One of the biggest elements of my Major Minor Blues Shapes course (among others) is the idea of focusing on root notes in the box patterns and learning to comfortably change between major and minor blues sounds from any of them.
Why? Well, simply put, it’s because you often find yourself in a strange place when you’re soloing.
You just finished up a cool lick, and now you find yourself around the 3rd string in the middle of the neck in the key of G… and all of a sudden it’s as if you’ve never seen the neck before.
Sound familiar? That’s because you’ve never looked at your boxes in that way before… so I’d like to help with that.
I was watching this great video of Joe Bonamassa and Eric Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall doing “Further On Up The Road…” (here it is if you want to watch it…)
In particular, notice at about 1:52 seconds, and then again at 3:19 and 3:25.
I just took those 3 licks and broke them down in this video so you can see how utilizing that often strange and bewildering box 3/box 4 regions can reap some hefty rewards…
Downloads – MP4 | WMV | TAB (PDF)
And of course, if you dig this, you’ll really like the new Major Minor Blues Shapes course which really goes deep on combining the major and minor blues sounds around the roots all over the fretboard. Check it out and see what you’ve been missing.
51 replies to "3 Licks From Somewhere (Possibly) New…"
Grif, can’t tell you how much you have done for this guitarist want to be, been a bass player for years but wanted to play guitar. Keep doing what you’re doing.
i wish you were around ,50 years ago,Im 65 NOW,with all your help im sounding and playing better the ever .thanks
Hey, didn’t they both start their solo’s on the 1 ? Griff won’t like that Lol 😎
I have discovered Joe just in the last few years,
and I love the guys music ! What a great musician / player . This album is great and also the album with guest singer Paul Roger simply couldn’t get enough ,”pardon the pun ,”
In my humble opinion Joe is the best blues / rock artist of our late in life time .
Great delivery of this lesson Griff! Not only perfect stuff for where I’m at but you looked so happy to teach this! And you should be. You keep giving me opportunity to create new sounds. Little bit of Joe B and Eric was sweet.
This is one of Griff’s great lessons. The toughest part of it is the “playing” part. I have to concentrate so hard when I play that I do not look like I’m having fun but, in fact… I am. I can only pull-off the happy face when I crash and burn or when someone else is playing their solo. Other than that, my face is seriously concentrating on my part and I react to my mistakes with a scowl. Learning to incorporate and move-on with ‘happy fun mistakes’ in a solo is much easier said than done. 🤨🙂
Well explained although I have been doing it for who knows how long, but the clip really turned me on to Joe B an amazing player soft to aggressive with so much feel, can’t get enough.
Thanks Griff.
IF YOU HEARED BB KING AND ERIC, “ON THE ROAD”, THAT FIRST 3 NOTES THAT ERIC PLAYS, HE STOLE FROM BB KING .
THIS CONCERT WAS ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE HE WENT INTO THE HOSPITAL FOR NUEROLIGICAL PROBLEMS.
LETS REMBER ERIC AND NOW HE IS RETIRED. WE SHOULD ALL PRAY THAT HE COMES BACK AND HIS LEFT HAND IS WORKING LIKE THE OLD DAYS.
THANKS GRIFF, I LIKE THOSE LICKS.
Hi Griff,
I’d like to know what and how Joe is playing right at the very beginning of the song. I see he’s got his first finger curled around the pick and is playing with his thumb, middle, ring and maybe the pinky. Can you demonstrate that chord change and technique?
Thanks, Mark
Damn , It does a body good to be reminded just how lucky we were to live in their ERA ….
Drop kick me jesus through the goalposts of life, and call me shorty!
Whoa, those wizards don’t need any comments from me. Thanks.
Probably completely out of context Griff, but the follow on starting phrase which Clapton uses after Joe’s first solo at around 2:13 to 2:19 is simply sublime. It certainly drew a wry smile from Bonamassa – the sort of “I wasn’t expecting that!” type of smile. So sad to hear of Eric’s one way ticket to not being able to play any more.
Love the video today great as always my girlfriend just walked by and commented about how much better I am at playing guitar she actually said I sounded extremely good like I know what I’m doing I can only attribute that to Griff and bgu thank you so much love you man
U DA MAN GRIFF 😎
Like so many of your students Griff I can endorse the fact you source the right material to illustrate the points you are making. I watched that concert and still feel Joe can learn so much more from Eric to reach his very best. Well done Griff, you are the ‘go to man’ for ideas and very well explained ideas. Keep up the great work.
Griff
I suddenly realised that everything is falling into place in respect of guitar theory. I may not be able to play so well but I’m getting there – wherever there is! What I really mean is that having followed your videos and some of your courses, I realise how far I’ve come over the years since I bought BGU and worked my way steadily through it and now I fully understand what you are talking about in your videos.
