gehu06
Verified buyer
11/16/22
Well done, thank you!
50 R&B Licks You MUST Know
A handpicked collection of licks paying homage to the soulful sounds of the 60s and 70s
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About this course
Dating as far back as the 40's, Rhythm & Blues has been used to describe a wide variety of musical styles combining jazz, blues, soul, funk and rock. This handpicked collection of 50 R&B Licks You MUST Know pays homage to the soulful, bluesy, rock sounds of the 60s and 70s upon which much of our contemporary and requisite guitar vocabulary is derived from.
This traditional style of R&B guitar was pioneered by Steve Cropper, Ernie Isley, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Cray, Leo Nocentelli, Bobby Womack, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Freddie Stewart, Walter "Papoose" Nelson, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, Pete "Guitar" Lewis, Chips Moman and so many more great session players from the 60s and 70s.
Robbie Calvo dissects the style and equips you with double-stops, sliding sixths, bends, pull-offs, chromatic runs and passing tones, Q&A motifs, Mixolydian lines, combining scales and arpeggios, chromatic double stops, vibrato, semi-tone bends, triplet rhythms, pedal tone ideas, combining major and minor pentatonics, glissandos, "sweet" notes and many more techniques that are characteristic to this tasty R&B style.
Whether or not you play traditional R&B, these 50 R&B Licks You MUST Know will round out your bag with a compelling, soulful and expressive vocabulary that you can apply in any contemporary setting.
This traditional style of R&B guitar was pioneered by Steve Cropper, Ernie Isley, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Cray, Leo Nocentelli, Bobby Womack, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Freddie Stewart, Walter "Papoose" Nelson, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, Pete "Guitar" Lewis, Chips Moman and so many more great session players from the 60s and 70s.
Robbie Calvo dissects the style and equips you with double-stops, sliding sixths, bends, pull-offs, chromatic runs and passing tones, Q&A motifs, Mixolydian lines, combining scales and arpeggios, chromatic double stops, vibrato, semi-tone bends, triplet rhythms, pedal tone ideas, combining major and minor pentatonics, glissandos, "sweet" notes and many more techniques that are characteristic to this tasty R&B style.
Whether or not you play traditional R&B, these 50 R&B Licks You MUST Know will round out your bag with a compelling, soulful and expressive vocabulary that you can apply in any contemporary setting.
What you'll learn
- Combine multiple techniques (slides, hammer-ons, double stops) in one phrase
- Use suspensions within double stop phrases
- Create vocal-like phrases on guitar
- Connect triad shapes across the fingerboard
- Manipulate timing by pushing and pulling the beat
Release date: 09/24/2011 • 3h 07m runtime
Sample lessons
Mercedes Bends
Lick #9
Lucky You
Lick #13
Private Dancer
Lick #25
Glissandi
Lick #27
What's included
53 lessons • 50 charts • 11 Jam Tracks
50 R&B Licks
Welcome to 50 R&B Guitar Licks You MUST Know! I'll be showing you how to create great R&B guitar lines from scales, arpeggios, double stops and triads. I'll also be throwing in some of my trademark chromatic connecting tones and sweet notes along the way. The thing to remember about R&B is that it is not a complex form so some of the lines are really easy to play. The trick however is to add the feel and groove to make these licks come alive and move across the beat. It's a feel thing baby!
These licks can be used in any key as well so once you've got them under your fingers transpose them into another key. Knowing where the tonic or root note of each lick is within it's framework will help you move them to the correct location for the new key.
Ultimately I would like to see you create your own ideas and if at all possible write them on the stave or as tab. Create your own lick diary if you like! Have fun!
These licks can be used in any key as well so once you've got them under your fingers transpose them into another key. Knowing where the tonic or root note of each lick is within it's framework will help you move them to the correct location for the new key.
Ultimately I would like to see you create your own ideas and if at all possible write them on the stave or as tab. Create your own lick diary if you like! Have fun!
Stoned C
This is a classic minor pentatonic lick utilizing double stop ideas from within the C minor pentatonic scale at the 8th fret.
I end the lick with a nice major 6th chromatic double stop idea from the 7th down to the fifth fret. The two resulting resolution tones are both chord tones of the C7 chord. G, the 5th and E, the major 3rd.
I end the lick with a nice major 6th chromatic double stop idea from the 7th down to the fifth fret. The two resulting resolution tones are both chord tones of the C7 chord. G, the 5th and E, the major 3rd.
The Greasebox
I start this lick with the root note of the chord, C and then play a major 3rd double-stop idea with my first finger. You'll want to add a partial bend to these two notes to make them a little dirtier.
You'll notice from the tab that I slide into another pentatonic shape below where I start to get some nice glissando into the lick. This is a great way of combining your minor pentatonic shapes and moving outside of the "boxes".
You'll notice from the tab that I slide into another pentatonic shape below where I start to get some nice glissando into the lick. This is a great way of combining your minor pentatonic shapes and moving outside of the "boxes".
The Hendrix
This lick is completely derived from the C minor pentatonic scale shape at the 8th fret. It could be described best as a series of descending 16th note triplets in bar 1, culminating in a couple of 8th note phrases to end.
Watch your timing on this one and try to make the triplet hammer on, pull off phrases smooth dynamically. You'll notice that I resolve to the Bb. This is the b7 of the C7 chord - very nice!
Watch your timing on this one and try to make the triplet hammer on, pull off phrases smooth dynamically. You'll notice that I resolve to the Bb. This is the b7 of the C7 chord - very nice!
The Pinky
R&B is such an eclectic mix of musical styles that almost anything goes. In this example I am using the C blues scale. I called the lick Pinky because this lick will be easier if you employ the little guy for the first run.
Try to nail the pitch of the bend from F up to the G and really make the vibrato sing as the note decays.
Try to nail the pitch of the bend from F up to the G and really make the vibrato sing as the note decays.
Pinky & Perky
You'll notice that this lick is identical to lick 4 except the last bend where I'm bending the 2nd string from a Bb to the root of the chord C.
It's a great idea to repeat ideas and phrases and change the endings of them. This gives you memorable hooks that the audience can identify with. Recycling is a good thang!
It's a great idea to repeat ideas and phrases and change the endings of them. This gives you memorable hooks that the audience can identify with. Recycling is a good thang!
Major Blue
I love mixing up ideas and seeing what comes out. The majority of this lick is derived from the A blues scale but the nice twist is adding the major 3rd to the scale to outline the C# in the A7 chord.
You've heard this idea a lot in the blues, R&B and country genres. It's a classic.
You've heard this idea a lot in the blues, R&B and country genres. It's a classic.
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Reviews
11 results
BradleyM
Verified buyer
10/12/22
50 R&B Tricks You Must Know
A little above my current level as I am still a beginner, I love the format of short licks and will undoubtedly utilize this course in the near future. I have purchased a few of Robbie Calvo courses. I have been intrigued with and am using off line his Write Your First Song course. His instruction technique is polished and i live the pace.
morningfield
Verified buyer
05/30/21
Thanks!!
chanesone
Verified buyer
01/31/21
Great licks and steps in the RB style
LuigiD
Verified buyer
11/18/20
Very good!
There aren't a lot of "R&B" courses, Robbie made a good course, to fully follow this course you need to have knowledge of scale, it isn't for beginners.
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