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Dig electric blues guitar? These progressive blues guitar licks are from Corey Congilio’s 50 Progressive Blues Licks You MUST Knowcourse compiles this perfectly balanced vocabulary of Progressive Blues line, rhythms, phrasings and more. You’ll learn how to apply techniques and melodic devices as well as many more of the essential tricks of the Progressive Blues trade.

Progressive Blues Lick #1: Ford and Chevy

Download the tab & notation for this progressive blues lick.

We’ll start with a great lick from one of my favorite guitarists, Robben Ford. This lick comes from his version of the tune Chevrolet. The song is in the key of G and the lick is based out of G minor pentatonic. You’ll notice that you’ll be employing some tried and true techniques like bends, hammer-ons, and pulloffs.

The key to this lick is the cascading manor in which we walk down the scale only to be joined with a great hammer on double stop/chord stab. This lick was the one that really made me start to listen to Robben. Once I learned this lick, I began my journey down the road that Mr. Ford has set forth. Oh, and I’m still on that road, be it a rugged one sometimes! Enjoy.

Progressive Blues Lick #2: Bueno Masa

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Joe Bonamassa has been carrying the blues torch since his mid teens. I first heard him in a band called Bloodline and in my opinion, is some of his best work. Bonamassa continues to put out albums that stretch sonic boundries as well as pay homage to the masters. On the album Black Rock, he covers the classic tune Look Over Yonders Wall. He plays it in the key of D and this is a lick that is signature Joe B.

Progressive Blues Lick #3: Palm Some Moore

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When Gary Moore’s “Still Got The Blues” album was released in 1991, blues guitar playing as we knew it changed forever. Moore brought his rapid fire playing and monstrous tone to classic tunes as well as his own blues rock compostitions. A screaming Les Paul and cranked Marshalls emitted classic riffs that we know but, they contained Moore’s personality and style.

Check out this lick and be sure to turn up, to eleven if you can!

Progressive Blues Lick #4: If I Had A Hammer-on

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Jimmy Herring has amassed quite a resume since forming Aquarium Rescue Unit it 1989. Herring is the lead guitarist for Widespread Panic and has played with everyone from The Allman Bros Band to The Dead. His ferocious blues playing combined with his seemingly limitless bebop vocabulary makes him a standout in the current class of todays best guitarists.

This lick was inspired by his tune Scapegoat Blues. Get a handle on this blazing hammer-on/pulloff lick and you’ll turn some heads at the next gig!

Progressive Blues Lick #5: Walk Up Roy

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Pushing the envelope of guitar playing is something that all legendary blues players have done. Roy Buchanan unfortunately gets overlooked when we talk about innovative guitarists. Roy definitely left his stamp on the blues as well as guitar playing in general.

For his groundbreaking licks, Buchanan received praise from John Lennon and even received an invitation to join the Rolling Stones. Many of his songs were emotional guitar ballads, others were funky rocky jams. We’ll look at a lick he plays in his tune Tribute To Elmore James. This is a bluesy instrumental chock full of great blues playing.

Progressive Blues Lick #6: Morsel

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Steve Morse’s name may not be the first to come up in the blues discussion. However, we know that rock comes from blues and Morse is one of the best progressive rock players of all time. His mix of rock, blues, country, and classical make him a truly unique player. This lick is in G and really swings. I felt it was one of a few good examples to take from Morse. Have fun with this lick and try using this in a jump blues or uptempo shuffle.

Dig these Progressive Blues Licks? Download Corey Congilio’s 50 Progressive Blues Guitar Licks You MUST Know for much more including tab, notation, and jam tracks!