Three classic-style licks in A, all inside minor pentatonic box 1 at the 5th fret. These are the building blocks most blues solos are made from.
B-string bend and fall. Bend the 8th fret on the B string (G) a whole step up to A, the root, then fall down the box to the A at the 7th fret of the D string. Bend with the ring finger, backed by middle and index. Check the bend against the 10th fret.
Double-stop push. Ring finger on the 7th fret of the G string (D), pinky on the 8th fret of the B string (G). Hit the pair three times, then drop to the index-finger barre across the 5th fret of the G and B strings. Let the double-stops be short and punchy; mute with the fretting hand by easing off the pressure.
Repeating triplets. A three-note loop on the top two strings: the 5th fret on the high e, then the 8th and 5th frets on the B string, over and over. Pinky on the 8th fret, index flattened across the 5th fret of both strings. The pattern repeats every three notes, so it rolls against the beat. Finish with a bend and release on the 7th fret of the G string.
How to practice
- Learn each lick at the start tempo, then play it over a slow A shuffle.
- Alternate picking on the triplets; downstrokes on the double-stops.
The most common mistake is bends that fall short. Play the target fret first, every time, until your ear does the checking.