Nothing but fun today – it’s a great way to start a tune and it ain’t that hard to play. Dig it!
Download this video – MP4 | WMV
By the way, the Tore Down rhythm I refer to also in this video is in Blues Guitar Unleashed, along with about 30 other great lessons!
70 replies to "Start A Tune Otis Rush Style…"
lol…basically the into to a song we’re doing at 2023 BGU Live…love it…
Griff,
Thanks so much for taking the time to provide these daily lessons. Look forward to them every morning. Best way to start the day!
Tommy
Like it. thks
Griff… Are you playing your triplets down down down, or down up down, in this example.? And is there a preference to do DDD or DUD when you are strumming triplets? Thanks Griff, good lesson! John
Thanks, Griff.
You should show in in another key . Tell us how to transpose it . Thanks, Fred
No open strings so count from C to target key
Eg up three frets for A, down four frets for E, etc
Griff, it looks like it’s time for a “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” lesson – 75 in So.Cal. Autumn(Fall), 72 here in Southern New South Wales (Spring) after minimum 67 overnight and headed for a forecast maximum 84.
And it’s Halloween here already! Trick or Treat to BGU.
Chris G
Sadly, both California and New South Wales are on fire. Readers, spare a thought for our (U.S. and Aus) firefighters and emergency service workers, who are risking their lives to keep us safe.
Chris G.
As a former and proud resident of Los Angeles as well as a few other California cities you all have my deepest sympathy and I hope this passes soon.
These mini lessons daily in my mailbox are great! Have been having a lot of “light bulb” moments! Tried several other internet “guitar guru’s” but find your approach more concise but most of all fun! Thanks for sharing!
Love this intro! Love all your work! But please, please stop saying how easy things are. This retired teacher knows that hurts some learners. “I’m so stupid, I can’t even learn the easy stuff” goes through their minds, and they give up. I used to do it when I started teaching Chemistry, which seemed easy to me. Then a professor of Education showed me that I was losing some students by telling them “Chemistry is so easy.”
Well said. Thanks, Richard.
Thanks Griff!
Hey Griff,Just came back to this lesson again now with my new Tele semi hollow with twin humbuckers and worked it out again as I was missing some of it.. Now all cool.
This is really a cool intro.
Thanks
Michael-Sydney – Australia 14th Feb 2018.
I know this is a bit late, but I just HAD to say – last night I was listening to the 1955 Julie London album “Julie is Her Name” and I heard this intro. The song is called “Easy Street” and it has the beautiful velvet-smooth voice of the gorgeous Miss London accompanied by the incomparably brilliant guitar of Barney Kessell. The intro to the song is not exactly as Griff plays it – Griff/Otis is playing Chicago Blues and Barney is playing Jazz Blues but it just goes to illustrate how universal the basics of the blues are; the only difference is that Barney plays slightly different chords but the riff is identical.
Cheers from ChrisG, playing the blues in Australia.
Thank you Griff.
As ususal a great and fun lesson.
Hey Griff, Great lesson and I like it, cool..
It has been a little cooler today 27C Sunday 4th Feb 2018 in Sydney Australia.
Michael-Sydney-Australia.
Good clasic riff to delight the ears.
Another great help. Thanks Griff.
basically sounds like the beging of Johnny Be Good. Just in the key of “a”. Then you do the run down until you get to the A chord, or a regular blues on the 5th fret in A7th.Cool One Griff.
Another great help. Thanks Griff.
very cool! Thanks Griff!
look forward to your emails every day this is a nice lick
rohn
It’s great how you show us the little trick licks. Break it down, slow it down.Show great examples. The baby steps we need to walk (play well).
Great little blues riff, with the movable chords you can play it in any key.
Also you can incorporate it in a solo.
Thanks Griff
Your the best. I always enjoy when I hear you play the blues. Thanks for all the helpful tips.
Thank you Griff. This is versatile and timeless. Otis probably did it 60 years ago.
Pat B
The video was great, as always, but please refrain from telling us how nice the weather is in CA. It is 17 here in PA.
I’m with you Steve. 14 here in sea coast New Hampshire. Got down to 4 overnight!
Yes! I will have fun with this even though it’s only 44 degrees, damp, dismal and dark in Chadwell Heath, UK.
Thanks GH.
I know exactly how to do this, and it’s so simple – so why have I never done it…? Thanks for the inspiration.
Great lesson Griff! You have helped me immensely.
Bob 62
That was great…I will veiw this again…
Thanks so much Griff!!
