If you want to learn to play blues lead guitar, you need to to back to the source. To understand Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamossa and Eric Clapton, start with the “3 Kings”: B.B, Freddie, and Albert.
Albert King’s fat, singing tone on his Gibson Flying V is one of the definitive models for the blues guitar explosion of the 1960’s and beyond. His intro on this tune is a great introduction to the electric blues style: economical, fierce, and impeccably phrased. This lesson takes a look at his intro to “Crosscut Saw”.
We’re in the 4th position, working off the most common and familiar minor pentatonic fingering and extension:
in the middle of the second bar on the high E string.
Play the 7th fret bend with the extended ring finger, backed up by the two behind it. Note the difference between the quarter-step and whole-step bends.
In the second lick, we jump to the 7th position to use an extension of the original pentatonic fingering.
The 7th fret bend in the second lick is played with the index finger. Swing the arm of the fretting hand in for more natural leverage to move the string.
In our third and final pair of licks, we’re back to our original formation in the 4th position. Again, play the 7th fret bend with the extended ring finger, backed up by the index and middle behind it. Use the leverage of your arm, not just the hand, and make sure you’re moving the string and not the guitar!
Here’s a video lesson:
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