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Blues Lessons Archives - I Love Blues Guitar
I Love Blues Guitar

Category: Blues Lessons

  • Delta Blues Licks that Will Make You Sound Awesome

    Delta Blues Licks that Will Make You Sound Awesome

    Deepen your knowledge of Delta Blues with this in-depth Delta Blues Licks guitar lesson. We’ll take a typical blues progression and add several fingerstyle blues licks to help you sound better when playing acoustic blues. Great tune and great teaching!

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    Blues is a musical genre known as the folklore of African-American musicians. Its origins are associated with the southern states of the USA, that is the region conventionally called the “deep south”. The very name of the genre (sadness, despair) is related to its nostalgic form, also in the textual layer. Blues pieces touch male-female relationships as well as feelings and emotions (love, loneliness, faithfulness, jealousy). However, blues performers often sing about freedom, work and travel. The songs also feature social criticism relating mainly to racial inequality and political issues.

    Many artists are inspired by blues music and combine it with other styles. In this way, such musical mergers as punk blues, soul blues or blues rock. The popularity of this genre in the USA has led to the emergence of regional varieties, such as Louisiana, New Orleans, Texas and Detroit blues. There are also factions characteristic of other countries – British blues and African blues.

    Contrary to popular belief, the Delta blues has nothing to do with the delta, the mouth of the Mississippi River. This incorrect name is the common name used by the inhabitants of the plain part of the Mississippi state where there were cotton plantations. This area is a plain stretching for about 200 miles from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, and is bounded to the east by the Yazoo River and to the west by the Mississippi River, but crossing it several times and entering the state Arkansas. The most important city of the Delta is Clarksdale, founded in 1882 and having today about 20 thousand. residents. On the ground floor of the Carnegie Public Library is the Delta Blues Museum.

    Delta blues probably originated in the hills surrounding Delta in both Mississippi and Arkansas. Even before Louisiana and Tennessee developed their distinctive varieties of blues, the blues performed there also belonged to the Delta blues.

    Thank you for watching Delta Blues Licks guitar lesson

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  • Drop D – Heavy Blues Guitar Lesson

    Drop D – Heavy Blues Guitar Lesson

    In this guitar lesson, you’ll learn how to play (and improvise) a blues in the key of D, using Drop D tuning. This works really well with both acoustic and electric guitar. In addition to showing you how to play the composition note by note, I’ll show you how to improvise, so that you can take this in your own direction.

    To view the Part 2 video for this blues guitar lesson, as well as download the tablature and the MP3 jam track, visit https://www.activemelody.com/lesson/d…

    Drop D

    The tuning is all about lowering one string, the thickest, E6. Before you start playing, it is worth realizing that between the A5 and E6 string (now re-tuned to the d note) there is the fifth interval, and not – as before – fourths.

    Lowering the tuning allows us to penetrate lower and – what can I say – better sounding sound areas. Entering the land of lower tunings is relatively painless thanks to the Drop D system. We do not have to tune the entire instrument, which can be very troublesome, especially for guitar owners with a double-sided tremolo bridge. It is obvious that this type of construction is extremely sensitive to changes in string tension. On the other hand, with the Drop D tuning a bridge of this type does very well and requires virtually no corrections.

    This tuning can open a lot of possibilities to any guitar player. It is a favorite of heavy metal bands and groups from different subgenres. This tuning is also useful in blues, classical, folk, and country music. Aside from being useful, it’s also generally very fun and there are a lot of great songs that were written and performed in Drop D.

  • Standard Tuning Slide Warren Haynes Lesson

    Standard Tuning Slide Warren Haynes Lesson

    Standard Tuning Slide

    How to play a standard tuning slide guitar lick in the style of Warren Haynes similar to one he plays over Statesboro Blues.

    To get the tone for this lesson, the amp is a 1966 Fender Vibrolux on 6 with a Weber Mini Mass. For pedals, I used a Fulltone OCD and a VL Effects Vintage Fat Boost pedal. Having them both on at the same time gives a real nice, fat overdrive like Warren always uses.

    The reverb on the amp was set to 4 which also contributes to the tone.

    Learn more here http://www.learningguitarnow.com/slide-guitar/warren-haynes-slide-lesson/

    Warren Haynes

    Haynes is a Grammy Award winner. He is one of the best guitarists in the world. During his career, he was part of the three best groups in the history of rock. For example Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, and Grateful Dead. His virtuoso craftsmanship caused that his performances saw millions of fans and albums sold on the trunk.

    The guitarist of Gov’t Mule, is one of the most stylish and presenting the unusual feeling of rock guitarists in today’s music world.