Great Pics Licks and Runs Giff, Thanks.
Like this one Griff. Please keep the help coming in !!!
Great stuff, keep ’em comin’
‘This will go with any blues in C, and there are heaps of them, and any blues that’s not in C can be made to be in C’ or something…. never laughed so hard, right out loud! So cool, Griff, and a cool little fun lesson. Thank You!
I love this kind of ‘quick hit’ … another piece of the puzzle…thanks so much…John…
it’s such a classic cool intro riff….and even sounds great slowing it down to slow blues!
Hey Griff
Love this last one. So cool. Any chance you could actually make learning it a lesson
I typically don’t leave a response even though I watch every one. I love this little diddy. It reminds me of old Fleetwood Mac. I’ll defiantly be using this one. Thanks man.Keep sending vids.
Great fun to play.
Thanks Griff.
This is a great little riff! Love it! Thanks as always, Griff!
Great stuff Griff!
Hey, Griff-Thx a lot-that Otis intro is great! I’m a 75 yr old dude who loves blues guitar, but started playing guitar at age 52; a little late. Haven’t played for few years, but gettin’ back to it. The Otis thing re-inspired me. Thank you. I’ll look forward to more stuff.
Wonderful Griff. I really dig that/.
Thank you Griff enjoyed that. Jim.
Since it’s Groundhog Day, will we get this lesson every day from here on? 😎 Six more weeks of winter but enough do overs to really learn it!
cool moves as always ! using as a chuck berry thing great idea for me . J B G
Thanks Griff,
Glad you mentioned Chuck. The second you started out I thought about him. I just recently came to realize that at the heart of his music was the blues but with a happy feel and the tempo kicked up.
Great stuff Griff.
Have a great day Maestro,
Dave
I am 70 yrs old and want to learn the Bass guitar……due to very limited low income, what suggestion can you offer for something by internet? Thanks.
Hey Frank, I’m a long time guitar player that switched to bass in my band a few years ago. Youtube has a ton of great bass lessons, and many are by instructors that have classes and instructional packages like Griff.
One of the best is a guy names Scott Devine from Scott’s Bass Lessons. He has more than 50 videos with a lot of great technique and theory and his own subscription class and a lot of free materials as well. Mark at TalkingBass.Net is really good too. If you’re looking to learn specific songs, Finbar Bass is great, and there are a million more if you just youtube the song you want to learn.
Good luck, I’ve enjoyed the heck out of playing bass, and I find it makes my guitar playing better as well.
Frank, If you haven’t got a bass yet I suggest you look at the local pawn shops in your area. If you can find a Fender Squire “Jazz” bass model or a Dean Edge series I’d buy one of those, their necks are much narrower and easier for beginners to play. They also are usually cheaper, about $100 bucks . For an amp, a Fender bassman will set you back about $100 , so for 2 bens you’re on your way. I’m 68 and I started playing bass at 12, so I’VE BEEN AT IT A WHILE. The one piece of advice that I can give you is to marry up with a drummer that knows what he’s doing. You two will be laying down the “groove” and you must be in sync. Other than that, Worth Houghton gave you some good sites to check out free lessons. Take care and practice, Tom
Tom Farías-you’re right on re: Fender jazz bass-I’m 75 & just picked up bass few years ago when I took a haitis from 6 string blues. I got a Fender 5 string jazz bass & love it.
Thanks. Enjoyed that lesson.
That’s a good lick. I can see using that one. I’m going to try it with Slow Blues Solo 2 In 5 EBS.
Thanks Griff
Diolch i ti Griff ! – Thank you Griff ! I very much enjoyed that, simple effective lesson, and as usual very well presented ! just loved that sound !
Great !
Neat, I like it. Easy to understand and play.
It’s the BLUES man!
Bb Eb G C, you’re are correct sir! not an F9. The third chord, the 1/2 step slide is F6. If you strum only the top 3 strings, G B e. Strange voicings! I feel the sound is the “thang” . lol!
Thanks Griff. A nice little tune. Thanks for the lesson.
Love watching your video blogs find stuff been playing for years just didn’t put it all together!! Thanks. Bill
FUN ! thank’s-Kim
Griff
Is what you called an F9 chord also identifiable as an Eb6 chord?
NM
Close, but yes, the top 3 strings match up. F9 would be F A C Eb G, while Eb6 is Eb G Bb A, so the A, G, and Eb are shared.
Griff, all great stuff, and fun. Thanks!