Electric Blues with Kenny
Found in our Beginner Lesson Sets
Kenny "Blue" Ray will guide you through the world of electric blues. He will cover styles of many of the blues greats as well as throw in his personal library of knowledge.
Lesson 1
Ladies and gentlemen, JamPlay is proud to present an amazing electric blues player appropriately named Kenny "Blue" Ray. Kenny has been playing for over 40+ years and is bringing his knowledge forward...
Length: 11:43
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 2
Kenny brings forth the next step in electric blues. Here he demonstrates the 3rd scale and provides some tips on playing Texas and Chicago blues. In the second half of this lesson, Kenny ties scales 1-3...
Length: 17:12
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 3
Albert Collins brought a lot of style to the blues scene. In this lesson, Kenny breaks down Albert's style for you to learn.
Length: 10:31
Difficulty: 1.5
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Lesson 4
Kenny uses the key of A to demonstrate bending techniques and soloing options in the Texas and Chicago blues styles.
Length: 16:11
Difficulty: 0.5
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Lesson 5
Kenny brings us some great information regarding turnarounds. He demonstrates some of the most common blues turnarounds and explains how to achieve some of the sounds created in Texas and Chicago blues.
Length: 12:48
Difficulty: 2.0
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Lesson 6
Kenny is back in full stride in lesson 6. Kenny explores the style of T-Bone Walker and how he created his own unique blues sound.
Length: 12:48
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 7
Kenny shares some great tips on how to incorporate both rhythm and lead guitar together in your blues playing. These tips will enable you to create a massive blues sound in any environment or situation.
Length: 19:49
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 8
Kenny enlightens us as to how tension notes are used in blues. He demonstrates the theory behind these specific notes and how they are used. Kenny also delves into his past with some great personal stories...
Length: 6:01
Difficulty: 1.5
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Lesson 9
Here, Kenny "Blue" Ray provides an overview of Hubert Sumlin's style. This is a lesson filled with history and blues guitar that can be applied to a variety of blues styles.
Length: 16:48
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 10
Kenny continues his Blues Guitar Series with a lesson on the style of John Lee Hooker.
Length: 14:26
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 11
Kenny introduces JamPlay to the style of Freddy King. Kenny recalls some great licks and information about his style.
Length: 13:07
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 12
Kenny continues his blues series with an informative lesson on the style of Magic Sam. Learn and understand how Magic Sam played guitar and how he influenced the blues music scene.
Length: 9:58
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 13
Kenny breaks into a world of blues based rhythms. Here, he introduces his passion for these lessons by demonstrating some blues rhythms he has picked up over the years.
Length: 13:59
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 14
Kenny quickly dives straight into a T-Bone Walker rhythm style in the key of A. He begins with a more simple rhythm and progresses to advanced rhythmic techniques to round out your creative bag of tricks.
Length: 10:00
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 15
Also known as the flat tire rhythm, Kenny demonstrates different styles that the backward shuffle can be applied to.
Length: 6:32
Difficulty: 2.0
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Lesson 16
Kenny "Blue" Ray breaks down the rhythmic styles of Robert Jr. Lockwood and Robert Johnson. This lesson features blues rhythms that have withstood the test of time.
Length: 12:27
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 17
Kenny reviews one of his own favorite rhythmic arrangements. By pulling from influences such as Jimmy Vaughn and Doyal Bramhall II, Kenny is sure to bring out that inner blues player.
Length: 6:25
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 18
Kenny plays through a sample of the 8 bar blues. This is a short and sweet lesson packed with some new rhythms that can be applied to the 8 bar form.
Length: 4:41
Difficulty: 2.0
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Lesson 19
Kenny adds some 7th chords into the mix along with classic Jimi Hendrix style chords. He also explains the advantages of shortened 7th chords and their practical applications in the blues.
Length: 13:36
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 20
Kenny expands on the previous lesson and introduces 13th chords. He demonstrates the techniques necessary to fretting and "shaking" these chords.
Length: 11:43
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 21
The "Lumpty" is essentially a bass line played within a simple box pattern. Kenny demonstrates some of his favorite patterns as well as some practice routines that will loosen your fingers up.
Length: 11:04
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 22
Derived from the Latin genre, the Boogaloo is a unique rhythm that fits surprisingly well in the blues. It became popular during the 60's and can be heard in other musical genres such as jump blues, R&B,...
Length: 7:08
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 23
Kenny breaks down the style of Slim Harpo. He introduces the sounds that made Slim famous such as his tasteful use of tremolo. Every aspiring blues guitarist will thoroughly enjoy this information.
Length: 10:12
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 24
When playing with another guitarist, bass runs can be used to round out the overall arrangement of a song. Kenny explains how to use bass runs effectively in this lesson.
Length: 15:59
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 25
Jam session? Live gig? There are many situations one may encounter that will require playing with other guitarists. Kenny explains how to create a fuller arrangement by using different chord voicings from...
