Superstition
Stevie Wonder
- Starts on
- Low E string, open
- This excerpt
- Clav riff (simplified)
- Strings used
- Low E, A
- Written in
- E (open strings)
The tab
Tab is short for tablature: a picture of the strings. Numbers are frets. 0 means play the string open.
Computer notes — not the original recording.
The clav hook
A
2nd thickest
Low E
thickest string
Repeat it
A
2nd thickest
Low E
thickest string
Rhythm in words
Da (wait) da-da-da da-da-da. Short notes. Leave the hole after the first da.
How to play this
- 1This is a simplified single-note clav hook — not a scale.
- 2Open E, wait, then B (A string 2), G (Low E 3), A (Low E 5). Repeat that bounce.
- 3Every note is a sixteenth. The wait after the open E is the funk.
Practice slowly
Think “Very superstitious.” Original key starts on A string fret 6 (E♭). Start with Hear the notes at full speed or slower, then copy on the guitar. If a note buzzes, press a little closer to the fret wire — not in the middle of the space.
This arrangement is a simplified educational excerpt for learning. Playback is a computer playing the tab notes, not the original recording. It is not a full transcription and is not affiliated with Stevie Wonder.