STARTING A BLUES SOLO

Starting a Blues Solo

Starting a blues solo in a strong ,attention grabbing way is essential if you want your playing to make an impact on the listener! In this lesson I’ll show you 3 awesome licks for starting a blues solo. These ‘solo starting licks’ can be easily adapted and changed to suit the way you play and to give you lots of killer blues starting licks of your own.

Starting a blues solo well is about more than licks though! You need to start your solo with commitment and conviction and your rhythmic feel needs to be rock solid. These two factors can really show the listener that you mean business as you kick off your blues solo. On the other hand, a weak, timid sounding start to your blues solo will most likely lose the listeners attention straight away…so dig in and play like you mean it every time. Remember this as you work through these blues starting licks!

3 Licks for starting a blues solo

1:07 All these licks are coming from the A minor pentatonic and A blues scale. See the on-screen tab if you need a reminder of these.

1:45 Blues Solo Starting Lick 1

Possibly the most common way to start a blues solo is with this lick. Hundreds of classic blues soloists use this lick all the time. Learn the lick and how to use it, you’ll be glad you did (it just works!)

4:38 Blues Solo Starting Lick 2

Listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King to awesome blues solos starting with this lick. Those guys used this one a lot! The lick is using the top part of the sliding blues scale shape and is packed full of awesome sounding blues bends.

7:45 Blues Solo Starting Lick 3

This lick is how BB King might have started a blues solo! It’s using a few notes taken from the A major pentatonic scale as well as the minor pentatonic notes. Try using these notes for a sweeter start to your blues solo.

11:29 Try this great exercise to learn to get an awesome start to your solo every time. Prctice this and you” quickly hear a difference every time you start a solo. Try it!

Good luck with these starting licks and tips. Hope they help you make strong, ear catching starts to your blues solos a lifelong habit. Have fun!