For The Good Times by Kris Kristofferson
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:50 pm
Just a few weeks ago I was asking for suggestions on artists we have not included in our lessons and Kris Kristofferson came up. Here is the first remedy to that situation - For The Good Times.
Kris Kristofferson’s songwriting career started in the mid-1960s when some established artists started performing his songs. For The Good Times became a hit for Ray Price in 1968, and that opened the door to Kristofferson recording his own album. The original release of Kristofferson was not successful, but a couple months later Janis Joplin’s recording of Me And Bobby McGee changed everything. Kris’s album was re-released under that title and he became a star.
The song is a basic progression in the key of C Major, starting with a descending bass line which sets up the verse, as well as being the third line of the chorus. This lesson is done using a simple arpeggio picking pattern, and goes into detail about alternating bass note options for the chords, as well as including some common passing runs.
Kris Kristofferson’s songwriting career started in the mid-1960s when some established artists started performing his songs. For The Good Times became a hit for Ray Price in 1968, and that opened the door to Kristofferson recording his own album. The original release of Kristofferson was not successful, but a couple months later Janis Joplin’s recording of Me And Bobby McGee changed everything. Kris’s album was re-released under that title and he became a star.
The song is a basic progression in the key of C Major, starting with a descending bass line which sets up the verse, as well as being the third line of the chorus. This lesson is done using a simple arpeggio picking pattern, and goes into detail about alternating bass note options for the chords, as well as including some common passing runs.