Length: 5:59
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 26
In lesson 26, Kenny introduces simple two note chords. This lesson also details the rhythmic styles of Hubert Sumlin.
Length: 11:17
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 27
Bo Diddley was known as "The Originator" because of his transition from blues to rock & roll. Kenny covers his rhythmic style in this quick lesson.
Length: 6:38
Difficulty: 2.0
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Lesson 28
Harmonica players are a staple of blues music. Why not pick up some tips and tricks and join the fun with your guitar? Kenny demonstrates some some popular blues accompaniment figures used to back up a...
Length: 8:41
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 29
Kenny indulges in a lesson packed with soul sounds and sounds of 60's. Hope you packed your time machine!
Length: 8:54
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 30
Welcome to Kenny's 30th lesson! To celebrate, Kenny has decided to demonstrate Buddy Guy's lead style. This lesson is a great opportunity to pick up on some classic leads as well as some American blues...
Length: 17:44
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 31
Kenny grabs his guitar and digs deep into the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Here, Kenny demonstrates SRV's rhythm style and some of his signature licks. This one is a must see and is sure to open some...
Length: 17:09
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 32
Kenny takes a deep breath in Lesson 32 of his blues series. Here he demonstrates the importance of leaving space between phrases. Less really is more!
Length: 8:00
Difficulty: 2.0
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Lesson 33
KBR takes us to the light at the end of the tunnel. You can write a killer song, but it's the ending that ties it all together. Kenny covers a few well known endings and provides some insight on how to...
Length: 9:57
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 34
Kenny demonstrates more blues style rhythm techniques. He uses some examples from other artists to help you understand their application.
Length: 11:25
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 35
We had the pleasure of filming Kenny on the same day as Muddy Waters birthday, April 4th. Kenny presents a special "Style of Muddy Waters" lesson to honor this day.
Length: 17:32
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 36
Kenny breaks down the rhythmic style of Howlin' Wolf and demonstrates how a little style of SRV can be blended into the mix.
Length: 13:25
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 37
There are plenty of different ways to start a blues song. Kenny covers some ideas that begin with the V chord of the progression.
Length: 15:18
Difficulty: 0.0
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Lesson 38
Kenny draws heavily from the influence of the great John Lee Hooker and has even had the pleasure of playing with him. This lesson demonstrates some of Hooker's guitar style.
Length: 16:45
Difficulty: 3.5
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Lesson 39
Kenny presents some modern rhythm techniques and patterns while utilizing 9th chords.
Length: 16:31
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 40
Welcome to Kenny's 40th lesson! In this lesson, Kenny covers some unique 8 and 12 bar blues progressions inspired by some of his favorite players.
Length: 12:57
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 41
Time to play around with two note double stops! Kenny demonstrates many different examples and how they can be applied in blues music.
Length: 15:34
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 42
Kenny covers the style of one of his long time guitar heroes, Magic Sam.
Length: 12:02
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 43
Kenny dives into some great blues lead guitar concepts in "positions" 1 and 2.
Length: 21:29
Difficulty: 3.5
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Lesson 44
Kenny continues his blues lead ideas by covering the 3rd "position." Kenny also touches on some B.B. King licks to help with his demonstration.
Length: 13:16
Difficulty: 3.5
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Lesson 45
Kenny "Blue" Ray breaks down proper string bending technique. He also demonstrates how to apply string bending to blues lead guitar.
Length: 14:09
Difficulty: 3.5
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Lesson 46
Kenny takes an in depth look at the style of Albert King, one of his favorite artists.
Length: 12:19
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 47
Kenny explains how to get maximum mileage out of the 5 notes of the major pentatonic scale.
Length: 9:06
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 48
Kenny breaks down some ways to combine both rhythm and lead playing to develop more of a complete sound.
Length: 15:50
Difficulty: 3.5
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Lesson 49
Kenny teaches a song he wrote inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. This is one you'll definitely enjoy learning!
Length: 11:47
Difficulty: 3.5
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Lesson 50
Kenny demonstrates some classic rock & roll rhythm and lead ideas.
Length: 11:10
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 51
Kenny demonstrates another original song called "Pull The Strings."
Length: 14:05
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 52
Kenny opens up the world of open tunings and how they can be applied in the blues genre.
Length: 12:19
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 53
Learn Kenny's original song "Blues for Jimi." Kenny wrote this song with Jimi Hendrix in mind.
Length: 10:07
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 54
Kenny introduces several blues ideas that can be used in the key of E.
Length: 12:34
Difficulty: 2.0
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Lesson 55
While staying in the key of E, Kenny demonstrates some Mississippi and Chicago style blues techniques.
Length: 19:14
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 56
Kenny dives into minor scales and will demonstrate how to spice up you blues ideas when playing in minor keys.
Length: 13:09
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 57
With the help of influences from Slim Harpo, Kenny demonstrates some double stops that are frequently used in blues music.
Length: 16:18
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 58
In lesson 58, Kenny provides additional information pertaining to the key of D major. Rhythm patterns and lead ideas are provided.
