Lick Analysis and the Lick Legend Licks are the musical sentences of the blues language, Part of learning, understanding, and master- ing a language involves studying the "basic parts of speech." The following terms and their abbrevi- ations are used to define these specific elements at werk in the licks—they are used to diagram the blues sentences, so to speak. The abbreviations ere used throughout in licu of text blurbs to provide a strearlined but thorough approach to lick analysis, The Lick Legend Single melody tones are cited and circle the music notation. These are: LT=Leading Tone. A leading tone pushes toward an important melodic tone from a half step below. In blues, leading tones typically move to the third, fifth, or tonic note. LN=Lower Neighbor note, A note either ¢ half step or whole step below a principal tone, NH=Non-Harmonic tone, These would include the 2nd or 9th, 4th or 11th, and 6th or 13th dogrees of the scale. BN=Blue Note. In blues, these include the flatted Sth/augmented 4th, the minor 3rd in @ major ‘or dominant context, and the minor 7th. Larger structurel devices such es specific figures of three notes or greater and turnarounds are cited and bracketed in the notation. These include: ARP=Arpeggic (preceded by a chord name, such as C ARP) CA=Chromatic Ascent. Three or more chromatic notes in a row moving higher in pitch. CD=Chromatic Descent. Three or more chromatic notes in a row moving lower in pitch. RM=Reverse Mordent. An ornament commonly found in blues. It involves the alternation of a main note with its upper neighbor. RF=Repeated Figure. These are the basis for the riff concept in blues playing. IMIT=|mitative procedure at work. Q: and A:-Question and Answer phrases. The “call and response” procedure is an important aspect of larger blues melody structure Every lick is defined by an overall context—either a Basic Scale or Basic Tonality, depending on its, melodic (single notes) or chordal nature. Furthermore, the harmonic situation of each lick is described via the chord symbals |, IN, or V below the TAB staff. These will aid you in using the phras. €s purposefully agzinst specific chord progression areas in the 12-bar blues form. A suggested tempo feel is provided for each lick: Fast Swing, Moderato, Slow, etc, to further guide you in apply- ing these phrases in your music. Finally, once you have grasped the essentials of lick analysis, begin your own investigations. Pick your favorite biues improvisations and listen for these devices at work in the music of the greats, Be ‘on the lookout for imitative contours in melodies and riffs, question-and-answer phrases, and other thematic development strategies. This sort of listening and thinking opens the door to a deeper understanding and assimilation of the blues language.Pre-War Electric Blues The first batch of licks comes from the swing jazz and jump blues ora of the late 1930s and early 1940s. In this period there was a much closer relationship between jazz and blues. Hoin-driven big bands were the popular medium of the time and predorninately used acoustic guitarists to provide a strictly accompanimental, rhythm guitar role—that is, until Charlie Christian appeared on the scene. Christian played innovative melody lines on the newly- marketed electric-Spanish (ES) guitar, a hol- lowbodiad Gibson ES-150. His mix of earthy Okizhoma and Texas blues and swinging, sax-inspired phrases marked the formal emergence of the electric guitar in blues, pop, jazz, and later rock music. His work with the Benny Goodman Sextet set the standard for early combos with electric guitars; the electric guitarists who followed in the 1940s were under the spell of Charlie Christian and sought to emulate his sound and style. Many of his licks were heard in the subsequent wave of electric swing and jump blues guitarists operating in the 1940s and 1950s. Christian's licks also influenced blues-based rock ‘n’ roll players of the 1950s like Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry. You will no doubt rotice several commonalities such as extensive use of the sixth degree of the scale (the characteris- tic dissonance of the swing era), titone double stops, and a consistent swinging eighth-note feel ‘To maintain soric authenticity, I played these licks on a Gibson ES-175D with heavy-gauge flatiwound strings. The neck pickup was used exclusively and the tone control was rolled down sightly (around 7 or 8). The tone of the amp was set for a warm and moderately clean sound with a hint of tube over- drive. Tube amps are a must for this music—solid-state guitar ar»plification hadn't been invented yet. @ Basic Scale: C Mixolydian Fast Swing (2) =.) ¢ ae r A B @ Basic Scale: C Minor/C Major fast yying TD=1 2) co ane — W 1 @& Basic Seale: C Dorian rae eld bee EF ee@ Basic Scale: C Mixolydian Fast Swing (T=, 3) c ie _- j = $3488. Ap — fe eg “ uv op tee : : F 10 wo 5 = = | os" wo, ow 1 spe. = oe =: a | ta} 9 To eaane 1, sat rene a oe o7 . k at — 6 10 for 6Post-War Electric Blues Jump blues exploded after World War Il. The west coast, particularly Los Angeles, became a hotbed of activity and attracted many regional players to take part in the development of ths first ofticial phase of electric blues. The west coast blues style was urbane and stil very closely aligned with the swing jazz music of the 1940s. The leading guitarist of the scene was the highly in‘luential T-Bone Walker, a Texas bluesman who was a cohort of Charlie Christian. After Christion’s untimely death in 1941, Walker became the leading guitar voice of the electric guitar. His fluid, elegant blues rifs, souliul string bends, and slurred chord style exerted a strong influence on virtually every subsequent player. The sound on these licks calls for a hollow-body archtop electric and again was achieved with a Gibson ES-175. Slightly lighter strings, particularly an unwound G string, allow for easier bending which is an important aspect of these phrases. The amp tone is a little grittier and brighter with slight tube overdrive and more sustain BOrRk DOA Z a B I eck ant bide pickaps @ Basic Scale: G Blues/G Mixolydian sogeraety 7 cr in at == — £2) = for Qe we svenisemuoe SY = SS ag i = = | : = = = | | Sie y fetta ee ats Oe ee =@ Basic Scale: G Minor Pentatonic siowiy TF a ful T teckandindgepihop @ Basic Scale: G Blues Moderately =1 4) ww sem-deantene® weak and teidge chugs 1Country Blues and Early Chicago Blues “The Mississippi Delta region spawned a great wave of country blues artists in the 1940s. Typically the artists were acoustic solo performers who were raised on the music of earlier country blues inno: vators like Robert Johnson, Son House, Charlie Patton, and Skip James. These second-generation country blues artists played both acoustic and electric guitars at various career junctures, and, hence, the next series of licks can be rendered to good effact on either instrument. Several of these licks are in open tunings. The two most popular open tunings in blues are open G and open D. Both are slack tunings achieved by lowering the pitch of three or four strings if starting in stendard tuning. The object of both is to create the sound of a mejor chord with all six open strings. Open G (from low to high: D-G-D-G-B-D) is associated with the licks of John Lee Hooker ‘and Muddy Waters, while open D (from law to high: D-A-D-F#-A-D) wes used prominently by Elmore James. The slide is used on Licks 14-15, 18, and 22-29. In the recording of these licks, a National Style O resophonic guitar was used for the licks in open D tuning and a Dobro F-60 Classic was used for the licks in open G. Additionally, a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster was played for the electric slide licks The migration of southern blues players northward in the postwar years generated 2 motherlode of blues guitar licks. John Lee Hooker relocated to Detroit and invented the boogie, which has resounded in blues, rock, and pop styles ever since. Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf developed the early versions of Chicago blues by amplifying their rootsy Delta licks in a combo setting with tunes Ike “Hoochie Coochie Man,” "Manish Boy," "Little Red Rooster,” and "Spoonful." Elmore James, also in Chicago, produced the most copied blues slide style with his "Dust My Broom” licks. Also noteworthy among second-generation country blues guitarists are Big Bill Broonzy, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Slim Harpo All of the aforementioned proved to have a monumental impact on the subsequent generations of blues guitarists, with their rootsy licks at the very core of the blues guitar genre. @ Basic Tonclity: G Dominant Oper G Taine ee ets ; & 7 ga — a 8 $ » @-p B O-6 o @-p rast (T=) 2) a ‘ C1 « x x x a Of f @ 8 @ 8 @ 8 a [Pate mute notes on ths cou sap et aga et ‘ 4 A 4 s 4 Ce as @ 3 Gs Ges Papp g cy sg 8 "@ Basic Tonality: G Dominant ® Basic Tonality: E Dominant Moderatety (=1 21 7 3 * eile phan a W) Te ya SSE =e | 5 au oy) 1@ Basic Tonality: D Dominant me > 2 i 1 = ; < a g B at ee aS as a | | ait == | i c3 gs ¢ | sb ae : | Basic Tonality: E Dominant avrg == obi he * ae f= | Ys vere y eas = | r = 5 prea WR @ Basic Tonality: D Dominant (pen D Tuning: @-> @ A Se ys t | oe 0 0 y Che sb refine toni,@ Basie Tonality: E Dominant Moderately = tings eS ste 1 po eee te [B —e ey ee pl pp ee es ei) Basic Tonality: E Dominant see So * 3 E ED. BCE B. BD EC EB E b pt pep psig tet yt yt 14csi asic Gs A 4 A —_{ —— aN —— Orroroo eps erst wo st ob 1g @ Basic Tonality: G Dominant Open @ ting @p On (ate 4 4 i é te Sp itingers ee la 3-8) Ht — = 1 ee er ‘ 7 eye ool : ve Erp re pte tb ot i re @ Basic Tonality: D Dominant Open D Toning: @-p @-- O-r O-F wD stow Ds Gs FSS GS FS DS eenaeennwennees aon! enoptoue ge 15® Basic Tonality: D Dominant open Tesi: -0 @-p ® Basic Tonality: G Dominant ‘Open G Varin O-0 ©d aa G6 O-G @-d Moderately (done) ere & Basic Tonality: G Dominant open @-d Stowty G ee eee Rp gg gee |Bc Basic Tonality: G Dominant Open o Tae > @p “8 6 @-p Slowly data © Basic Tonality: G Dominant O10 Tn: @-p @-0 @-6 @-d Moderately we cing = + a a —————— 4 @ Basic Tonality: G Dominant Ope Fining Op @-d a» © “6 @-d Moderately jain) C7 & Basic Tonality: G Dominant Open Tong D-> =o @-1 O-o 8-0 ©-0 Medderately oR HS Ag 7@ Basic Tonality: E Dominant Basic Tonality: E Dominant Stowty (T=18) ” Turngrenane| BT, 2 SSS — | ee ‘ nore Y ® Basic Tonality: £ Dominant oP 1 ‘Paley muteall ots os stn.Elassic Electric Blues from the Kings The leading exponents of the Memphis blues category are B.B. King and Albert King. Though their music is truly universal today, they both were depictive of their regional context in the early days of their careers. Related by spirit rather than blood, both Kings were tremendous innovators of electric blues guitar. Their licks remain as the common language of the blues guitar sclo style B.B. King got his start in the early 1950s as the "Beale Street Blues Boy,” but rapidly became a national figure with an approach too broad to be pigeonholed by a particular geographic location His style wes influenced initially by T-Bone Welker, Charlie Christian, and the Delta country blues. By the 1960s, King was himself an influence on the next generation of guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Jimmy Page, Johnny Winter, and many others. He took the art of string bending to new heights—beyond the pioneering of T-Bone Walker—and refined the art of fin- ger vibrato. He also expanded the sound of certain licks with his patented use of a major pentatonic shape known as “The B.B. Box.” Listen for those elements in these licks. B.B. King is closely identified with the Gibson ES-300 series of thinline semi-hollow electric guitars {especially the ES-355) and combo amps, often pushed to a smooth, sustaining overdrive. These licks were played on a Gibson ES-335 and a variety of tube amps. ® Basic Scale: C Mixolydian Moderatelyly (7 19Bed Basic Scale: B> Minor/Major Pentatonic The BB Box 1 ®D Basic Tonalty Moderately =I} 5 SRE T @ Basic Scale: G Minor Pentatonic ? ed ie + j = fas Sea opaes Lrg ARP NA ors 20®D Basic Scale: B Minor/Major Pentatonic Moderately )=1'2) ta Moderately (7 a Me wi wisest tone rte cape wientckw one M4 I yee on ee = ES wi Py i 7 @ Basic Seale: G Mixolydian/G Minor Pentatonic Modenuely T= P a 24= IG ane Slowly cr AA Albert King is another colossal figure in electric blues guitar. He came to the forefront of the scene in the mid 1960s with a series of funk-oriented releases on the Stax label. Backed by a sterling stu- dio band, he took the blues guitar world by storm with his taut rhythmic licks and extreme string bends. King picked with his fingers and attacked his strings percussively, often snapping them against the fingerboard. He also exploited a signature position cited in these licks as “The Albert Box.” King had a profound impact an Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvin Bishop, and countiess other players in rock and blues. Albert King favored a late 1950s Gibson Flying V during his classic period, These licks were played with fingerplucking technique on a similar Korina 1958 Gibson Flying V and a Soldano amplifier with a Marshall 4x12 cabinet.