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T-Bone Walker - electric blues - with Duke Robillard Page One

T-Bone Walker is one of the first Guitar styles, along with Chuck Berry, that aspiring guitarists should expose themselves too.

T-Bone is the blues 'dressed up' according to Buddy Guy.  In other words steal as many licks as you can from this orchestral big band rooted electric blues and guitar pioneer!

I think Chuck Berry is the easier of the two. Chuck himself sites T-bone as a huge influence.

Plainly enough crafting most of his tunes from G Bar chord position at the third fret T-Bone doesn't play really super fast or anything. But his style is one of the hardest to get down because he was a master of mixing major and minor tonalities (notes) within the same solos on his melodic (lead) work.

This is kind of like fusion - you aren't exactly sure what tonality major or minor (its really both) is being played only with T-bone you are basically playing I iv V Blues.

And also the phrasing seems to continue and never stop before one lick is done he is already in to the next one. Also T-Bones' blues chord changes - say in a turn around - I guess since then melody had major and minor notes in it -  barely if at all touches iv  chord which is minor.

T-Bone Walker - Duke Robillard Page One | Page Two | Page Three | Page Four

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A man has to learn that he cannot command things, but that he can command himself; that he cannot coerce the wills of others, but that he can mold and master his own will: and things serve him who serves Truth; people seek guidance of him who is master of himself.
James Allen