The Thrill Is Gone (B.B. King) Guitar Lesson with Backing Tracks + TAB

In this guitar lesson, we first work out two rhythm guitar parts before a note for note study of the intro solo. To complete the lesson - Jam along with the Backing Tracks!

The Thrill Is Gone | TAB

Before we start soloing, let’s play some rhythm guitar.

On the recording, there’s plenty of production, including a string section! I wanted to create a rhythm guitar part you could play in a band, so I based it on the string section and rhythm guitars and then made it more repetetive.

Here’s the first idea, it’s based 0n the strings, use a crunchy tone.

And here’s the second idea, this is based on the rhythm guitars on the record, use a clean sound.

Intro Solo

There is so much here to discuss, I have to reign myself in as the best way to learn here is to listen to the original and study the TAB.

Notice how the tone is very thin and fragile, the phrasing is packed with details. Below you can see this indicated with bends. Take your time working through this bar by bar, use the original recording for reference.

Note choices

Overall, we are using the B minor pentatonic here, it’s not the scale that brings the magic, it’s the way he plays it that makes it interesting.

In bar 6 there are some chromatic notes that are out of tune, but since we resolve, it ads to the vulnerability of the playing. This is perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn from B.B., study this bar in depth, listen to the original and keep copying!

When you can play the TAB, aim to expand on this way of playing in an improvised way. You need to maintain the same feel – just stick with it and you’ll soon be on the right track.

Perhaps you could record both rhythm guitar parts using a loop pedal to solo over, or my backing tracks!