MusicRadar

Stevie Ray Vaughan's playing has inspired many of today's blues guitarists

1 of 5 » View in gallery

Click here for all How to play blues guitar like... lessons.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in Texas in 1954, and although he originally wanted to be a drummer, he was given a guitar at eight years old.

Watching his older brother Jimmie play guitar inspired Stevie to take up the instrument seriously himself, and with influences like Albert King and Lonnie Mack, Stevie developed a masterful touch at re-working Hendrix classics like Little Wing and Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). He had a passionate and ferocious blues style and was championed by everyone from Eric Clapton to Stevie Wonder and John Lee Hooker.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in 1990, but thanks to his recorded legacy and footage of flamboyant live shows, his aggressive, emotion-soaked playing continues to inspire many guitarists today.

In this video tutorial, we show you how to add some Texas passion to your blues playing with some sizzling SRV-style licks. Stevie used to tune his guitar down a semitone for a darker sound, but for simplicity's sake, all the examples here are in standard tuning. Click here for full-sized tab.

Video

Around the web: