Over the course of his career, B.B. King crafted some of the best blues guitar solos of all time.
A huge part of this came down to his soft touch, signature vibrato technique and his beautiful blues tone. Yet it was also down to his phrasing and note choices.
B.B. King created a sound that was unique to him – not just through his touch and use of vibrato – but through the note groupings he chose to construct his solos.
This is exactly what I will be covering in this course. Here is what you will learn:
- What the B.B. King Box is, and the theory behind how it is constructed
- The musical contexts in which you can use the box effectively
- How to navigate across the B.B. King Box and create interesting and expressive licks
- Ways you can effectively combine the box with your ‘go-to’ minor pentatonic ideas
- 5 licks that use the B.B. King Box to help you get started
If you are a big fan of B.B. King and want to recreate the sound of his lead playing, then this course will be perfect for you.
Even if B.B. King isn’t your biggest guitar hero however, there is still so much you can learn from this course.
As I will explain in the coming lessons, the B.B. King Box mixes the notes of the major and minor pentatonic scales. This can help you get started using the two scales in your solos, which in turn will allow you to create a warm and upbeat blues sound.
It is for this reason that a number of guitarists, including Peter Green and John Mayer use the box shapes extensively in their playing.
In fact, the lead playing in the Fleetwood Mac song “Need Your Love So Bad” focuses entirely around the B.B. King Box (and my opening solo here is heavily inspired by Green’s guitar work in that same track).
So, if you want to expand your lead guitar repertoire and create warm and upbeat blues licks that give your improvisations a totally different sound, head straight over to the first lesson when you’re ready and let’s dive right in!
