Blues scale lick with tab and GP5 files

[rotren]

A simple 10 note blues scale lick, works great over blues of course. Even though it is simple, you can do quite a bit with it. In the video, there are also examples of how you can end the lick with a different note, depending on which chord it is played over.

How do you like this one?

Tab and GP5 files on http://www.dolphinstreet.com/guitar_.../lesson-89.php

[warmingtone]

How do you like this one?

You play and explain it well enough, it's good to see that you went into a few variations by ending on different notes and how it relates to the "changes"...

Personally, and I suspect your lessons are not aimed at someone like me...I find these rudimentary "lick" based things frustrating and very generic.

For instance this "lick" is a must know, but at the same time very cliche...however many players have taken the principle to make interesting variations.

In this case, an alternative to the "lick" based things might be to explore the addition of the b5 into the pentatonic scale and how to play with that sound...a little less prescriptive.

For instance...someone like hendrix might bend the B string up, catch the G string and return that to the Bb...I think i got an organ like riff of playing the higher e and even b strings while descending Bb-A-G from robert cray, but he in turn got it from others and I've seen and heard lots of people use it.

The thing is that all these "licks" fall into the same kind of pentatonic + b5 thing and by explaining the principles and variations a little more than just "a lick" might be more instructive to some in creating their own licks at the same time as learning this one.

Just a thought though...a lot of players seem to develop a "cut and paste" lick approach that can get frustrating in short order, both for the listener and the player and these kinds of lessons tend to be very limited and rudimentary and only encourage that kind of thing IMHO.

Still as I say, you play and demonstrate it clearly

[rotren]

Thanks for the feedback. I do a lot more in depth explaining when I teach one-on-one. I am going for short, simple stuff when I do the online lessons, at least at this point. It's also easier to produce well! But I hear what you are saying and you have good points. Thanks.

[fuzz1812]

I always enjoy your videos, especially the ones focused on a lick like this one.

To me, licks are like words in a language to be used in many creative ways - at least for those who are creative!

[Charlesinator]

warmintone, I really suggest you go to Robet's wesite and surf around. I can guarantee you'll find a useful lick or six for your advanced abilities. In our daily studies it is often refreshing, cool and helpful that we step outside of the box and learn something different even if it might be "below" our abilities. Often we can put it to use in an entirely different context. I often visit Robert's site to bust out of a rut and I always do. Thanks Robert for your great work.

[XinTX]

A lot of those vids on his site are useful. Great learning tool for a n00b like me as well.

[burch]

Robert thank you for taking the time to provide all this great stuff. Wish you had been around when I starting out.


Regards

[nvilletele]

For beginners, or long-time mediocre (at best) players like myself who find themselves unable to break out of the riff ruts they always seem to be stuck in, these vids are great - though simple (or maybe because they are simple), they help to easily and quickly add to one's vocabulary of riffs . . . first one needs some basic vocabulary, then as one practices over time, one learns how to express oneself better, in a more articulate fashion, with variation (and further learning) coming from both mistake and experimentation, and along with way there are the occasional epiphanies where the light bulb of some degree of understanding of or insight into some aspect of music theory begins to get some current and glow . . . .

I love these little video lessons. Keep 'em coming.

[warmingtone]

warmintone, I really suggest you go to Robet's wesite and surf around. I can guarantee you'll find a useful lick or six for your advanced abilities. In our daily studies it is often refreshing, cool and helpful that we step outside of the box and learn something different even if it might be "below" our abilities. Often we can put it to use in an entirely different context.

hahaha...warmingtone...never mind...

I have checked out a few things at Robert's site, and I appreciate what he is doing, I was only trying to be constructive and I believe Robert understood it that way.

I hear what you are saying and you have good points. Thanks.

It is likely that many misunderstand my posts here, I am probably expressing things poorly or there is some garbling of the message across the Pacific or something.

Some "licks" like this are a must have, I certainly play this kind of thing, it isn't "beneath" me! My aim personally is to try and develop my own identifiable sound or take on a tradition. Personally, I started with the "blues" (with a notable english angle) and this is still my "first love". But a lot of these players were also looking for their own sound, contributing to the genres and an accent on improvisation. For me, learning things note for note is only a small part of the journey.

When I was "coming up" and teaching myself, I did not have access to these kinds of things. Still, I do note that some are frustrated by the purely "licks" approach. Yes, I can make a lot of these kinds of things, but that's largely I suspect because I can see the principles and similarities from having to work things out myself and struggling to find my own take on such things.

Having learned something like this, I immediately turn to looking for how I might approach it to achieve my personal take on such a "lick"....

players like myself who find themselves unable to break out of the riff ruts they always seem to be stuck in, these vids are great - though simple (or maybe because they are simple), they help to easily and quickly add to one's vocabulary of riffs . . .

I don't mean to misrepresent the above quote by selecting only one part BTW...one problem with the lick based thing is that many players will seek more and more riffs to get out of the "riff rut"...which, to me further digs one into the hole. Eventually we all find our ways out perhaps, with enough time, but my suggestion was simply that as well as learning a cool lick, adding a bit about the principles behind it will provide keys to get out of the "riff rut" quicker!

So...as an example...Here is a lick I posted elsewhere today that I made up off the top of my head...

----|--6---5---3---------|--------------
----|-------------6----3-|--------------
--3-|----5---6------5----|-3------------
5---|---------------------|----5~~~----
----|---------------------|--------------
----|---------------------|--------------
Gm bluesy lick...

I used it as an example of an idea of creating two lines and intervals that get smaller and smaller till they become one at the end. In many ways it falls into the same "family" or approach as Robert's lick.

This was "improvised" on a principle (contracting interval multiple lines) that I worked on in practice, but it does come directly from the pentatonic with the b5 coming down to the root in typical blues fashion as illustrated by "Robert's lick"...such "licks" and individual takes on it is what one struggles with to make their own sound and is influenced not only by a more "generic lick", which has it's place, but on the many who took such licks and made them their own.

Lick based lessons certainly have their appeal and Robert does it very well, my only comment was that many wish to "make them their own" or have an identifiable sound while remaining in the tradition, and that as an educator there is an opportunity to add this aspect in early (not necessarily in the kind of lick of mine above) by introducing different takes on it, perhaps by different players or by applying different principles...so people can develop their own vocabularies.

hahhaa...maybe Robert might add this "warmingtone" lick to his library...more than welcome!

Maybe further down the line Robert might consider revisiting some of these licks to demo how you can build on them in various ways and give people a step up should they wish to do so.

[Agave_Blue]

Originally Posted by warmingtone

....

For instance this "lick" is a must know, but at the same time very cliche...however many players have taken the principle to make interesting variations.

....

Still as I say, you play and demonstrate it clearly

I too would like to thank Robert for his video lesson posts. I find them very useful. They are great way for a "just picked up a guitar" beginner to learn some "must know" licks. I also found your "how to hold a pick" video helpful.

Not only do your videos provide instruction on common sounds/phrases, but they are clearly and simply shown and explained so that anyone can learn them (and hopefully, build from them).

Again, from a beginner perspective, I think they are also good finger excercises - learning how to get your fingers where you want them to go - while still making "music".

Robert, I've downloaded or linked a number of your "licks" and "shuffles" and am practicing them diligently. Thanks again!!