Blues Guitar Lessons - Volume 2 - Slow Blues Essentials

In this series of lessons, we’re going to be focusing on soloing over a slow blues.

You’ve probably heard this kind of playing if you’re familiar with songs such as "Red House","Texas Flood", "How Blue Can You Get", "Be Careful With A Fool", "The Sky Is Crying”, “Five Long Years”…the list goes on.

Slow blues is a very expressive form of blues, since it allows for a lot of freedom in terms of phrasing and dynamics.

Since the blues is an improvisational form of music, it’s harder to teach than some other styles. For generations, blues musicians have picked up licks and soloing ideas from other players, so feel free to use the ideas presented here in your own solos. Eventually, like the generations of blues guitarists before you, you’ll make them your own.

As Bobby mentioned in Volume 1, in order to play blues, you need to be able to hear blues and in order to hear it, you need to listen to a lot of it. The ingredients are pretty straight forward in terms of the scales and chords used, but there’s so much more to this form of music in terms of feel, taste, phrasing and expression.

Again, put together a play list of your favourite blues songs and listen to it as much as you can to really internalise the style.

Slow Blues is actually in the time signature of 12/8, as opposed to 4/4. If you’re not a theory buff, don’t let that confuse you, since your drummer is not likely to count to 12 before the band kicks in. You can still count the song’s pulse as “1, 2, 3, 4”.

Here, Bobby shows us the rhythm guitar part he played on the backing track, using some classy sliding 9th chords.

Now it’s time to learn the solo Bobby played in the intro video. Bobby plays 3 times over the the 12 bar progression. In the blues, one time around the 12 bar progression is sometimes known as a chorus.

Bobby will break the solo down note for note, a few bars at a time since it contains lots of useful phrases and ideas that you can incorporate into your own playing.

It’s recommended that you listen to the solo at the start of the first video as many times as you can, in order to really internalise the phrasing and melody before you begin learning it.

In the first chorus, Bobby borrows heavily from BB King, mixing both the major and minor pentatonic scales.

We continue to learn the solo Bobby played in the intro video. Bobby plays 3 times over the the 12 bar progression. In the blues, one time around the 12 bar progression is sometimes known as a chorus.

Bobby will break the solo down note for note, a few bars at a time since it contains lots of useful phrases and ideas that you can incorporate into your own playing.

In the first chorus, Bobby borrows heavily from BB King, mixing both the major and minor pentatonic scales.

We continue to learn the solo Bobby played in the intro video. Bobby plays 3 times over the the 12 bar progression. In the blues, one time around the 12 bar progression is sometimes known as a chorus.

Bobby will break the solo down note for note, a few bars at a time since it contains lots of useful phrases and ideas that you can incorporate into your own playing.

In the first chorus, Bobby borrows heavily from BB King, mixing both the major and minor pentatonic scales.

In the second chorus of the solo, Bobby expands on the first chorus, continuing to mix both the major and minor pentatonic scales, but also playing some sophisticated chord tone ideas.

In the second chorus of the solo, Bobby expands on the first chorus, continuing to mix both the major and minor pentatonic scales, but also playing some sophisticated chord tone ideas.

In the second chorus of the solo, Bobby expands on the first chorus, continuing to mix both the major and minor pentatonic scales, but also playing some sophisticated chord tone ideas.

The final 12 bars of our solo are Bobby’s tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King and Johnny Winter. Bobby also throws in some fast Gary Moore-esque licks in order to demonstrate the freedom of timing that’s possible in your phrasing.

The final 12 bars of our solo are Bobby’s tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King and Johnny Winter. Bobby also throws in some fast Gary Moore-esque licks in order to demonstrate the freedom of timing that’s possible in your phrasing.

The final 12 bars of our solo are Bobby’s tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King and Johnny Winter. Bobby also throws in some fast Gary Moore-esque licks in order to demonstrate the freedom of timing that’s possible in your phrasing.

Recommended listening for slow blues:

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood

B.B. King – Live At The Regal & Live At Cook County Jail

Albert King – Blues At Sunrise & Blues At Sunset