Speaking Blues
Every great blues player draws from the same shared vocabulary. The names you know — BB, Albert, Buddy, SRV — all spoke this language. Learn the essential phrases and you join the conversation.
All examples below are in A, the most common blues key on guitar. The position is the standard 5th-fret minor pentatonic box (Pattern 1) and the 12th-fret BB King box, both rooted on A.
Lick #1: The Blue-Note Bend (♭5 → 5)
The single most identifiable blues sound — bending the flat 5 up a half-step into the natural 5.
e|------| B|------| G|--6b7-| ← bend the 6th-fret note (♭5 = E♭) up to fret 7 (5 = E) D|------| A|------| E|------| The note "wants" to resolve up. Hold the bend a half-second.
Lick #2: The Classic Pentatonic Box Phrase
e|--------------5--8-| B|-----5--8--5-------| G|--5----------------| D|-------------------| A pentatonic statement that ends on the root (5th fret e-string E? = A on B-string).
Lick #3: The Hammer Triplet (BB King Style)
e|--------------------| B|--10h12 10 8--------| ← hammer-on triplet feel G|---------------9b11-| ← end with a bend D|--------------------| Played as triplet eighths over beat 1: "ti-ki-ti".
Lick #4: The BB King Box Curl
The BB King box is at the 12th fret in A — minor pentatonic shape #2.
e|--12--15-12-----------| B|--------------13b15---| ← bend with vibrato G|----------------------| The "curl" = bend up, release with vibrato. Pure BB.
Lick #5: Double-Stop Slide (Chuck Berry / SRV)
e|--7---| B|--7---| ← play both notes together, slide up from 5 e|/7----| B|/7----| In A: slides into the 7th fret double-stop = D and G notes (♭7 and ♭3). Pure rock 'n' roll heritage.
Lick #6: The Albert King Bend
Albert King's signature: bending the b3 up to the major 3rd, then back.
e|--------------------| B|--8b10 8 | ← bend up a whole step, release G|----------7---------| The bend goes from C (♭3) to C# (3) — the "blue third."
Lick #7: The I–IV Turnaround (Bar 7–8 of 12-Bar)
e|-------------5-----| B|--5-----5----------| G|----5h7----5h7-----| ← classic walk-up to the IV chord D|-------------------| A move that prepares the listener's ear for the V chord at bar 9.
Lick #8: The V–IV–I Closing Lick
Last 4 bars of 12-bar in A: | E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 | |--7b9 5--8b10 8--|--7-5--7-5--7-5--|--5--5p3--5-|--7------| Resolve to A on bar 11. Setup the next chorus on bar 12 with the V.
12-Bar Blues in A — Apply the Vocabulary
Loop the full 12-bar form. Insert each lick above into the appropriate spot. Lick 7 fits bar 8; Lick 8 fits bars 9–12.
Every lick above is built from notes in this scale. Memorize the shape, then start applying licks within it.
Open in full appThe 5-Step Vocabulary Method
- Learn the lick verbatim. Tab, video, slow practice. Get it perfect.
- Sing it. If you can't sing it, you don't know it.
- Move it to other keys. Practice the same lick in 5 keys.
- Modify it. Change one note. Change the rhythm. Repeat.
- Apply it in 12-bar form. Force yourself to use the lick during a real solo.
Building Your Vocabulary Library
- Target 20–30 stock licks. That's enough to never sound out of vocabulary.
- Steal from the masters. BB, Albert, Freddie, SRV, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton.
- Transcribe one lick per week. A year from now you'll have 50+ licks at your command.
Next Steps
Apply this vocabulary in blues improvisation, and dive deeper into turnaround licks and the full pentatonic lick library.