anyonecanplayguitar

Sunny by Booker T & the MGs (Patreon)

Published:

2026-07-31 16:31:35

Imported:

2026-07

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Hi all!

New video is up - my annual summer special - and this year it's "Sunny" as played by Booker T & the M.G.'s. Steve Cropper doesn't get talked about much as a soloist, but there's some lovely minor pentatonic work here alongside his usual rock-solid rhythm playing. I also get into a bit of theory with an analysis of the various chord progressions and key changes.

Tab and backing track can be found below.

I'm taking a bit of time off in August, but I've got a couple of things filmed in advance which I will be putting out. There should be more, but unfortunately I had a bit of a disaster this week with a failed SSD drive and ended up losing 3 nearly complete videos. (Always back up your important files, kids! I'm usually pretty careful, but was in a rush and forgot, and of course that's when stuff like this happens.) But it could have been worse, and I'll get those lessons re-filmed and ready for September.

Thanks everyone for the incredible support on here, and speak soon!

-Adrian

Files

Sunny by Booker T & the M.G.'s

A look at Steve Cropper's guitar parts on Booker T & the M.G.'s version of "Sunny," from the 1967 album Hip Hug-Her. This one's got a lot going on: an intro that borrows the chord changes from House of the Rising Sun before segueing into the tune proper, two extended minor pentatonic solos, and a deceptively simple rhythm guitar part built around a chord progression that moves through three different keys. Covered in this video: The Rising Sun-style intro and Cropper's opening solo. The diagonal minor pentatonic scale pattern used throughout The main chord progression, including the bIII7 secondary dominant and the F#7 (or Dbm substitution) that gives the sequence its lift Strumming pattern ideas for the rhythm guitar part The key changes up to F# minor and G minor, and the closing solo Gear: '52 reissue Telecaster into a Fender Princeton, no pedals. Tab and backing track can be found on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anyonecanplayguitar My in-depth course library: https://courses.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk My latest album: https://zodiactoys.bandcamp.com/releases SUBSCRIBE for more: https://bit.ly/3Efy0W3 Check out my website: https://www.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk Social blah: Instagram (occasionally I post here): https://www.instagram.com/acpgtr/ Time Stamps - 00:00 Hi 00:47 Full Performance 03:55 About the track 04:39 Intro Chords 05:06 Intro Solo 07:40 Key Change to F 08:17 Intro Solo Continued 11:40 Rhythm part basic chords 15:47 Strumming options 18:30 More key changes 20:28 End Solo 22:03 Gear 22:31 Bye