Stand By Your Man

Description

Today we'll be learning the country classic, "Stand By Your Man" as made famous by Tammy Wynette. This is old school country music at it's best, with lots of pedal steel and back ground vocals to sweeten things up. Take that away and you have the rhythm guitar part that carries the core of the song.

This is the type of part that is very consistent and is an integral piece of the rhythmic structure of the song, which means, like the bass and the drums, it is an important part of the "rhythm section".

Playing this style is an art unto itself, sometimes the hardest thing to play is the SAME thing, over and over, throughout the song. Most of our variation comes by way of dynamics, supporting the strong energetic contrast between the verse, which is almost conversational/philosophical, and the chorus which is declarative and
anthemic. While the intensity, or volume of our playing might vary according to the song's demands, our strumming pattern will remain consistent.

You'll notice a big change in dynamics between the verses and choruses which is accomplished via the harmonic structure.

After a short, 4 bar intro, the verses are very simple, using classic
harmonic relationships that stay true to the key of A Major (I, ii, IV, V). The song form uses a double verse, each with a different ending. we see a quick use of the V7 of V as part of the turnaround in the first verse. We'll think about how the use of that V7 of V (B7) creates tension and results in a feeling of landing on V (E) and facilitates a return to the tonic for the top of the second verse.

The second verse ends with a very straightforward I IV I V progression that launches the chorus.

The chorus is also doubled, and like the verses, each chorus features it's own ending, each with a specific job harmonically. we see an almost instant departure from the simple, "in key" chords we have used so far. Prepare for an opportunity to practice your barre chords!

Harmonically speaking we see the brilliant songwriting use of the "V of V" as a device to extend the structure and drama of the vocal. We'll be talking about the "V of V" concept later.

The outro turns out to be the second chorus repeated with a final, slightly ritarded return to the tonic.

We are in the key of A major at 108 BPM.