Advanced Blues Guitar

Syllabus

Lesson 1: Albert Collins Style and Influences

• Albert Collins’ “Frosty”
• Funky Blues in D—“Funky Albert”
• Playing the Pocket—Funky Eighth–Note Feel
• Soloing in the Albert Collins Style

Lesson 2: Albert King‘s Style and Influences

• Albert King’s Style and Influences
• Albert King’s Tuning and Playing Style
• Albert King’s Soloing Techniques on “Crosscut Saw”
• “Crosscut Saw”—Rhythm Part
• Blues Rumbas
• Albert King’s Solo on “Crosscut Saw”
• ”Oh, Pretty Woman”—Rhythm Part and Solo
• King’s Signature Phrases on ”Oh, Pretty Woman”

Lesson 3: BB King’s Style and Influences

•  BB King’s Solo from “The Woman I Love”
•  BB King’s Solo from “Every Day I Have The Blues”
•  BB King’s Solo from “Tired of Your Jive”
•  Slow Blues in E—BB King Style
•  Jimmy Vaughan’s “Wait on Time”

Lesson 4: Robert Cray’s Rhythm and Soloing Techniques

•  Robert Cray’s Style and Influences
•  Robert Cray’s Rhythm Guitar Techniques—“The Last Time (I Get Burned Like This)”
•  Robert Cray’s Solo on “The Last Time (I Get Burned Like This)”
•  Robert Cray’s Rhythm Guitar Techniques on “Labor of Love”
•  Robert Cray’s Solo on “Labor of Love”
•  B.B. King’s Solo from “Tired of You Jive”

Lesson 5: Stevie Ray Vaughan: Rhythm Guitar and Soloing Techniques

• “Pride and Joy”
• “Little Sister,” and More Rhythm Variations for the “March in E”
• ”Love Struck”—Stevie Ray Vaughan’s blues/rock classic
• “Scuttlebuttin’”

Lesson 6: Fast Shuffle Style

• “Like a Rocket” Choruses
•  “Like a Rocket” Solo Choruses
•  “Wait on Time” Chorus 2 and 3 Rhythm and Solo Parts
•  Freddy King’s Slow Blues Style: “The Sad Night Owl“

Lesson 7: Freddy King's Shuffle Style, and B.B. King's Rumba and Slow Blues Styles

•  Freddy King's Classic Shuffle in E: “Hideaway”
•  B.B. King's "Calypso Jazz"
•  Rumba Blues: History/background of the Clave Rhythm and Rumba Blues Style
•  B.B. King’s Slow Blues Style: “Worry, Worry, Worry“

Lesson 8: Blues from Chicago’s West Side: Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Freddy King

•  Magic Sam’s Shuffle in A, “I Need You So Bad”
•  Magic Sam’s Solo over “All Your Love”
•  Magic Sam’s High–Powered (Up-Tempo) Boogie “Looking Good”
•  Otis Rush’s Deep Blues Phrasing On “I Wonder Why”
•  Otis Rush’s Call/Response On “Little Red Rooster”

Lesson 9: Classic Stylists: T-Bone Walker, Robert Lockwood, Jr., and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown

•  Strollin’ With Bone
•  “Jumpin’ Bones:” Techniques for Adapting and Reusing T-Bone’s Phrases and Influences 
•  Robert Lockwood, “Shuffle in A–Sonny Boy Williamson Style”
•  Robert Lockwood’s “Walking Tenth” Bass Patterns on “Takin’ A Stroll”
•  Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown’s “Okie Dokie Stomp”
•  Variations on a Rhythm Part, and Soloing Techniques: “Slow Blues in E”

Lesson 10: Robben Ford’s Soloing Style, and More Blues From Robert Cray

•  Robben Ford’s Soloing Techniques from “Help the Poor”
•  Robben Ford’s Phrasing and Soloing Techniques on “Trick Bag”
•  More Techniques From Robert Cray, “The One In The Middle”
•  Rhythm Parts and Solos In the Soul/Blues Style: “I Stand Accused”
•  Playing The Pocket– James Brown’s “Give It Up Or Turn It Loose”

Lesson 11: More Techniques from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King

•  Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Solo Over “Pride and Joy”
•  Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Rhythm Part to “Little Sister”
•  “Riviera Paradise”– Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Rhythm and Soloing Techniques
•  Albert King’s Phrasing on “I’ll Play The Blues For You”

Lesson 12: Gary Clark Jr., John Mayer, and Other Contemporary Players

•  Gary Clark Jr., “When My Train Pulls In”
•  Gary Clark Jr., “Bright Lights”
•  A Comparison of Styles–Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer’s Phrasing and Influences from “Born Under A Bad Sign”
•  Other Outstanding Blues Guitarists Of Today
•  Billy Butler’s “Big Boy”