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How do you play the 'Just got paid'-riff?

MrNugget

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Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
344
Hey guys!

We want to play "just got paid" by ZZ Top in our band and it's up to me now to get that riff right and rocking! So i searched the net for some tabs and found a whole load of different versions. But some just don't sound right and I really don't know in which version I should put the effort to get it right - because in my opinion this riff is one of the difficult ones and needs a bit work to get it right.

So do you have any tabs of the version you think is correct?
Do you play your own version and can tab it out?

Would be great to get some feedback

Regards,
MrNugget
 

dixie

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Dec 23, 2005
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43
OK, I can't tab it out, but it's not too difficult. The hard part is string skipping the "A" string. Hammer-on D to E on the D string, then a palm muted open E. Play G fifth fret D string, palm muted open E, E on the D string. Open D, E on the D. Pull-off G to open E, then E on the D string.
That was hard to write! You're only playing the D and E strings. When I listen to the song closely, I think I'm adding too much with the palm muted open E at every turn. It feels good when I can get it right.
 

ampdan

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Feb 6, 2007
Messages
434
It's in open E tuning to play the slide parts correctly, but you can fake it(the riff) at the 5th fret using the open E string, and the A and D strings.
 

refin

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Sep 19, 2002
Messages
2,958
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------5----------------------------------------
5-h-7-----------7-----5-------7---------7--------
------0-----0------0------0------3-p-0------------
 

MrNugget

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Apr 19, 2006
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344
Ah, thanks guys! I'm gonna try your versions!

How would it work in Open E? Would it sound better? Because Gibbons gets that riff really rocking live. Sounds so good with so much energy..
 

clay_finley

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Jan 28, 2003
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1,363
I saw him play it recently and I think he used open-D with a capo on the 2nd fret. Very similar to what refin posted, except easier this way.

Don't forget to start the riff on an upstroke and alternate.
 
Last edited:

demundo

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Joined
Sep 12, 2001
Messages
712
i play it in the E first position , mute the open e and use my middle finger to strike the d string andg string,and use the pick(thumb and forefinger) for the others. it takes some time but i feel it sounds better than the 5th -7th fret way.
 
Last edited:

Thunder

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Jul 7, 2004
Messages
288
I'm not sure what tuning he's playing it in, but I suspect some sort of modified open G tuning. I figure this because the song is refered to as "Bus-Jesus" on their set list, in that they almost always (if not always) play Jesus Just Left Chicago directly after.

As for the capo, I've seen them live a few times and never noticed one. I could be wrong. I do know the Rev switches guitars for the song (Some one-pup goldtop copy), further evidence that he's not in standard tuning and wears a slide on his middle finger. It seems like he's playing the riff with his index and ring finger, not sure how he does that. He also seems to lose the slide for the Jesus portion of the song.

Hope this helps.
 

Thunder

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Jul 7, 2004
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288
Oh yeah, and speaking of Just Got Paid...

Any idea what guitar 2 is doing behind the solo? I was trying to work that out the other day and came up with something like this...


--------
--9-----
--9-----
--9--11-
--------
--------

--------
--10--9-
---9-----
---9-----
---------
---------

--12----
--12----
------9-
--------
--------
--------


...any thoughts? Not to hijack or anything:)
 

oldfaithful

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Mar 11, 2007
Messages
116
I play the main riff in standard tuning at the open position. As has been mentioned, hammer the open d string at the 2nd fret for the e, grab the G on the 5th fret on the same string, hammer on and off the e again, then grab the low g right before the final e. Oh yea, strike the low e as indiicated in that tab above (you do have to skip over the a string when you do this and slightly palm mute it, which is part of what makes it such a fun groove once you get it). The whole solo part is definitely in open tuning, either E or A I suspect, but the chords behind it are just A and E.
 

bluesforstevie

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Joined
Jun 20, 2002
Messages
12,771
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------5----------------------------------------
5-h-7-----------7-----5-------7---------7--------
------0-----0------0------0------3-p-0------------

Couldn't one also play it down at the nut and make use of some more open strings? I believe the tune is in open E tuning, but in standard tuning, I find it easier to do the whole riff down on the second and third frets. JMTC.:wail
 

refin

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Sep 19, 2002
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Couldn't one also play it down at the nut and make use of some more open strings? I believe the tune is in open E tuning, but in standard tuning, I find it easier to do the whole riff down on the second and third frets. JMTC.:wail

I think you are right---I've seen vids of Gibbons,and he played it in the open position.
I find the lick more "controllable" for me without the open strings,plus I am tuned standard.
 

toxpert

Active member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
3,068
I plays the opening riff this way:

--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------0----------------------------------------
0-h-2-------2------0---2-------------2-----------
--------------------------------------------------
------0---------------------3-h-4-----------------
 

bluesforstevie

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Joined
Jun 20, 2002
Messages
12,771
I plays the opening riff this way:

--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------0----------------------------------------
0-h-2-------2------0---2-------------2-----------
--------------------------------------------------
------0---------------------3-h-4-----------------

That's it.:salude
 

toxpert

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Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
3,068
There's lots of ways to do this lick... but you have to manage according to what finger you play slide with. I wear a Dunlop glass slide on my ring finger. With my ring finger stuck in the slide, I've got only my first two fingers to manage the riff and it works better me me at the nut position.

Refin's tab puts you right up close to the transition point for the slide at the 9th fret. That's a good thing for economy of motion. See how your slide playing impacts both ways. I think ReFins technique better matches Billy's technique shown in those videos...
 

bluesforstevie

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Jun 20, 2002
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There's lots of ways to do this lick... but you have to manage according to what finger you play slide with. I wear a Dunlop glass slide on my ring finger. With my ring finger stuck in the slide, I've got only my first two fingers to manage the riff and it works better me me at the nut position.

Refin's tab puts you right up close to the transition point for the slide at the 9th fret. That's a good thing for economy of motion. See how your slide playing impacts both ways. I think ReFins technique better matches Billy's technique shown in those videos...

Except that the Rev. is playing in open E. I play it in standard.
 

58Lee

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Joined
May 6, 2002
Messages
248
Quote:
Originally Posted by refin
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
---------5----------------------------------------
5-h-7-----------7-----5-------7---------7--------
------0-----0------0------0------3-p-0------------

I play it the same except for the last note. Instead of the 7th fret on the A string, I play the 2nd fret on the D. A little less movement for me.
 

92118

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Feb 10, 2003
Messages
463
Gotta play it in open E or it don't sound right. Watch the Youtube video!
 
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