Watch On
The allure of blues guitar soloing lies in its ability to convey deep emotions, akin to the human voice.
Articulation plays a crucial role in maximizing the guitar’s expressive potential. This involves manipulating various aspects of your pick attack and fret-hand techniques.
Alternatively, you can opt for a fingerstyle technique by concealing the pick within the knuckle of your index finger, allowing you to pluck the strings primarily with your thumb and middle finger.
As an example, Figure 1 illustrates a fingerpicked phrase derived from the F minor pentatonic scale (F, Ab, Bb, C, Eb). Here,I utilize my thumb for the lower strings and my middle finger for the higher ones,producing a distinct “pop” and a range of tonal variations unique to fingerpicking.
Albert King stands out as a master of fingerpicked blues, and adopting this method will quickly immerse you in his musical world. In Figure 2, I start by thumbpicking the G string, followed by using my middle finger on the B string, culminating in a dramatic two-step “overbend” from ab to C and back to Ab.
On the fourth beat, I bend and release the Bb note on the first string’s sixth fret with my index finger (a technique worth practicing!) before sliding down to the fourth fret.
In bar three, I reference the V chord, C, using the C major pentatonic scale (C, D, E, G, A) with some chromatic passing tones. In bar four, I touch on the IV chord, Bb, by incorporating notes from the Bb major pentatonic scale (Bb, C, D, F, G), before concluding with a return to the I chord, F, using lines based on the F minor pentatonic scale.
By employing fingerpicking, you can considerably alter the volume, tone, and character of each note, more so than with a pick. In Figure 3, I focus solely on thumbpicking the lower strings to showcase the warmth this technique can produce.
Herein lies the essence of the blues: every simple melodic line can be articulated in countless ways,influenced by your emotional state and your perception of the audience’s feelings.
During live performances, a connection forms between the performer and the audience.You can sense when the crowd is engaged by their cheers, and conversely, when they drift away to the bar.
A prime example of how I transition from a blues foundation to explore other musical styles can be found in The Ballad of John Henry. As depicted in Figure 4, there’s an E minor pentatonic lick (E, G, A, B, D) that alternates with G5 and A5 power chords.
while soloing over this,I begin with a bluesy fingerpicking style in bars 1-2 of Figure 5,then switch to using a pick in bars 3-4,incorporating the exotic sound of the E Phrygian-dominant mode (E,F,G#,A,B,C,D) before returning to a straightforward blues approach. You can start with rock and seamlessly transition to B.B. King’s style, or vice versa.
