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  #1  
Old 01-19-2017, 08:48 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Default Need Electric Blues Help, Pronto

Here's the deal... I'm doing a rock concert in a few weeks as the lead singer playing mostly acoustic rhythm guitar. I'm a folk singer, so it's been a few years since I played in a rock band. Like 25 years, to be exact.

However, we'll be doing a few blues numbers because it's a very prominent blues venue. I have a lead guitarist who's accomplished, but it would be great if I could take a few solos (less than 12 bars). I'll be playing my Variax through the line 6 Firehawk. Can someone point me to the best resource for a crash course in BB king style soloing? I know the basic pentatonic major and minor scales, I just suck at soloing.

Thanks!


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Old 01-19-2017, 08:55 AM
Kerbie Kerbie is offline
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I wish you a lot of luck... you'll do great!

I'm sure there are lessons and DVDs out there to help with BB's style. You might seek out Toby Walker to help you. He can do quick Skype lessons, I believe. I know Rolly Brown does these really nice little 10-20 minute, mini video lessons for you if you give him a topic. BB would be easy for him.

I haven't made a study of the guy, but I know he made a living with the upper end of the minor pentatonic... "BB's box." He loved to wickedly bend the flatted 3rd and come down to the root note. My memory is that his soloing wasn't really very complicated... just very tasteful. Lots of space in between. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
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Old 01-19-2017, 08:57 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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You could always check with the man himself...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVe24YFGoiM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA-zCK0dEds
etc...

(Tip: it's blues scale, resolving into chord tones. And keep it simple, leave plenty of space.)
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Old 01-19-2017, 08:59 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Default Need Electric Blues Help, Pronto

Thanks folks! I've always appreciated BB King for the space between the notes. I think some guys get too enamored with their own speed.


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Last edited by martingitdave; 01-19-2017 at 09:07 AM.
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Old 01-19-2017, 10:55 AM
FrankHudson FrankHudson is offline
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Yes, BB King's style is all about the vibrato (best listened to, to imitate) and slower, tasty playing that makes every note count and seem meaningful.

A lot of folks play BB King's notes, but few sound like BB King while doing so.

He also used the call and response thing with the vocalist. If you're soloing you can even do that with your guitar lines (playing both the vocalist melody and the guitar response on the guitar).
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Old 01-19-2017, 01:30 PM
reeve21 reeve21 is offline
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There is a guy named Griff Hamlin who puts out a number of products under the name Blues Guitar Unleashed. If you hunt around you will find a lot of his stuff (teasers) for free on YouTube. He has a video on the BB King box and another one on what he calls the 4 note solo. His teaching style is pretty laid back and he fully explains what he is doing, good production values, too.
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Old 01-19-2017, 02:46 PM
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Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
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If you know the Pentatonic minor scale that's all you need for what you want to do. Just listen to the band and don't over play. Get out some blues cds and jam along. But listen to the music and not so much to what you are playing. It'll come together. A couple of things I tell people that are starting to learn about jamming with the Pentatonic minor scale is what you are basically doing is playing the root note of the chord being played and embellishing it with notes around that root note. So know that note. The other is know when the chords of the song changes. As long as you hit the root note on the one of the chord change you can almost play anything before it.
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Old 01-19-2017, 02:56 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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Create a melody, no pyrotechnics. Pretend every note you play is a word (or a syllable) Play 'em like a singer.

Don't just "play" very many notes. Slide into em, out of em. Vibrato. Bend em a little.

Yeah yeah, minor pentatonic. If you play more than four notes in order from that scale, particularly if you play them fast, you're playing "blues rock." It's a punishable offense.

The minor third bent up towards the major third (but not quite there)in any key is your friend. So in a G blues, bending a Bb up towards but not quite to a B.

Oh, and be sure to make the right faces. Every note should look like it hurts a little, but also feels good. And when you play something that sounds good, a nice wide smile or even a little yell to remind everybody "yeah, I got this" is a nice touch.

Oh, one more thing. The B.B. "single note lick"

Whatever key you're in, find the highest root you can on your guitar. So in G, 15th fret, first string.

Play that note HARD, then slide downward out of it. If you can mute the other strings and "rake" into it, even better.
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Old 01-19-2017, 04:03 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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This is just GREAT stuff guys!!! Thanks so much! I was listening to the BB videos and some other YouTube and they make a number of these points. Mr. Beaumont you're descriptions are priceless!


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Old 02-05-2017, 05:10 PM
Axis39 Axis39 is offline
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The best way is to listen over and over again until you can internalize it.

Since it's a short turnaround, try playing along with him as much as you can while practicing, and pick like three or four note licks and 'worry' them a lot! Bend one note, give it a bit of a wiggle, etc. Worry it.

Think about playing notes like BB sings.
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Old 02-05-2017, 07:27 PM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
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Since BB often used major thirds and sixths, you aren't going to play a lot of his style with just minor pentatonic.

There are lots of books that cover his style.
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