About This Piece
Ain't Nobody is Jon Gomm's extraordinary solo guitar arrangement of the Rufus and Chaka Khan classic from 1983. Released as part of his Domestic Science Singles Series, the arrangement compresses an entire R&B band — drums, bass, chords, and lead melody — into a single acoustic guitar performance.
Gomm's version demonstrates his signature approach: the guitar body becomes a drum kit, harmonics create shimmering chord textures, and slapped bass notes anchor the groove. The result is simultaneously intimate and massive.
Technical Overview
The Jon Gomm Sound
Gomm uses a radically altered tuning (DGDGBbD) that facilitates open chord voicings with rich harmonic resonance. Understanding the tuning is the first step to learning any of his pieces.
Percussive Body Slap
Like his signature piece Passionflower, Ain't Nobody uses the guitar body as a drum. Gomm slaps the body with the heel of his palm and fingers to create kick and snare sounds simultaneously with fretted notes.
Key slap positions:
- Heel of palm near the bridge: low "kick" sound
- Fingers on the body above the soundhole: "snare" crack
- Combinations create a full drum pattern
Harmonics for Chord Pads
Natural and artificial harmonics create the ethereal chord pads that float over the percussive groove. These require very precise right-hand placement — millimeters off the node point and the harmonic won't speak clearly.
Learning Path
Phase 1: Know the Original (Week 1)
- Listen to the Rufus and Chaka Khan original extensively
- Understand the song structure: intro, verse, chorus, bridge
- Internalize the groove before touching the guitar
Phase 2: Tuning and Open String Sound (Week 1–2)
- Retune to DGDGBbD and get comfortable with the open chord
- Practice scales and movements in the new tuning
- Play along to the original in this tuning
Phase 3: Percussion Layer (Week 3–6)
- Learn the body percussion pattern separately
- Combine with open string strumming — groove first, melody later
- This is the hardest phase: two independent rhythmic systems
Phase 4: Integrate Melody and Harmonics (Week 7–12)
- Add the melody line over the established groove
- Place harmonics where the chord pads sit in the original
- The final integration takes patience — weeks, not days
Performance Notes
Jon Gomm is one of the most technically demanding artists to cover. Ain't Nobody is arguably more accessible than Passionflower, but it still demands full independence between left hand, right hand, and body percussion.
Start impossibly slowly. The groove must feel natural before adding speed — a shaky groove at full tempo sounds worse than a locked groove at half speed.