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Left Handed. Upside down. Radical string bending. Fingers and no pick. We're taking a look at Albert King now. Another unique, powerful voice in the world of blues, his bending in particular influenced the likes of Eric Clapton, Duane Allman and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Taught by Stuart Ziff in Blues Masters and Disciples seriesLength: 8:14Difficulty: 3.0 of 5
Learn the roots of this timeless style by navigating the bluesman throughout history. We start with T-Bone Walker, move to the “three kings” of B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King, then dissect their “disciples” of Mike Bloomfield and Duane Allman.
Lesson 1
As guitarists, we all draw from what we know and like. And when we look closely at the greats, we learn to reflect their greatness in our own playing. Join Stuart as he introduces us to the Masters and...
Length: 7:57 Difficulty: 0.0 Members OnlyLesson 2
The foundations of blues soloing are the major and minor pentatonic scales. Before we get started looking at some of the blues greats, Stuart gives a quick review of all 5 patterns of the major and minor...
Length: 23:41 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 3
To have command of your fretboard and to improve your soloing, it's very important to know what makes up a chord - in other words, your arpeggios. Here, Stuart shows us a method for learning patterns...
Length: 13:18 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 4
When learning the fretboard is your goal, arpeggios are a tried and true method. Stuart continues by showing us patterns 3 and 4 of the drop two arpeggios, along with a great way to practice them!
Length: 16:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 5
Now we get into the players. All electric blues guitar points back to T-Bone Walker. In this lesson, Stuart introduces us to some of the things that made him legendary: his sense of timing, rhythm and...
Length: 18:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 6
T Bone Walker, the Father of Texas Blues crafted single note solos that were fluid and very horn-like. Stuart takes a look at this and other attributes that made him one of the original bridges between...
Length: 19:18 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 7
Among other things, T Bone Walker was an authority in regards to rhythm playing. In this up-tempo shuffle, sometimes called a "jump blues", Stuart demonstrates how T Bone would punctuate the groove with...
Length: 15:14 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 8
Being that bridge between jazz and blues, T-Bone had lots of jazzy elements in his playing: not a lot of bending, use of the 9th and other ear grabbing chord tones. Stuart uses a simple, bluesy harmony...
Length: 12:56 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 9
So how do you comp a rhythm part against an upbeat track? In this lesson, Stuart shows us how to execute a swing feel rhythm over this T-Bone style track based on the classic "Strolling with Bones".
Length: 13:03 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 10
What is a head melody? Well, think of it as you would a chorus in a song being sung. Only in jazz, we refer to it as a "head melody". Learning this simple melody will get you into the feel of this track!
Length: 15:53 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 11
We've learned the rhythm and the head melody, now Stuart shows us a call and response technique that he integrates into the solo, along with swung eighth notes and repetitive figures. Note the very horn-like...
Length: 11:40 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 12
His technique. His distinctive vibrato. His use of major and minor pentatonic scales. We're talking about the great B.B. King. Stuart gives us a worthy introduction to the first "King" and shows the connection...
Length: 15:25 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 13
B.B.'s sweet sound could be boiled down to his note choices. The manner in which he combined the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales was the primary way in which he made the guitar speak. And...
Length: 14:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 14
B.B. King had many classic moves that Stuart will now take a look at. He had a way of addressing the chords of a song, then applying his nuanced bends and signature vibrato to give us the legendary sound...
Length: 10:48 Difficulty: 3.0 FREELesson 15
In part 2 of B.B. the Boss, Stuart asks us to forget about the "B.B. box" that everyone obsesses over, and focus in on the dynamics and emotion that made B.B. the king of the blues.
Length: 14:36 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 16
One of B.B.'s most iconic records has a rhythm guitar part played by the legendary Hugh McCracken. On this track in the style of "The Thrill is Gone", Stuart demonstrates how the rhythm guitar part can...
Length: 14:46 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 17
Soloing over a minor blues can be a lot of what NOT to play, especially when emulating the tasteful style of B.B. King. Join Stuart as he talks about finding the right note combinations, where to bend,...
Length: 19:24 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 18
Playing rhythm guitar over a slow blues can be one of the hardest things to get right when learning to master the blues. It requires a lot of restraint, and a single minded focus on supporting the groove....
Length: 11:45 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 19
No doubt about it, B.B. King was the master of the slow blues. His feel, emotion and note choice were impeccable. Using the classic call and response technique, Stuart emulates B.B.'s slow blues style...
Length: 15:35 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 20
Left Handed. Upside down. Radical string bending. Fingers and no pick. We're taking a look at Albert King now. Another unique, powerful voice in the world of blues, his bending in particular influenced...
Length: 8:14 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 21
When analyzing Albert King's style, we must take into account his work with the Stax Records rhythm section, in particular, Steve Cropper. Here, Stuart shows us how Cropper really opened up space in the...
