{Blues In 'E'}

{Copyright 2000, Eric A. Hofherr}

{Listen to it!}

- This lesson will be in 4 parts: The Walking Bass line, Playing A Smooth Lead Break, Soloing Over The Bass line, and finally Putting Them All Together. -

Soloing Over The Bass Line

  This week, we'll put fills in around the bass line.  Artists such as B. B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, etc. have used this method countless times.  A lesson later on will be about Call And Response, and the following examples will come into play at that time also.

REMEMBER...It is not important to play the examples note for note!

  We'll begin with simple double stops.  Why are they simple?  Because you can play them with one finger.  In Figure 1, if you look in measure #3 you'll see that the high 'e' and 'B' strings are fretted in the 12th position.  That is an example of a double stop.  In measure #9, it's a double stop walk down.  Throughout, we use a lot of vibrato (~)

FIGURE 1  LISTEN TO IT!

Guitar

e||--|--|----12--12---10b--9--7~---|------------------|
B||--|--|----12--12----------------|------------------|
G||--|--|--------------------------|------------------|
D||--|--|--------------------------|------------------|
A||--|--|--------------------------|------------------|
E||--|--|--------------------------|------------------|



----12--12------------------|------------------|-----------------5--5-------|
----12--12---12---10--------|------------------|---------8-----8-5--5--8~---|
----7-----------------12~---|------------------|---5/7-9---7-9--------------|
----6-----------------------|------------------|----------------------------|
----7-----------------------|------------------|----------------------------|
----------------------------|------------------|----------------------------|



----------------------------|--0--7--5--3--5--3--0--3--|--0~--------------0-||
----------------------------|--0--7--5--3--5--3--0--3--|--0~--------------0-||
----------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------||
--------------------14--17~-|--------------------------|--------------------||
---------10/12--16----------|--------------------------|--------------------||
----------------------------|--------------------------|--0~--------------0-||

  In the next example, notice that measure #3 is the same as #3 above except for an octave lower.  In measure #7, you play the scale backwards in the open position starting on the 'B' string (16th notes), then in #8, you play part of it forwards then backwards starting on the low 'E' using 1/8th note triplets.  Give it a try...

FIGURE 2  LISTEN TO IT!

Guitar

e||--|--|----0--0---------------|------------------|
B||--|--|----0--0---3b--2--0~---|------------------|
G||--|--|-----------------------|------------------|
D||--|--|-----------------------|------------------|
A||--|--|-----------------------|------------------|
E||--|--|-----------------------|------------------|



-----------------------------|------------------|-----------------------------|
-----------------------------|------------------|---0-2-----------------------|
-----------------------12~---|------------------|-------0-2-0-2---------------|
----------7~-----7-8-9-------|------------------|---------------0-------------|
----7-8-9--------------------|------------------|-----------------0-2-0/-7~---|
-----------------------------|------------------|-----------------------------|



-----------------------|--------------------------------------|--0---------------0-||
-----------------------|--------------------------------------|--8---------------8-||
-----------------------|--------------------------------------|--7---------------7-||
-----------------2--5~-|--------------2-----------------2-----|--6---------------6-||
--------------4--------|--------2--4-----4--------2--4--------|--7---------------7-||
---------3/5-----------|--0--4--------------0--4-----------4/-|--------------------||


  Figure 3 shows how to play a rhythm fill using a lot of 1/16th note chords.  Nothing too tricky here, except for maybe fingering the chords.

FIGURE 3  LISTEN TO IT!

Guitar

E||--|--0----------------|-----------------------|----0-0---0-0---0-0---0-0-|
B||--|--8----------------|----8--8----8-7--8-----|----8-8---8-8---8-8---8-8-|
G||--|--7----------------|----7--7----7-6--7-----|----7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7-|
D||--|--6----------------|----6--6----6-5--6-----|----6-6---6-6---6-6---6-6-|
A||--|--7----------------|----7--7----7-6--7-----|----7-7---7-7---7-7---7-7-|
E||--|-------------------|-----------------------|--------------------------|



-----------------------|--9----------------|-------------------------------|
----8--8----8-7--8-----|--8----------------|---------------8---------------|
----7--7----7-6--7-----|--6----------------|---9-7\5-9-7\5---1~-2--1--1~---|
----6--6----6-5--6-----|--7----------------|-----------------2~-2--2--2~---|
----7--7----7-6--7-----|-------------------|-----------------2~-2--2--2~---|
-----------------------|-------------------|-----------------0~-0--0--0~---|



---2--3-2--2---0--3-0--0--|--0~------------------|--0~--------------0-||
---0----0--0---2----2--2--|--8~------------------|--8~--------------8-||
---2----2--2---0----0--2--|--7~------------------|--7~--------------7-||
---1----1--1---2----2--2--|--6~------------------|--6~--------------6-||
---2----2--2---0----0--0--|--7~------------------|--7~--------------7-||
--------------------------|-----------0/---12\---|--0~--------------0-||

  What to do during a solo.....just keep the rhythm!  Figure 4 shows how to do just that......  The soloing guitar is quiter than normal so you can concentrate on the rhythm part.  It's just nice steady 'E', 'A', 'E', 'B', 'A', 'E' pattern.

