Your Secret Stash Of Licks You Don’t Know You Already Know…

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219 responses to “The Licks You Don’t Know You Know”

  1. rob6string says:

    This was one of the first of Griff’s videos that I saw right after purchasing BGU a couple of years back. Just as a point of encouragement for some of the beginners or people sitting on the fence about purchasing BGU; since then I’ve started a band and just had our first gig last weekend. This video though has always stuck in the back of my mind and whenever we’re playing something that I don’t know yet this has been a great way to get a lead break started! You don’t have to go through the whole 12 or 24 bars playing other melodies. If you start off this way it is really easy to come up with the rest of the solo. It’s also kind of fun to stick a melody that you know everyone is going to know right in the middle of your solo.

  2. John Sikora says:

    Great lesson. The video got messed up toward the end of the soloing with the jam track.

  3. Robin Chaster says:

    Yes I have found the times I get the rhythm right it all comes together.
    Thank that was very helpful

  4. jean says:

    Very nice. I liked it,and thank you for sharing.

  5. Frank Jarossy says:

    You really took voice lessons?

    • Dan says:

      I decided I needed to learn to sing, simply because the first time I went to a blues jam, the guy running it asked me if I sing. I realized, if you want to call a song you know, you’ll need someone to sing it. Plus, I got together with some friends to play music, and no one could sing (myself included, but I could try and produce some off key notes for sure). We do better when someone sings.

      I didn’t take singing lessons (but did watch some videos) but just started singing and listening to myself (which I hated) and I’ve gotten good enough. And now, rather than playing and enjoying guitar, I’m singing as well at times and enjoying it more!

  6. Michael Chappell says:

    Hey Griff,
    Great lesson and inspiring for us intermediate players..This is the first time I have watched this lesson and easier to now understand since I started with BGU in 2013. I will certainly now do this as often as possible Great lesson..

    Michael-Sydney- Australia Sept 2016

  7. Andy says:

    Thank you very much. Your instruction is great. You teach all in way that is interesting & mind opening. Easy to follow. Brilliant.

  8. Jack C says:

    I practice my improvising quite a bit and the “rhythmic” side of it gets pretty stale, especially if it’s a backing track I’ve played over many times before. This lesson is great, I’ll definitely take the challenge 🙂 I think it will add a lot of interest to my playing. Thanks Griff!

  9. Steve says:

    Thanks for the little lessons you post!! We get a lot of mileage out of these . Btw you imo are the best instructor on the net.

  10. Dr. Kingman says:

    I take turns improvising in my group.
    Most start on the first note..No more. Simple box 1 pattern is so useful. Less is better as Griff says.
    So many great lessons from Griff.

  11. Rick says:

    You daaaaa mannnn! Thanks for the lesson and really appreciate your passion and dedication.

  12. barry says:

    nice! a list of comments i can totally agree with, You certainly have the gift and the great personality to compi ement your desire to teach. Halilujay!!!
    and i think your living the dream , good on you!!!

  13. MWS says:

    The light just came on. Thanks!

  14. Jay says:

    Oh my word what a great lesson! Going to apply this when I play again because it will be a really good multi exercise for your ear, brain and hands, and your passion!
    Thank you Griff!

  15. Frank Griffin says:

    This has eluded me during my songwriting and playing. Most say if u can whistle it u can play it (melodically) I whistle, I hum, I know scales But I can’t seem to grow to that level: hopefully this will get me on track to learning how. I really do want to solo in melody – not noodle around. Thx Griff

  16. dan says:

    Great lesson. Also I love the blues unleashed course I’m going through
    now. Such a great logical progression. I’m learning tons of stuff.

    • Mike Hart says:

      So Griff… I assume the copyright police didn’t haul you off for infringement since, this vid has been around for a while. Just wonderin’ if that’s a good sign or a bad sign?

  17. Mike says:

    Sorry Griff,

    Could not access your video.
    Even download the windows version with no success.
    Could you resend again please.

    Thanks Mike Skyba

  18. Joe says:

    Nice lesson, Griff. I started BGU a few years back, and about halfway through I realized that the sounds I was trying for were already being done by the vocalists. I spend a little time every week playing along with a recording, trying to imitate the singer as closely as possible, with all those great vocal articulations that the great blues singers use. Has definitely perked up my improv! Thanks again for your great info and style!

  19. MoreFreedom says:

    Barney Kessel has an hour long video getting into “playing what you hear in your mind” that’s very similar to this, though common tunes and jazz focused rather than blues.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnoXbqadcjU&t=9s

    I like Griff’s video on this better, but Barney’s offers other advice that applies and digs deeper into the subject.

    The good news – this stuff works, speaking from experience. The more you work at it, the better you get. Griff is right, “you’ll be amazed” at getting the connection from the melody in your head to fingers and guitar.

