Introduction au Texas Blues

The Influence of Texas Blues on Music

A big influence on my playing, and a lot of my heroes' playing, was some of the early Texas blues stuff. Key figures include:

• Jimmy Reid
• Lightning Hopkins
• Freddie King
• Albert Collins
• Stevie Ray Vaughan
• Jimmy Vaughan

The Essence of Texas Blues

The Texas blues genre is a really raw form of music. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where it came from, as there are many different influences involved:

• New Orleans
• Louisiana
• Mississippi

However, the Texas blues has a very specific groove and shuffle. There's no messing around; it's quite a raw form of music.

Self-Accompaniment in Blues

One of the starting points for a lot of this music was artists accompanying themselves with just a guitar. For example, Lightning Hopkins mastered the art of being the bass, drums, and rhythm all in one, singing over the top:

• One-Man Band: He was kind of a one-man band.
• Rhythm and Melody: He would play in a way that you could hear him maintaining the rhythm and layering sounds; his right hand would act as the bass, providing a strong, consistent beat.

The Role of Rhythm

• Snare and Licks: He would add snare-like sounds and playful licks on top of his rhythmic foundation.
• Raw Form: This setup is the basis of a lot of that kind of music , just an acoustic guitar and someone singing over it.

Transition to Electric Blues

This self-accompaniment influenced the evolution of blues guitarists as they transitioned to playing electric guitar with bands. Musicians like Jimmy Reid played a style that significantly influenced rock and roll.

Understanding the Roots

It's important to understand these early beginnings of the music before diving into the electric forms. Artists such as:

• John Lee Hooker
• Sun House

These musicians often played solo, creating captivating rhythms that might evoke simple sounds, like someone walking. This directly influenced later musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The Pocket of Traditional Blues

The original music of John Lee Hooker features a unique pocket that comes from solo performances without a band. When bands were added to this foundation, the result was a powerful and robust rhythm on the guitar.

Conclusion: Amplifying Blues Roots

In conclusion, Steve Ray Vaughan's playing was heavily influenced by that early blues, simply amplified and performed within a band context.

For example, we can consider an old Lightning Hopkins piece to illustrate this transition in style.