Intro to Albert King (Guitar Lesson)
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Intro to Albert King
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 Secrets Of The Blues Greats seriesLength: 8:14Difficulty: 3.0 of 5
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Supplemental Learning Material
Secrets Of The Blues Greats
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsLearn the roots of this timeless style by navigating the blues players throughout history. We start with T-Bone Walker, move to the “three kings” of B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King, then study the evolution of their playing with Mike Bloomfield and Duane Allman.
Lesson 1
Series Introduction
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 Only
Major and Minor Pentatonic Review
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 Only
Drop 2 Arpeggios: Inversions 1 & 2
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 Only
Drop 2 Arpeggios: Inversions 3 & 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 Only
T Bone Walker: The Father of Texas Blues
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 Only
Single Note Solos in the Style of T Bone Walker
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 Only
Shuffle in the Style of T Bone Walker: Rhythm
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
Shuffle Feel Solo in the Style of T Bone Walker
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 FREE
Swing Feel Rhythm in the Style of T Bone Walker
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 Only
Walkin' Bones Head Melody
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 Only
Walkin' Bones Solo
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 Only
Intro to B.B. King
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 Only
Shuffle in the Style of B.B. King
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 Only
B.B. the Boss Part 1
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 Members Only
B.B. the Boss Part 2
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 Only
BB's Big Thrill Part 1 - Rhythm Style
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 Only
BB's Big Thrill Part 2 - Lead Style
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 Only
BB's Locked Door, Part 1 - Rhythm
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 Only
BB's Locked Door, Part 2 - Lead
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 Only
Intro to Albert King
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 Only
Albert's Down and Out Part 1 - The Rhythm
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 Only
Albert's Down and Out Part 2 - The Lead Style
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 Only
Draggin' That Saw, Part 1 - The Rhythm
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 Only
Draggin' That Saw, Part 2 - The Lead
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 Only
Albert Gets Personal Part 1 - The Rhythm
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 Only
Albert Gets Personal Part 2 - The Lead
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 Only
Albert's Big Feet
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 Only
Intro to Freddie King: The Texas Cannonball
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 Only
Wake Up Freddie Part 1 - Rhythm
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 Only
Wake Up Freddie Part 2 - Soloing
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 Only
Freddie's Slow Blues
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 Only
Intro to Duane Allman
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 Only
A Real Lover's Man
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 Only
Allman City Limits
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 Only
Do You Love Me?
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 Only
Call Home
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 Only
Intro to Mike Bloomfield
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 Only
Shuffle for Mike
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 Only
Hello Mary
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 Only
Lone Star
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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