The Blues Guitar Show – Details, episodes & analysis

Explore the electrifying story of British Blues, from post-war record collectors in the 1940s to the British Blues Explosion of the 1960s. Discover how American legends like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Chuck Berry inspired young British musicians, including The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, and The Yardbirds, who amplified, reimagined, and exported the blues back to the world. Dive into the guitars, live performances, cultural contrasts, and lasting legacy that transformed blues into rock music.

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In this episode I give you my top 10 tips for playing acoustic blues. 

1. Learn the 12-Bar Blues Form Inside Out

The 12-bar blues is the foundation. Practice it in different keys (E, A, G) until you can play it without thinking. This will make learning songs and improvising far easier.

2. Master Shuffle and Swing Rhythms

Blues rhythm isn’t straight—it's felt.
Work on:

• Shuffle feel (“da-DA, da-DA”)
• Light swing
   These grooves make even simple chords sound authentic.

3. Use Alternating Bass Patterns

A thumbed bass line (with your picking hand thumb) adds depth:

• Thumb alternates between root and fifth
• Fingers play melody on top
   This classic delta & country blues technique makes solo performances sound full.

4. Start Using the Minor Pentatonic Scale Early

It’s the essential blues scale.
 Begin in A minor pentatonic and E minor pentatonic—both fit comfortably on acoustic and match common blues keys.

5. Add Blue Notes

Incorporate:

• ♭3
• ♭5
• ♭7
   These give blues its voice. Practice sliding into them for expression.

6. Work on String Bends & Vibrato

Bending on acoustic is harder than on electric, but doing it well makes your playing expressive. Start with:

• Quarter-step bends (very bluesy!)
• Slow, controlled vibrato
• Simple half-step bends on the B and G strings

7. Learn a Few Turnarounds

Turnarounds signal the end of the 12-bar form and make your playing sound “finished.”
 Classic turnarounds in E and A are essential vocabulary for blues players.

8. Use Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs for Acoustic “Snap”

Blues on acoustic thrives on percussive articulation.
 Practice short licks that combine:

• Open strings
• Quick hammer-ons
• Snappy pull-offs
   They create that raw delta feel.

9. Study “Call and Response”

Think like a singer:

• Play a short melodic “call”
• Answer with a rhythmic or melodic “response”
   This makes improvisation sound intentional instead of random.

10. Listen and Imitate Blues Legends

Absorb phrasing, tone, and feel from players such as:

• Robert Johnson
• Mississippi John Hurt
• Big Bill Broonzy
• Lightnin’ Hopkins
• Eric Clapton (unplugged style)

Learning even a few of their licks will deepen your style dramatically.

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In this episode I talk you through three great triad shapes for playing blues solos in the key of G 

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In this episode I'm talking with a fantastic up and coming blues player Kaspar berry Rapkin. Fresh off of his Blues Chart number 1 with K.K Hammond and in the midst of writing some new material we catch up with Kaspar on a chilly Wednesday evening in November.

A band-leader, side man, recording artist & all round musician we get into everything from what its like being an artist in 2023 to some awesome demos of Kaspars guitar collection. 

We had a great chat and cheers to Kaspar for coming on.

Check out his stuff here: www.kbrblues.com 

And the HSB video here https://youtu.be/23mM98sxzog?feature=shared

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Shoot me a question to cover in the upcoming episodes by emailing ben@thebluesguitarshow.com

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In this episode we're looking over the Beatles song Get Back.

This song has a great feel to it and some really fun major pentatonic country style licks.

Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston".The song is one of the few examples of John Lennon featuring prominently as lead guitarist. The album version of this song contains a different mix that features a studio chat between Paul McCartney and John Lennon at the beginning which lasts for 20 seconds before the song begins, also omitting the coda featured in the single version, and with a final dialog taken from the Beatles' rooftop concert. This version became the closing track of Let It Be (1970), which was released just after the group split up. The single version was later issued on the compilation albums 1967–1970, 20 Greatest Hits, Past Masters, and 1. 

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In this episode we're looking at the blues classic Smokestack Lightning!

This is a great example of a 'one riff song' its totally hypnotic to play and has a great feel and groove to it.

At Chess' studio in Chicago in January 1956, Howlin' Wolf recorded "Smokestack Lightning".The song takes the form of "a propulsive, one-chord vamp, nominally in E major but with the flatted blue notes that make it sound like E minor", and lyrically it is "a pastiche of ancient blues lines and train references, timeless and evocative".Longtime Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin is credited with the distinctive guitar line.Howlin' Wolf sang and played harmonica, backed by pianist Hosea Lee Kennard, guitarists Willie Johnsonand Hubert Sumlin, bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Earl Phillips.

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In this episode we are back with the king of the blues! This is a classic blues 12 bar with some awesome licks and riffs.

We cover the main riff, some of the theory behind whats going on in the guitar as well as the whole first section of the solo lick-by-lick.

"Rock Me Baby" is a blues standard that has become one of the most recorded blues songs of all time.[2] It originated as "Rockin' and Rollin'", a 1951 song by Lil' Son Jackson,[1] itself inspired by earlier blues. Renditions by Muddy Waters and B.B. King made the song well-known. When B.B. King's recording of "Rock Me Baby" was released in 1964, it became his first single to reach the Top 40 in Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart.

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Episode 150! In this episode I'm taking you through this blues classic! Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters. This is one of my absolute favourite 'zone out' songs and we go through the main riff and lead parts to this awesome live version of the 1955 standard.

Mannish Boy" (or "Manish Boy" as it was first labeled) is a blues standard written by Muddy Waters, Mel London, and Bo Diddley (with Waters and Diddley being credited under their birth names). First recorded in 1955 by Waters, it serves as an "answer song" to Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man", which was in turn inspired by Waters' and Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man. Mannish Boy" features a repeating stop-time figure on one chord throughout the song.

Grab your guitar and join me in learning the whole of this fantastic Beatles tune. An absolute classic riff and really fun solo to play. This is one I always reccomend my students to learn.

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Grab your guitar and join me in learning the whole of this fantastic Beatles tune. An absolute classic riff and really fun solo to play. This is one I always reccomend my students to learn.

Day Tripper" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out" in December 1965. The song was written primarily by John Lennon with some contributions from Paul McCartney and was credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the band's Rubber Soul album. The single topped charts in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. In the United States, "Day Tripper" peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and "We Can Work It Out" held the top position. 

"Day Tripper" is a rock song based around an electric guitar riff and drawing on the influence of American soul music. The Beatles included it in their concert set-list until their retirement from live performances in late August 1966.

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Grab your guitar and join me in learning this awesome Rolling Stones Riff. This for me , is one of Keith's best and as the band have released a new album this year, let's revisit one of the classics.

"Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released as a non-album single on 4 July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States (although a country version called "Country Honk" was later included on the album Let It Bleed). It topped the charts in both nations.[3] The song was on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

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