There is one important part of learning to play guitar (and blues soloing in particular) that I think gets too often overlooked. Shoot, even I don’t do this as often as I should.

But I can remember as a kid just putting on tapes (or CDs, or even just the radio at times) and just playing along with every single song trying to find any of the sounds I was hearing.

So grab your guitar because for the next 10 minutes or so I want you to play along with me.

Downloads of this video – MP4 | WMV

And, of course, let us know how it goes for you in the comments 🙂


    66 replies to "Play Along With Me…"

    • Jim58

      Takes me back to the start, playing “Tres Hombres” and “Second Winter” over and over and over again and trying to get it right. 45yrs. later I’m STILL trying to get it right!

    • Richard Davis

      Hi Griff I love your work. I have a few of your courses, and love everyone of them. I wood love it if you would make a blues course for the Bass guitar I fell in love with the bass guitar in slow blues in G { BGU } I hope you will consider this I would buy it in a heart beat. I think a lot of your followers feel the same as I do. If you bass players out there feel like I do let Griff know. I just bought How To Build Blues Songs and I can’t wait to work my way through it. keep up the good work. We love ya.

    • Mark Walters

      Awesome Griff!
      (But I can’t help wanting to check out what you’re doing when I don’t keep up)

    • Jake L Whicker

      I just love reading all the posts of gratitude. You deserve it, Griff. This is yet another example of your amazing skills at inspiring us to “keep on keeping on” learning.

    • DaveyJoe

      OK…a year ago…yes I have it saved. But this time I’m going to enter today’s date. This stuff is a cool Idea Griff!

      8/3/18

    • Mason Barker

      I often wonder why you never teach anything in Country Music or Gospel. I guess there is not any money in that line. This is the big reason I have not bought any of your Lessons. I know you say that if you can play one you can play the other. I am not into ROCK. If you have lessons in Country or Gospel I have not seen any. Mason

      • Craig

        Because this is what Griff teaches. Stop whining and play up what he”s giving you for free or find a site to learn what you’re interested in.

      • Chicago Charlie

        “If you have lessons in Country or Gospel I have not seen any.” What!!!!!! Didn’t you realize that these styles use major scales and major pentatonic scales

        How ask yourself – How good a player am I?

        The stuff Griff teaches can be used in other styles. Its up to you to make it work.

        Blues is not my first or second musical preference. But I took a plunge and bought a course. It started off easy – I can handle this stuff and why did I waste my money on it. I could have asked for a refund but decided to keep going.

        Soon, I was up to my neck in tall tough weeds and actually had to pay attention and practice. Since I started his material, I have greatly improved. Today, I am still not a blues fan! And I am going to work my way thorough the materiel that i have purchased.

        Lastly, does anyone else agree with me – some of these little free video lessons are worth the price of a guitar lesson from a local instructor.

        • Jake L Whicker

          Chicago Charlie, you have to play the blues first. Actually, Gospel was in the roots, but Blues will give you all the rest,including country and rock.

    • Marv Murray

      I love when u post stuff like this Griff. It really helps me learn and inspires me to keep playing and keep on learning. UR THE BEST

    • ChrisGSP

      Griff, this lesson is a great complement to your “Trading Fours” lesson from a few months ago. I’ve been using that one regularly and will use this one similarly, because 1) it’s in a different key and 2) that little “BB box” thing is one that I’ve heard for years but have never been able to figure out and you explained it beautifully. I guess I’ve been an intermediate blues player for about 40 years and I’m hoping to use your lessons to advance my playing and “join the boxes”.
      Cheers for the great South land of Oz,
      ChrisG.

    • Alan

      I love it! As mentioned the last time around I’d love to see a whole series of Play-Along with Griff jams, in different feels and keys. Hey, I’d love to see a whole course of them.

    • Dennard

      A lot of mileage in thhT pattern

    • MikeS

      Wow! Your email said that you sent this out a year ago? I don’t remember it at all, but I LOVE it! Great ear practice! Thanks Griff!

    • John

      Made the mistake of watching this work (on a break, of course) – can’t wait to try this at home!

    • Kevin O'Sullivan

      Thanks Griff – good fun and I reckon I got 50% on my acoustic which was the guitar closest to hand. I’ll give it a bash on an electric – so much easier to bend the strings!

      • Tim

        The ‘band’ (organ) may play a little louder next time. Greetings from holland.

    • Simon

      Now that was good fun! An excellent reminder that one can play catchy, effective blues solos without masses of musical knowledge. Thanks!

    • meghayadav045

      That is amazing so much fun.

    • عقارات اسطنبول

      نهج كبير … حاولت ذلك وأحب ذلك … الشكل كنت في حديقة الكرة حوالي نصف الوقت ولكن درسا عظيما هو تدريب الأذن والإصبع … سوف نحاول هذا أكثر من ذلك بكثير … شكرا … في وقت لاحق.

