Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

BB King Blues Guitar Lesson – LEG029

Description

This lesson is part of a new blues artist series that I’m starting where each lesson will cover a particular blues artist and I’ll explain how they play some of their signature guitar licks. This lesson focuses on Mr. Beale Street Blues Boy himself – B.B. King. Although B.B. has never been considered an extremely technical player, his phrasing and emotion that he uses when he plays in like no other. Even non guitar players can identify a B.B. guitar lick because of his unique vibrato. I put together a handful of my favorite BB King signature licks in this lesson. I hope that you find this useful.

B.B. King Style Guitar Lesson

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Comments

  4. wolf says

    Wow, beautifully played! I’m just starting playing solo blues and this is one of the best online tutorials I’ve found. Thank you so much for your effort and please keep the lessons coming - probably more of BB’s style 🙂

  5. robbd7 says

    I agree w/ wolf.  I know you’ve been doing rhythm lessons lately, but another BB lesson would be great.

    Great site tho, thanks a lot!

  11. FransP says

    Great, fantastisch this side with Brian.
    I am a dutchman (The Netherlands). I am retired now en i have the time for my hobby the guitar. I playing in the old thimes (the 60e) in a band. Now i have the time. I have for more than one year quitarles but in a for weeks with this side of Brian i learn more en now i play really. (The lessons where a lot of theory)
    I hope that you continue this side with the blues of BB king en other bluesplayers. But also the rythm guitar.
    Thank you Brian.
    FransP from the Netherlands.

  13. bushpilotom says

    Just discovered your site.  Saw BB last night so am delving into his style. 
    I am having problems however with timing.  Could you do a lesson (unless I haven’t yet found it) on timing.  How you count out the beat and come in with the licks at the right moment.  Thanks so much.  Tom

  18. fabio dos anjos says

    I am Brazilian I understand very little what you say in the video lessons, but incredibly evolved much later that I began to participate in your channel, it is a sign that you have to do to teach, I love the guitar love rock and blues and I’m very grateful for the help you are giving lovers of the instrument later want to ask you some questions, but for now is my thanks.
    Thanks, health and strength so that you continue with this magnificent work.

  20. xiamen602 says

    Hi Brian, first of all many thanks for this site which is superb in all respects. I am ultimately very jealous of anyone who can make a guitar sing the way you do.
    One thing which always seems to be missing from guitar lessons is how you have the guitar and amp set up to get the beautiful tones such as can be heard here in this BB lesson. I have the same guitar, a great amp and more effects boxes than I truly know what to do with but still can never seem to get the “sound” quite right. It would be fantastic to know exactly how you are set up for each lesson.

    Many thanks if you can oblige and thanks anyway for this site.

  22. mrfosters says

    Been on this site a little over a week.Been practicing this B.B.King lesson,I’ve got most of the notes in their proper order, now just got to get the timing down.This is the best guitar site I’ve found. You’ve got the guitar skills and, more importantly, you’ve got the teaching skills.Thank you so much for sharing your abilities, Brian.And that’s a lesson we all should learn!Josh

  25. runningdad says

    Hi Brian I found you’re site through youtube very glad I did.I joined on Friday and been practicing the BB King lesson and downloaded the jam track you’re lessons are awesome I like the way you actually show which fingers go on what string and fret some of the other lessons I tried it looked like every finger was touching a string and couldn’t figure out what goes where so thanks for creating this great site and making it easy to play the guitar.

  26. electricsashimi says

    Can you explain the music theory behind these licks? I notice it’s in a major pentatonic scale, but can you mention the different positions of the scale you are using so I can apply these licks freely when I’m playing on a backing track?

  27. electricsashimi says

    Hi Brian,

    In the understanding major and minor pentatonic scale lesson, you showed us how moving the minor pentatonic position 3 frets up will turn into a major pentatonic scale. In this lesson, you showed us that moving up 2 frets will turn a major scale into a minor scale. Is this because of different scale positions?

    Thanks
    Chris

  28. symogums says

    just wanted to thank you brian for all the lessons. your teaching technique is highly commendable. this site and what it offers is fantastic, it truly reflects helping others to achieve their goals. in a world full of greed and corruption you are a beacon of light. thank you so much. now wheres my guitar lol thanks newbie

  31. Gibson LesPaul Studio says

    I Brian I have a little problem, when i’m using a video, very often, a message appears telling me Sorry a problem occured please try again.
    Is it possible to correct that please. I realy enjoy taking some of your guitar lesson and it helped me a lot.

