OK… so this isn’t a “lesson” in the sense of giving you something to play and practice on, so you can set down your guitar for a few minutes and grab a beverage (I won’t judge…)

But I would say that, “you don’t know what you don’t know,” is equally as important…

And sometimes we need to take the 30,000 foot view and make sure you’re on the right track.

You’ll hear me reference this “soloing tripod” a lot in other videos, so I hope you’ll indulge me a few minutes to clarify what that’s all about and why.


    19 replies to "The 3 Legs Of Blues Soloing"

    • Chris

      Aussie Chris
      Great analogy Griff. I practise sitting on a 3 legged drummers stool, sometimes the nut holding ir together gets a little loose, thanks.

    • Norman Rose

      Where is the 4 lick solo link promised

      • Cozmik Cowboy

        YouTube.

    • ian richardson

      I think of it as a tool box with compartments for different tools.
      Everything I do I’m using a tool, or combination of tools.
      A scale is a tool but within the scale there are other tools…we might call one of them licks..arpeggios etc.

      So your scale contains chords, chords contain arpeggios etc etc..
      A Major scale contains a Pentatonic scale as does a minor scale.
      Scales come from music theory..theory is a tool containing many other tools.

      Having a tool like say a scale is one thing..knowing what it’s for and how to use it is another.

    • bluesyruss

      Great representation of the thought(s)

    • DaveyJoe

      Good info Griff. Thanks!
      10/28/21

    • Chas

      Always enjoy your lessons. Find myself watching some of them over and over.
      Where in Mass did you live? I “paked my kah in havid yade” for 25 years. Saw ted Williams play at Fenway. Saw Aerosmith play in Boston commons, free concert. Fond memories.

    • Jeff

      When you play solos, how do you know where to put your fingers? (asking for a friend)

    • Woody

      Hey Griff, great as always, one of the things I’m learning to do is play through my mistakes.
      Didn’t realize you lived in MA – that’s ‘wicked pisa’. Lived there til I was 47, been in FL 20 years. Took up the guitar with I retired, been following you for a long while now.
      Want to say thank you for your lessons, both the playing and advice.
      Best to you and yours in these trying times. Stay safe.

    • Chad Harland

      This past month or so I have learned so much from you! Ive been using the last few videos you have put up. An the bottom line is I ve put a bunch of sentences in my vocabulary. About 6 months or so ago you messaged me an told me to keep working on my rhythm, an I took that to heart. Seen this component of my playing reach levels I thought was years away. Griff just wanted to say thanks, I havent arrived but the trains rolling!

    • Ken

      Watching Your 22 sec. opening play so effortlessly with the bends, pull offs, hammer ons, palm muting, counting and of course in the Big Picture everything else that goes into the years and years of
      practice and Learning to make what can be so difficult look so easy is (a) the mark of the Master’s skills and (b) is easily lost on the uninitiated who would not know all that goes into what they are watching . They don’t know that they don’t know but know they like what they hear. As an intermediate (for lack of a better reference) your skill set is NOT lost on me. I tell you what you already know…YOU can definitely play!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it!

    • Alfonso

      It’s like tacos. Sometimes, you want eggs and chorizo. Other times, it’s eggs and potatoes, with a sprinkle of tomatoes. Ultimately, it’s tacos. Until, you decide you are going to make pancakes….

    • Ernie Peterson

      I play solos a lot but don’t put the effort into memorizing them, instead just going on to the next one. If I play certain solos enough times I get pretty familiar with them. As a result, I have my complete binder full of songs, my favorites, and my favorites of the favorites. What I’m doing now is creating a pedal board to practice the songs with a little different sound to each song. It helps in playing a song over and over to add a little difference through the sound effects.

    • Bill

      So if you are at a jam or intending to play over a jam track at home, is the idea that you start to play a complete solo and have licks ready if you need them? As opposed to – the music starts and I’m going to play a lick and then another one, etc?

      • MikeS

        Yes. That’s it exactly.

    • Mike Knowles

      Makes a lot of sense. Only down is the lack of those links you mentioned

    • Neil

      This is so true, and the analogy of the touch typist is spot on! For the longest time I’ve been trying to improvise but I just can’t do it. I know the pentatonic scales pretty well, but I’m concentrating so hard on the which note to play next that what I create doesn’t sound musical, let alone blues, even though the notes I play are in the scale! I heard someone say (and may well have been you Griff) that it’s not only good to know licks and phrases, but it’s also good to learn complete solo’s. So that’s what I’m doing now. We’ll see where it leads to……fingers crossed.

      • tony

        Pentatonic any various 5 tone musical scales one consisting of the first second third fifth and sixth tones of a diatonic scale. This is from the dictionary . So where am I going . I guess take a longer look at the books .

      • ian richardson

        Your mistake Neil is…you’re “concentrating ” too much….overthinking.
        Overthinking is a barrier between brain and hands..
        You do not THINK music, you FEEL music.
        How much blues or other genres do you listen to?
        Listening is important.

        Learning licks etc from other players you like is only one tool you need.

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