You’ve heard it a thousand times right – blues guitar is as much about when you play the notes as the quantity of notes you play on the guitar. After all, it is the combination of steady, infectious rhythm with creative melodies crafted with an instinctive sense of timing that creates the masters of the blues guitar.
Think Freddie King’s 1961 hit “Hideaway” brilliantly written for blues guitar and you immediately think of the different levels of melodies with impeccable timing on top of a very powerful shuffle rhythm. Seeing Freddie bop to the rhythm while he played the instrumental on his bright red Gibson ES-335. No doubt Freddie received much of his training in melody and unique finger picking style from his mentor Jimmy Rogers – an early member of Muddy Water Band in the 1950’s.
In today’s era of playing louder and stronger it is still nice to hear guitar players who master the 3 critical factors of rhythm, timing and melody.
Case in point – someone I’ve been drawn to increasingly in the last few months is Jimmie Vaughan, brother of the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan and guitar master behind the original Fabulous Thunderbirds where he helped mold the modern Texas blues sound.
Listen to Jimmie in this version of “Don’t You Know” from his Strange Pleasure CD
Notice how choosy Jimmy is with his note selection – every note means something in terms of melody to the song.
Now everyone marvels at Stevie Ray Vaughan’s incredible attack and fast playing, but what really made him great is that combined with the sense of rhythm, timing and melody that he shares with his older brother Jimmy.
Anyone who listened at all to the Fabulous Thunderbirds knows what an amazing rhythm guitar player Jimmy is – but for those who want a reminder, listen to this powerful, hard-hitting rhythm Jimmy uses on his recent CD titled “On the Jimmy Reed Highway”
When I think of Jimmy I think of the Groove Man…I could listen to that rhythm all day, it’s good for the soul:
What do you guys think – isn’t this the way guitar was meant to be played?
Filed under Blog by on Oct 21st, 2009. Comment. 
My guitar and gear
I was reading a column on an internet news site today talking about The Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White in their new movie “It Might Get Loud” and really connected with the incredible joy these masters have (especially the long-time veterans Jimmy and The Edge) with their first guitar.
I still remember mine being a “Sonic” – sort of a take-off on an Ibanez that with dual humbuckers that had some good crunch, but really had some poor sustain.
My next guitar is shown above – and the one I still play the most today which is an American Standard Strat I picked up almost 10-years ago. Other than some adjustments, some wiring repair work (as well as an upcoming whammy bar replacement as you will notice it is missing in the picture…), this baby has done me very well.
Also in the picture is my Fender Twin and a few effects boxes including an Ibanez tube screamer (the green effects box on top of the amp) and a new Goudie FX Blue Daddy which acts as a combination – Fat Strat Tone accelerator and overdrive – “crunch” box where I can get the nastiest Stevie Ray Vaughan tone…or at least as close to it as I have come with various combinations of amplifiers and effects boxes.
What about you? Do you remember your first guitar? Which early guitar do you consider your “First Love?”
Filed under blues guitar, Fender guitar by on Oct 21st, 2009. Comment.
Nice to see that some of the newer blood – Jonny Lang is active with one of the more experienced members of the blues guitar scene – Robert Cray. I’ve had the chance to see Jonny 3-times at different venues and Robert Cray at least that many times, often at the Ottawa Blues Festival.
They are appearing together at bergenPAC November 11th in Englewood NJ at 8PM, a show you won’t want to miss
Not only is this a great combination in terms of styles – the rough and powerful with the smooth and tasteful Robert Cray – but these guys could really feed off one another. Robert Cray can feed off of Jonny’s energy and Jonny can tap into some of Robert’s amazing soul.
If you get the chance to see either one of them…and you have even a moderate interest in blues guitar, then get out and see them as soon as you can.
According to Robert Cray’s website, he will be visiting Southern Ontario, Northern New York, Boston, NJ and Indiana before the end of the year, followed by some California dates in the New Year.
I really like to listen to Robert’s playing because he constantly moves across many scales from traditional blues into major and minor scales always channeling his feeling and coming up with great melodies as he moves through his songs.
Bending, shaking and interacting with his Fender Stratocaster guitar, Robert has a unique sound that will infect you when you get out and see him live.
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Oct 22nd, 2009. Comment.
