Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
More ways to support the channel:
Super Thanks (see below the video screen)
Patreon: patreon.com/12footchain (tabs and chord charts on patreon)
Learn how to play I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide, as performed by ZZ Top released on the 1979 album Duguello. Another piece of blues rock guitar mastery by Billy Gibbons. There's two primary guitar parts to this song, both probably on his 59 Les Paul "Pearly Gates", a rhythm guitar that drives the groove, and a lead guitar overdub that plays the most tasty parts ever.
The lesson covers the rhythm and lead guitar parts up until the outro. I do cover the single note stuff in the outro including the speed riff he does in unison with the Bass. The outro has dueling guitar solo riffs between his Les Paul and what sounds like either a strat or Broadcaster on neck pickup. That's all in C minor pentatonic.
00:00 Introduction / What to expect
01:35 Tuning and getting your tone
03:25 Lesson - intro (rhythm guitar)
05:43 Lesson - verses/chorus (rhythm guitar)
08:46 Lesson - guitar solo section (rhythm guitar part)
12:50 Lesson - outro approach and part
14:34 Lesson - intro (lead guitar)
17:28 Lesson - chorus accents (lead guitar)
19:48 Guitar solo approach/tone/volume
20:30 Lesson - guitar solo (lead guitar part)
25:04 Demo of guitar solo
26:21 Final thoughts
Gear used in this video (if you purchase via these links I will earn a small commission):
Gibson Les Paul Classic imp.i114863.net/Vy5mAk (mine is actually a 2011 R8) primarily bridge pickup, vol & tone 6 (rhythm); vol 9 & tone 6 and 2 (lead)
Xotic EP Boost: sweetwater.sjv.io/R5Py09 knob at 2 o'clock
Boss EQ: imp.i114863.net/AoOO0o 400k,800k,3.2k boosted 1 tick, 1.6k boosted 2 ticks
Boss Blues Driver: imp.i114863.net/rnPQLB Tone 11 o'clock, drive 12 o'clock
TC Elec. Hall of Fame Reverb: imp.i114863.net/5bdEX2 - plate setting
1963 Fender Bassman Vol 2, Treb 6 Bass 7, Pres 7
Also...
WIN FREE GEAR:
imp.i114863.net/9WoMd3
DEALS ON MUSIC GEAR:
imp.i114863.net/a1dxGM
USED GEAR:
imp.i114863.net/3P19aB
More ways to support the channel:
Super Thanks (see below the video screen)
Patreon: patreon.com/12footchain (tabs and chord charts on patreon)
Learn how to play I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide, as performed by ZZ Top released on the 1979 album Duguello. Another piece of blues rock guitar mastery by Billy Gibbons. There's two primary guitar parts to this song, both probably on his 59 Les Paul "Pearly Gates", a rhythm guitar that drives the groove, and a lead guitar overdub that plays the most tasty parts ever.
The lesson covers the rhythm and lead guitar parts up until the outro. I do cover the single note stuff in the outro including the speed riff he does in unison with the Bass. The outro has dueling guitar solo riffs between his Les Paul and what sounds like either a strat or Broadcaster on neck pickup. That's all in C minor pentatonic.
00:00 Introduction / What to expect
01:35 Tuning and getting your tone
03:25 Lesson - intro (rhythm guitar)
05:43 Lesson - verses/chorus (rhythm guitar)
08:46 Lesson - guitar solo section (rhythm guitar part)
12:50 Lesson - outro approach and part
14:34 Lesson - intro (lead guitar)
17:28 Lesson - chorus accents (lead guitar)
19:48 Guitar solo approach/tone/volume
20:30 Lesson - guitar solo (lead guitar part)
25:04 Demo of guitar solo
26:21 Final thoughts
Gear used in this video (if you purchase via these links I will earn a small commission):
Gibson Les Paul Classic imp.i114863.net/Vy5mAk (mine is actually a 2011 R8) primarily bridge pickup, vol & tone 6 (rhythm); vol 9 & tone 6 and 2 (lead)
Xotic EP Boost: sweetwater.sjv.io/R5Py09 knob at 2 o'clock
Boss EQ: imp.i114863.net/AoOO0o 400k,800k,3.2k boosted 1 tick, 1.6k boosted 2 ticks
Boss Blues Driver: imp.i114863.net/rnPQLB Tone 11 o'clock, drive 12 o'clock
TC Elec. Hall of Fame Reverb: imp.i114863.net/5bdEX2 - plate setting
1963 Fender Bassman Vol 2, Treb 6 Bass 7, Pres 7
Also...
WIN FREE GEAR:
imp.i114863.net/9WoMd3
DEALS ON MUSIC GEAR:
imp.i114863.net/a1dxGM
USED GEAR:
imp.i114863.net/3P19aB