@ Basic Scale: D Minor Pentatonic Moderately 1s tngers : 67 et oP te aor Boe 1 @ Basic Scale: A Minor Pontatonic Moderately “ he's U The Albert Box ——4 @ Basic Scale: B Minor Pentatonic Moderately 87 ie wings Ee 3 a Se —————————— Hi ® basic Scale: BP Blues Slowly 23® Basic se Ct Minor Pentatonic Moderately Cy Mannan Fine Basic Scale: G Blues Fast BN BN aN BN fut nicht ay a } basic Seal BY Minor Pontatonie Siowly nT Sy omy: y esky ORS FES ii or a rs poo da ee : E 4 = ® basic Scale: A Blues Moaeetay 8 _ a e i em Me én.3.e = “wiser-ciean tone * Are aR —t ‘Aon ARP sa — ye sae owt 2d, é@ Basic Scale: C Minor Pentatonic Moderately i rie ote = “wi semb-clean tone T = aS re 4 6 - I @ Basic Seale: C Blues Sloly wh eh oe 9a Texas Blues The third of the mighty King triumvirate, Freddie King, garnered attention with a spate of catchy blues instrumentals in the early 1960s. His style is steeped in the tradition of country blues guitarists {ike Lightnin’ Hopkins, though he flaunted a powerful, albeit more downhome, single-note style. His technique is singular—King used thumb and fingerpicks to articulate his licks. He is renowned for his memorable turnaround phrases and hooky guitar licks. Freddie King, like 8.8. King, played a thinline semi-hollow Gibson E5-300-style guitar most of the time. He was seen with various models: the ES-335, ES-345, and ES-355, curing his lifetime, though he began his landmark recordings on a goldtop Gibson Les Paul model. These licks were played with a Gibson ES-335 and a Soldano amp. @ Dosic Scele: E Mejor Pentatonic Moderately (=. 25& Basic Tonality: E Dominant oderatey Te 1) Funes giao Eee ‘wpe ingens D Pace Seale: F Mixalydian Moderately) =J'3) 8 —— @ Basic Tonality: E Dominant Moderately " ® Basic Tonality: C Dominant Mocerately = = — Se a f i oN er) . rat bn Semi w " +— — ——= —— = = Se ee 5 ——@ Basic Scale: E Minor Pentatonic @ Basic Tonclity: E Dominant Medeeately (75) tae @ Basic Scale: E Minor Pentatonic Moderately (1=1 >) ‘3° ppiege tee Sy J arModerately (7 or. Turokoinal te @ Basic Scale: D Minor Pentatonic | @ Basic Scale: C Minor Pentatonic Moderately 7=2 2) or NS Az NS Ss o 6Modern Chicago and Texas Blues Modern Chicago and Texas blues guitar styles are distinguished by the work of guitarists like Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Albert Collins, These “twin movements” began in the late 1950s, flourished in the 1960s, and continue to the present. As with mary blues crosscurrents it i easy to ascribe general influences, namely the contributions of the previous generetion taken to greater lev- els of sophistication and intensity. The modera Chicago and Texas styles are, in turn, directly attrib- uteble for their effect on the subsequent generation of British blues-rock guitarists (Clapton, Beck, Page, Green, et al) and the American blues-rock players (Hendrix, Bloomfield, Winter, Ford, and others). Hallmarks of the styles include a more florid, high-energy approach to solo licks, the influ: fence of funk rhythm, and a more overdriven amp tone. Clearly these factors influenced not only rock and blues but pop music to follow. Various guitars were used to play these licks including several Fender Stratocesters, a 1953 Telecaster, and a Gibson ES-335. @ Basic Tonality: € Dominant Moderately @ Basic Tonality: D Dominant Moderately (I)=1 >) AeA sei-clean oe SS a AS i v L @ Basic Scale: A Minor Pentatonic Fast (J=1'5)Wv 1 Vv @ Basic Scale: C Major Pentatonic Stowty 8 a 10 wa 2 wt at ~t to * “ a6 Se 6 06s 9063 | ease | Z { PT BBR YEE BE ay at a @ Basic Scale: A Minor Pentatonic Fast 7) Ar a a@ Basic Scale: D Minor Pentatoric Moderately E = — ae (ia) - Ww i @ Basic Scale: C Dominant Moderately cr = tue t = f = or, oN oeea SS ‘i * a a — i s 6 5 a (B- —— 1 @ Basic Scale: A Dominant Moterately (T2=0'3) ‘ 2 A —Tameround £9 ee a -Ee Gree ret aear a teveng at@ Basic Scale: A Dorian Mode anges LS cnt are H br —, etry" SEE? —————— LF +4 40-4 _—— — iB ®D Basic Scale: D Blues Moderately (T=. 