Length: 20:16
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 59
Kenny explains how the "Quick IV," also called "The Quick Change," fits into the standard 12 bar blues progression.
Length: 19:25
Difficulty: 2.0
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Lesson 60
Kenny takes a step back and breaks down how he has built his guitar, and offers insight on some tips and pointers on what to look for when shopping for parts for your custom guitar.
Length: 6:35
Difficulty: 1.0
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Lesson 61
Moving to different positions on the neck during a solo can be a bit tricky. Kenny provides some insight and tips on how to accomplish these movements a bit more easily.
Length: 16:15
Difficulty: 3.0
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Lesson 62
This lesson provides insight on how to apply the rake picking technique within the blues genre.
Length: 9:54
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 63
Kenny presents some tasteful ideas on how to apply 60's soul and funk guitar inspirations into your standard blues techniques.
Length: 12:19
Difficulty: 2.5
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Lesson 64
Kenny covers some basic blues progressions in the key of E major and demonstrates how E minor pentatonic ideas can be incorporated into them.
Length: 7:17
Difficulty: 2.5
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About Kenny Ray
View Full Biography
Kenny is a blues veteran of 40 years whose pedigree includes recording and appearing with artists the caliber of William Clarke, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Charlie Musselwhite, Smokey Wilson, Albert Collins, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Kenny Ray was born in Lodi, California on January 11, 1950. His interest in music was forged by his father, who played guitar, harmonica, accordion, piano and fiddle. Seeing Elvis perform on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956 sealed Kenny's passion to play guitar. His father bought Kenny his first guitar in 1958 for $7.00, His dad later bought Kenny his first real Electric guitar, a 1959 black Danelectro for $38.50, In Stockton, California.
Kenny's obsession with the blues was triggered by the infamous Wolfman Jack, when as an eleven year old, Kenny would lie in bed listening to the radio to the sounds of Jimmy Reed B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf on XERB-FM, from Chula Vista, California, and was inspired by music that Kenny claims "just totally blew my mind." Seeing his hero, Keith Richards in 1964 in Sacramento, also was a big decision in going professional, The Guitars in the Stones say a lot, and work well together, ala Jimmy Reed/Eddie Taylor, & Robert Jr & Luther Tucker (a Friend Kenny met in 1976). Kenny and his guitarist friends would skip school to learn Albert King's album, "Born Under A Bad Sign" and B.B. King's live album, "Blues Is King" in the mid 60's developing licks and vibrato from the masters.
Serving in the Air Force from 1969-72, Kenny was based in South Ruislip, London, England, and worked in RAF Hillingdon) where he hooked up with ex-Jr. Walker band member Ferdnand Jones in a nine piece soul review called El Jade, where they covered Al Green, Aretha Franklin and "lots of blues."
On his return to the States, Kenny spent two years touring California with the Paul Herman Band. In 1975 he joined Little Charlie and the Nightcats, which at the time was fronted by Charlie Baty on guitar, harp and vocals. Rick Estrin joined the band in 1976, It was a great sound, but Charlie could play so much, Kenny wasn't needed in the Night Cats and not long after, Kenny left and moved to Los Angeles where he became a member of the houseband at Smokey Wilson's Pioneer club, backing artists like Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulson, and Big Mama Thornton.
The late 70's were a productive time for the blues in LA, and Kenny became immersed in the Watts scene and made his recording debut with William Clarke and Hollywood Fats ("Diggin' My Potatoes") and Finis Tasby (a set "Get drunk and be somebody" which remains unreleased) in 1978. William Clarke was a master on the blues harp, and it was a great experience with Bill.
In 1980, Kenny moved to Austin, Texas, where he joined the Marcia Ball Band, touring with her for four years on the Crawfish Circuit and appearing on her 1984 Rounder release "Soulful Dress", which also featured, Stevie Ray Vaughan on Guitar with Kenny on the Title track. During this time Kenny met and became friends with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Further recording sessions followed with Greg "Fingers" Taylor ("Harpoon Man"), Marcia Ball on Varrick, Mitch Woods, Charlie Musselwhite, Ronnie Earl and the Roomful of Blue Horns on the Blind Pig release, ("Solid Gold Cadillac"), and sessions with Tommy Castro, Gary Smith, and others. Blues Harp is a favorite and Kenny had the great honor of working with James Cotton, Little Charlie & The Night Cats, William Clarke (Kenny's favorite), James Harman, Shakey Jake Harris, Rod Piazza and Gary Smith.
Kenny's biggest influences on guitar are Albert King, T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Lockwood, Jr., B.B. King, Freddie King, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomrey, and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Kenny also digs Jimmie Vaughan and Anson Funderburgh.
Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.Nice hat Kenny, anywho great lesson buddy :)
Con Dios...todos is possible' KBR mil gracias
Cool lesson Bro !! On that. Best regards.
Cool lesson Bro !! On that. Best regards.