This is just a cool lick that utilizes the House Pattern and a nice step-and-a-half bend to make you sound like Albert and/or BB King…
Download this video – MP4
This is just a cool lick that utilizes the House Pattern and a nice step-and-a-half bend to make you sound like Albert and/or BB King…
Download this video – MP4
43 replies to "1 1/2 Step Bending Lick"
Awesome video!
I really love how you put up this small short videos with so much information to learn, Amazing !
Thank you !!!
Thank you for another cool tip. As always very helpful and fantastic lesson.
Hi..very good, I guess without bends and vibrato, you have jazz?
Thank you Griff! Good “stuff” even if it isn’t “all that stuff 😉
And….what a really COOL SHIRT!
Got the “house” pattern down fine. My trouble is the following “all that stuff”! Everyone teaches the basic “whatever”, here the “House” or BB Box, but they always leave out the “all that stuff” sweet licks that come after.
How about a lesson on all that stuff?
Good question. “All that stuff” was just improvised licks in the heat of the moment; If you slow the video/audio down, you’ll be able to figure out what Griff is playing in “all that stuff”. I was thinking a similar thought as you, but I can transcribe off of video like his without too much effort, but I have some experience with that. I’d suggest that you try to add some amount of transcribing, of anything you hear that you like. It is an invaluable skill for any musician. And hopefully Griff will grace us with some tabs or further explanations, but if not, you will have begun adding one of the most valuable skills for any musician to have: namely, the skill of transcription.
Another Great video, thank you Griff. As a veteran, I have a lot of respect for you, in addition to the thanks I owe you for such sterling work throughout the years for us clients, customers and fans. You rock an awesome shade of the blues.
That was a great lick…THANKS GRIFF
best have a extra e string ( snap )
Love this 3 fret bend, just been learning the intro solo for Since I met you baby by BB king & Gary Moore which starts with this bend, but in C. Shows how it can be played in a more raunchy way!😎
Hi Griff,
I love all your teaching videos, charts and the way you instruct. I noticed that you were at NAMM last year. Are you going to be there 2018? I really like to get a chance to meet you. We run a school of music here in Las Vegas with mostly youth.
Great job bro, keep pumping them out!
Vance 702 396 8980
Thanks for the great lesson… now I have learned a great way to apply
a one and a 1/2 step in a great musical . I think it is a great lick to use
at the end of a solo for that ending on a high note type of solo.
I would like to have the tabs for that house box to the song. Thank you.
Would love to know what amp and effects you are using Griff to get this sweet.,thick tone.
Thanks for everything!
I took B-B Kings advice, that he gave to ZZ Tops Billy Gibbons & I use .008’s on my electric now & learning to bend (@ 65 ) is a ton easier than w/009’s or .010’s people. Oh the advice? Son,why you workin’ so hard ? When they traded guitars backstage one evening ,Billy said he never went back ..neither have I,love ’em. D’addario NY.Respectfully,Kim-from Waukesha WI- Home of Les Paul.
I saw the video of that conversation. I have a PRS SE SINGLECUT AND I TRIED A 7 WOW. THEY HAVE BEEN ON A YEAR still great tone the lighter strings will require a little adjustment sometimes when you take it out of the case. Iam using REV. Willy’s MEXICAN LOTTERY BRAND BILLY GIBBONS COLLABORATED DUNLOP MADE IN THE USA. I also have A PAUL REED SMITH McCarty 594 with PRS Signature 10-46 regular light gauge try them sometime (7) have fun iam 72 in nov .
I was able to bend the notes a little. I have an acoustic with #10 strings.
Merry Christmas to you and yours and to all the bgu members world wide! B-)
I think Gary Moore uses this one in pretty woman, it really screams with a bit more overdrive! 🎸😎 thanks again Griff
Hi Griff,
Also very Pink Floyd sounding, I love that sound too, DaveG does it all the time, and I might try and put it in the challenge you set us
Hey Griff, I love your philosophy of “…you can do all that stuff….whatever you want…”, and in retrospect, it’s probably one of the things that attracted me to blues so long ago.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Hey Griff,
Great one & half step bend lesson and using Box 2..great sound I Like it.
You are right about keeping the practice up on the guitar every single day even 10 mins as you get use to playing what you have learn’t. I usually take on a New lesson from BGU V2 or other BGU course during the day and then keep practicing it for a few weeks until I get it down pat before I move to the next Course lesson. At the same time I warm up with the Pentatonic Scale across the 5 boxes as well as a few bends. Then Play at night and learn some of your email lessons that fit in my progress. If not I save them for later.
