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Blues Improvisation 6: The Albert King Box
In this lesson, I’ll show you the Albert King box. It’s the favorite of, not only the blues great it’s named for, but other bluesmen such as B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and practically everyone else. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4
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Blues Improvisation 5: Creating Licks With The Intermediate Box
Today we’ll practice creating licks with the intermediate box, plus I’ll tell you a little more about what is to come in the video. Fig. 1 Fig.2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5
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Blues Improvisation 4: The Intermediate Box
Today I’m going to show you the intermediate box and how it connects to the beginner’s box. I’ll also give you a challenging homework assignment. Fig. 1 Fig. 2
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Blues Improvisation 3: Sliding Out Of The Beginner’s Box
The beginner’s box is great but very limiting. There’s an easy way to slide out of it and change position. Today we’re adding the two notes you need to do this. Tomorrow I’ll show you a new box that begins with these two new notes. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4
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Blues Improvisation 2: Playing “Outside” The Beginner’s Box
In our previous lesson, we learned the “beginner’s box”. Today we’re going to take things a step further and learn to think “outside the box”. Visually, these extra notes appear in the box on the fretboard but are outside the key- therefore outside the box. So, basically, I’m asking you to play the wrong notes.…
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Blues Improvisation 1: The Beginner’s Box
Blues improvisation is not hard to do. You may think that you need an arsenal of notes and tricks, but in reality, you only need a few notes to get started. Today we’ll begin by learning what I like to call “the beginner’s box”. What we’re going to do today is take just four notes…
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Ascending Turnaround
An ascending turnaround has a shifting melody that travels to higher notes. The ascending turnaround in our example below is great for a slow blues where you can really emphasize the slides. Let the notes of the closing E+ arpeggio ring out until the end of the bar. Examine the notes used for the shifting melody and how the…
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Contrary Motion Turnaround
Contrary motion is motion in opposite directions. That is, when one of the lines moves up, the other line moves down.
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The Descending Turnaround
A descending turnaround has a shifting melody that travels down in pitch.
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The Expanding Turnaround
The expanding turnaround has a moving melody line that moves away from a static note. This one is shades of ZZ Top’s ‘Jesus Just Left Chicago’.