LONG COOL WOMAN – Guitar Lesson

My band plays a lot of Saturday nights! The classic riff that starts The Hollies' classic Long Cool Woman instantly loads the dance floor! Enough said. Enjoy this Long Cool Woman guitar lesson.

 

Intro [2X]:

   v     v   v   v     v   v   v   v     v   v   v   v     v   v   v   v
  -------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------
  -------------------|-0-----0---------|-----------------|-----------------
  -------------0---0-|-----0-----0-----|-----------------|-----------------
  -------0-5-----4---|---2-----0-----0-|-----0-----0-----|-0-----0---0---0-
  ---0h2-------------|-------------2---|---2-----0-----2-|-----0-----------
  -0-----------------|-----------------|-3-----2-----3---|---5-----3---2---
                                                      drum accents ^   ^

starts with E chop … follow the rhythm with muted down strokes w/pick

E
Saturday night I was downtown
G A E
Working for the FBI
E
Sitting in a nest of bad men
G A E
Whiskey bottles piling high
E
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
G A E
Full of people who are doing wrong
E
Just about to call up the DA man
G A E
When I heard this woman singing a song

A
A pair of 45′s made me open my eyes
B
My temperature started to rise
A
She was a long cool woman in a black dress
G G E
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
A
With just one look I was a bad mess
G G E
‘Cause that long cool woman had it all

I saw her heading to the table
Well a tall walking big black cat
When Charlie said I hope that you’re able, boy
Well I’m telling you she knows where it’s at
Well then suddenly we heard the sirens
And everybody started to run
Jumping under doors and tables
Well I heard somebody shooting a gun

E
Well the DA was pumping my left hand
G A E
And she was holding my right
E
Well I told her, “Don’t get scared
G
‘Cause you’re gonna be spared”
A
Well I’m gonna be forgiven
If I wanna spend my living
With a long cool woman in a black dress
G G E
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
E
With just one look I was a bad mess
G G E
‘Cause that long cool woman had it all
E
Had it all, had it all, had it all…

{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

Danny June 27, 2011 at 6:57 AM

I have one quick question for you regarding the Long cool Woman in a Black Dress video you posted. I have got the intro riff pretty much down. My question is what are the chords you play for the rest of the song ? I know it is kind of a 12 bar blues type of riff but I am not sure what the chords are ? I am sure it is really simple , I am just not sure ?

 
Maybe if you get the time you can post a part 2 to the video to show the remainder of the song.
 
Again I appreciate you taking your time to put together the website and the videos etc… I am really looking forward to more ! ! You have a great gift for teaching these songs and riffs to make it easy for me and I am sure many others to learn !

 
Thank You Jackson
 
Cheers !
Danny

Reply

admin June 29, 2011 at 9:51 PM

Thanks Danny …. hope you found the chords I sent you useful.

Reply

admin July 1, 2011 at 8:30 AM

I’ll post this on the site in case anyone else is interested in the chord pattern:

starts with E chop
E
Saturday night I was downtown
G A E
Working for the FBI
E
Sitting in a nest of bad men
G A E
Whiskey bottles piling high
E
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
G A E
Full of people who are doing wrong
E
Just about to call up the DA man
G A E
When I heard this woman singing a song

A
A pair of 45′s made me open my eyes
B
My temperature started to rise
A
She was a long cool woman in a black dress
G G E
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
A
With just one look I was a bad mess
G G E
‘Cause that long cool woman had it all

I saw her heading to the table
Well a tall walking big black cat
When Charlie said I hope that you’re able, boy
Well I’m telling you she knows where it’s at
Well then suddenly we heard the sirens
And everybody started to run
Jumping under doors and tables
Well I heard somebody shooting a gun

E
Well the DA was pumping my left hand
G A E
And she was holding my right
E
Well I told her, “Don’t get scared
G
‘Cause you’re gonna be spared”
A
Well I’m gonna be forgiven
If I wanna spend my living
With a long cool woman in a black dress
G G E
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
E
With just one look I was a bad mess
G G E
‘Cause that long cool woman had it all
E
Had it all, had it all, had it all…

Reply

admin September 2, 2011 at 9:08 AM

Thanks for all the kind words Danny. Hope you found the lyrics and chords helpful.

Reply

Danny July 1, 2011 at 8:29 PM

Thanks Jackson !
 
Got it down now , going to practice this song with the band , I know they will like it too
 
Thanks again !
 
Cheers
Danny

Reply

Dave August 9, 2011 at 2:25 PM

Hey Jackson!!  Love your site and enthusiasm man!!  Have the opening of "Long Cool Woman" down but having a heck of a time with the "E" chop.  Been trying to figure out your  fingers in the video, to no avail.  Would you be able to go into greater detail about the "E" chop? 
           Thanks,   Dave
 

Reply

admin September 2, 2011 at 8:57 AM

Hi Dave! Hope that email I sent you helped …. cheers …. Jackson.

Reply

Denny October 22, 2011 at 7:17 PM

Jackson….You have helped me with breaking these songs down.. Your patience , ease of showing just how to play is AWSOME !!!
Thank you and keep it up.. I don't come often but when I do I am here for hours..
Thanks again…

Reply

admin October 23, 2011 at 8:15 AM

Thanks Denny … glad to have you aboard when you can make it!

Reply

Jim November 4, 2011 at 6:23 AM

Thanks so much for your web site. I have a line 6 amp 75 watts how do you get it to sound like 60s. Have presets but still don't sound right, I have a fender strat. is it the guitar are the amp that i have are both.

Reply

Robert Kirkendall November 7, 2011 at 7:53 PM

Jackson, thanks for the fab intro video and chords to Long Cool Women. Not an easy riff, but you make it easy with your clear explanation. The only suggestion I could offer is a tab sheet for the intro, that would help us beginners even more. Thanks for all your hard work in helping us getting better, it's really appreciated.

Reply

admin November 7, 2011 at 8:03 PM

Thanks Robert! I’ve added the tab!

Reply

James November 30, 2011 at 4:24 PM

Hello Jackson,
     I can't tell you how much I appreciate this site and this particular song.  It has always made me feel great when It comes on the radio and now thanks to you I can play it.  Keep up the great work!  I am glad that there is someone out there that has this vast experience and is wiling to share it and not just as a scam to make a quick buck!

Reply

admin November 30, 2011 at 4:55 PM

Glad I could help James … it is a catch tune isn’t it?

Reply

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