Music Lesson: Slippin' and Drippin' from West Coast Blues

Introduction

The first song we're going to be doing is called Slippin' and Drippin' from West Coast Blues.

Now, playing traditional blues is never exact. I want to make it clear that if you want the exact notes, there's a book out that painstakingly covers every note I played on that song.

But today, we're going to show you what's behind those notes, what really comes from the heart to play the blues. We'll also cover techniques for both the left and right hand. It's more than just your average shuffle; there ain't a whole lot of soul to that.

So, let's focus on:

• Techniques I use on both hands
• Playing from the heart and soul
• The essence behind the notes

Key of E

Slippin' and Drippin' is in the key of E. We'll be concentrating a lot in this key today because most acoustic blues guitar is in E. Have you ever listened to Lightning Hopkins? Enough said!

99% of what he plays is in E, and it all sounds cool.

Playing Through the Song

Here we go, Slippin' and Drippin'. I'll play a pass through it slowly and explain what I just did.

Techniques Overview

1. Shuffle with Harmony

   • Since it's a slow blues, I added some harmony to the shuffle.
   • I added a note on the third string; even that sounds kind of nice.
   • We doubled the bass, which is a tough technique. To get the proper stumble on the right hand, drop your hand down and come off that string gently.

2. Three-string Bend

   • Bending is difficult enough on one string, but three?
   • The hard part is trying to bend them all equally. If you bend just one, you'll mute out the others.

3. Notes on Bending

   • When I bend a string, I use more than one finger.
   • I put down two or sometimes three fingers to get more power behind that bend.
   • Remember: Control and power matter.

4. B7 Technique

   • With my B7, I typically don't put the pinky down. It's hassle; let's make it a three-finger chord.
   • I move the F# from the fourth string to the sixth string.

5. Rhythm Technique

   • Hitting the strings against the frets creates a unique rhythm that we will discuss later.
   • Engage in a back-and-forth between lead and rhythm to create a "one-man band" feel.

Summary

In this lesson, we explored Slippin' and Drippin' as an example of a really slow blues. The focus was on how to make it sound a little funkier and more soulful while still having fun with the technique.

Remember, the exact notes are in the book if you want to learn everything. But this session covers the insights and techniques that you can't get from a book.

Thanks for joining me!