Stop Breaking Down - The White Stripes - Video Tutorial and Free Tab

 


This is my version of The White Stripes version of the classic blues song Stop Breaking Down originally by Robert Johnson, with his original being titled Stop Breakin' Down Blues. This song has since been covered by many, many artists including The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and The Jeff Healey Band. In this video I want to have a look at The White Stripes version as one follower requested it (apologies for taking so long to get it uploaded). This is a slightly heavier, rockier version of the song, typical of The White Stripes musical style. In future videos I may have a look at the other versions of it. 

In the video, I stick quite closely to the recorded version with only a few minor changes in the phrasing. I haven't included the solo because it has quite a loose impromptu feel to it and a bespoke solo can be improvised over the three main chords of the song (A, E and D) if required. Apart from that, the main body of the song just repeats throughout.

The song is in 4/4 time and is played on a guitar in Open D tuning but the music is actually in the key of A. It is played on an electric guitar with a good bit of distortion and requires the use of a slide. On my amp settings I haven't tried to get a sound similar to Jack White in the recorded version, but I think it sounds fine with just ramping up the gain a bit.

Below are some tips to help you play this piece, and links to download the tab.

Stop Breaking Down Downloadable Tab - Power Tab - PDF - TXT
 
  • Using a Metronome - The music has a lot of breaks in it, where the music stops for 3 or 4 beats. Keeping time can be tricky here and its easy to restart playing too soon or too late. In the recorded version the drum keeps time. I have used a metronome in ths video to help keep time. In the first play thorugh, I have turned down the volume of the metronome so you can hear the music more. But when I play through it slower I have made the metronome more pronounced so you can hear where to play in relation to each beat the the bar. I would definitely recommend using a metronome when learning to play this and get the timing right.
  • Free Time Ending - The last couple of bars of music is the short ending section. It is just a small single note run finishing on an A chord. The timing of this can seem a bit awkward however I wouldn't recommend worrying too much about it. As it is the ending and the phrase seems slightly detached from the structure and phrasing of the rest of the music, just play it loosely and free as you see fit and it will sound fine.
  • Playing Loosely - The tab for this music shows the riffs played on certain strings of the guitar, usually the bottom two or three strings, or the top four strings played together. You don't have to be too accurate with what strings you play though. Because the chords are formed by barring across all the strings, even if you don't hit all the strings correctly, it will be fine. It's better to focus on learning the rhythm of the music rather than trying to make sure each string is played. Just make sure you alternate between higher and lower strings at the correct time and it will sound fine. In addition, the phrasing throughout the music can be interpreted and played as you see fit. Apart from the main riff, the rest of the music feels quite loose and impromptu. So as long as you nail the main riff, the other parts can be played more loosely.
  • Using a Pick - I hardly ever play with a pick (or plectrum if your prefer). However in this piece of music I found using one preferable. Not only does it gives a more strident, powerful sound but it also makes playing easier because you have to play the phrases quite quickly. Trying using a pick if you are finding it tricky using your fingers or not getting the sound you require.

This is about all I need to say about this piece. It is quite a simple piece to play if you are comfortable playing with a slide. Just get the timing of the main riff correct and you will find it is a piece of music that gives a lot of scope for individual interpretation.

Thanks for Reading,
Neil

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