Blues Legends I - Muddy Waters style, Part 2

Lesson Subject: Blues Legends I

What you learn: Muddy Waters Style - Part 2

Teacher: Michael Johnson

Teacher: This interactive lesson is a continuation on the style of Muddy Waters. Muddy influenced many players the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton and many more! Mr. Waters also helped transform the blues guitar sound. Although other bluesmen had recorded with an electric guitar before Waters, he is accredited with bringing the electric guitar to the forefront of the blues scene. In this lesson you'll learn licks while playing over a Mannish Man style groove. Here's a sample of what you'll learn:

Teacher: Here's our jam track:

Michael: You will use the key of A for the upcoming licks. Here's the lick on the jam track.

Michael: This lick is pretty simple and based on the A 5 chord.

EC: a little funk

Michael: Yes it's pretty funky! You bar the 1st finger on the 2nd fret and use the little and 2nd fingers to play the notes on the 5th string. Let's move onto the next lick:

Michael: This next lick shows the transition up to the IV (D) of the progression, it actually follows the bass track. Notice the hammer/trill on the D chord position, you jump back to the A (I) of the progression after the lick. Here's the next lick:

Michael: The next lick climbs to the V (E) of the progression, notice how the progression goes from A, to E to D and then back to A. Here's the turnaround for this lick.

Michael: I've heard Billy Gibbons use this lick before, notice the fingering.

forddl: la grange

Michael: Kind of, I think he uses it on "Jesus Just Left Chicago," which has a very heavy Chicago blues/Muddy Waters influence.

Skedman: I've heard Steve Miller use that lick also.

Michael: Oh yes, there are so many rock players who use blues licks! Here's our next lick:

Eddie_solo: Michael do you always use alternate picking? Would you for playing blues?

Michael: Eddie it depends on the lick. For blues I like to down pick to get more attack or for harmonic picking. Blues is great for that type of picking, at times I use my thumb and fingers as well.

Michael: See you next lesson!

<< load notation from left

<< load audio from left