Blues Headlines
Richard Barrett is on a mission to make you a better blues player – with full audio examples and backing tracks
Albert Collins: The Iceman
Tutor Richard Barrett | Gear used Knaggs Choptank & Vox AC15 C1 Difficulty | 15 mins per example
KNOWN AS THE ICEMAN and master of the Telecaster, Albert Collins is also revered for his flamboyant stage presence and piercing tone. However, listening back to his early recordings, you’ll also discover a pioneer of electric blues with a distinctive turn of phrase and a driven tone that didn’t become mainstream until several years later.
To hear this in action, listen to his debut solo single, Freeze, from 1958 or, continuing with the ice-based theme, Frosty, another great example that became his signature tune (and the inspiration for these example licks). Recorded in 1964 but gaining more notoriety after its reissue in 1969, Frosty was way ahead of the curve concerning the 60s blues resurgence. It was recorded using the neck pickup, relatively unusual for Albert, but his playing still cuts through the mix with ease.
If you’re looking to incorporate a bit of The Iceman’s magic into your own playing, you may be interested to know that Albert played using his thumb and fingers for an extra snappy attack. I opted for a little extra treble on the amp and dug in harder with the pick, which helped me get a better result more quickly in the studio, but to be 100 per cent authentic, it’s worth ditching the pick and seeing how that might change your approach to phrasing.
Further to that, Albert played in a nonstandard F minor tuning (low to high: F C F C F) using a capo to shift between keys. It wasn’t unusual to see him capo as high as the 7th fret, which would give an open C minor chord as a starting point. I’ve stuck with standard tuning for convenience – this is more about cherry picking some cool ideas than trying to impersonate the great man. Hope you enjoy and see you next time!
Richard Barrett’s album, Colours (complete with backing tracks), is available now from iTunes and Amazon