    Warren was 23rd on the list of the greatest guitarists of all time. It is impossible to calculate how many projects Warren Haynes was playing as a guitarist or vocalist. It is definitely one of the busiest musicians in the world.

    Gov’t Mule

    It all started in 1994, when Warren Haynes (guitar, vocals) and Allen Woody (bass), who had been playing in the new incarnation of the legendary Allman Brothers Band for five years, decided to start a new music project. Together with Matt Abbs (drums) they formed Gov’t Mule.
    The band’s inspiration is, of course, the activity of the Allman Brothers Band combined with the psychedelic, blues-rock sound of the Cream trio. The band’s phonographic debut is an album simply titled “Gov’t Mule” from 1995. The band then released live recordings showing the full potential of the musicians’ improvisations under the title “Live at Roseland Ballroom”.
    The studio came back in 1998 with the album “Dose”, which included such hits as “Blind Man in the Dark” and “Thorazine Shuffle”. As Gov’t Mule always felt best at concerts, the next release, Live … with a Little Help from Our Friends, documented another successful performance by the group. The next album is “Life Before Insanity” from the beginning of 2000.

    On August 26 of the same year, the band was struck by a real tragedy. Bassist Allen Woody was found dead in a New York hotel room. The other two decided to continue their activities and prepare the next release together with many different bass players, incl. with Flea and Bootsy Collins. This is how the double album “Deep End” was created. The concert version of the project was documented on the publishing house “Deepest End: Live in Concert” in 2003.

    A year later, the band recorded their first album with Woody’s successor, Andy Hess. Keyboard player Danny Louis has also joined the group. With the new line-up, the band recorded another album, released in 2006, entitled “High & Mighty”.

  • Joe Bonamassa – electric blues licks guitar lesson

    Joe Bonamassa – electric blues licks guitar lesson

    Joe tells us though some of the go-to licks that define his hot, high-energy style of blues guitar, with a gorgeous Gibson Collector’s Choice ’57 Goldtop Les Paul, kindly provided by Peach Guitars in Essex, and a Lazy J combo.

    The virtuoso guitarist explains some of his best blues moves for us, lick by lick.

    Joe Bonamassa

    He is one of the most famous contemporary blues-rock musicians. Joe was nominated for two Grammy Awards twice and put Billboard charts as many as 20 albums first, and this number is still increasing!

    In his discography, he has over 30 albums, both studio and concert albums. He regularly records in a duet with the sensational singer Beth Hart, co-created the projects Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party. He is a talented composer who continues to expand his eclectic musical horizons. He regularly appears on the pages of industry publications around the world, from the Esquire and Parade magazines, through the Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, as well as Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, Vintage Guitar, and Classic Rock.

    Opening of B.B. King

    The guitar virtuoso from New York began with the opening of B.B. King when Joe Bonamassa was only 12 years old. Since then, he has shared scenes with artists such as Eric Clapton, Stephen Still, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Buddy Guy, and Steve Winwood. Bonamassa has traveled the path from the position of children’s sensation to a world-class star and is still evolving.

    The artist is an enthusiast of live performances, and his concerts are one of the essential branches of his activity.

    His tours have been sold out in the most iconic concert venues around the world. Among which there were The Red Rocks Amphitheater at Morrison, The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, The Royal Albert Hall in London, the Vienna Opera, as well as the New York Beacon Theater. Bonamassa performs, on average, 200 days a year. When he’s not on stage, he is fully committed to creating the most ambitious, diverse new music he shares with the audience and fans.

    Joe Bonamassa is one of the best blues guitarists on stage. Live At Greek Theatre delivers a musical tribute to the three Kings of the Blues

  • B.B. King – Three O’Clock Blues

    B.B. King – Three O’Clock Blues

    “3 O’Clock Blues” or “Three O’Clock Blues” is a slow twelve-bar blues recorded by Lowell Fulson in 1946. When it was released in 1948, it became Fulson’s first hit. When B.B. King recorded the song in 1952, it became his first hit as well as “one of the top-selling R&B records of 1952”.

    “3 O’Clock Blues” effectively launched King’s career and remained a part of his concert repertoire throughout his life. The song was included on his first album, Singin’ the Blues and since has appeared on several King albums, including a remake in 2000 with Eric Clapton for the Riding with the King album.

    From the DVD  – B.B. King: Blues Master

    B.B. King

    One of the most important guitarists and vocalists of the genre, not without reason, being nicknamed “King of the Blues.” He was actually named Rile B. King and was born on September 16, 1925, in Indianola, USA.

