Hi Duke and Mike,

  I must admit it took me awhile to find that open G in my playing. I finally figured I had let an open string hammer on affect this part. I had been doing it wrong for so long that it had just crept into my muscle memory. I use those kind of open string grace notes when I'm doing a Tommy Shannon type bass part. Since I also play bass I let that creep into my playing sometimes. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Its a technique that you can only do in certain keys like E or A.  F# would not be one of those keys.

  Thanks for all you do here and I hope your shoulder gets back to A1 shape.

Steve

I'll .l have to check out Peter Green I've been hooked on Johnny Winter and Stevie for so long that I need to branch out and check out some new players but I've also been hooked on  Duke and Ronnie earl because they have that trail off technique that no one seems to have quite like them and Mike Welch is awesome as well he's gotta a great style and does some excellent BB.

I don't have a bad word to say about Clapton - not only was he my earliest "lead guitar" influence, but a huge percentage of my music taste is directly traceable to a couple Guitar Player interviews he did back in the day where he brought up ALL the cool stuff (Muddy, Little Walter, Freddy King Sings, Ray Charles Live, of course Otis and Buddy). 

Peter's playing had a vulnerability to it that's really moving, though, and he was probably deeper in the tradition than Eric was (actually, that's a tough call - Eric knows the tradition as well as anyone, but Peter probably could have fit in better in the West Side of Chicago). My favorite Peter Green playing is the early Fleetwood Mac before Kirwan joined - Peter had stepped out of Clapton's shadow and was exploring the deep blues as well as anyone. The later Mac records are great, too, but that early stuff is my favorite.

It's funny; I didn't hear Peter until I'd been playing for more than ten years and someone told me I sounded a little like him. When I heard him, I got it (in terms of style, not quality, anyway; he was better) - he was a guy who started out under the spell of Eric Clapton and loved B.B. King and Otis Rush as much as I do. 

Jerry - check out the Fleetwood Mac album Mr. Wonderful. It's my favorite.

You have great taste, Monster Mike. Mr. Wonderful is definitely the best, though the two albums they recorded in Chicago with Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Shakey Horton, J. T. Brown, Buddy Guy (I assume it's Buddy -- he's credited as "Guitar Buddy"), Honeyboy Edwards and S. P. Leary are really great too. WIth players like that, how could you go wrong? ;-)  

Great to hear your thoughts on these players!

Not sure why the video won't work. Its a mp4 version. It works fine in Windows 7on my lenova. 

Thanks Steve! Fixed now.

Thanks Bruno

Nice! Yeah, what Duke said about that ringing open G (not the nicest note in the key of F#!) But the approach is good, and I like the way you're combining the different versions into your own thing. I also like the volume knob tremolo there - I might have to steal that for that part some times!

I learned this one so long ago its probably morphed into something else warts and all. 

it was fantastic Mike I totally enjoyed it, you are such a great musician,maybe you can join Duke  and the gang in teaching lessons on Sonic junction that would be great.

I haven't recorded it; as much as Otis is one of my biggest influences both vocally and on guitar, I've never covered one of his tunes on record. I always thought it would be fun to do some of the Cobra-era Otis tunes with Duke; many of them have Otis and Ike Turner BOTH playing lead guitar, and Duke's take on Ike's crazy playing is pretty great. 

Also - one of the things I love about the Eric and Stevie versions is how much of themselves they brought to the table when covering it; Clapton streamlined that intro into a powerful, easily recognizable riff the same way he did with Robert Johnson songs, and Stevie just burst at the seams with raw energy, alternating the rhythm and lead parts so it sounded like he was playing them at the same time. It's a good reminder that once you know these songs - and both Clapton and Vaughan KNEW the Otis version - it's open to interpretation and your individual voice. 

Yeah, I love the two sections. It's like getting to play two awesome songs in one. Have you tried palm muting the rhumba section? You've got the right idea, but muting those low strings gives it a really cool snappy sound. 

I think there's a recording of that set out there somewhere...

Me too! Glad you're enjoying it. 

Thanks, Duke!

Nice work, Bruce! (Also, LOVE the Rick 325 and Duo Jet back there...) I notice you're using all downstrokes on that little 16th note skip; have you tried alternating just that one bit? It might be a little easier on your wrist!

Thanks for noticing the guitars, Mike!  Next time you are in Los Angeles, look me know and I'll show you my guitar room.  ;-)  

You're right that I often default to downstrokes. I've been trying to break myself of that habit, so thanks a lot for pointing it out! I'm still relatively new at doing lead guitar work (~ 1.5 years) but Duke's lessons have been unbelievably helpful and inspiring.

So thanks again for pointing that out; I'll work on that! Can't wait for the rest of the lesson. 

Hi Mike -- you were so right about using the upstroke on the skip! It not only makes it easier to play; it make the phrasing work better. I just have to remind myself to do it until it becomes habitual. Thanks again!

Yeah, it's one thing playing simpler parts with all downstrokes, but that sixteenth note goes by FAST.