Blues licks!!

I've always considered the terms "riff" and "lick" to be synonomous, although that may be out of my dumb ignorance. And I've always wondered, how did they ever get to be called "licks" in the first place?

this is sweet feedback guys.

Know what we should do? We should submit out favourite blues lick to play!


e-----------10----------------------------------------------------------------
b-------10-------------------------------------------------------------------
g---12----------12^---10-------12--10--------------------12--10---------------
d----------------------------12------------12---12-10-12------------------
a--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

that one is from Moby Dick By led zeppelin think, But I use similar patterns alot, Its only on 2 frets but it sounds wicked!

This is a cool thread. Think maybe it deserves a sticky somewhere?

One of my favorite blues licks is the intro to The Lemon Song By Led Zeppelin:


e-----------------------------------------------------------------
b--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0---------8--x--8-------------------------
g---------------------------------7--x--7-------------------------
d---------------------------------6--x--6-------------------------
a---------------------------------7--x--7-------------------------
E--0--0--4--4--5--5--7--7-----------------------------------


I hope that's right, it's from memory... gotta blare the amp for this one!!! :twisted:

-Alex

Here is a "must know" speed Blues lick. Hendrix and Page use this a lot. The faster you play it, the hotter it sounds.


e--------5----------------5----------------5--------
b-----------8p--5------------8p--5------------8p--5-
g---7b(9)------------7b(9)------------7b(9)---------
d---------------------------------------------------
a---------------------------------------------------
e---------------------------------------------------


Eric Clapton loves to mix the Minor and Major Pentatonics in a solo. Here is an easy lick from the Major Pentatonic 2nd position that he uses in many solos.


A
e----------5-----------5----------5-----------5—-7b(8)-
b---5h--7-------5h--7------5h--7-------5h--7-----------
g------------------------------------------------------
d------------------------------------------------------
a------------------------------------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------


Here is an old fashioned sounding, but very cool turnaround. Play each chords as a triplet.


A Adim Aadd9sus4 A7

And here is one of the greatest Blues licks ever (IMHO), the riff Alvin Lee of Ten Years After played in Goin' Home at Woodstock. This riff is more difficult than it looks. It is played very quickly, and the bent note has to be stopped short at the peak of the bend. Awesome lick.


e-------------5-------------------------5----------
b----------5-----8b(10)--------------5------8b(10)-
g----5h-6----------------------5h-6----------------
d--------------------------------------------------
a--------------------------------------------------
e--------------------------------------------------


And if you don't believe this last lick is hot, check this video of Alvin Lee out. Alvin ROCKS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHw9b4BBV9Y&search=goin%27%20home%20woodstock

Wow wes thats awesome these are super fun to play, exactly what I was looking for lol.

Does anyone know how bb king plays, Does he just use the regualr minor pentatonic blues or is there something special, or is it just lucielle.

If you want to play like B.B Just take your most prized guitar, go to a club, bring your guitar. Put it down, start a fire, let it get going good, then run back in and get it.

Or you can take Robert Johnson's approach and sell your soul to the devil.

i got a cool turnaround that i've been playing at the open jams that's sweet ....i've never tabbed b4 so i hope it comes out ok

key of E

E--------------3------4----3-------------3-----------0------
B-----------------------------------------------------------
G----2--3--4-----4-----------4--3--2------2--0-1---------
D-----------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------

*the 2nd last note is a hammer-on
**the G# on the E string is held slightly for effect (marked as 4)

Hi, I'm not going to post any specific blues licks but instead give some advice of things I've picked up while playing guitar. Some of these points contradict each other but I feel they are all useful.

1.) Other peoples music -
Listen to your favourite players and pick out your favourite songs or licks
Try to imitate their STYLE, think what the guitar player would play while playing their song.
Why is this useful? Partly to develop your own style, if you can do what another guitarist can
then you can also begin to add your own personal feel to this. There is no harm with people
being able to see who your influences are, just be careful not to directly rip their music off.
By the way I find that one of the best ways to learn peoples songs is to buy a live concert
on video or DVD that way you can see how they do it.

2.) Learn the scales
Even if you do this by ear you must learn which notes work.....
Sometimes you hit bum notes which is fine but I have seen enough people
who blatantly do not know the first thing about playing guitar and it shows.
They're not even playing in key never mind anything else, learn the scales.
At least learn how to play the pentatonics all over the neck Major and Minor.

3.) Experiment outside of the scales
Thats right, after telling you to learn the scales I'm now telling you to think
outside of the scales. This can be hard when you know the scales off heart
but experiment with your ears to find something interesting. Try to play by
feel rather than just going up and down the scales mechanically.

4.) Improvise
Do this with backing tracks and with other people, the best way to learn how
to play the blues is to actually play the blues. You'll find that many licks are not
about following set rules or repeating the same ideas that you have in a bank of
licks but within the timing and placement of the notes within a piece.
Believe me if you can use your ears you'll find yourself inventing licks
without even thinking about it.

5.) Your own style
Don't be too self conscious here but develop playing in your own style, this probably will come
naturally after you follow the other points.

P.S to the poster who asked what BB king does, he plays completely by ear however what he tends do is to switch between major and minor pentatonics which is why his licks tend to sound particularly sweet. Check out BB kings lesson on youtube http://www.youtube.com to hear him play a few licks and basically admit that he doesn't technically know how to play, brilliant talent. He also has a great vibrato style that he explains.

here's another turnaround i use at the open jams. this is loosly based on a SRV lick that i managed to make it into a cool ending. i also used it on my demo that i'll post when i figure out how :wink:

key of E

fast shuffle feel

E--------0--0------0--0---------------------------------------------------------0----
B----3/-5------3/-5-------3--0---------------0--0------0--0------------------0----
G-----------------------------------2--0---2/-4------2/-4------2--0-----------1----
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------2--0--0----
A---------------------------------------------------------------------------------2----
E---------------------------------------------------------------------------------0----

*the E7 is the begining of the next bar or the ending chord
** /= slide

just wanting to let you know i can show you more blues stuff like playing outside the I IV V. like I IV V VII or I II IV V VI. it's not quite a "lick" but they're good to know.

post here if you want me to tab them up 8)

just wanting to let you know i can show you more blues stuff like playing outside the I IV V. like I IV V VII or I II IV V VI. it's not quite a "lick" but they're good to know.

post here if you want me to tab them up 8)

Bring 'em on. 8)

-Alex

i noticed that there's a lesson on this site called 12 blues theory

https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/before-you-accuse-me/

there seems to be many examples and it'll give a better explanation then i could. so i'll give a 12 bar i used on a recording a few years back.

A7 //// D7 //// A7 //// A7 //// D7 //// D7 //// A7 //// F#m7 //// Bm7 //// E9 //// A7 //// A7 ////

looks crude here i know, i'm not good at computers, but it's a nice sounding variation of the 12 bar that's a little jazzy.

i'll post more soon....enjoy

I agree with everything that fleaaaaaa wrote. Really and truelly, learning licks by tab isnt the way to go IMO. Learn 'em by using your ears and listening to the records. They will make more sense.

Im not against tab or anything. But when I look at a classic B.B. King lick in tab, it just doesnt do it justice. Its almost nonesensical to reduce that kinda playing to lines and numbers. Listen and learn from the records themselves...

Check out Buddy Guys 'A man and the blues' album or SRV's 'Texas flood' just for starters.

Some more to check out.... Albert King born under a bad sign, Albert Collins Don't lose your cool, any BB King, Stevie Ray and Albert King in session is a goldmine of licks.

Can anyone add more blues albums that you must hear?