2 J aN a SS wae “ ms NENT BW ia 7 ‘wile tone we wings BN ; = = 32& Basic Scale: D Mixolydian Modecutely Th 0 DZ, a iE 3 en swimges aiptei= yo 2 1 12 10 12 10 @ Basic Scale: A Mixolydian/A Minor Pentatonic Moderacely (.1=. 3) be te => Al OD 89 9 09 0 8British Blues and Early Blues Rock ‘Traditional blues merged with high-decibel British and American rock in the mid to late 1960s, and has continued in various forms to the present. Some point to Muddy Waters’ groundbreaking tour of Great Britain in 1958 as the pivotal moment which sparked the trend. Waters’ appearance inspired @ host of British blues bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Yardbirds, and Ten Years After. This in tur led to further permutations in the form of John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, The British blues movement also affected American counterparts such as the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Canned Heat, Electric Flag, and oth: ers, and became the impetus for the blues-rock fusion of the late 1960s and 1970s. Leading guitar proponents of the movement include Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Mick Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Winter, and others. The licks in the British blues genre and blues-rock are generally modernized elaborations of Chicago, Texas, and Memphis siyles reinterpreted and taken to further extremes. You will no doubt recognize many of the musical elements and even distinct melodies as being related to the earlier and contemporaneous American schools. What is new is the greater degree of distortion, usually achieved with high-gain Marshall amplifiers. | played these licks on a Gibson Les Paul Standard, Gibson ES-335, and Fender Stratocaster plugged into a Soldano SLO-100 of late 1960s Marshall head, and a 1970 Marshall 4x12 cabinet. @ Basic Scale: E Major Pentatonic Moderately (7 arBasic Tonality: G Minor Pentatonic vai SD © - é 4 — a = aN BN wits, yy T wo ww ta | = tT wn 4 = fe = &} Basic scale: C Minor Fentatonic Slowly (=. widst ga 12 us nt : 35@ Basic Scale: G Minor Pentatonic @ Basic Scale: A Minor Pentatonic Fast or 36 Turraround@ Basic Scale: E Minor Pentatonic “Tune Down 12 Sup O-> an BN aN BN a Ny wide ws, ‘ut = RO An 16 $15 tt aa i i 45 > Basic Tonality: E Dominant Moderately at as sess et —————— s————— x =——_ =—_* BERS 2 =F a a = —— = 37Postmodern Blues ‘The postmodern blues guitar era began in the 1980 with the work of Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Vaughan blended the licks and rifs of his influences Albert King, Lonnie Mack, Jimi Horie, Buddy Guy, B:B. King, and others with his own passionate playing to form a powerful emal- gam. Vaughar's success led to a greater acceptance ofthe blues 11 oP culture and paved the way Perr beoguert postmodern guitarist ike Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, Robben Ford, Kenny Wayne Shephard, Gary Moore, Sonny Landreth, Chris Duarte, ané Jonny {lang, Vaughan further paid homage to bluesmen lke Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, and Wille Dixon in his improvisations and repertory. Vaughan tuned his guitar down one hal step (@ la Jimi Hendrix) and predominately relied on 2 vari- sty of Fender tube combo amps. His distortion wes usually produced with an Ibanez Tube Screamer Serve pedal. These licks were played on a Fender Stevie Ray Yaughon Sigratite Stratocaster sinc devin one hal step. | also used a TS-808 Tube Screamer and a ‘Soldano SLO-100 amp with the "SRV" modification, &} Basic Tonalty: A Dominant ‘Tune Down 12 Sep Moderately a pat & Basic Tonality: E Dominant ne Devin 19 Se: O-¢ @-P a Moderately JI =J 2)Basic Tonality: E Dominant “Tune Down 12. Step O-8 O-> O-% O-w D-0 O-e ; Moderatdy (7 =J 2) Ey pour sa = = = a $e te — ord e - eee ia ESS : = — -— ie se 2 " vt — et SSS te ‘ = a @ y@® Basic Tonality: E Dominant Tue Dov 2 Sep O-e Op» o © nl ry Proc ent Tine Dow OP O-w O-G ©-P sea 4 sie cn ss oP