James Taylor - Steamroller
Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2025 10:19 am
So last month it was Elton and now I am on a James Taylor bender of sorts. Today it is a look at Steamroller.
James Taylor's 1970 album Sweet Baby James put him on the musical map for life. The big hits were Fire And Rain and Country Road but Steamroller showed him branching out in a different direction (which he did not take often, maybe ever again?). It is a standard 12-Bar Blues tune in E (but capoed to III making it G), and uses a a standard shuffle pattern in 12/8 time. The beauty in this tune lies in his simple fills that follow each line of lyrics.
The lesson covers exactly the way he played the first verse, along with the tag at the end, but also goes in the blues scale and how to make your own fills in a similar way.
James Taylor's 1970 album Sweet Baby James put him on the musical map for life. The big hits were Fire And Rain and Country Road but Steamroller showed him branching out in a different direction (which he did not take often, maybe ever again?). It is a standard 12-Bar Blues tune in E (but capoed to III making it G), and uses a a standard shuffle pattern in 12/8 time. The beauty in this tune lies in his simple fills that follow each line of lyrics.
The lesson covers exactly the way he played the first verse, along with the tag at the end, but also goes in the blues scale and how to make your own fills in a similar way.