http://vault.guitarist.co.

uk Blues Headlines Techniques

Blues Headlines
Neville Marten is on a mission to make you a
better blues player with full audio examples
and backing tracks in the Guitarist Vault

Opening The BB Box

Difficulty +++
Tutor: Neville Marten |
|
Gear used: Gibson Custom 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue
Guitarist Vault

WEVE mentioned the so-called BB box a

number of times over the years, yet I dont
recall devoting an entire column to it.
However, with the new video format it seemed
a logical thing to do, so this issue we have a
raunchy blues in E, over which I play a solo
entirely using this position. While he does
indeed use this particular shape often,
BB King would be most unlikely to sit on it
throughout an entire solo as I have here, but
would move to other areas of the neck and
use other shapes to inject interest.
To recap on the BB box: its the area on the
neck that broadly corresponds to minor
pentatonic shape 3, and puts the root note on
the second string, offering great first-finger
vibrato potential of which BB takes full
advantage. Unlike shape 1, where your first
finger pivots off the root on the top string and
the b3rd is the highest note available without
bending (a tone bend, of course, gives you
the 4th), the fact that here the root is on the
second string puts much higher intervals at
your disposal. For instance, the 5th above
(B in our key of E) is two frets up on the top
string, and toggling between the two is a great
sound. If you bend this note by a tone you hit
the 6th (C#); push it another semitone you
make the b7th. This is a typical BB sound, but
one thats also adopted by Jimmy Page (think
Whole Lotta Love), Joe Walsh and others.
Since certain notes of E major pentatonic
(E F# G# B D) sit just a semitone away from
notes of E minor pentatonic (E G A B D), become characterised by it. But King also inject extra interest by busting out of the box
various bends give BB his glorious major/ takes advantage of the fact that suddenly (Eric Claptons favourite shape 4 is right next
minor ambiguity. Chord tones sit right under hitting a lick outside this shape gives a big lift door, for instance), but come back home to
the fingers, too, making implying the IV or V to a solo. Check out a few 80s YouTube clips finish things off?
chord with the minimum of movement easy. and youll see how effortlessly he does it. And speaking of Eric Clapton, next month
The whole business of restricting ones And with that in mind, take note of the Im going to delve into the Pandoras Box that
sonic palette is also worth mentioning. various bends, chord tones and so on in my is his incredible extended one-chord soloing
BB King is known for milking a few notes for solo, then have a go at devising something on live Cream numbers such as Spoonful.
all theyre worth, and indeed his style has along similar lines. And why not see if you can See you then.

January 2014 Guitarist 153

 Techniques Blues Headlines

Example
THERES nothing too challenging here, but the string bends will
require control. I didnt go for the fluttering BB vibrato but used
what felt appropriate. King generally doesnt add vibrato to string
bends, but instead confines it to a first-finger wobble when returning
to the root note at the end of a phrase. As with so many of these
blues solos, theres a distinct question and answer feel to things,
not an endless stream of notes. As hinted in my opening, the solo is
designed to illustrate one particular shape, but theres still a lot to be
had from these few notes on these few frets. Its really worth
experimenting with where the chord tones in each of the three
chords actually are within this shape.
One really useful coincidence is that the second string bent up a
tone at the 7th fret is the major 3rd of the I chord (E), but let down a
semitone, its the b7th of the IV chord (A). Another nice touch is the
chromatic run from the 7th to the 6th to the 5th fret of the first string
is the great-sounding 5th to b5th-4th move thats so useful in blues.

. .
. . .
E
# .

BU BU BU
E 7 9
B 5 5 7 (9) 5 7 (9) 7 ( 9) 5 5 5
G 6 6 6 6
D
A
E
1

. . . . . 1/4

#
n .
n

BU BU BU BU BU BU BD 1/4
BU
E 7 5
B 7 (9) 8 (10) 7 (9) 5 7 5 5 7 (9) 8 (10) 7 (9 (7 ) 5 8 8 (9)
G 6
D
A
E
5

# #
A
. . . .
PB
7
BU BU BD BU BU
E 5 6 7
B 5 7 (9) 7 (8 ) 5 7 5 7 5 (8) (7 ) 5 8 (10 ) 7 (8) 5
G 6 6 6
D
A
E
9

154 Guitarist January 2014

 http://vault.guitarist.co.uk Blues Headlines Techniques

E
. n n . B
.n n
#

BU BU BU BU BU
E 5 7 7 8 (10 ) 7 8 (10 ) 7 8 (10 ) 7 5
B 7 ( 9) 7 (8) 5 7 5 8 5
G 6
D
A
E
12

. #. . . . . .
E
. .
# .
PB
7
BU BU BU BU BU BD
E 5 6 7 5 7
B 7 ( 9) 7 (8) 5 7 5 8 (10 ) 8 (9) 5 7 ( 9) (8) (7) 5
G 6 6
D
A
E
15

Hear It Here BB King Gary Moore

BB King
His Definitive Greatest Hits
This double-album contains so many of
Kings best loved tracks, including Help The
Poor, The Thrill Is Gone, How Blue Can You
Get, Why I Sing The Blues, Better Not Look
Down, and the track he did with U2, the feel
of which inspired this months solo, When
Love Comes To Town. Theres enough
masterful question-and-answer phrasing
the majority of which is in the BB box on
the 34 tracks on these two albums to give
you months worth of practice.
Live At The Regal
Ive listed this album because it was
recorded at a time before BB had found his
home in the BB box. Listen to his playing
here and its much more conventional shape
1 and 2 soloing. Its a fine, fine album, though,
and in many ways laid down the blueprint for
a classic blues setlist Every Day I Have The
Blues, Sweet Little Angel, Its My Own Fault,
Help The Poor and You Upset Me Baby have
been covered by younger blues players that
have themselves become legends. This is
the real deal!
Blues For Greeny
This tribute album is a great way of hearing
one great player paying homage to another,
who in turn had paid homage to another
in this case, BB King. Gary Moore had a
wonderful touch and on tracks such as Need
Your Love So Bad he exploits the BB box to
the full as indeed did Peter Green (a huge
devotee of BB) on Fleetwood Macs own
version. But youll also hear it on If You Be My
Baby, Love That Burns and others. Its a
great tribute from one top player to his
teenage idol.

January 2014 Guitarist 155