What Is He Doing Here

ChrisG

Blues Newbie
Hi Griff & Gang,

Many times over the years I’ve been asked, by various teachers, guitarists, friends, etc...”What do I want to be able to play on guitar”. My answer has always been not clearly defined because it’s hard to describe but this video that I saw on FB is a pretty good example both the rhythm and lead playing. Now I thought it would be a really good learning opportunity for someone (like maybe Griff)to break this jam session down and explain what they are doing. And maybe tell me where in the BGU course is this kind of jamming taught. All the exercises and lessons in BGU are great fun but sometimes I just want to be able to let it rip like these guys are doing here.

KWS is really fast and probably one of my favorite current blues artists. His jam buddy is pretty darn awesome too.

https://www.facebook.com/kennywayneshepherd/videos/195199681416885/

Thanks,

Chris
 

Al Holloway

Devizes UK
I am not on Facebook so I can't see the video but KWS is an artist I frequently listen to...and certainly would like to be able to play like him :cool:
Nor am I. When it pops up the log in box there is a not now option. Click that and you can watch the video with no acount.
And in answer to Chris. I don't need anyone to break this down to know I am nowhere near that yet:eek::oops: But I would love to be somewhat nearer. More practice.

cheers

Al.
 

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
It's just a 12-bar blues in G. With little chords and comping "tricks" and riffs (rhythm ideas) Griff teaches and licks from wherever they stole them from. Up to each of us to learn how to put all of those things together. Griff couldn't break that little jam down into one easy lesson if he tried. There is stuff in there from probably 20 or so of Griff's lessons.
 

jmin

Student Of The Blues
I agree with RR - a 12 bar shuffle in G. The rhythm form is straight forward, and I'm sure it appears in a bunch of Griff's courses.
For the solos,... the boxes (minor pentatonic/blues). I saw a lot of Box 1 stuff (and some box 2), even when Kenny takes it up to the 15th fret, it's still good ol' Box 1! There's so many places that Griff covers the Blues Boxes, and how to apply them, that it's definitely more than just one course worth!
If this is exactly what you've been looking to play Chris, I think you've come to the right place! There is nothing going on in there that Griff can't teach you how to do!
 

Mireyes1

Blues Newbie
Chris... I live in Bellflower CA. If you live near me we will be shredding like those 2 guys on the video within a year.
 

ChrisG

Blues Newbie
It's just a 12-bar blues in G. With little chords and comping "tricks" and riffs (rhythm ideas) Griff teaches and licks from wherever they stole them from. Up to each of us to learn how to put all of those things together. Griff couldn't break that little jam down into one easy lesson if he tried. There is stuff in there from probably 20 or so of Griff's lessons.

Yeah...I’m picking up the shuffle and basic 12 bar blues patterns pretty easily... they lose me sometimes in the solos and the ideas they so easily put together. KWS admits in several interviews that he formed his style by blending Albert Collins and SRV licks together to form his own sound...He actually said in a 2009 interview that at the time he really only knew on scale...”box 1 minor pentatonic” (I’m positive that’s not true today). I think I have to just master the licks and little chord ideas that Griff teaches and start implementing them more on my own and not just in the tracks where they fit so nicely. Make sense?
 

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
I think I have to just master the licks and little chord ideas that Griff teaches and start implementing them more on my own and not just in the tracks where they fit so nicely. Make sense?
Yes, that makes perfect sense. And a great way to do it is with Griff's "Playing On The Porch" approach. You should be able to play with just yourself and keep a blues rhythm feel going so you keep the beat and tempo and chord changes intact and flowing while using different rhythm ideas, different little chords, different accents, etc, and alternating them ... whatever floats yer boat. Once you have that idea going well, you can start throwing licks in there.
 

tommytubetone

Great Lakes
I agree with RR - a 12 bar shuffle in G. The rhythm form is straight forward, and I'm sure it appears in a bunch of Griff's courses.
For the solos,... the boxes (minor pentatonic/blues). I saw a lot of Box 1 stuff (and some box 2), even when Kenny takes it up to the 15th fret, it's still good ol' Box 1! There's so many places that Griff covers the Blues Boxes, and how to apply them, that it's definitely more than just one course worth!
If this is exactly what you've been looking to play Chris, I think you've come to the right place! There is nothing going on in there that Griff can't teach you how to do!
Yeah, I agree. It's all in BGU.
 

Thatman

Playin' for the fun of it.
That FB video post was great to see because it is a perfect example of what Griff teaches us. He has said many times, in fact he has shown us many times in his courses, right from BBGU and the Playing on the Porch sessions and not to mention many of his email sessions, how to combine rhythm and licks, and goodness knows he's provided us with enough material or at least when you're as hooked as I and you have many of his courses. So the message is stick around with the Griff Hamlin format, listen to the banter on the forum and gradually you'll put together your own pick and mix and bye heck, you'll not half suprise yourself one day when you next in the guitar store. (y)
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
First, for those of you not on FB here's a Youtube link:
https://youtu.be/GGkcPeRrK7M

Second, yes, there's a lot of things from a lot of places, and you'd have a hard time pulling that all together at once, so let's not try. Instead, let's take the 30,000 foot view:

1 - It's a "blues in E" shuffle pattern, but it's in the key of G, so it's a closed position. Therefore, first step is to be able to play that entire riff through the 12 bar form.

2 - You'll notice that early on, and not KWS but the other fellow, uses the move from Ex 2.2 in 52RF. However, he plays the major chord instead of the 7th chord (though I occasionally see the 7th chord.) Either option works.

3 - Since KWS pretty much plays the first 12 bars by himself, let's look at how he breaks it down:

* start on beat 2 of a pick up bar with a simple lick and take it through beat 1 (the downbeat) then continue the groove from the "uh" of 1 through the rest of the bar and the next bar until
* the uh of 2 in bar 2 is the next single note section pickup, again until the downbeat, where he returns to the groove (which, at this point is more like the 52RF variation and he's just adding the low root note, played with the thumb, on the off beats.)
* repeat that again through the IV chord and the return to the I chord
* He does the same single note pickup into the V chord, but by this point the other fellow has joined in so he just solos through the end of the form.

So, my suggestion is to practice coming up with licks that start on 2 or the uh of 2 and go through the downbeat, landing on the note you want them to land on (notice that he lands right on the major 3rd of the I chord in that 2nd lick - very nicely done.)

By the way, all the licks in the first 12 are major/minor blues stuff - boxes 2 and 1, sometimes mixed together, but fairly separate.
 

BoogieMan

Blues Junior
I'm just starting to work my way through tabbing it out as I go so that I can remember the licks I like. Lots of familiar stuff in the first 12 bars including the quick slides (up and down) between the 5th and 7th frets on the third string.

I've really noticed since I started with BGU that I can recognize many of the licks and patterns being played by these guys (and others).
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
Except how to be as creative and awesome as KWS...Lol..
You'll find it's a lot like speaking, the more comfortable you get with certain phrases, the more they'll just fall out when needed.

First, you need to spend a little extra time and write out one pass. Then create one option for one lick, then one option for another, and before you know it, you have a handful of options for each lick, and the multiplication takes over. I know it doesn't seem like it at first, but it really does get really big, really fast.

Griff
 
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