Fingerpicking Blues Lesson - Lonnie Johnson's signature licks

A major figure in guitar history, Lonnie Johnson bridged blues and jazz styles, playing with blues shouters like Bessie Smith and Texas Alexander on the one hand, and Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington on the other.
The list of guitarists who have cited him as a major influence reads like a genealogy of blues/rock : Robert Johnson (listen to his 'Malted Milk'), T-bone Walker, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix. Though he fingerpicked the guitar, Johnson's single string playing, with its singing vibrato, was unique and startling and helped further the guitar as a serious soloing instrument in blues and jazz.
Lonnie was definitevely the first in blues history to record single string solo's.

I made up a verse in the key of D with some typical Lonnie Johnson licks and explain them in detail afterwards.

IMPORTANT : I had to cut the lesson short to remain under the 100mgb so I did not explain the tuning.
It's from low to high : DGDGBE
Most of Lonnie's playing between 1926 and 1932 is in the key of D and this tuning (aka G6 or drop G tuning)


Stefan Grossman made a Lonnie Johnson tabbook with transcriptions of some of his greatest intrumentals
http://guitarvideos.com/books/F3346.htm
On the same site you'll also find a lesson package on Lonnie by Woody Mann.
There's also a tabbook by Lennie Carlson called 'Away Down In The Alley' published by Mel Bay (out of print though).

Check my playlists for more Lonnie Johnson songs and instrumentals.
http://www.youtube.com/user/daddystovepipe?feature=mhw4#g/c/D58A1E169D9A031E

Also my cd 'Blues and Gospel from the 78rpm Era' has a nice Lonnie Johnson inspired track called 'Boogie Dance'
http://www.youtunerecords.com/daddystovepipe.html

FREE TABLATURE AT MY WEBSITE
http://www.daddystovepipe.com

I added another lesson on this tune
You can hear me play it slower and exactly as the TAB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PJPaMkpo28&feature=related

I uploaded another lesson in this style (with free TAB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpLu9ZL72zg
Tab also available at my website

Here's the link to another great Lonnie Johnson instrumental "Blues In My Fingers"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vJw-B41tXA
TABLATURE AVAILABLE (see the description of the vid for more info)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• lonnie
• johnson
• lesson
• tutorial
• instruction
• accoustic
• guitar
• blues
• instrumental
• fingerpicking
• daddystovepipe
• bb
• king
• jimi
• hendrix
• T-bone
• walker
• drop
• tuning

[arleycowboy]

Hi daddy , You play great and I really enjoy your lessons , I am having trouble with Lonnies Signature lick the tab seems to be different from what you play on the video on the tab the second bar is 3rd string 2nd fret then 3rd string 4th fret on the video the second bar starts on 5th fret second string then second string 3rd fret . i hope you can help with this problem David .

[daddystovepipe]

@arleycowboy

yep You're right. I forgot to show the first beat which is a triplet : third string second fret to third string fourth fret and followed by the second string third fret.

[fodera6]

Thanks for the vid and the TABs. What's this guitar you're using? Very nice, daddy-o.

[daddystovepipe]

@fodera6

thanks for the kind words and support

I'm playing a copy, made by John Gréven, of a 1930ies Gibson L00 (aka the working man's guitar - cheap and fast made to keep the price down during the depression years)

[horbergus]

you're good, but you made it way to much mississippi

[DoaneofTheDead]

Hey, love this lesson, great playing, think ill pick up my guitar!

[Czantorjev]

you own!

[daddystovepipe]

@bbdzmsn

Youtube changed it so click on the double arrowish sign under the number of views and you'll see the complete videodescription.

[rigidarm1]

Thank you so much for the lesson. Very clear and easy to see. I will reslly work to get your sound. Again, Thank You

[stonemojo]

I really like that guitar I finally found a 000 by Breedlove it has a little more piano timbre. But the customer service people at Breedlove said it will mellow with playing and time, they designed & built it to approximate the sound and feel of guitars built at the first part of the last century. I am basic finger-picking ans venture over to this style occasionally I will eventually stay here for lessons after a while

[BTBpneumaticcustoms]

I like your Dutch accent.

Het klinkt goed in ieder geval