This volume examines the playing style of T-Bone Walker. Born in 1910, T-Bone is universally regarded as the father of the electric blues guitar. He learned about blues guitar directly from two blues giants, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Leadbelly. He was one of the genre’s first electric players, and claimed that he got his first electric guitar as early as 1935. His 1947 recordings of his compositions “Call it Stormy Monday” and “T-Bone Shuffle” are among the most important and most influential blues recordings ever made, and have since become “standards” for all blues and blues/rock guitarists.

With his amplified electric offering greater volume and sustain, T-Bone was able to emulate the solo lines of saxophones and other horn players in his flatpicked single-note solos. T-Bone was one of the first guitarists to use string-bending as a major component in his approach, which was a prime influence on B.B. King, who has stated that it was T-Bone’s solos that made him want to play blues guitar. He also was a virtuoso soloist, spinning out fast and complex jazz-like lines using alternate picking much of the time.

Kings of Blues & Rock will impact your playing in two distinctly different but equally important ways: first, you will learn all of the essential elements for soloing in the style of each of these great players; more importantly, you will be able to take this information and use it to create your own style and sound in rock and blues guitar.

The playing styles of each artist is examined in a variety of musical settings designed around the artists' signature style and performances. All of the solo segments are played first at tempo, over practice rhythm tracks, and then presented slowly with thorough explanations. Practice rhythm tracks are provided so that you can practice the solo examples as presented and work on creating your own solo variations and ideas. Also discussed is the type of guitar and amp each artist favors, and the means by which they achieve their distinct, signature sound.

Your Kings of Blues & Rock instructor, Andy Aledort is himself a "King" amongst players, editors and educators. Aledort has served as senior editor for several top guitar magazines, has authored over 200 guitar instruction books and DVDs and tours with high-profile artists such as Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, and the Allman Brothers band.