    Stage performances began in 1946 in Memphis. During the first years of his career, he worked, among others. as a singer at a local radio station playing rhythm & blues and as a DJ. At the same time, he acquired his artistic nickname “B.B.” which is a shortened version of “Beale Street Blues Boy”.

    The beginnings of the career were not the easiest – the best times for the artist only came in the 1950s. Then B.B. King has become one of the most important rhythm & blues performers with a series of big hits including “Woke Up This Morning,” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Bad Luck,” “You Upset Me Baby,” and “Sweet Little Angel. “.

    In 1964 a live album “Live At Regal” was released, recorded during the Chicago show. It is considered one of the most outstanding albums in blues history.

    The success far beyond the blue screen has brought Roy Hawkins’ cover art for The Thrill and Gone. The song hit the charts and became one of the most important B.B. King. The 1970s brought more successes to the music and hits like “I Like to Live the Love”.

    In 1980 B.B. King was introduced to the Blues Hall of Fame, and in 1987 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011 he was ranked No. 6 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

  • Billy Gibbons – Guitar Lesson

    Billy Gibbons – Guitar Lesson


    Billy Gibbons, master blues-guitarist of ZZ TOP from Texas. Teaches basic blues progression and some of his favorite licks. Usually, he’s not a speed demon, but more of a tasteful player.

    He’s responsible for a lot of texas blues and classic rock n roll tunes.

    Download tab for this lesson here: bluesguitarunleashed.com

    ZZ Top

    ZZ Top is an American trio from Texas. The group was founded in 1970. Its members were artists from once competing bands – guitarist Billy Gibbons from the Moving Sidewalks, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard from American Blues.
    ZZ Top gained fame thanks to the track “La Grange” from the blues-rock album “Tres Hombres”. The next albums “Deguello”, “El Loco”, “Eliminator” and “Afterburner” also did not go unnoticed. The artists developed a distinctive image – long beards, golf hats and dark glasses.

  • Rory Block – Cross Road Blues Intro – Blues Lesson

    Rory Block – Cross Road Blues Intro – Blues Lesson


    “Rory Block brings a special style to blues and folk songs,” said Kate Meacham, Ford Center marketing director. “Her devotion to blues will certainly delight our Mississippi audience.”.

    Block was born in New Jersey and spent her childhood in New York City, however, has actually dedicated her life and career to not just maintaining the Delta blues tradition, however delivering it to audiences in a new way. She combines standard blues with an ingenious new design, redefining the world of acoustic blues and folk songs.

    Block has actually been called “a living landmark” by Berkeley Express and “among the best living acoustic blues artists” by Blues Revue. The New York Times stated, “Her playing is ideal, her singing otherworldly as she battles with legends, shadows and ghosts.”.

    Buy Rory Block Teaches the Guitar of Robert Johnson, Vol. 1 and 2 on Amazon

  • How to Achieve that Duane Allman Blues Guitar Tone

    How to Achieve that Duane Allman Blues Guitar Tone

    Gear used in this video:

    Gibson Les Paul Traditional Plus
    1966 Fender Vibrolux
    Weber Attenuator – Mini Mass
    Maxon OD 808

    Find more info about John W. Tuggle blues guitar lessons here: http://www.learningguitarnow.com/

    The Allman Brothers Band

    The Allman Brothers Band has been one of the most influential rock groups in the United States since the mid-1970s. The band was formed in 1969 with Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, Forrest Richard (“Dickey”) Betts, Berry Oakley, Claude Hudson (“Butch”) Trucks, and Jaimoe (Johnny Lee Johnson) Johnson.
    Initially, it was a garage line-up called The Escorts, playing similarly to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Then the band changed its name to the Allman Joys and started playing British blues, after which it became something like The Hour Glass with a more soulful sound.
    The band signed with Liberty Records, but the label missed their chance and the band broke the deal after Liberty refused to release their third album. The debut album “The Allman Brothers Band”, which the band had already released under its current name, was released in 1969. The release was received very enthusiastically by both the audience and the critics – the blues-rock sound knocked everyone to their knees.

    The Allman Brothers Band returned in 1970 with the album “Idlewild South”, produced by Tom Dowd. The album, which this time had a milder sound, turned out to be another bull’s eye. This made crowds come to the concerts for the next 30 years, and the group became famous all over the world. The band perfectly combined elements of jazz and classics with typical rock.

    The band’s third album, “At Fillmore East”, was released two years later. It confirmed the group members’ status as heroes for millions of teenagers. In the same year, the release gained the gold status. In late October, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. The band recorded the rest of the next album “Eat a Peach” with Dickey Betts.

