Articles by Levi Clay
Beyond Blues: John Scofield
December 31, 2016
For over 30 years John Scofield has explored nearly every genre imaginable. Here’s a look at how he might balance inside and outside sounds over a classic fusion vamp.
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Beyond Blues: Connecting the Dots
November 26, 2016
When learning guitar, the biggest challenge isn’t mastering fingerings, but rather how to put them together in a musical way. Here are some cool tricks for moving from one shape to another.
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Beyond Blues: Scotty Moore’s Raucous Rockabilly Licks
October 22, 2016
The legendary Elvis sideman was a pioneer of rockabilly guitar, and his approach to merging blues and country influenced generations of guitar pickers. Here’s how he did it.
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Beyond Blues: Larry Carlton
September 3, 2016
The studio master walks a fine line between jazz, blues, and rock with ferocious chops and a unique view on improvisation.
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Beyond Blues: 10 Twang Tips for “Workin’ Man Blues”
August 13, 2016
Inject your blues with a healthy dose of twang.
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Beyond Blues: 8 Essential Turnarounds
July 9, 2016
To navigate the last four measures of a 12-bar blues in style, you need a sophisticated ear and a solid knowledge of chord tones.
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Beyond Blues: Mike Bloomfield’s Manic Magic
May 14, 2016
The Chicago-born guitarist wasn’t afraid to go searching for those missing notes. Here, Levi Clay breaks down how one of the most influential guitarists of the ’60s combined blues, rock, and jazz.
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Beyond Blues: Soulful Rhythms
April 16, 2016
Modern soul master Derek Trucks draws inspiration from old-time gospel and jazz to create impressively melodic rhythm parts.
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Beyond Blues: CAGED Developments
March 5, 2016
Supercharge your solos with the potent fretboard approach used by legendary players like Robben Ford.
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Beyond Blues: Billy Gibbons
February 6, 2016
Learn a few secrets about how the king of Texas boogie-rock combines attitude with soul.
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Beyond Blues: How to Use Guide Tones
December 26, 2015
Not all notes are created equal. With a few well-placed targets, your solos can stand out.
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Beyond Blues: Matt Schofield’s Sophisticated Solos
November 28, 2015
Uncovering the soloing secrets used by one of modern blues’ masters.
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Beyond Blues: 10 Ways to Resolve Your Tension
October 31, 2015
What’s tension without resolution? Once you can hear the target note, then the rest falls into place.
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Beyond Blues: Texas Rhythm 101
September 26, 2015
A quick look at the essential elements of this slammin’ Lone Star sound.
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Beyond Blues: Scott Henderson
August 22, 2015
Escape the tyranny of vanilla blues scales with some tricks from one of jazz-fusion’s most influential players.
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Beyond Blues: The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach
July 25, 2015
Break out your dirtiest fuzz box for a look at how a guitarist from Ohio brought the hill-country stomp to the masses.
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Beyond Blues: Warren Haynes’ Southern-Fried Blues-Rock
June 27, 2015
Few guitarists are able to combine soul with a healthy amount of down-home rock like the Gov’t Mule frontman.
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Deep Blues: Riding with B.B. King
May 23, 2015
Take a closer look at some of the signature techniques of the late blues master.
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Beyond Blues: Eric Johnson vs. Joe Bonamassa
April 25, 2015
Decode the warp-speed blues-rock licks of two modern masters.
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Beyond Blues: Bridging the Gap Between Chords and Arpeggios
March 21, 2015
Learn how to solo effortlessly using the CAGED system.
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