  20. eric says:

    when you say people sometimes just play the notes of the scale I get it, and you are right, but it also needs to be a “feel” this link has some good examples
    https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/top-ten-slow-guitar-solos

  21. larry j. says:

    great job on the lesson A+++ thanks

  22. Jim says:

    Nice Idea Griff. I tried this with a “Born In Chicago in A” backing track I have from a Jimi Lee set I bought a Few years back. It kinda works to get my fingers moving a little more without actually relying on memorized riffs. I am also finding it much easier to just listen for chord changes and rely less on counting out the full 12 bars. So, for instance, I count the first four bars then I know I have two on the four chord, two on the one chord then 5-4-1-5(or 1 again). So, in A, I focus on the A note for the first four then focus on the D note for the four chord then an E, then a D, then A, etc. I know this is just a stepping stone to more sophisticated riffing but it is a way to get me started. Meanwhile, I am practicing riffs separately and working in a few to my more basic approach as they come to mind while I am playing

  23. Jean Dominique says:

    I had so much from this video. The introduction seemed to apply to me. I played it mixing all the licks I thought I know. My lady friend was hiding behind me .She said how .surprised she was at my progress. It was encouraging. From now on I will be playing following your suggestion.Thank you.

  24. Paul Griffin says:

    Great job

  25. Tom says:

    Great trail to follow Griff. Thanks always!

  26. Robert in Raleigh says:

    Some call it a sling blade . . . I call it a Kaiser blade

    mmm hmm

  27. Jim A says:

    Griff… this is a great process. I dabble playing jazz standards and like to “try” to improvise over the backing track. So many chord changes and often key changes that it is very easy to get lost. When that happens I go back to mimicking the melody of the song with some variations. It gets me back on track and still sounds good. I can see how the same strategy will work when slowing over blues tunes. Thanks for connecting the dots (one more time).

  28. DaveyJoe says:

    Great stuff Griff! I think all of us BGUers need this lesson. Thanks!
    5/24/19

  29. chris clemans says:

    Great lesson . I remember this from a while back or a lesson very close to it. Thanks again.

  30. David Delgado says:

    I’m still developing my improvisational skills with guitar and harmonica. One of the things I usually do when I’m just listening to music in my car or with headphones is riff the tune in my head in an improvisational way, and I’m thinking, man, if I could just play what I’m thinking (or actually humming) then that would be cool. I’m not a singer btw. After watching hundreds of hours of video lessons in both instruments this is the first one I’ve seen that specifically addresses the idea of mentally converting the voice melody into the notes you play on the instrument. I will now concentrate more on developing this skill. Thank you Griff!!

  31. john field says:

    great lesson

  32. Sean Salins says:

    Griff, I saw this video about a year or so ago (or maybe longer…covid has .eased with my sense of time!🙂). It’s amazing how much more I “get” what you are teaching with this video than I did the first time I viewed it! Just shows how we all evolve with time and practice …and a great blues guitar teacher! Thanks buddy. Awesome lesson and excited to start practicing this way. Thank you!!!

  33. Karol says:

    Hi Griff

    Thanks like always so goog trick

  34. St.Jamers Infirmiry….although uses the Blue Note

  35. Terrence Ferreira says:

    The best insight and roadway lesson ever.

  36. Dave Webb says:

    Thank you Griff! I can’t wait to dig into this one.

  37. Ronald Tanghe says:

    I have the same guitar you have in thee video as you do just its red es335gibsonn.

  38. A good conceptual presentation on how to think (play) about phrasing. Thank you.

  39. Jeff Meyer says:

    Awesome lesson, helps me tremendously, thanks Griff.

  40. Alexander says:

    Great video, I’m going to be working on this challenge and do as you suggested. Thanks Griff

    Alexander

  41. Raul Moralez says:

    This is a great lesson Griff. I have always wanted to play what my brain was hearing and making up something that made sense and sounded good. Dos thumbs up!!

  42. Hey Griff as always a great lesson which I see I watched back in 2016 now 6 years and I still love your lessons, I am with a new laptop running Win11 does’nt seem to work no problem and have other laptops which I will use.
    Many thanks
    Michael-Sydney-Austalia 2022, Oct 23rd

  43. Ronald Rees says:

    Today’s date, 10/22/2022. That’s my way of telling myself it’s now time to go into overdrive (after approximately 10 years of self thought efforts focused on THEORY ONLY without shifting gears). It’s overdue in my self-thought efforts to focus on “RHYTHM” based on LYRICS as Phrasing. Looking back at my own efforts is somewhat painful.
    Thanks to the Internet (“IOT”) or I wouldn’t be here at all. So it’s EAR TRAINING with a BRAIN connection which is connected to muscle control. Real rhythm is from the heart when applied correctly… or so I’m told. A lot of beginners start from here, that is EAR TRAINING without theory. I made a choice a long time ago… now it’s time to shift gears!

    Thank’s Griff. (I’ll try to catch up, now)… 3 years late (plus/minus).

  44. Benjamin O Smith says:

    Responding to your blog about “quoting melody” does anyone ever disscuss with you the novel idea of playing the known melody to a well known song? That seems to me to be the first thing a guitar player ought to be thinking about once he learns to accompany himself with rhythm chords. What’s so strange about that?

  45. Win says:

    Griff — almost can’t express in words how grateful I am for your lessons! Been fingerpicking largely by rote for about 50 years and just trying launch into soloing, and what you teach is incredibly helpful. Loved the notion of R.J.’s Crossroads sitting right there in the first box.

  46. Chester boy says:

    Great lesson Griff
    BGU student

  47. Gordon Greaves says:

    This is an excellent lesson. Thank you for your support!

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