Level: 2/3
Tuning: Standard

All of Big Bill Broonzy's songs are really fun to play. This one especially so. I think the reason is his swinging right hand. His single-base, dead thumb style, of which he is a master, propels his songs swinging along. Also he seems always to find the easiest, most natural and economical way to play melodies, and he is a master at coming up with catchy melodies. This is a great tune to learn his style. Broonzy was so popular in the thirties, so prolific, that he influenced countless guitarists. It's a keystone style, so to speak, in country blues. "Stovepipe Stomp," though in the key of D, which causes many guitarist to tune to drop D tuning, where the low E string is tuned down to D, is in standard tuning. For the D and A chords, he plays an open A base, G base for the G chord. Playing open basses frees you up to move around up the neck anywhere.