While we covered what I call the “Basie ending” in the “Tore Down” lesson, there is another ending that comes up quite a bit and you should know it.
It doesn’t have a name, but I call it the “half Basie” ending because it’s shorter but rhythmically similar to the Basie ending.
The TAB for the lick I used looks like this (but you can use anything that will fit in this many beats…)
50 replies to "How To End A Blues Tune"
Thanks for these short lessons. One suggestion, if possible….could there be an “on screen” tab outline, that runs along with the video presentation? I see this on some other instructional videos and it really seems to help. Thanks
Very good lesson. I was just working on Freddie King’s Side Tracked which has a similar ending, so, this came in handy.
Hey Griff, I like that…that’s exactly the way I would have played it! ha ha!
7/20/21
And, by “people”, he means, especially, the drummist & the bassist!
Oh yeah Griff I can dig it. I can’t believe how timely this is for me. I have been working on a blues in E with an Albert King inspired intro I am going to use and this fits perfect. Thanks man. You inspire me.
Hi Griff,
Yet another priceless lesson from you.
Those half steps are peppered throughout blues songs and I’ve never really understood them, so at least here’s one I can now do.
Maybe that’s a lesson for the future, taking a blues song apart and showing how the half steps fit in.
Cheers
You have done it again Griff. Gee whiz how many times have I heard this and wanted to imitate in playing. Both the video and the tab are very helpful.
Thanks Griff. I just received your ‘classic Rock Speed Builders’ course yesterday. For all your enthusiastic followers out there, I recommend this course if wishing to take your playing forward. Keep up the great work bringing the joy of playing the guitar to the world.
I picked up my guitar right away for this one!
Thanks Griff!
Any more like this in other popular keys?
Thanks!
John
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to transpose THIS ending into the key of A at the 5th fret using box 1 of the minor blues scale. If you succeed in this mission you will be able to play this lick in ANY key.
Nice and funn thanks….
That’s cool Griffin can you show a little JOHNNY WINTER ant nothing to me. Or it’s all over now! Thanks for the knowledge my friend.
Thanks,Griff – another great lesson! This especially helpful for a solo act like me. I’m always looking for some variety and flavor to make my show more interesting. This works for songs outside the blues genre, too – see for yourself. BTW: It’s similar to the V position turnaround in Link Wray’s ‘Rumble’. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Jim King
What kind of solo act do you do? Base pedals, drum machine?
Thanks, Griff.
I’ve known this one for years, or at least slight variations on it. You can end it on the root note [high or low] or on the third. Either way is cool. As always, a great lesson.
Greta lesson, Griff! It’s all gotta end sometime! I really like that slide sound you introduce, going between the 2nd and 4th frets. I think of that as an SRV move! Basie?! I didn’t even know he played guitar!
thats the only ending I know……lol
Looks like “The turn” from 52 rhythm fills and variations.
Never considered it as an ending but the half step finishes it.
i have used a bit of this and it turned heads in the band was told to use it more. it really only works once in a blues in E.
It is a good lick in E minor .Many variations havebeen tried butnot this one.Thanks Griff, #1
Ok. Seeing it makes a lot of sense! I don’t have a band. All I have is my Beat buddy which is ok for now! Thanks for the lesson, your #1
Great lesson, the lick ending sounds very familiar, doing the BGU this lick pops up occasionally, many thanks, GRIFF
Hey Griff,
Very Cool ending… will work on it soon. Now in my ending repertoire.
Thanks
Michael-Sydney- Australia
I seem to have stopped receiving your emails. Haven’t gotten one in about two weeks. Not showing up in spam either
Can you put me back on your list.
Thank-you
A loyal customer for several years now,
Mike Zimmerman
Very nice lesson, thanks for the lick.
Very cool. It works for me. Will definitely use this. Thanks Griff.
Nice and simple. The key point is the speed. You play it do fast. Thanks
what kind of guitar are you playing ??
That’s a suhr guitar. (Very pricey) 😎
Wow! Been doing this all my life before I realized that the guy that taught me to play stressed and beat this very important skill into me so that we didn’t sound like the Hee Haw band!
Great lesson, the lick ending sounds very familiar, doing the BGU this lick pops up occasionally, many thanks, from down under
Hey, first time I’ve seen you play on a maple neck! Good lesson as always. Thanks!
Smells good!
Thanks for the interesting lesson bits. They are highly informative and inspiring. Thanks for lending your time to keeping the interest alive.
Yes , alright Griff another good lesson. Short & sweet. Sounds good , l’ll try it out. Like your Guitar with the maple neck, sounds bright, good pop.
Looks like teach got a new axe sounds great Griff thanks for another cool lesson always good to have a few endings up your sleeve !!
Thanks Griff!! Another 5 star lesson!!
Great way to end. Hope to see more of this kind off stuff. It’s always good to have several options and mix it up, so you don’t bore your audience.
Griff
Thanks for the lesson. I’ve tried it and it works just fine. What are you going to do when you lose all your hair? Keep those valuable lessons coming Thanks so much. Mike
Got yourself a new Suhr, eh? Nice! Sounds great, a little brighter and crisper than your other one. Thx for the lesson.
Great stuff as always Griff. This stuff keeps us going and you can’t beat the price.
Is there an example of the ‘Tore Down’ solo in your course as it is always the Rhythm shown in your ‘Tore Down’ lesson?
Griff:
What about stopping at the IV…then going into the ending? I have experienced blowing right through the IV stop, much to the amusement of the crowd and the rest of the band at one of my first jam sessions. It’s sort of embarrassing, but what my teacher at the time told me was to keep my head up and look at the main guitar or bass player. That experience is not unique to inexperienced players. SRV plays right on through Albert King’s IV stop on the Session album they cut back in I think 1985ish. And Albert played right through SRV’s stop on a cut. They both had a good laugh about it.
Another great video lesson,it always amazes’ me that when I watch guitarmanship it always looks hard to do so I blank it and just play how I always do and there’s another lesson wasted on me,but just laty I have forced myself to watch every finger move up and down the fret board and I have made myself play for at least one hour a day and at the same hour every day and I have come on in leaps’ and bounds,thanks for the lessons and the inspiration to knuckle down and learned,Derek
BGU is great but your teaching online is very helpful and also keeps me motivated. Many thanks!
Cheers Griff cool lesson another tool for the box
Count Basie, huh? Definitely cool ending. Thanks for showing it today. I’m gonna give it a go on my acoustic and see how that works. For about a year now, I’ve been jamming with a friend. A second guitar. And we’ve built a little system to let each other know when changes come around. Things were messy before we implemented the “nods”. If you think of another ending, please show us. I learn so much from you. Thanks again.
Pretty cool. Learning Alot of things about a band and how it works I really never payed attention to I guess. Hope to find out for real some day. As always thanks man.
Thanks Griff
The ending you used for Roadmap is a whole lot simpler! I’ll see if I can get this one down,
Hey Griff thanks very cool ending . yeah they have to pay attension .
[a revisit ] getting 3 other guitarist to see the tune is ending is tough but i should take the lead more often. i been letting one guy take it but my groupie says i should take the lead . the music seems more organized better sounding more in beat . think that`s her take on that. she`s correct and knows what sounds good and i have been complemented on my talent a few times and a lot of it is from taking these lessons and applied to my playing . thanks to Griff Hamlin .