BLUESJAMTRACKS.

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Lesson notes: GUTHRIE GOVAN ON THE BULLET
BLUES JAM TRACK FROM JAMBUSTERS 1
GENERAL THEORY
This is a simple 12-bar blues in B, using the standard I-IV-V progression (B, E and F#). The sparse
treatment of the B chord (only A and D notes are played by the rhythm guitar) makes it quite
ambiguous it could be Bm7 or B7#9 (the Hendrix chord) so you can treat the backing as being either
major or minor (or, more accurately, Mixolydian or Dorian).
In general, Guthries solo reflects this ambiguity, using a mixture of Dorian, Mixolydian and major and
minor pentatonics over the B chords.

SPECIFICS
Bar 4-5
This is quite a complex series of bends, so you really need to be confident with getting the intonation
right. As with several of the bending passages in this solo, youll have to decide in advance which
fingers to use (watch the video to see what Guthrie does). For example, the last two bends in bar 4 are
best played with your index finger.
Bar 6
Guthrie uses a lot of chromatic lines in this solo, but notice how he constructs them. Hes not just playing
a random line of chromatic notes; he always uses chord notes as a framework, and then fills in the gaps
with the chromatic notes.
Bar 13-14
Theres a little Bm9 arpeggio that covers the last beat of bar 13 and the first beat of bar 14, and its a
pattern you hear a lot in Guthries playing. He uses it again in this solo (bar 72) and in a couple of our
other Custom Shop solos.
Bars 16-17
Listen to how Guthrie uses tension here. The staccato bends in bar 16 are rhythmically tense, but then
everything resolves in bar 17, both rhythmically and melodically, with the smooth E major arpeggio
(featuring a few chromatic passing notes).
Bars 23-26
One of the fastest passages in the solo. Guthrie is picking every note here, so if youre trying to emulate
the same sort of sound, your alternate picking needs to be very even.
Bars 47-48
Another of Guthries pedal point licks, and again, its a little bit awkward to get under the fingers. With all
of Guthries solos, its important to take note of where he changes position and which finger makes the
shift. Remember, he often plays up to three consecutive notes on the same string with the same finger,
while picking accurately, so it can sound like hes using three different fingers.
Bars 49-51
If you only learn one passage from this solo, make it these three bars. Theres a basic framework of a
B7 arpeggio in here, joined together by some great chromatic flavour notes. Its a bit country-ish, but it
sounds great in a rock solo.
Bars 59-60
Continuing with the country-ish feel, this passage is a line of parallel 6ths on the A and G strings, but the
most remarkable thing is how fast Guthrie plays it.

Bar 68
Another simple movable pattern executed at blinding speed. Youve basically got groups of three legato
notes on the low E string, punctuated by individual notes on the A string, and weve seen similar licks in
some of Guthries other Custom Shop solos.