So a big thank you to you Griff – you’ve extended my knowledge no end.
And I know there’s more to come….
Kevin
Great,awsome
You don’t hear about him so much in the blues greats conversations but JC Fogarty does so pretty cool stuff like this on Tombstone Shadows
I’m a lifelong CCR fan . . . surprised I’d never hear Tombstone Shadow before, thanks, Steve.
Wow, I love Eric. And his music
hey Griff, darken your glasses… you look like Joe… Thanks for the lessons, I’m working on it. : )
Neo
Again I am mesmerized by your presentation to inspire learning the guitar techniques . However I get myself wondering if I will get the right effects with an Acoustic guitar . So I try to learn from your lessons like these . I love your playing . Gr I again thank you from my heart Griff. .
Griff, I have purchased at least 8 of your courses, they are all great! But, I feel like I’m trying to take a drink from a fire hose with all the information I have. The only one I have completed is BGU, but I have taken bits and pieces from all of the other ones. I can play “I Believe” and “I’ve Got the Blues” pretty well, have delved into the Slow Blues where you teach 5 licks for the 7 positions where the solos start and stop, (those are great!!), 52 Variations, 20 Endings, etc.
So realistically, I need to wait for the Major/MinorBluesShape for a while. I would like to comment that this lesson does a great job of showing some usable licks in boxes 3 & 4. I have learned all of the boxes fairly well but I am not comfortable in boxes 3, 4, and 5. This lesson has given me some things to add to my box exercises that I still do regularly. Sorry for rambling on, just wanted to say I have learned so much and will continue with the journey.
Thanks for this one, Griff. You nailed it – there’s always that one little note that one can miss which makes all the difference. Cheers!
Thanks for the video Griff! I still don’t get it, but I’m hoping that as I work through the MMBS course (after I finish up BGU) the light bulb will go off. I can barely recognize the roots for the different boxes when they’re MINOR, and clueless about how to easily see the MAJOR roots. I’ve got to get a handle on the “relative” chord stuff, “three frets down” rule, etc. You once said in another video that if you have to think of all this in the middle of a solo, you’re sunk! Quick, throw me a life jacket!
As usual, great information! You da man Griff!
Two great masters at work. Thanks for the break down. Yeah the major/minor class is something I’ll be interested in but now I’m restarting electric after 6 months off & I’ll be working on bgu & caged for awhile but I’ll keep in mind that the course is out there. Thanks.
As usual, I’m confused. I swear that I hear 8 8 in measure 1 & 2.
10 10
Also, 9 isn’t part of the box 3 I learned but I know different instructors sometimes use different fingerings. It’s not an industry standard.
I accept guidance from everyone and anyone that can help.
eddie b.
Griff love that it’s really helping me I’m at that point in my playing I get stuck a lot wondering where to go next it gets frustrating some times this really helping me thank for time
Griff i really enjoy your instruction i would be so lost without you continuing guidance through so many licks i couldnt do before that i have mastered now thanks so much for showing so many styles and so many things that other teachers overlook i am indebted to your mastery of the all powerful AXE
This major minor thing is starting to make sense. Thanks for your help.
Griff…thank you for showing that. I saw Joe once…and couldn’t figure out what was going on in a particular song, this nails it. He does a song,”So it’s like that”…and when he does it live I think he does this major minor thing, that you are showing. Thanks so much for this lesson. Check out the song if you get a chance, and haven’t done so already
Rich
Hi Griff
Thanks again for your valuable videos. I have always found this major/ minor concept confusing but now getting somewhere with it.
Graeme – Sydney Australia
its seems if I am getting this is…whatever minor box you are in..you can play the major in the same place put 1 box up…for instance if I’m playing in box 4 minor ..I can then play box 5 major…is this correct??
It was more fun after you were able to play the licks, which I did not pay attention to as they were playing.They play so fast. Thanks to you, I am learning to pay attention.Reminiscent of 4 notes blues solo, one of my first play before I became interested in BGU.
NO ONE CAN EVEN HOLD A CANDEL TO ERICS SOLOS. HIS FAVIORET PART OF THE NECK IS AROUND THE 12TH FRET. I COULD SEE BONAMASSO PLAYING HIS SOLO AND HE DID HAVE SOME CLAPTON LICK IN IT. I CAN’T REMEMBER ALL THE BOXS1AND 2 I KNOW. BUT THE REST , JUST CAN’T CONTAIN THEM. FOR 40 YEARS OF PLAYING MUSIC I ALWAYS USED MY EAR TO LEARN A SOLO. THE BOX’S JUST CONFUSE ME I DON’T PLAY MUCH ANYMORE TO SICK. I DO . MAYBE ONCE A WEEEK , PICK UP MY GUITAR AND JUST NOODEL, OR PLAY MY OWN SONGS, OR SOME CLAPTON. GOT ENOUGH OF YOUR DVD’S THAT NOW JUST COLECT DUST. GUESS WAHT GRIFF. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON’T COUNT OUT LOUD WHILE THEY PRACTICE. THEY LEARN THE SONG AND LYRICS AND IMPROVISE. I HAVE HAD MY OWN INNER METRONOME EVER SINCE I STARTED PLAYING. I WAS TOLD I’M A NATURAL. THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO. GOD WATCH OVER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!
