To play like B.B. King, you have to step away from the “speed” mindset and focus entirely on vocal phrasing. B.B. didn’t just play notes; he “sang” them through his guitar, Lucille.
Here are the essential elements to capture his legendary sound:
To capture B.B. King’s essence, you have to look at the “B.B. Box” and his signature “call and response” phrasing. These examples are in the key of B, which he used frequently (like in “The Thrill is Gone”).
1. The Core “B.B. Box” Position (Key of B)
This is the “home base” where he spent 90% of his time. Notice how your index finger stays on the root note (12th fret, B string).
Plaintext
e|-------------10---12---14----------|
B|---12---14-------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|
R 9 5 6 R (Octave)
2. The Signature “Stinging” Lick
This is the classic way he would open a solo. It uses a quick slide and that famous “shiver” vibrato.
v = Butterfly Vibrato
/ / = Slide up
Plaintext
(v) (v)
e|-----------------10---12~~-------------|
B|--10/12~~---12-------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
How to play it: Use your index finger for the slide into the 12th fret. Hit it hard! When you get to the 12th fret on the high E, give it that fast, “butterfly” wrist shake.
3. The “Sweet” Major Phrasing
B.B. loved using the Major 6th (12th fret, high E) to make the blues sound sophisticated rather than just “sad.”
Plaintext
e|---12---10-----------------------------|
B|-------------12---10/12~~--------------|
G|---------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
4. The “Thrill is Gone” Style Turnaround
This uses a subtle bend. B.B. rarely did massive 2-fret bends; he preferred small, vocal-like “micro-bends.”
b = Quarter-step bend (just a slight tug for “attitude”)
Plaintext
e|---------10---12--12b--10--------------|
B|---12----------------------12~~--------|
G|---------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|
Quick Tips for These Tabs:
The “One-Note” Rule: Try playing just the 12th fret on the B string. Hit it, slide into it, or bend it slightly. If you can make that one note sound like a person crying or laughing, you’re playing like B.B.
Dynamics: Use your Dunlop Tortex to pluck the strings softly for the “verse” feel, then snap the string hard against the fretboard for the “stinging” lead notes.
Since you’ve been playing for a while, how does this “Box” layout feel compared to the standard Pentatonic scales you usually run?