    Michel

  32. Diamon5 says

    What a great lesson and insight in to the man’s simplicity, economy and soulful technique. I’ll be stealing some licks from this one. Count on it!

  33. Benno_62 says

    Hi Brian (or anyone else), just a short question: I can´t watch this lesson here in Germany due to GEMA rights etc. Is there a way to circumvent (got this strange word from my online dictionary) this problem? Thanks, Benno.

  34. drummist67 says

    Hi Brian
    Just wanted to say how much I appreciate these great lessons. I’ve only been playing for eighteen months but I feel like I’ve made a huge jump forward in just a few days from working on some of the things you cover in your lessons.  Thanks!!

  35. Jeanke3000 says

    Hi Brian ,

    Thanks a lot for making this website . It really gives a boost in trying to learn guitar more and more .
    I just tried to learn the above bb king ( one of my favourites ) blues song , and I like the way it sounds .
    But could you maybe explain or make a lesson on how you choose your notes ?
    I just got the blues scales down in all 5 positions , but it seems you ( and BB king) are playing everything but the minor pentatonics or blues scales in A .
    Could you help me on my way to see a bit more structure and to learn more on the subject ?

    Thanks a lot ,
    Ciao,
    Jan

  36. Jeanke says

    Any news on my previous question?  Anybody can help me ? Wheredo the notes for instance in bar 10 come from ? This no minor nor major pentatonic , or am I mistaken ?
    Thanks ,
    Jan

  37. Brian says

    Jan, basically most of these notes are in the MAJOR pentatonic scale.  B.B. tends to hang out in the major pentatonic scale quite a bit.  Just remember (like the minor pentatonic scale), the major pentatonic scale has the same 5 patterns (these are all referenced in the blues lead course on this site) - so this would be considered pattern 4 in the major pentatonic.

  38. KiwiDan says

    Hi Brian,
          This lesson is especially cool. I don’t know if you can remember back to when it was hard going to try and play even simple notes in time with a jam track? It’s fun when you can get it right, and this solo sounds great, so when it comes together it sounds real good.

  39. Bob Thomas says

    Great lesson Brian Thanks. Playing along to the backing track even makes me sound half decent? I’m going to give your latest lesson a bash next ’ natural minor scale in the key of A’ That should keep me going for a couple of weeks?
    Bob, Cambridge England

  40. Bluesman5364 says

    My first test on my recovering fractured hand and while challenging is still a blast to play to the jam tracking both methods   Thanks

  41. jeannot18 says

    Hi Brian, great lesson. Quick question on your tab, at the start just after playing the bend on the 12th fret B string going to the 10th fret, you hit the 11th fret G string but you don’t mention it on the video, is this deliberate or is the tab wrong? Thanks
    J (a very happy member)

  42. ochomarvo says

    Could you explain the e turn around ? How it’s that still in the key of a ? If like to learn more then just how to do the solo…it’d like the why it works also…thanks

  49. dwilder1 says

    Awesome, lots of fun. Hey if this is in the key of A, per the boxes/positions in the blues course wouldn’t the second position be based on the 8th and 10th frets of the high e string? If the root is on the fifth fret since the key of A? It doesn’t seem like the third position really fits around these five key frets that he likes. Just curious, thanks.

  50. dwilder1 says

    dude, any thoughts on if this is the key of A shouldn’t the riffs be centered around the 8th and 10th frets (position/box 2) as opposed to the 10th and 12th frets? I’m sure there’s a logical explanation buried somewhere in the awesome hundred lessons you’ve provided if you could point me in the right direction? Is it a mix of the minor and major pentatonic scales or something? Thanks for the site, has helped me immensely. Fresh shirts/gear/whiter teeth in the new vids, guys gota be making some coin, sweet you deserve it.

  51. Brian says

    @dwilder -I’m not wear I can watch the video (it’s been years since I made this one), but you’re correct if you were staying in the minor pentatonic scale - this is a combination of minor and major licks though.

  54. Mike L says

    Can you explain what is going on at 7:17 in the video when he plays a “signature lick” but it’s not in the minor OR the major A scale… what is it? seems like it’s not E, not A.. what is it?.. none of those notes sound “right” with the A jam track to me… something up with that?

  55. henry damm h says

    fine lesson…when improv. over the track it sounds awfull when shifting to Dmpenta over D7 and Em penta over E7, where as D major and E major penta sounds right…in other context it is ok to play over the chord changes in a A7 blues using minor penta, is it because the backing track in fact is not a seventh track, but pure major ?

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