Length: 18:22 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 22
Demonstrated in this lesson is Albert King's unique lead guitar style. His instantly recognizable playing was compiled of his phrasing, timing, string bending and overall attitude. Now you'll be able to...
Length: 12:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 23
Now Stuart looks at a blues staple in the New Orleans rhumba-style feel. A traditional Latin feel that was adapted to the blues, it is highlighted by contrasting differences in the rhythm section. This...
Length: 11:16 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 24
Strong groove and great phrasing highlight this Albert King style solo over the New Orleans rhumba feel. We'll take some of the timing and bending techniques that we learned in a previous lesson and apply...
Length: 12:20 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 25
The Albert King slow blues - a feel that depends on timing and space. One of the hardest feels to master, Stuart uses the tremolo effect to help accentuate the space in the track, helping you to relax...
Length: 6:09 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 26
In the slow blues, feel always trumps the number of notes. No one knew this better than Albert King. As Stuart guides you, be aware of the tempo and try to stay relaxed. The goal is to mimic the feel...
Length: 10:01 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 27
A player's feel and rhythm can shift when the song shifts feel and style. We've looked at a shuffle, a rhumba and a slow blues in the style of Albert King. Now it's time to travel to Memphis and get...
Length: 12:58 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 28
Are you hearing Clapton? Maybe Billy Gibbons? Well, they were both influenced by the Texas Cannonball. His distinctive playing included intense one and two bar phrases, and hanging on one note. Fierce,...
Length: 13:42 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 29
Stuart now takes a look at the rhythm part of this track based on the classic, Woke Up This Morning. Syncopated eighth notes are the key to making this track groove. Add in the 9th chords, and you've...
Length: 10:34 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 30
Freddie King was known for his aggressive style of guitar playing, and his very distinctive tone that really cut through the mix. In this lesson, Stuart locks in on Freddie's lead style by being choosy...
Length: 8:59 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 31
This slow blues in the key of D encounters the challenge of playing at or around the 10th fret. Freddie was a master of being dynamic and grooving even when playing in a higher register on the guitar,...
Length: 10:49 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 32
Now we get to one of the Disciples that was influenced by everyone we've looked at so far in this series: Duane Allman. One of the most influential players from late 60's and early 70's, Duane developed...
Length: 11:16 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 33
In listening to Duane Allman, you could tell that he had been listening to T-Bone, the Three Kings, Muddy Waters and so on. Taking all of these influences, he put together his own fluid, lyrical and conversational...
Length: 11:09 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 34
Duane's bending of notes gave his playing a very animated quality, along with his sense of swing and phrasing that were unique to his playing. In this slow blues track, Stuart demonstrates some of the...
Length: 12:46 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 35
In some of the early Allman Brothers records, Duane's power was on full display. He had great facility when playing on slow blues, and up tempo songs as well. In this lesson, Stuart demonstrates many...
Length: 15:49 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 36
Along with being a phenomenal blues player, Duane was also adept at playing in the pop/rock, singer/songwriter style featured on some of the Allman Brothers records. On this track, Stuart demonstrates...
Length: 13:23 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 37
Mike Bloomfield was a player with great speed and facility on the instrument that was ahead of his time. He left us way too soon after blazing a trail through the 60's and 70's influencing countless guitarists...
Length: 11:25 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 38
In this lesson, Stuart takes a look at Mike Bloomfield's style and how he used many of the techniques we've discussed so far in this series: using the major and minor pentatonics, addressing the chord...
Length: 11:56 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 39
Bloomfield was a powerhouse blues talent. Even on a track like this one, with changing feels, Mike kept the intensity up at all times. In this lesson, Stuart emulates and analyzes some things Mike may...
Length: 9:58 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 40
In this lesson, Stuart takes on the daunting task of playing a slow blues, and playing with such intensity and aggression that it challenges ones timing and groove. Mike Bloomfield was a master at this,...
Length: 8:43 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
About Stuart Ziff
View Full Biography
A veteran guitarist fluent in, Blues, R&B, Funk, Rock, Reggae and everything in between. As a Studio Musician playing guitar on numerous commercials, demos for singer songwriters and records
. A career as a songwriter that began with Warner Bros recording artist David Ball’s first Nashville CD in 1994 “ Thinking Problem .“ Stuart was co writer on the hit song “ Thinking Problem.” Also playing on the record supplying acoustic and electric guitar. Since 2000, He’s been living in Los Angles. Presently the Guitarist for the band WAR, touring and recording with them. As a songwriter for Film & TV: “ National Lampoons Cattle Call ,“ Americas Funniest Home Videos and Bad Girls. Songs on recordings by Eric Burden, Johnny Adams, Gary Hoey and Theresa James. Since 2005, a member of the faculty at Musician’s Institute in Hollywood.
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