For more information from the source site of this video please visit: http://secretguitarteacher.com/youtube/intermediate/blues/tN1LdTtbqMc/91739666-the-thrill-is-gone-intro-solo.php This is a sample lesson from the Secret Guitar Teacher website. It is part of a course called: 'From Blues to Jazz'. Please visit the website (link above) for more information. Here is a transcript of the lesson: An object lesson in economy, B.B. King rarely used more than a handful of different notes for his soloing. This diagram shows the area of the fret board covered by the first two positions of the blues scales in B. I have coloured blue all the notes used by BB.King in the intro solo on the original recording, which we'll take a close look at in a moment. As you can see, he very much likes to work the top three strings. Also he wasn't afraid to add in the odd chromatic note, shown here on the top string, 11th fret in half transparent blue. BB Uses such subtlety of timing and technique that his solos are notoriously difficult to tab out with any accuracy, but I have had a go at producing a simplified tab, for guidance only, and this can be downloaded as a printout from the toolbox to the right of the screen. Now let's take a look at this intro solo, lick by lick. Here's the first phrase: Plenty of vibrato on that first note which is struck quite hard -- it's a lot louder and tonally harsher than the rest of the phrase. OK, back to the solo. The bend at the tenth fret top string in the next bar is quite slight but the bend at fret 9 on the third string is a full tone bend Next phrase contains one of the hardest techniques -- vibrato at the top of a bend...First bend the note up to pitch... You can check the pitch accuracy by comparing it with the note found on the second string at fret 7... Takes lots of practice to perfect, but it is a great technique to have under your belt if you are going to play blues lead guitar.the two notes in the next bar are played quite lightly On to the next line, which is played over the Em chord The vibrato at the top of the bend again. Notice I use my pinkie for this, supported by the other fingers behind it . Onto the next bar... Subtle and precise bending of the notes is key here. After the first note at fret 12 on the B string which is played straight.The next two notes are just slightly bent as they're played then the note at the 12th fret on the top string is played first straight then bent about half a tone then straight again. These first two notes are shown on the tab as bent, but you can hear that they are not bent equally. This first phrase is then faintly echoed by the second The line all but disappears then Then it's on to the next phrase. Again using quite a subtle bend and return and then a pair of notes on the second string one played with a bit of vibrato followed by one cut slightly short. The devil's in the detail isn't it? Ok into the final strait.Again, almost impossible to get this just from the tab -- nailing this requires very careful listening. The first lick in slow motion Play straight...play and bend...release...pull-off to the 10th fret. The next bit in slow motion this is what I sometimes call a snap hammer-on then we bounce briefly off the 12 fret on the B string and it's into the final three pairs of notes again notice the echo like dynamic -- very characteristic of BB King! OK. To help you practice here is the whole solo in slow motion. BB King never played the same solo twice, so whilst it provides great insight to do your best to copy his solo, I then recommend developing some of your own solos using the hints and tips about BBs very subtle use of technique. To help with this we have prepared a backing track that you can access from the toolbox to the right of the screen. In the next lesson, as we take a step in a more Jazz-like direction we will broach the subject of chord substitution and we'll be using this song as a working example. Look forward to seeing you then.

• published: 06 May 2014
• views: 39297