Higher and Higher | TAB
We begin with the bass line — nail this and everything else will fall into place.
Notice the dots above some quavers — these mean “play short”. Experiment with how short the first note should be: a and 8th note? A 16th note? Find the right bounce.
Main rhythm
The core part uses a C-shape for the first chord, then the nearest shapes for G and Em, like this:
To build excitement, move up the neck to the A-shape voicings:
Using this concept, can you translate the idea to a D chord in an E-shape?
Your love keeps lifting me rhythm
A great variation is to join the BVs as they sing “your love keeps lifting me, keeps on lifting me…” Try this:
Once comfortable, add mutes — then experiment with using just one per bar. Aim for precision and control:
When this feels natural, push further and add even more:
More mutes = more intensity, but remember — the main groove still hits harder. Practise switching between the approaches.
Before moving on, also make sure you can play this starting in C-shape and E-shape positions.
Integrating horn parts
In this final example, we start with the main part, drop in horn lines, move to a more relaxed rhythm, then bring the horns back in:
When you’ve mastered all the TAB ideas, return to the chords lesson and play along with Jackie and the Funk Brothers using just the chart.
Higher And Higher Backing Tracks + TAB | Related Pages
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher by Jackie Wilson using chords, lyrics, and the original recording.
| D | G/D | Em/D | D |
Your love, lifting me higher, than I’ve ever been lifted before…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
