Crossroads By Robert Johnson Guitar Lesson

If you would like to gain full access to all our Guitar Teaching Materials please visit the Secret Guitar Teacher Site and take a free tour: https://www.secretguitarteacher.com/

Here's the video script:
Amongst the feedback I have had to these lessons recently was a request for a lesson on how to play Crossroads Blues in the style of the original recording by Robert Johnson.

Here's the intro we'll cover in this little lesson: . So, you'll need a capo and a slide . And you'll need to start by tuning to open G like this: Bottom E down to D - I use the fourth string to tune to . Fifth string down to G - Use the third string if you like. And top E also down to D. You can fine tune, if you like by using the following system: fret 5, 7, 5, 4 and 3.

OK, now fix the capo at fret 3 and we are ready to go.

Tab for blues music can look pretty scary at first glance so as always, I start by chopping it up into 5 separate phrases.Here's phrase 1:

So with the slide on your pinky, slide into fret 15 on the top string.Then follow this with two groups of three notes, with a very slight re-slide into them like this so altogether that's.Then finish the phrase with a slide into fret 15 on the 2nd string and add the note at fret 15 on the top string.

So the whole phrase in slow motion...and around full speed. Onto phrase two.

Hit the thumbed open 5th string on the second main beat and immediately follow that with these two slides - one up on the 2nd string at fret 15 and the other down from the same fret on the 3rd string.

For the third phrase we jump to the lower end of the fret board sliding into fret 6 on the 4th string, then playing that string open like this...Before sliding into this note on the top string at fret 8 with a bit of vibrato.

For the next phrase we forget the slide for a minute and start with a pinch between thumb on the 5th string and the middle finger on the open 3rd string

Then we hit the 3rd string open again before descending chromatically from fret 6 to 4 on the 4th string, each note played together with the open 3rd string like this ending up with the open 3rd and 4th strings

Then it's back to the slide, into fret 7 on the 5th string followed by open 4th and open 6th strings in quick succession.

OK, so the whole intro again in slow motion: And more or less at full speed:

In the next sound bite I'll show you a few of the licks Robert Johnson would play over the 12 bar verses.