtrack.

[guitarxtian17]

sir ?? whats RUMBLE LESSON ? i really need to know ? .. is this lesson very important to guitar players?

[GuitarSource]

@guitarxtian17, Rumble is a song by Link Wray, it was very influential in its time, but it is posted here simply for people who would like to learn it. One good thing about the song as a lesson is that it is a good introduction to the B7 chord for those who are new to it.

[Bohab13]

That was awesome! Thanks for the great lesson and the charts. If there's anyway you could post lessons of Run Chicken Run and Jack the Ripper, that would be really cool. Thanks again man. That made my day.

[GuitarSource]

Hmmm.... I might just do that when time allows me.

[raunchy1313]

@CoolVIguy it was also on a deleted scene from 'the warriors'

i saw it once on a regular tv version

[charlottewray]

very good!

links kid

[sockenfrank]

Thank you.

[PYOOTER213]

this guy makes it look easy

[andreja56]

cool ...thanks

[spacepartysan]

man you'd help me a lot if you could point out what the bass is playing...