I do notice that when I practice or play the Guitar every day my speed and method and memory improves. My memory is much better on the Guitar rather than just reading the Tab.
All great.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your family and all the BGUers.
Michael-Sydney-Australia. 22nd December 2016.
Thanks for the great lessons. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Hi Griff, been using your lessons for about 3 years, BGU etc, and can’t thank you enough for your help and emails. I’m 72 and my biggest problem seems to be remembering licks rather than the ability to play them. I guess this is an age thing. Regarding this particular lick is there anything wrong in bending the 13th fret up to the G rather than the 12th? I find this a lot easier.
Once again many thanks
John
John
I’m with you about remembering licks & solo’s! I’m 59, if I don’t play something every day, it slips from my memory! Very frustrating! I wish there was a course to put these licks in my head, something like learning to ride a bicycle! Once you learn it, you have it! If Griff could create a course on Memorization, it would be wonderful!
Jeffrey
Hey John and Jeff
You are putting to voice my very problem. Memory. If I could just remember All the stuff I get from Griff’s lessons and courses, I would love it! Courses on Memory and counting would be great!
I have not join until I am off a State Board I st on. The meetings are crazy. > love the way you teach. love your music. As a retired officer of the law. I learned fast😗only take on so many ta sks as one can handle. I wish, u could play freedie king, ain’t no body business much slower. I love that song, the way u play it. Thanks Griff.
Griff I want to wish you and your family a very merry christmas thank you for lessons
Nice 1 1/2
Neat lick, but I broke two strings trying to bend up to G from E. And I still never got the bend high enough. Any advice as to where I was going wrong.
Great stuff, lots of practice and jamming coming my way! Thanks a lot Griff.
I tend to play in that area alot, yet have never thought of doing a 1 1/2 step bend. Thanks for showing me that I need to think out of the box a little more.
I like that lick and I appreciate you letting us all in on how to do it! Thanks for probably about the thousandth time for a nice tip! 🙂
Excellent! Very cool lesson. I especially liked the way you explained the “location” by pointing out the top of Box 2, and the “house.” I’ve been following your e-mails for about 5 years, (and done several courses), but you still manage to come up with (and reinforce) these “nuggets” of great information. Thanks!
being older 63 i appreciate our local music store special ordering guitar strings that have a .008 for the e.Recently trying out the NY by D’Adarrio (?) string co. they stay in tune longer AS advertised and have a great sound to them.Thought maybe some of your other older players would appreciate knowing about them if they did not know before.I am learning to play lead so for me personally,it is a ton easier not having to work SO hard on that aspect of playing.Perhaps you could mention strings sometime,? in one of your lessons …come to think of it -not one of my guitar internet teachers has ever mentioned them.You,Steve Stine (thank’s to you),Andy (shut-up & play) ,or James Shipway to the best of my knowledge,in my humble opinion. Hmmm interesting .Respectfully,Kim
I think Griff HAS mentioned that he uses Ernie Ball “slinky” – 10’s
Hi Kim,
I am about to turn 70 yrs in a couple of days.
For strings I use ELIXIR great Tone Long Life Polyweb. On my Strat & Telecaster, and my LTD (similar to a Les Paul type Guitar twin humbuckers)I use the Elixir .009 gauge… this allows you to get the step & half bend like Griff in the above lesson. For my Epiphone Dot 335 Semi – Hollow (made by Gibson) I use Elixir .010 Gauge. for both my Acoustic Electrics 1)Epiphone Acoustic Electric EJ 200SCE I use Gibson .011 gauge Ultra Lights & 2)Valencia Acoustic Electric I use Elixir .010 Gauge. Using the Elixir brand lasts much longer than any other brand. Price is about AUD 16.00 for 6 strings.
Hope that helps.
Merry Christmas.
Michael-Sydney-Australia 22nd December 2016.
That’s a lot of bend. What gauge strings do you use?
Nice. Always fresh.
Great lick Griff. These videos are, for a lot of us, inspiring. We may not find every video to our particular style, but we can certainly take something from each one. Griff, your love and mastery of the blues shines brightly. Thank you for your time and effort to pass your knowledge on to those of us less skillful.
This is a beautiful sound lick . I loved it . Thanks for making it so easy for me and I can play it on acoustic for sure .
I like it. I’m an Albert King fan. Nice way to move from the A major to minor sound or the D. Lots of music in those 2 patterns.
As always , thank you Griff. I appreciate all you do .
Hey Griff. LOng live the King!