Here's a 12 bar blues solo in the key of E, standard guitar tuning ... in the style of Lightnin' Hopkins.
I got to see him perform numerous times ... learned from him ... and lost to him at 8-ball pool.
I really enjoy Lightnin's blues playin' ... and here's a very basic and somewhat simplified version of his wonderful style.

Take your time ... play it slow ... it sounds good slow ... and it'll sound good at faster tempos, too ... pay attention to the hammer-on and the slides ... and be sure to muffle/mute the bass strings with the heel of your right hand to get a more 'authentic' and funky/popping rhythmic sound.

As always ... have fun.

Hawkeye


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... page/part two of Lightnin's style.
Get on with it.
Hawkeye

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thanks for the lightnin' hopkins piece hawkeye. though i think i will skip the blind blake lesson as it is a little too advanced for me.

I'll have to try this stuff out! I'm managed to pick up a few Lightnin' licks here and there from listening to him, but I want to absorb as much of his style as I can!

jaycee and tanta07,

Thanks for the comments.
This is 'beginning' Lightnin' Hopkins material ... if it is requested of me, I will post more involved material illustrating his style in the future.

Have fun ... first and foremost.

Hawkeye

DANG....I am not getting this.

And Lightnin Hopkins is my all time favorite ...

Hawkeye, do you have one of those digital movie cameras and a bunch of free time?

Randy101,

Very funny However ... I will say that we are planning Hawkeye instructional videoDVDs in the future ... since I've been giving such workshops/lessons for over 30 years ... I may as well release these lessons on video ... someday.

All I can tell you is that what I posted is about as easy as it gets with Lightnin's guitar style ... and it's not hard if you don't rush ... take it ONE BEAT at a time ... not the whole ball of wax ... patience, my frind ... patience ... at most, yo should try to play/learn one full four beat measure at a time ... Lightinin' spent hs entire life developing his style ... and you want to achieve his sound in a couple of hours? It don't wok thataway ... take me word for it.
Peick up your guitar, get comfortable ... TAKE A DEEP BREATH ... and RELAX ... and take it one measure at a time ... you've got the rest of your life to learn this, my friend.
Hawkeye

I think I have it now. Your pinkie alternates pressing on third third fret while you do the shuffle in E.

Then you have to make up some words to sing along..

Woke up this morning. had the Bindmans blues
Woke up this morning,had the Blindmans blues
Got some help from Hawkeye
and my old pal Grady too

randy101,

That's the idea ... like I said, take your time ... Lightinin devloped his style over many years ... so don't pressure yourself to learn it overnight ... set reasonable goals ... and enjoy the process.
Hawkeye

Hey, this is fun! It's inspired me to get back into stabdard tuning for the first time since... god knows when. Lightnin' has always been one of my heores yet for some reason I've always tried to imitate his attitude while shying away from copping his style. Maybe I should have a go and see what the old man can teach me.

Thanks Hawkeye -- I love Lightnin's music and am familiar with most of what you posted, though there were a couple things in there I've never thought of before. I've watched a lot of footage of Lightnin', I'd love to see some tab (which I am very slowly coming to appreciate more after years of musical lysdexia -- it helps if you're already familiar with the music) for some of his work in A like "Shining Moon."

"...there were a couple things in there I've never thought of before."

CS,

Well, that's why it's been posted ... to expand your (Lightinin') horizons.

I was lucky to have seen Lightinin' perform numerous times ... he was fond of saying, "You can't touch this!" ... while playing very slick/fast lick/riff ... it was true ... nobody could be Lightinin' but Lightinin' ... but you can learn from him.

Cheers,


Hawkeye

Thanks heaps for this stuff,Lightnin' is the best.

BR,
My pleasure. Glad you're enjoying the Lightinin' transcription.

If you dig into the 'back pages' of the "Trading Post" area here at the BBF you'll find a lot more such transcriptions on:
Freddy King
BB King
Willie Brown
Mance Lipscomb
Blind Blake
Blind Boy Fuller
Blind Willie McTell
Blind Lemon
Fred McDowell
Charley Patton
Elmore James
Tommy Johnson
How to read tablature
The 'blues box system' for lead playing
etc.

Enjoy the music.

Hawkeye