# Signature licks in E **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263 "2016-06-01T23:36:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/21 "2016-06-03T01:30:31Z")
“Hey Joe” in E? :: thinking :: E, B, F#, C#, G# ? Naw, that just ain’t right. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/22 "2016-06-03T11:32:15Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > Thanks…I like Freddie the best too. I had “Freddie King In Concert” (Vestapol) on VHS that I found in a record store in Chicago years ago - wore that tape out! > > If there’s a fourth “King” to be handed out though, it belongs to [Earl King](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_King) - born Earl Silas Johnson - underrated guitarist from NOLA. I had a VHS of that full performance, from a local '60’s Texas show “!!!The Beat!!!” Playing with Clarence Gatemouth Brown IIRC. Oh man, you would get cut _down_ trying to hang with them. Texas bluesmen do not fuck around. **Eonwe** I never think of Walk this Way as in E. Fuckin’ Stevie Tallerico - Steve Tyler grew with a lot of musical sophistication in his house. He can be Elton John interesting with his chord choices. That song starts with the E riff and pivots off an A chord, then you do the verses using a boogie groove anchored on a C chord. The chorus toggles between C and F, then the little fill in C, then back to the E riff and pivot off the A. Anyone with the most basic music theory probably looks at that paragraph and thinks “what’s the big deal?” but moving from true three-chord Rock and Blues to an Aerosmith tune as a primitive guitar player, you just knew some tricky shit was going on and you had to pay attention. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/23 "2016-06-03T16:59:05Z")
Folsom Prison Blues ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/24 "2016-06-03T17:53:11Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > “Hey Joe” in E? > > :: thinking :: E, B, F#, C#, G# ? Naw, that just ain’t right. Yes. C, G, D, A, E ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/25 "2016-06-03T23:15:14Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > “Hey Joe” in E? > > :: thinking :: E, B, F#, C#, G# ? Naw, that just ain’t right. > [@74westy](#): > > Yes. C, G, D, A, E I always used F, C, G, D, A. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/26 "2016-06-04T19:09:32Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I play Superstitious in E - Stevie Wonder wrote it for Jeff Beck, then recorded his own version. Beck plays it in E and it’s fun. I love Beck’s version of Superstition. It rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/27 "2016-06-05T00:47:45Z")
Why does it have to be in E and does E minor count? ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/28 "2016-06-05T06:06:52Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Why does it have to be in E and does E minor count? I’m doing a medly based on the open E string. Yes Em counts. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/29 "2016-06-05T06:12:33Z")
I’m not sure it was originally in E, but I usually hear it played in E – “What’d I say”, Ray Charles. How about the Pink Panther Theme? Eddie Cochran – “Summertime Blues”. Very “E”-ish. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/30 "2016-06-05T11:19:15Z")
I play Summertime Blues in D - it’s all good, as long as you play the riff. It grinds me to recommend it, but **Hey Baby** by Ted Nugent is a great little boogie riff in E. The climb up from B back to E is a fun little walk. The middle of **Montrose’s Rock the Nation** is another great little boogie riff. They are all part of the same family, along with Same Old Song and Dance. Oh, and **Feel Your Love Tonight by Van Halen**. That is a hugely fun riff to play. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/31 "2016-06-05T16:42:42Z")
I love drifting into other riffs to add here. I just put **Last Child** , off **Aerosmith’s Rocks** , through a helluva workout. 😉 Fun E riff, close to Superstition and Feel Your Love Tonight, but with a much greasier feel. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/32 "2016-06-14T02:33:57Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > [“Hideaway”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HwF8mVlaw) By the way, here’s a great acoustic version of Hideaway by Little Toby Walker, who hangs out on the Acoustic Guitar Forum: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-wkACzhGM](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-wkACzhGM) ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/33 "2016-06-14T04:13:14Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > By the way, here’s a great acoustic version of Hideaway by Little Toby Walker, who hangs out on the Acoustic Guitar Forum: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-wkACzhGM](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-wkACzhGM) That was magnificent. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/34 "2016-06-14T16:53:17Z")
Wow, it’s funny how hard it is to remember what key something is in without a guitar in my hands. I think I’m right on most of these: I’m repeating “Day Tripper” because it’s close to the platonic ideal open-E riff (and doesn’t “I Feel Fine” start with an open low-E? or is it A?) Zep’s “Whole Lotta Love” is basically just a E-riff, repeated. I’m sure there’s open-E at some point. “Good Times Bad Times” is iconic and (more or less) in E, though little open string action. How about the intro to “Secret Agent Man” ? Instantly recognizable, uses open high E. For bass, the Talking Heads version of “Take Me to the River” has a classic open-E bass riff. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/35 "2016-06-14T17:06:40Z")
I had a friend who disliked Stevie Ray Vaughan (calling him SRV and his Key of E band). So I’m assuming everything he did was a lick in E. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/36 "2016-06-15T18:02:14Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > By the way, here’s a great acoustic version of Hideaway by Little Toby Walker, who hangs out on the Acoustic Guitar Forum: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-wkACzhGM](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-wkACzhGM) Sweet! ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/37 "2016-06-15T18:07:31Z")
This is great stuff. If anyone thinks of more, post 'em! ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/38 "2016-06-15T18:49:53Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Day Tripper… Absolute classic. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/39 "2016-06-15T21:01:47Z")
Oh Well by Peter Green is great. James bond theme is great in e with that stinging note, and then you can go into the secondary and even tertiary theme/fanfare. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263/40 "2016-06-15T21:12:39Z")
Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies, Alan Clarke, guitar, is a good way to turn heads. Baby Please Don’t Go by: Big Joe Williams, Lightnin hopkins, Bob Dylan, Them, Bill Broonzy…(Let’s leave nugent out of this) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signature-licks-in-e/756263.md?page=3)