“It’s surprising to discover how much we rely on patterns and shapes – and this can be at the expense of thinking melodically or rhythmically”: Why four notes and the truth are all you need for a great slow blues solo

Albert King plays his iconic V onstage.

Before we start, let me qualify that the ‘four notes’ part of this lesson’s title refers to four fretted notes (E, F#, A, B), plus whatever string bends I can use to squeeze more out of them!

This is an exercise in getting a lot out of a little, inspired by the likes of Albert and B.B. King and Peter Green. If you’ve never tried this before, it’s really surprising to discover how much we rely on patterns and shapes when we’re playing – and this can potentially be at the expense of thinking melodically or rhythmically.