Paying The Cost To Be The Boss | TAB
Before we move to the soloing, let’s look at the rhythm guitar parts played by B.B.’s sideman — they’re brilliant.
Intro + Verses
The first concept is chord substitution. Instead of B7, the I chord of the blues, we play D#m7b5, effectively creating a B9 sound. What’s more, we first slide up a tone to Fm7b5, then down to the targeted substitution.
This concept is then applied to the remaining chords in the progression:
The only real variation appears in the final bar, where instead of sliding down to the targeted substitution (D#m7b5), we move to F#7.
For verses 2 and 3, we stay on the I chord for eight bars using stops. This is followed by the same progression as verse 1.
Solo (rhythm guitar)
I absolutely adore the change that happens in the rhythm guitar during the solo.
Instead of sliding up and then down to the targeted substitution, we begin on the substitute, then go up–down–up — genius.
To avoid confusion, I’ve removed the written B9 and E9 chord names and am now only showing the substitutions.
The turnaround is also new: we play F#7, briefly move up to Cm7b5, then back down to F#7. The same idea applies to E7. The final bar is completely different, as we simply play F#7.
Solo (B.B. King licks)
Now let’s focus on B.B.’s playing. Here’s the intro solo — study it carefully and pay attention to every detail.
Let’s break down what makes this solo so strong, so we can apply the ideas in our own improvisations:
- Rhythmic repetition. In the opening bars, the original idea is expanded without losing focus. It bends, twists and develops, culminating in broken triplets that lead us to chord IV.
- We blend the B major and B minor pentatonic scales — sometimes through bends (bars 2 and 4), sometimes as clearly stated notes (bar 5).
- Over the IV chord, we outline an E7 arpeggio combined with the E major pentatonic.
- When returning to the I chord, we bend to the 3rd of B — a note that didn’t exist in the E chord framework (where it would function as a major 7th).
- In the final 16th-note triplets, we use B minor pentatonic with an added 9th. As the chord changes, one note shifts to target the 3rd of the E chord.
- The final lick blends B minor and B major pentatonics.
That’s a lot to take in. Practise it to the point of memorisation, then examine the first four bars of the solo.
Using what you learned from the intro, can you see how this continues the same ideas?
Can you find a way to improvise in this style? Consider:
- Rhythmic repetition and expansion
- Note choices that blend B minor and major pentatonic
- Targeting chord tones of the IV chord — especially the 3rd
Once you can play all the TAB, jam with the backing tracks and chord chart, aiming to bring everything together.
Hopefully, what you first memorised will begin to emerge naturally and with variation as you explore the fretboard using these frameworks. Remember, B.B. wouldn’t — and couldn’t — play the exact same thing twice, so why should you?
Paying The Cost To Be The Boss Backing Tracks + TAB | Related Pages
Paying The Cost To Be The Boss | Chords + Lyrics
Learn how to play Paying The Cost To Be The Boss by B.B. King using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| B9 (Fm7b5 D#m7b5) | E9 (A#m7b5 G#m7b5) |
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