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…"

    • cowboy

      lol…basically the into to a song we’re doing at 2023 BGU Live…love it…

    • Tommy Davis

      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

    • Jean Dominique

      Like it. thks

    • John

      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

    • Paul Blaesing

      Thanks, Griff.

    • Fred Martucci

      You should show in in another key . Tell us how to transpose it . Thanks, Fred

      • Davy

        No open strings so count from C to target key
        Eg up three frets for A, down four frets for E, etc

    • Chris G

      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

      • 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.

        • M Trezise

          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.

    • Rob McNiff

      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!

    • Richard

      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.”

      • Paul Blaesing

        Well said. Thanks, Richard.

      • Paul Blaesing

        Thanks Griff!

    • Michael Chappell

      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.

    • ChrisGSP

      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.

      • Steve Hartman

        Thank you Griff.

    • Ed Rodriguez

      As ususal a great and fun lesson.

    • Michael Chappell

      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.

    • steven siegel

      Good clasic riff to delight the ears.

    • Chaplain Ed

      Another great help. Thanks Griff.

      • PAUL

        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.

    • Chjaplain Ed

      Another great help. Thanks Griff.

    • DaveyJoe

      very cool! Thanks Griff!

    • Rohn

      look forward to your emails every day this is a nice lick
      rohn

    • Russ Eckam

      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).

    • Gary Ramelot

      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

    • Ribert

      Your the best. I always enjoy when I hear you play the blues. Thanks for all the helpful tips.

    • Pat

      Thank you Griff. This is versatile and timeless. Otis probably did it 60 years ago.
      Pat B

    • Steve S

      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.

      • Ted E

        I’m with you Steve. 14 here in sea coast New Hampshire. Got down to 4 overnight!

    • Chris Roper

      Yes! I will have fun with this even though it’s only 44 degrees, damp, dismal and dark in Chadwell Heath, UK.
      Thanks GH.

    • RogerJ

      I know exactly how to do this, and it’s so simple – so why have I never done it…? Thanks for the inspiration.

    • Bob V

      Great lesson Griff! You have helped me immensely.
      Bob 62

    • JUMPING JACK FLASH

      That was great…I will veiw this again…

    • daniel

      Thanks so much Griff!!

    • Charles schultz

      Great Pics Licks and Runs Giff, Thanks.

    • Gary

      Like this one Griff. Please keep the help coming in !!!

    • Sloppy John Weaver

      Great stuff, keep ’em comin’

    • Dave S

      ‘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!

    • john lawson

      I love this kind of ‘quick hit’ … another piece of the puzzle…thanks so much…John…

    • timothy theys

      it’s such a classic cool intro riff….and even sounds great slowing it down to slow blues!

    • Peter

      Hey Griff
      Love this last one. So cool. Any chance you could actually make learning it a lesson

    • Brian C

      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.

    • Mr Griffin

      Great fun to play.
      Thanks Griff.

    • Steve

      This is a great little riff! Love it! Thanks as always, Griff!

    • Dr Gonzo

      Great stuff Griff!

      • Tom

        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.

    • Brenda

      Wonderful Griff. I really dig that/.

    • Jim Menzies.

      Thank you Griff enjoyed that. Jim.

    • Paul Grammas

      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!

    • tony

      cool moves as always ! using as a chuck berry thing great idea for me . J B G

    • David Douglas

      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

    • Frank Oliver

      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.

      • Worth Houghton

        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.

      • TOM FARKAS

        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

          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.

    • Legoge47

      Thanks. Enjoyed that lesson.

    • PatB

      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

    • Pedr ap-Ioan

      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 !

    • Victor

      Great !

    • Joyce Knake

      Neat, I like it. Easy to understand and play.

    • Gary Bankhead

      It’s the BLUES man!

    • Gary Bankhead

      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!

    • Frank O'Connor

      Thanks Griff. A nice little tune. Thanks for the lesson.

    • bill collins

      Love watching your video blogs find stuff been playing for years just didn’t put it all together!! Thanks. Bill

    • Kim Alexander

      FUN ! thank’s-Kim

    • Norm Mastromoro

      Griff

      Is what you called an F9 chord also identifiable as an Eb6 chord?

      NM

      • Griff

        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.

    • Leigh T

      Griff, all great stuff, and fun. Thanks!

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