FIGURE 4  LISTEN TO IT!

Guitar

E||--|--0~---------------|----------------------|----------------------|
B||--|--8~---------------|----8--8----8---8-----|----8--8----8---8-----|
G||--|--7~---------------|----7--7----7---7-----|----7--7----7---7-----|
D||--|--6~---------------|----6--6----6---6-----|----6--6----6---6-----|
A||--|--7~---------------|----7--7----7---7-----|----7--7----7---7-----|
E||--|--0~---------------|----------------------|----------------------|



----------------------|----9--9----9---9-----|----------------------|
----8--8----8---8-----|----8--8----8---8-----|----8--8----8---8-----|
----7--7----7---7-----|----6--6----6---6-----|----7--7----7---7-----|
----6--6----6---6-----|----7--7----7---7-----|----6--6----6---6-----|
----7--7----7---7-----|----------------------|----7--7----7---7-----|
----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|



------2--------3----|-----------------------|--------------------|--||
------0--------2----|----8--8----8-7--8-----|--8--------8--------|--||
------2--------0----|----7--7----7-6--7-----|--7--------7--------|--||
------1--------2----|----6--6----6-5--6-----|--6--------6--------|--||
------2--------0----|----7--7----7-6--7-----|--7--------7--------|--||
--------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|--||

  In Figure 5, we're using a mixture of double stops and chord shapes.  This one is hardest so far.  Many 1/16th notes are used, and even some 1/16th note triplets have been incorporated into measure #9.  Make use of the slide in measures #3 and 5(it's faster).  The '2-3-4' combo in measure #9 is just fast finger work.  Utilize your index, middle, and ring finger for this 1/16th note triplet.

FIGURE 5  LISTEN TO IT!

Guitar

E||--|------------------|----3--0----------------------|------------------|
B||--|------------------|----3--0---------3-0----------|------------------|
G||--|------------------|-----------2-/-4-----2-0------|------------------|
D||--|------------------|-------------------------0b2~-|------------------|
A||--|------------------|------------------------------|------------------|
E||--|------------------|------------------------------|------------------|



----3--0----------------------|------------------|
----3--0---------3-0----------|------------------|
-----------4-\-2-----4-3-2----|------------------|
---------------------------2~-|------------------|
------------------------------|------------------|
------------------------------|------------------|



-------------0-------------0--|---2--3-2--2---0--3-0--0--|
------------------------0--0--|---0----0--0---2----2--2--|
------------------0-1-2-------|---2----2--2---0----0--2--|
--------0-2--2----------------|---1----1--1---2----2--2--|
----0-2-----------------------|---2----2--2---0----0--0--|
------------------------------|--------------------------|



--------------------3--0-------0----|--0---------------0-||
--------------------3--0--3-3--0--0-|--0---------------0-||
--2-3-4-2-3-4-2-3-4-------3-3-----0-|--------------------||
------------------------------------|--------------------||
------------------------------------|--------------------||
------------------------------------|--------------------||


  Lastly, we'll use different chord shapes.  Let's start off by using Emaj and Esus. Then A7 with a little pinky action thrown in!  Of course you know B7, but be quick because I've thrown in some more pinky work!  It all ends with the fast '2-3-4' 1/16th note triplet combination moved very quickly to a chord.  ADVICE: Take this one slow to get it down right!  Deosn't it sound sweet?

FIGURE 6  LISTEN TO IT!

Guitar

E||--|------------------|-----------------------|------------------|
B||--|------------------|-----------------------|------------------|
G||--|------------------|----1--1----1-2--1-----|------------------|
D||--|------------------|----2--2----2-2--2-----|------------------|
A||--|------------------|----2--2----2-2--2-----|------------------|
E||--|------------------|----0--0----0-0--0-----|------------------|



-----------------------|----0--0----3-5--3-----|-----------------------|
-----------------------|----2--2----2-2--2-----|-----------------------|
----1--1----1-2--1-----|----0--0----0-0--0-----|----1--1----1-2--1-----|
----2--2----2-2--2-----|----2--2----2-2--2-----|----2--2----2-2--2-----|
----2--2----2-2--2-----|----0--0----0-0--0-----|----2--2----2-2--2-----|
----0--0----0-0--0-----|-----------------------|----0--0----0-0--0-----|



---2--3-2--2---0--3-0--0--|------------------------------0---0----|
---0----0--0---2----2--2--|--------------------1-0-1-3-4-8---8----|
---2----2--2---0----0--2--|--2-3-4-2-3-4-2-3-4-----------7---7----|
---1----1--1---2----2--2--|------------------------------6---6----|
---2----2--2---0----0--0--|------------------------------7---7----|
--------------------------|------------------------------0---0----|



-------------------0-|---||
-------------------8-|---||
-------------------7-|---||
-------------------6-|---||
-------------------7-|---||
-------------------0-|---||

TO SUM IT ALL UP...

You have bee shown many different ways to play the 'rhythm' section of the song.  You could choose to play one of the figures through the entire song.  That's right...any of the 6!  If you don't like one of those choices, that's okay.  Hopefully I've given you a foundation to create your own, regardless.  Listen to the complete song and play along!  HEAR IT!

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