Thanks @BurnsRhythm @stitch and @jjw for the replies. I have spent some time with Garageband this afternoon and worked something up that I think might work. I am going to practice with it now. Let’s see. Thanks again.
1 Like
great lesson. I am learning a lot from you, Justin. Thank you and greetings from Germany
1 Like
Well I’ve trying this now for 5 months and am going to have to admit defeat as just can’t get the chords, notes or the rhythm!! If fact I don’t think that I have even got to the last 4 bars yet.
Didn’t realise it would be this hard and I don’t like giving up on something but it shouldn’t take this long.
If this is what the blues are about them I’m going to have to pass! If this is an easy song then I stand no chance moving on.
Stuart,
If you’re struggling with this after 5 months, then maybe it’s time to set it aside for a while. That needn’t mean you’re giving up on it though. You can pick it up again further down the line.
Mixing rhythm and lead, like in this piece, isn’t the easiest way of playing the Blues. Just rhythm is easier and I know you’re playing around with the minor pentatonic for a bit of lead playing.
Grow your skills in both of those separately and then later on the Lickin Riff may become easier for you.
You may well be right because at the moment it’s not gelling and just seems disjointed with no flow from one section to the next. It feels like you are doing the shuffle rhythm with chords and the goes it single notes. I’ve never really got why the licks start on beat 2 and not beat 1. Just seems odd!
You can say that again. 
I certainly hope so.
I’m guessing here Stuart, but it may be because, in a band situation, the bass player and/or drummer would be coming in on beat 1 and the start of the lick woul be drowned out.
I also practiced this for months, and while I’ve had it memorized for awhile I’m still atrocious at playing it. Something about it makes my fingers just suddenly lose strength and accuracy every time I start it.
Your point is relevant, Chris, but it’s not really the answer.
This is a solo Blues study which is designed to be played with just one guitar.
Justin stresses that the most important thing is to keep the groove going throughout the piece. The rhythm bars set up the groove and that same groove needs to keep going through the licks. So playing the strum on beat 1 leads the rhythm into the licks.
Similarly, the little climb on the bass string at the end of the lick, leads back to the rhythm.
Hi Stuart, it took me literally months, on and off, to get “almost” there. Quite a super frustrating experience, as blues should be my direction to dive in after finishing the beginner’s level.
Due to an ongoing fatigue syndrome, I had a hard time to memorize the piece since the beginning and when I finally had the whole thing in my head, I just couldn’t play it without faults.
For me, it’s not so much about timing and rhythm, just about making those silly faults again and again.
I just couldn’t overcome that “almost” status.
On the highest point of frustration, I switched to the “Solo Blues” from the old Beginner’s Course" BC 209 in the old course book. I found it a bit easier and it threw my focus on another piece whilst practicing the same skill. Saved me from getting “mad”.
When I went back to the Lickin’ Riff, I felt a benefit and took a step ahead, but I’m still struggling with a fault here or there and my frustration sometimes gets to a point, where I definitly daubt, if going down the blues route will be the right thing to do.
The two most difficult lessons for me were “Happy Birthday Finger-style” and “Lick’n’Riff”. After practicing it almost daily for 5-6 months, plus revisiting it every 2 weeks or so over a year as part of my repertoire, I can say that I’ve almost got “Lick’n’Riff” under my fingers.
I completely gave up on “Happy Birthday Finger-style”, and skipped all the Fingerstyle lessons. I regret that now, as I realize that being comfortable using my fingers on the strings is important if I want to learn Hybrid Picking or Slide guitar, like so many rock and blues players use. In addition to working on Grade 4 lessons, I’m also going back to do all the Fingerstyle lessons in Grades 2-3.