      راعي البقر

    • John

      More,more,more, that’s so much love it

    • Chris

      Loved it! I want to do more of this!

      After going through it a couple the imitating your licks, I went through once more “answering” your licks. That put a lick of my own that fits with yours, but is not the same, question/answer style. That was fun!!!!

    • Mike

      Great jam practice, but I need a little theory here. The song was in the key of A major (not minor) so why did the It seems like Griff played the solo within the Am pentatonic scale boxes? I thought the Am pentatonic scale only worked if the song was in Am or in C major? Or did he play the solos in A major scales boxes? I don’t think the relative minor of A (F#minor scale worked)

      Thanks for any help on this?

      • Griff

        Keys don’t work in blues the way they work in other types of music. We use terms that aren’t technically correct, but common and easy. A blues in A is not in the key of A major (except briefly over the V chord.) So you don’t approach a blues the way you approach “regular” music. A minor pentatonic is the easiest way to approach a blues, but you can also add in A major pentatonic over the I chord for some added flavor. This is all covered in Blues Guitar Unleashed.

      • TA Ratko

        Mike:

        My take is, when in doubt for a blues song, use the minor pentatonic or its blues variant in whatever key (i.e., A, G, C, etc). You won’t ever use a “wrong” note, and can move across, up or down by using the different box patterns (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) to vary the pitch (going up or down an octave or two). That, to me, is the simplest, KISS way to approach blues without having to think about it too much.

        Just my $0.02 worth…

    • Jim

      Especially useful exercise. I keep hearing some of the licks in my head now after going though the lesson a few times.

    • Midnight

      Nice learning tool. Thanks Griff.

    • DaveyJoe

      Very helpful…thanks Griff!

    • PatB

      That became difficult quickly. I think I’m good for following a 5 note lick max right now. After that I’m just winging it. Some sounds ok, others not.
      Pat

    • Cleotis

      Way cool! Thanks! The bass reminded me of the JGB’s John Kahn. Will have to try this several more times tomorrow.

    • jean dominique

      Very nice, enjoyable. Perhaps it might not be a bad idea to show a slower version of it with the same format.All and all it was very helpful. Thank you.

    • JohnnyB

      I did so-so the first time, better the 2nd, then after that broke out my old Fretlight guitar with the A blues scale lit up. That went WAY better, makes all the difference when u don’t have to think about the scale. I want to get to the point I can play based on the tones Griff is playing rather than trying to follow finger movements and relate that to a scale. Brash.

    • Edison M. Jennings

      Thanks. That was fun. I fave a little cigar box amp right next to my pc, so this works out great. PS You’re an excellent teacher. I’m also a teacher and I know a good one when I see one, or, in this case, hear one.

    • Ken L

      Thanks, Griff. That was exactly what the doctor ordered. This will be a big help with my soloing.

      Ken

    • Nick t

      Awesome something I’ve been wanting to get better at thanks man !!!

    • Mike

      Cool deal. Liked the format. Finally got a chance to play with you =)

    • Ron Hartman

      Fabulous lesson! You make learning the blues a lot of fun!

    • Lessdrop

      Fun! Thanks for this and all the rest!
      Way Cool 😉

    • Chaplain Ed

      Great stuff. Really makes me stretch. Thanks Griff.

    • Ray Rice

      Thanks Griff. Getting to play with people that’s better than us is such a huge help. It pushes us to “keep up” and eventually getting better by trying to emulate the better performer. More of this would be fantastic! Thanks for this little session.

      Ray…

    • mike beigel

      amazing

    • Glynis

      Thanks Griff. I’ll do as you suggest. Very interesting exercise.

    • AlanBGo

      Excellent exercise and Big Fun. I’d love to see a whole series (perhaps a formal lesson package) of this style of play and respond licks. It was very helpful in terms of learning some new ideas, licks and helped me break out of my own well worn ruts and patterns.

    • Randal

      Fantastic. Hey I got the “A” right. I will do as you say, practice, come back, practice more…Thanks, great lesson

    • Louis Ogden

      Thanks Griff! Not perfect on my part but I was getting the feeling. Great lesson to continue working on.

    • Ian

      That was great fun. As you say I didn’t (or couldn’t) follow note for note, but just getting the basic phasing and timing created some interesting licks that I didn’t know I had in me

    • Bruce

      THIS! This is fantastic! More, PLEASE!

      • ACE

        VERY NICE WAS A BIT TRICKY TRYING TO STAY IN BEAT, BETWEEN YOUR LICKS.
        YET I GOT IT. SO 007, WITH YOUR ASTON MARTIN T-SHIRT. WHERE THE CAR? LOL! THANKS GRIFF.