  • Son Seals – Minor C Blues Lesson

    Son Seals – Minor C Blues Lesson

    Son Seals

    Son Seals will always be regarded as one of Chicago’s–and the blues’- greatest artists. From his debut recording, when he burst on the scene as a fully formed and mature artist, up to his last recordings, his stature as a leading blues voice grew with each new album he released. His untimely death in December 2004 robbed the blues of a major voice.

    Discography:

    1973 The Son Seals Blues Band (Alligator)
    1976 Midnight Son (Alligator)
    1978 Live And Burning (Alligator)
    1980 Chicago Fire (Alligator)
    1984 Bad Axe (Alligator)
    1991 Living In The Danger Zone (Alligator)
    1994 Nothing But The Truth (Alligator)
    1996 Live–Spontaneous Combustion (Alligator)
    2000 Lettin’ Go (Telarc)
    2002 Deluxe Edition (Alligator)

    (Source: https://www.alligator.com/artists/Son-Seals/)

    How to Play Minor Blues on Electric Guitar

    The blues, with its rich history and soulful tones, has had countless variations over the years. One of the most emotive and expressive versions is the minor blues. Unlike its major counterpart, which generally has a happier and more upbeat feel, the minor blues carries a deeper, melancholic vibe that touches the soul. In this article, we’ll explore how to play a minor blues in the key of C on the electric guitar.

    1. Understand the Basic Chord Progression:

    A typical 12-bar minor blues progression in the key of C consists of the following chords:

    – Cm7 (I minor) for 4 bars
    – Fm7 (IV minor) for 2 bars
    – Cm7 (I minor) for 2 bars
    – Gm7 (V minor) for 1 bar
    – Fm7 (IV minor) for 1 bar
    – Cm7 (I minor) for 2 bars

    Some variations might include the G7 (V dominant) chord to give a little tension before resolving back to the I minor chord.

    2. Use the C Minor Pentatonic Scale for Solos:

    When soloing over a minor blues in C, the C minor pentatonic scale is your best friend. This scale consists of the notes C, Eb, F, G, and Bb. You can play this scale up and down the neck in various positions, adding embellishments, bends, and slides to express your feelings.

    3. Add the “Blue Note”:

    To make your solos even bluesier, consider adding the “blue note” to the C minor pentatonic scale. In this context, the blue note would be the F#. This note adds a bit of tension and dissonance, making your solos sound even more authentic.

    4. Listen to and Play Along with Minor Blues Songs:

    Some great examples of minor blues songs include:

    – “The Thrill Is Gone” by B.B. King
    – “Black Magic Woman” by Fleetwood Mac, later famously covered by Santana
    – “Double Trouble” by Otis Rush

    Listening to these tracks will give you a sense of how the pros approach minor blues phrasing, dynamics, and tone.

    5. Gear and Tone:

    On the electric guitar, a good minor blues tone is often warm with a touch of overdrive. A tube amplifier set to a clean or slightly crunchy setting will work wonders. Pedals like a Tube Screamer or a Blues Driver can help achieve the desired overdriven tone. Don’t forget to add a touch of reverb for depth and space.

    In conclusion, the minor blues offers guitarists a soulful platform to express deeper emotions and experiment with moody tones. By understanding the fundamental chord progressions, employing the right scales, and getting inspired by classic minor blues tracks, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this evocative style on your electric guitar.

  • Justin Guitar – Blues Lick in the style of Freddie

    Justin Guitar – Blues Lick in the style of Freddie

    There are many guitar teachers on youtube, but one of my favorite is Justin Sandercoe. He shows at his videos all kind guitar and music styles. From time to time he teaches also tricks of the best blues guitarist. This time you can learn blues lick in style of Freddie King.

    About Justin

    Justin Sandercoe is a London based guitarist, songwriter, performer, producer and educator who grew up in Tasmania (an island off the South East coast of Australia) but has been based in West London since 1996.

    As well as teaching many thousands of students in a ‘virtual’ world, Justin has taught ‘in the flesh’ at The Guitar Institute (the ICMP) and many hundreds of private students over more than 20 years, teaching all ages and abilities and many styles. He has also taught celebrity students including Katie Melua and Cathy Dennis.

    Songwriting and production has always been a principle interest and he currently plays with We Came As Strangers, who released their debut album Recipe For Adventure in early 2013. He had previously released a solo record called Small Town Eyes (2010) which is vocal based, acoustic guitar song driven pop folk. His recording studio “Broken Arrow” is located in Acton, West London but he lives in tranquil suburn of Kew, not far from the famous Kew Botanical Gardens.

    Visit: http://www.justinguitar.com for more lessons and information.