If they are just really collecting dust would you want to sell them cheap ? Struggling bike shop owner,in Wisconsin needs something to do, while waiting for customers. Hope you feel better. I am 63 ! Respectfully,Kim alexbikeman@aol.com
Great info as usual Griff. Thanks.
Thanks Griff once again,
I totally agree with Danny’s comment, absolute flood of info. The well won’t run dry anytime soon. A very good thing!
What a great clip of Eric & Joe, master’s from the stratosphere! I’m sureI won’t come close to that in this lifetime but I’m determined to have fun trying!
The way they were so happy at the end of the piece I could almost hear them saying to one another “Do you believe we get paid for having this much fun?!!!”
Later,
Dave
Hi Griff,
I am really enjoying your major/minor course and remember you previously telling us that many decades ago guitarist Chuck Berry used major/minor for world famous guitar solo “Johnny B Goode.
Hi Griff,
I purchased the major/minor course about 5 days ago and have only been guitar playing under your instruction only for about 18 months.
For the first time since your instruction I would disagree with you in that this course should be attempted even by the novice guitar player, once you recognise where the root notes are it becomes very easy to navigate around the fret board, wish I had started this 12 months ago.
Btw, I now no all open and more than half my bar chords, bends, hammers, slides and note recall are excellent, thanks for the genuine inspiration, licks, emails ect over my journey, I am 50 years old,
cheers mate dave from oz
Hey Griff,
Just great to watch Eric & Joe talking greatly to each other with their Licks & Phrases. All great and thank you Griff for sharing all this with us.I’m not ready for the major/minor soloing concepts yet as I am busy with BGU V2 and others. But when I get to that level I will surely make that purchase as it looks great.
I think that the major/minor soloing is for the Advanced “Where You At” and I am not there yet.
Great work nevertheless preparing such a good Course to look forward to in the future.
Thanks
Michael- Sydney Australia
Hey griff,
Great refresher and still on my future list to learn and now understanding more & more these licks with gravity.
Keep them coming.
Michael-Sydney-Australia
Great refresher and now i’m more advanced and can see the value of those 3 licks during the performance of Joe and Eric..and your lesson which is great. Now at Feb 9, 2021 , I am going through BGUV2 again and especially all the obstacles which I now understand much better now…Good schedule of BGU learning now…as well as learning songs which structure are also contributing to my learning road.. All good and thanks Griff..
Michael- Sydney-Australia Feb 9th ,2021
I can also add that one of my target songs is Johnny B Good by Chuck Berry, which I have had transcribed into my version in the Key of A but at a slightly different tempo..still working on it as it takes time before I get it down..
Very good lesson Griff. Stay safe and hope your new home in Texas is great.
Michael-Sydney- Australia Feb 9, 2021
been downloading so many of your instructive videos, and recently BGU2, I can’t keep up! BGU2 is so nice to break down the licks, it’ll take me quite a long time before I can ever get to the other courses I’ve already downloaded, so I’ll just have to wait on the Major/Minor course for now. mixing things up, not staying solely to the course I think has actually helped me to get better on the BGU2 course work.
Great stuff as always .You seem to be teaching things at the time where I need to be at . This mixing the minor and major is really what I need to know . Like You said alot of guitarist fall short of this mark . I hear it alot. There are guitarist that can play around the minor and major sounds and sound great. Your right that this could take some time to get it all down. In the time it takes I believe it will be well worth the effort . T Y . ;<() mustash you to send more.
Steal Griff? Aren’t you afraid of the “JB-TV Police Squad” and their lawyers busting into your studio and confiscating the notes of which you teach us? Only kidding! Good stuff as always, thank you Griff. As I’m not up to the major/minor soloing concepts yet, I’m holding off on that course for the time being. When I’m ready for that step, I’ll dive into that. The 3 licks are looking pretty easy and I’m excited to practice them when I get home from work tonight. ( 1 at a time ). But I will not consider myself “stealing” anything, yet, “emulating” my guitar hero’s style:-). Can’t wait to see what’s “Further on down the road” with you, Griff!
Looking forward to my major minor blues shapes course
Thanks for the 3 licks I shall take my time cheers.
Some days it’s like hanging out at a barbershop watching your videos. You just got to learn something every time. As always thanks so much for the inside.