    • Ed

      Great fun but by the time it’s my turn on the turnarounds we are not on the turnaround part of the progression anymore so it sounds quite a bit different than yours

    • Jerry Nolan

      how much different is BGU original from BGU V 2.0 ? I have original version. would it be beneficial to have v2.0

    • Terry

      Long time coming for something like this. Sure I’m not the only one that has it hard trying to find people to play and trade licks and just hear how some one else plays the same things. Thks Man.

    • RAB

      That was sweet, it HELP!!! ME.
      I like that VERY MUCH… thx

    • tony

      Seems We have been here before wish that You would date the videos . I have over a years videos been here since You started with the 4 note soloblues pattern . I do know You added things teaching anything makes for a better guitarist . I believe Your becoming more than an expert. thanks as always catch the next one .

    • BignJames

      I also tried a “response lick” in the same positions…makes practice much more entertaining.

    • JACK FLASH

      That was great and I have your jam tracks and use them daily…nice to see things out of how to improvise and I will definitly see if I can get the licks down I also like to turn the speed down to .25 after rewinding and then listening again…really great and look forward as always to your pointers daily…you have really helped me in so many ways…wish I would have found you sooner…..

    • Jeff

      Paul allegedly died in an Aston Martin in 1966.

    • Bill45

      Griff,

      In spite of learning so much from your courses, I have alway been reluctant to just put on a jam track and “jam”. I tried a few times but it was so awkward I seldom even try anymore. I am going to make this video a priority. There is so much of what you are doing here that just kind of pulls it all together! Everyone of the little licks or fills should be second nature and an integral part of my “collection of licks/fills”. I know I should learn these licks by listening and trying to copy them instead of trying to memorize them from tablature. New project, here i come!

      You are such a great teacher, performer, and mentor mi amigo! Thanks for all you do!!

    • Mark Wales uk

      Cheers Griff
      For the lesson first time I was eyes glued to my iPad got about 70% of the licks 😀
      Second time around I did not look at my iPad not so good
      Will try this abit more any chance of putting these videos on the members page under extras as I can’t save them to the iPad it would fill it up
      Back to my modes now wish me luck 😎🎶

    • Michael Chappell

      Hi Griff,

      Great exercise due to the fast tempo of the Jam track it was hard to follow you on all the licks but it was good to try within the House Pattern and usually where the 4 note solo is as well. I stumbled a lot as I have not practiced Blues soloing for about 2 -3 months although I practice all the time the Pentatonic Scales and Blues scales of BGU courses almost every day. Also probably because over last couple of months or so I am learning how to play some songs which are basically chords and Riffs with a guitar teacher ( once a fortnight) who is transcribing songs into Keys that I can easily play and sing such as Johnny B Goode,etc so that I have a repertoire of songs to play. I am still anxious to learn all the BGU Courses that I have purchased and have Blues Guitar songs within my repertoire as well.

      Today’s lesson and workshop certainly is a very good way to deliver your lesson and it will be fun and I have it saved on my computer to try each day. All good.

      Michael-Sydney-Australia 27th July 2017..

      • Michael Chappell

        Oh Griff,
        I forgot to advise you that my local teacher at local Music Shop ( only to learn How to play songs and sing) likes the way I play Blues Riffs etc and it was a good test to show him what level I was at and he asked How I got there and I said with Online lessons and BGU courses from Griff Hamlin.. So it was a bit scary to play in front of another guitarist showing how good or bad I was.. He said I am no longer a beginner but now into Intermediate level by Technique and knowledge. That is thanks to you Griff and BGU courses..
        I am sticking with you and the BGU Courses and love getting your lessons like the one today..all great.

        Michael-Sydney-Australia 27 July 2017

    • Mark d.

      I LOVE YOU MAN!!…Don’t ever,ever stop teaching!, and I promise to keep learning! I recently played in front of strangers. Two of them were guitar players.I thought the deer in the headlights would show up!.but I played great! According to them.how did you learn to play like that? I said Griff Hamlin bgu 2.0. Listen, belive practice! B-)

    • Karen Carr

      Great idea, challenging but when I got the timing right it was awesome. Thank you!

    • John strickland

      I love this approach. It’s like having a buddy sitting here teaching some licks. I couldn’t keep up after a while but still came up with something similar to what you were playing. I will try again and see if I do better.
      Thanks
      John.

    • Jack Carter

      Thanks Griff. You make it look so easy! I was OK , I think. I’m still trying to perfect my “Jonny Be Goode” style. Hoping to get there soon. Keep up the good work.

    • cowboy

      great approach…tried it and loved it…figure I was in the ball park about half the time but a great lesson is ear training and fingering…will try this out a lot more…thanks…later.

      cowboy

    • Shane

      So fun !

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