Texas Flood, by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble was the album that got me hooked on the blues. Like so many others, I first heard it as a teenager, a couple of years after I started playing the guitar. It was the first time I had ever heard a guitarist...
Duane Allman is one of the greatest blues and rock guitarists of all time. During his short life and career, he changed the landscape of the blues. He adapted and built upon the bottleneck style of bluesmen like Elmore James, blending the blues with country rock and roots music. In...
Over the past couple of weeks, I have listened to a greater variety of blues music than ever before. I have discovered new artists and new albums, which has deepened my understanding and love of the blues. Not only has this helped me to develop as a musician, but it...
B.B. King is the undisputed master of the blues. He redefined the electric guitar and totally changed the way that it was played. He introduced techniques and a style of playing that was wildly different to anything that came before. In doing so, he had a profound impact not just...
It is difficult to overstate the impact that Eric Clapton has had on the blues. He was at the forefront of the British blues movement, which, when transported back to America, gave a new lease of life to the blues there too. He is an iconic figure and one of...
Over the past 6 months I’ve been on a mission to listen to as much new blues music as possible. The contemporary blues scene is thriving, and there are some amazing modern blues guitarists keeping the blues alive. Musicians like Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr and Derek Trucks, are packing...
On Friday night I was lucky enough to go and see John Mayall, The ‘Godfather of British Blues’. He was playing at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club - one of the most iconic venues in London. I had never been before and so I had the great pleasure of ticking 2...
I don't think there is a single guitarist in the modern era who has not wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix at some point in their playing career. He is unquestionably the most iconic guitarist of all time, and one who has influenced every guitarist that is playing today. Most...
I have wanted to sound like Joe Bonamassa since I first became aware of him around 5 years ago. I heard songs like 'Stop!' and 'Sloe Gin', and became enthralled by both his playing, and the quality of his guitar tone. To my mind, Joe Bonamassa is one of the...
In the history of the blues, there are few characters who have played such a pivotal role as Bessie Smith and the early 'classic blues singers'. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a burgeoning blues scene in the Deep South. In rural areas like the Mississippi Delta, itinerant guitarists...
If you want to create varied and interesting blues guitar...
I think there are very few blues guitarists out there who...
Over the years, I have met only a handful of guitarists who...
If you want to play lead guitar, then learning the minor...
From the moment I first heard ‘Parisienne Walkways’ I...
If you are looking to develop a killer blues guitar tone,...
The world of guitar amps is difficult to navigate. There are...
In the last few years there has been an explosion in the...
I have wanted to sound like Rory Gallagher since I was 13...
It is not easy to create an effective guitar practice...
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