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Learn to Play Like B.B. King
Part 4: B.B. Licks in C
 More of this Feature
• Part 1: Overview
• Part 2: The B.B. Position
• Part 3: B.B. licks in A
• Part 5: B.B. licks in G
 
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• Live at the Regal
• Blues Summit
 

The following B.B. King blues guitar transcription is in the key of C, so, we'll need to get into B.B. position - with our first finger centered on the root note "C" on the second string (at the 13th fret). Your other fingers should be poised above the fretboard, ready to be used at any time.
This first clip features B.B. in one of the more aggressive moods I've heard him in. The song is "Stormy Monday", and the form is a traditional 12 bar blues.

Listen to mp3 of above tab

King starts his solo with the root note "C" high up on the fretboard of the first string (20th fret). It's been mentioned before, but it bears repeating... know where the root of the key is on the first string. B.B. likes to play this note, and slide off of it, in the climax of his solos.
From there, it's back to the standard B.B. Position, in which King plays some of his favorite riffs, plus a few other phrases we don't hear him play quite as often. King executes some tough first finger bends, which we'll see more in following transcriptions. You'll need to spend some time on this solo to get everything sounding connected.

Next page > Learn B.B. Licks in G > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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