Category: Lesson

Blues Lick Lesson #05 (Jump Blues Lick)

30/07/2020 Lesson, Video Tab No Comments

In this 5th blues lick lesson, I show you how to play this jump blues lick in the key of C scale. This lick uses some interesting concepts, like the use of the major 3d, grace notes and a reverse sweep (or rake). Recommended playing level: intermediate and up.

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Blues Lick Lesson #5

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C major pentatonic

This is mostly an C major pentatonic blues lick that is used on the I-chord. The lick has a triplet feel and is played mostly in the 8th position on the guitar neck. On the figure below you can see the major & minor pentatonic (in the 8th position) next to each other as a comparison (R=root). Look specifically at the major 3d, because this is a recurring theme in this blues lick.

C minor pentatonic vs C major pentatonic
C minor pentatonic vs C major pentatonic
Concepts in this blues lick lesson

In this blues lick lesson, you get the guitar tabs on screen, a detailed explanation of the picking technique and 2 variations (adaptations) for a slower blues. Concepts that are present in this video

  • Using the major 3d (mixing major & minor pentatonic)
  • Grace notes
  • Reverse sweep (upstroke sweep) and rake.
Backing Track

Up-tempo jump blues backing track (150bpm) here.

Gear

The guitar used is my 2013 Gibson ES-335. The guitar has a warm, vintage sound. Everything is recorded through my pedalboard and the Fractal Audio Systems AX8.

👉 Check out my gear page on Thomann: gear-thomann.guitar-inspiration.com

Practice Tips

Practice this lick slowly first, then with the backing track on my channel. The lick is also easily transposable to other major blues songs, so I hope you’ll get some mileage out of this one.

Keep on playing that guitar!

Hope to see you again next time,

Maarten

Blues Lick Lesson #04

14/06/2020 Lesson, Video Tab No Comments

In this 4th blues lick lesson, I show you how to play this OUTRO blues lick in the E major blues scale. This lick uses some concepts, like the use of double time and rock & roll patterns. Recommended playing level: intermediate and up.

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Blues Lick Lesson #4

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E major Blues scale

This is mostly an E major blues lick that is used as an outro, but you can use it in other places as well. It is a very rhythmic lick played in the 12th position on the guitar neck.

E major blues
E major blues diagram

You can download the full E major blues scale here.

Concepts in this blues lick lesson

In this blues lick lesson, you get the guitar tabs on screen, a detailed explanation of the picking technique, 3 variations on a common blues lick pattern, a bit of background on where I got these guitar licks

Concepts that are present in this video

  • E major blues scale
  • sixteenth notes (double time)
  • 3 note per string ‘roll pattern’
  • alternate picking and legato (hammer-on, pull-off)
Backing Track

Shuffle blues backing track (115bpm) here.

Gear
The guitar used is my (brand new) Fender Telecaster Vintera (Lake Placid Blue). A great, fun telecaster that combines vintage tone with a modern feel to the neck. Everything is recorded through the Fractal Audio Systems AX8.
Practice Tips

Practice this lick slowly first, then with the backing track on my channel. Try to use it in different places of a 12 bar blues, for example, to connect the I to the IV chord in bar 4 of a blues. The lick is also easily transposable to other major blues songs, so I hope you’ll get some mileage out of this one.

In any case, try to make the double-time part of your improvisation. I love this concept because it adds another rhythmic dimension to the story you’re trying to tell with your instrument.

Keep on playing that guitar!

Hope to see you again next time,

Maarten

Blues Lick Lesson #03

17/05/2020 Lesson, Quick lick, Video Tab No Comments

This blues rock lick builds on the concepts of my blues lick lesson 01 and lesson 02 on my channel . Also, you’ll find a full blues rock solo with this lick in bar 14 AND a backing track to practice it on. Everything is connected here on the Guitar Inspiration channel, so subscribe to stay updated!

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Blues Lick Lesson #3

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About The Lick

This electric blues lick is heavily inspired by Texas Blues and the guitar solo and licks that Kenny Wayne Shepherd played on his 1998 hit song ‘Blue On Black‘. This lick starts with a pickup of 3 sixteenth notes, the first being a full tone bend on the 12th fret of the G-string. Usually, I play this bend with 3 fingers, but in fast licks like this one, I only use my middle finger. Don’t worry if it’s not a full tone exactly. A 3/4-bend is fine too.

Blues Rock Lick
Blues Rock Lick in the key of D
Sextuplets

Next, bar the 10th frets of the B and E-string with your index finger. Pick the first one with a downstroke and the second one with an upstroke. This upstroke is essential because it changes your picking direction.

In the next bar, bend the 13th fret of the B-string a full tone up. This is a long note, so you can band and hold the string with three fingers. Pick vigorously with a downstroke. Personally, I like to add the sound of the muted D and G-string for effect.

Next are two groups of sextuplets (my favorite tuplets!). Start with the 10th fret on the E-string with an upstroke, then the 13th fret on the B-string with a downstroke, and lastly, do a pull-off to the 10th fret on the B-string.

The next bend resembles the one we started with, and it boomerangs the lick back up to the 10th fret on the B-string and the E-string. The picking pattern is the same, but the rhythm differs because we’re playing sextuplets. Adding this boomerang technique to your blues and rock guitar licks is a real superpower. Using this concept, you can repeat these licks for as long as you like!

After a similar descent, with a pull-off from the 13th to the 10th fret on the B-string, play the 13th fret on the G-string with a downstroke. This is the blue note.

Next, pick the 12th fret on the G-string with an upstroke and do a pull-off to the 10th fret and a hammer-on (from nowhere) to the 12th fret on the D-string. Pay special attention to the flow of sextuplet rhythm.

Finally, do a hammer-on from the 10th to the 12th fret on the G-string. I like to land on a downstroke here.

Practice tips

Practice this blues lick with a metronome or on the backing track (that is not quantized by the way!). Cheers, Maarten.

More Guitar Inspiration

How To Harmonize A Guitar Solo

14/04/2020 Lesson No Comments

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How To Harmonize A Guitar Solo

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I bet you love the unmistakable sound of two distorted guitars playing a harmonized guitar solo. In this guitar harmony tutorial, you’ll find the advice you need to create your very own dual guitar harmony (in diatonic thirds).

I’ve broken this guitar tutorial down in 3 steps. I’ll use a harmonized solo in B minor that I wrote over a classic heavy metal backing track. On my YouTube channel, you can find the video (see below) that accompanies this lesson, as well as a performance of the harmonized solo AND the backing track (in a separate video).

I hope this free guitar harmony tutorial will help you a few steps forward on your guitar journey. May your guitar harmonies be inspiring & powerful!

Update (18/04). I’ve added the B minor scale that I used in the lesson as a seperate PDF that you can now download from my ‘diagrams’ page. Check out some of the guitar-related material (diagrams for guitar lessons and guitar tutorials) I’m developing over there. 

B Natural Minor Scale (7th position)
B minor scale (7th pos.)

If you have a suggestion for a future lesson or tutorial, you can e-mail me at maarten@guitar-inspiration.com