Buddy Guy
Learn how to play wild, unpredictable guitar solos in the style of the great Chicago blues man
When inducting Buddy Guy into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2005, Eric Clapton declared that Guy was to him “what Elvis Presley probably was for most other people”. He went on to say that watching Guy’s trio perform in London’s Marquee Club in 1965 made him think that “a trio is a pretty good line-up for a band”, presumably influencing Eric to form Cream. If the TGR293.turnaround.fig01.musxwords of the guitarist famously called ‘God’ aren’t enough to convince you of the File Date: 13:16 25/04/2017 esteem in which Guy is held, his aggressive, Page 1 of 1 versatile soloing also influenced Jimi Hendrix and Notes:Stevie Ray Vaughan. He really is the blues hero’s blues hero.
There are many facets to Guy’s playing, but three aspects stand out – this month’s tabbed lessons focus particularly on those wide, expressive string bends, fleet-fingered pentatonic flurries and Buddy’s energetic picking. Cutting his teeth as session guitarist for the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, Guy is a fairly technical player, but, for an authentic vibe, you need to balance fast, fiery bursts with a loose swagger. Accuracy isn’t really the point.
Though he has played Gibson Les Pauls, SGs and Guilds, Buddy mainly plays a Stratocaster, so opt for a single-coil equipped guitar and don’t be afraid to dial in plenty of gain.