ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man

CTLRAASCSKIC SHARP DRESSED MAN
Words and Music by Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Lee Beard
SZHZATROPPDRESSED MAN
Copyright © 1983 Music Of Stage Three
ZZ TOP SHARP DRESSED MAN Main riff AllRightsAdministeredbyStageThree Music (US) Inc.,

a BMG Chrysalis company
AllRightsReserved UsedbyPermission
Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd.

TRACKS: BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO

This riff was recorded as two separate lines, but in live performances Gibbons plays them as one riff. Play the 8th position half of the riff ‘thumb over the neck’-style for
fluency. You’ll need to shift quickly to open position for the riff’s second half so make sure to practise these quick changes. Bars 3 and 4 are also repeated after the first
verse (played twice) and after the slide solo (four times).

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ZZ TOP SHARP DRESSED MAN Verse TRACKS: BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO

As you play the hammer-on on beat 4 of bar 1, make sure that your third finger doesn’t make contact with the open third string. Hammering on squarely with your fingertip,
rather than the front of your finger will help with this. Mute the strings after this phrase for a clean change to the powerchord that follows.

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FULL TRACK+BACKING (BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO) ZZ TOP / SHARPDRESSEDMAN

This song comes with a full demo track and a backing track TRACKS: BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO
(minus guitar). Enter the above link into your web browser
of choice; press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!

ZZ TOP SHARP DRESSED MAN Slide Solo

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CTLRAASCSKIC TRACKS: BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO

ZZ TOP SHARP DRESSED MAN Slide Solo (cont’d)

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You can pick the slide section (bars 1 to 20) however you like because the slide makes the transitions between notes less clear and, therefore, the picking is less crucial.
We’ve tabbed this section in DGDGBD tuning (as per the recording) but in live performances Gibbons stays in standard tuning and improvises without using a slide.

ZZ TOP SHARP DRESSED MAN Outro solo TRACKS: BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO

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ZZ TOP SHARP DRESSED MAN Outro solo (cont’d) ZZ TOP / SHARPDRESSEDMAN

TRACKS: BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO

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CTLRAASCSKIC TRACKS: BIT.LY/TG353AUDIO

ZZ TOP SHARP DRESSED MAN Outro solo (cont’d)

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The trickiest part starts in bar 21, where you’ll need to switch to pick and fingers style ‘hybrid’ picking. Keep hold of your pick between your thumb and first finger and use
either your second or third finger to play the first string. It’s a long, bluesy solo so why not improvise some of your own ideas?

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