BB King – The Most Incredible Blues Music Guitar Personality Ever – Part 2
The guitar style of BB King may seem simple, yet upon evaluation it discloses a sophisticated consciousness of melody, harmony, and rhythm. He looks to always hit the suitable notes, phrases like nobody else, and has a vibrato that is universally recognized. BB approaches the guitar as if it were one more voice, not just as an instrument. He performs on guitar as if he were singing through it. When he has to take a breath, his guitar does as well. He claims that his sound is not a thing that he learned, it is simply the way he asserts himself as a particular person and as a guitar player. Fortunately, for aspiring blues guitarists there is a wealth of BB King blues guitar tabs available as well as an instructional DVD training course taught by BB King himself!
Stylistically, what separates BB King from his fellow blues guitarists is his firm rooting in the jazz and the blues idioms. One of BB’s major influences was jazz guitarist Lonnie Johnson, who was one of the first guitarists to visualize the guitar as a single-line solo instrument. BB also listened regularly to Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and to horn players like Lester Young, Johnny Hodges and Bobby Hackett. His blues guitar influence comes primarily from T-Bone Walker. BB softened Walker’s considerably strident style, adding a vibrato which he developed while making an attempt to replicate the bottleneck slide guitar sound of his cousin Bukka White. The rest is genuine BB King, which is a combination of elements that has produced one of the most distinctive blues guitarists ever!
BB draws from a huge pallet of harmonic and melodic devices. Although he is largely known as a single line guitarist, he does play chords – specifically triads and double stops which he uses to punctuate his solos. Check out his chord intro to the song “Please Love Me” and his rhythm chord comping during the saxophone solo in the song “You Upset Me Baby”. Possibly the most identifiable attribute of BB King’s guitar sound is his “Bee-Sting” vibrato. He does his vibrato totally from the wrist, as he shakes his entire hand rapidly and evenly. Even though this is a significantly imitated sound, only BB can make it “sing” the way he does. BB’s know-how of jazz harmony permits him to introduce harmonic concepts into his soloing that are much more subtle than the everyday pentatonic concepts employed by most blues guitar performers
The most unique quality of BB King’s style is his capability to combine jazzier elements with a rock solid blues sensibility. I was fortunate enough to hear BB King and his big band play live at the Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland back in 1969. The big band was amazing – a real wall of sound – and BB’s guitar playing simply “wailed” and filled the Civic Center with some of the most enjoyable blues guitar tunes I’ve ever heard. And, as an extra bonus the opening act for BB King that evening was The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart on vocals. I’ll certainly never forget the difference in styles – Jeff Beck’s British blues rock guitar playing versus the American blues guitar playing of BB King! All in all an unforgettable evening!
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron helps guitar players become better guitarists. His company ChordMelody.com features an enormous selection of blues guitar tabs as well as instructional DVDs by BB King himself. Find out more and claim Steven’s popular free monthly guitar lesson e-course available at: =>
http://www.chordmelody.com/BB-King.htm
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