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Listening: "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"

© Jason Elek

Hi, everyone! Welcome back for the next part in our discussion about listening. Last time, we talked about some things to pay attention to when you are listening to music. Have you taken the time to listen with a critical ear? What new thing have you learned about an old song that you thought you already knew everything about?

Now we’re going to try and learn some new things about one of my favorite old songs. You’ve all heard Eric Clapton’s very popular Unplugged album. It has been ten years since that album came out, and a lot of the songs that he played on the album are much, much older than that, even. One of my favorites is “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.” It’s a good old tune. The chord progression is fairly simple yet unique, and it has a driving rhythm that keeps your foot pumping.

Let’s take a close look at what makes this song work. In the first five seconds, Clapton puts the hook in and pulls it tight. How does he do it? Let us count the ways.

First, he begins the song with a grace note that falls on an odd beat. If you were counting the rhythm in your head, you would play that first C before you said “one.” That little note is what sets this whole piece in motion. It is a stutter that seems to be off-keel with what’s going on, but it actually sets the stage for what is about to happen.

Second, he pulls it all back together again. Go back to counting in your head. When you say “two,” Clapton is hitting a very percussive C chord. This technique locks in the rhythm of the song and accentuates the second beat, which the snare drum will continue to do once it joins in the song.

Third, he starts stomping that foot. One of the great techniques of old blues players was the foot tap. Before the days of amplification, when a guitarist wanted some extra rhythm accents without having to go out and hire a drummer, he would stomp his foot in rhythm with the song. The sound of boot heels on dance floor kept the rhythm alive and allowed the guitarist to have more freedom in his rhythmic approach to playing. His hands were not confined to keep the beat. Instead, they could wander about the fretboard a little more freely, without the basic beat getting lost in the shuffle. Clapton begins to explore that freedom more once the band kicks in, and you will hear him accenting off-beats and grace notes more frequently.

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