In this podcast I want to show you a SRV lesson in the key of Eb. You’ll need to tune each string down a half step in order to achieve this sound. SRV commonly used Eb tuning to get that real mean, nasty blues guitar tone that you’ll hear in Pride and Joy and Scuttle Buttlin. Learning how to play these open string type licks will help you to sound more like this blues guitar master.
Watch the video.
Watch this lick being played over a backing track.
Tab for this lesson
Using Eb tuning can really give you some new sounds to all of your old licks. For some reason, your licks just sound a little bit meaner when tuned down. I guess it’s partially due to the string tension being changed. You’ll need to throw on a set of .011s to achieve this sound as well. I like GHS Boomers.
To learn more about playing blues guitar please check out my Blues Guitar Course.
Excellent work. I’m really digging your style and teaching methods. I especially like the SRV lesson in the key of Eb. It’s little riffs like this that I’m trying to master. I’ve only begun my guitar experience about 8 months ago. I suffer from very short fat, arthritic, fingers and it is extremely hard for me to make chords that ring out clear. So I try to find riffs and short little diddies just like this that I can play. Heck I dont even know a whole song yet and I dont really care but I just love playing things like this. SRV, B. B. are my favorites to try and learn. Anyway how do I down load this vid to my iPod? Do I need to join your website first? Please advise and thanks again for what you do.
Thanks! The lesson will be added to iTunes soon. You would just need to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes to be able to download it.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-guitar-now-learn/id268513981
Extremely nice lesson John..! But can’t we play this lick w/o tuning down a half step?
Yeah you can play it, but it won’t have the same vibe. Tuning down half a step gives you a certain sound. Thanks.
Oh i got it John, thanks !
Great lesson!
Great sounding guitar and and great lesson. only negative I think the old pick gaurd was awesome. Still looks good though