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Chapter 7: Musical Riffs: Bedrock of the Blues
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E
F9
213 33
7fr.
E9
213 33
6fr.
Figure 7-18:
A tripletbased
ending riff.
T
A
B
0
3 3 3
4 3 2
4 4 3 3 2 2
3
0 9 7
0 9 7
1 8 7
7 6
8 7 0
Figure 7-19 is a low note ending in E, using triplet eighths and a double-stop
descending form. This riff is meaty and doesn’t sound too melodic because it
has more of a low, walking bass feel.
Combining single notes and chords
One way to get the best of both worlds — the
lead and rhythm worlds, that is — is to combine
single notes and chords. Many blues players
don’t make clear distinctions between chord
playing, riff playing, or lead playing. Their technique
just melds aspects of all these approaches
into one cohesive style. And many of them do this
while singing! Here are two examples:
Stevie Ray Vaughan was a master of this
style. He created full-sounding, active, and
infinitely varied parts under his vocals as
well as when he was just vamping along
with the band.
Eddie Van Halen, when in rare blues-mode
(as opposed to his tapping, metal rock-god
mode) was also an excellent practitioner
of the integrated single-note-and-chord
approach.
Today’s students of the guitar tend to look at
rhythm versus lead guitar as a black-and-white
issue. But the history of blues shows that, until
the advent of modern rock (from about the late
’60s and beyond), players didn’t really think of
guitar-playing in those terms.
Be sure to also listen to the traditional players
who sang and accompanied themselves on
guitar:
Robert Johnson
John Lee Hooker
Mississippi John Hurt
You hear the best examples of how to combine
single notes and chords in the above players’
styles, and the musical playing is some of the
best you may ever hear.
TEAM LinG