The Guitar Player's Resource
Joe Bonamassa is a blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, who (like most of us) started his career at age twelve when he opened for B.B. King.
Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which eleven have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart.
Bonamassa has played alongside many notable blues and rock artists, and has earned three Grammy Awards nominations. He has been featured on the cover of virtually every guitar magazine multiple times. His name is notable among guitarists not only for being a virtuoso, but also for his incredible collection of vintage guitars, gear and memorabilia (which he now calls the Bona-seum). I've seen the Bona-seum videos, and I'm never sure whether to laugh or cry, genuflect, or repeat a dozen times, "I'm not worthy!"
This lesson finds Joe demonstrating a number of blues techniques, as well as his vibrato, his creative bends, and a handful of sweet licks. He really gives away a number of great ideas in this relatively short, 8-minute video. So pull out your gold Les Paul, plug in, dial in an overdrive, and play along with one of the real deals.
Also, enjoy Joe's rambunctious, reverb-soaked short solo that opens the video. For extra-credit, learn this solo note-for-note.