Josh Smith Blues Fusion Guitar Masterclass

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[@davestarns]

I tried to be the “old guy” in this story once. When my son was in his mid-teens, the guitar player in his band was a really talented kid who had the pentatonic stuff down, but that was it. So I showed him the most basic way to outline that augmented flat-9 transition between the I and the IV (“lightbulb #1”), which is to simply move the pentatonic box up a fret during the last bar of I before the IV. I remembered that lightbulb feeling I had when a Sax player had shown that to me years before. He listened to it and played it and said, “Nah. That sounds too much like jazz.” So much for my career as a lightbulb salesman.

[@mumenrider862]

I'll take lessons. I'm where josh was as a young kid too at 50, but I've watched enough Robben Ford to kinda get it...

[@derred723]

@@mumenrider862 me too at 47 going on 48.

[@sn0op2k]

Hmm--interesting. You have any videos or pages explaining the flat-9 thing?

[@TheLochs]

Lol, I went through a similar thing. Had my little brother on the way to being a monster guitar player. I taught him for 2 years. Then he discovered photography, he quit guitar. Now he works for the Associated Press and was nominated for an Emmy. lol.

[@toamaori]

"Nah sounds too much like jazz" The voice in Dad's head... "You'll keep... You'll be back... One day you will be hungry for the Jazz... and I'll be ready when that day happens" xD

[@fisch723]

10 mins ago I didn't know who this guy was. Now he's one of my favorites. :)

[@ukcats82]

Same here

[@NotYourTypicalNegro]

Thinking the exact same thing.

[@matthewhorizon6050]

@Billyclub Clark exactly! He should listen to the stuff w Eric. They play together quite a bit.

[@brockpinson1362]

Yes I will look up everything on this guy.over the top tone and techniques . ...

[@LagunaPadre361]

Real talk

[@truthkmgmailcom]

For anyone who may want to know.. He’s playing an A blues.. replacing A7 with C#m7flat5.. Which is basically A7, minus the root A, but with the 9 added on, which is that B note.. Then he does the half step slide from D#7 to the IV, which is D7.. The first lick he plays is over D#7 heading directly into D7.. he just plays a D#7 (Mixolydian) scale.. then he lands on the 5 of D7, which is that A note..

[@deanmccandlish3115]

You lost me at A blues.

[@shaunfrater7652]

michael jordan yes I knew that

[@paolo-1283]

Man you're not only the GOAT of basketball but also in music, i just had a light bulb moment reading at your comment. Thanks!

[@tonybear5036]

What a big boy

[@SeekerGoOn2013]

Ahh … yeah … I think …?

[@justryanreally]

I'm a Music Theory teacher, and been a jazz student for a couple of years now. NEVER have I been given so many light bulbs in such a short time. Bloody kudos, to Josh, and to you folks who put it together. Holy shit.

[@jakeelliott781]

Ryan Simmons That’s great for you man. Although if you’re a music theory teacher, none of this should be new to you. This is essentially blues; josh is just adding jazzy turnarounds/passing chords

[@justryanreally]

Jake Elliott I meant in short, sharp ways of showing the concepts. Fairly important when you're teaching to have various ways to package information, so that you can get it across, regardless of what background the student is from.

[@TJjjjjjjjjjj]

I’m with you Ryan it took me about 2 hours to make it to the end of the video , I kept pausing to try a few things and got side tracked. End of the video I had 3 diff guitars out and 6pedals lol

[@mikelunz]

Being a music theory teacher doesn’t mean you’re a guitar/Jazz/blues soloist. My theory professors in college didn’t even solo.

[@moonkef]

Yes correct. Good on Ryan for being open and honest. Also I love the way Josh just casually nails RF licks

[@pallhe]

Josh is a natural, fun teacher as well as an outstanding player.

[@cgavin1]

Can we please have more of this level of stuff? This kind of thing is what guitarists want - we're so underfed.

[@foodtrucktime6266]

Josh is an amazing underrated player of our time, Someone get this guy some publicity!!!!!!!!!!!

[@IamKrisJones]

What an amazing player and down to earth dude!

[@jessewolbert1843]

You found your voice. I can't get your sound out of my head. I haven't felt like that from listening to guitar since the first time I heard Hendrix. It opened my mind in the same way. Thanks for the gift. Keep playin man!

[@bbensoy]

The idea at 5:46 , that's why Josh is so joyful to listen to I think. He is not saturating with too much ideas as most guitarists do

[@JeremyFerry]

Beautifully simple explanation! Josh has become one of my favorite sources of insight into guitar playing.

[@L24boogey]

By far one of the most informative videos I've seen on KZbin. I know so many of those scales but didn't know how to use them.

[@gianniciccolone3477]

@Jakob Jones you're a real condescending prick aren't ya?

[@GraffitiPhysical]

Refreshing and enjoyable to listen to. Josh and a group of guitarists he's been associated with in recent times have lifted the benchmark and will make the guitar interesting to listen to again. Not just rehashed solos.

[@jerrymckenzie6205]

When talent, ambition and hard work collide.

[@deegz]

Every time he said “I get it”...... I didn’t get it. I need more practice:D

[@TheErusPrime]

man I've had a guitar for years. Never put any effort into it. Decided I'm gonna try to learn how to do the thing for real. I have no idea what is happening. But it sounds good and I'm glad I decided to start with learning jazz guitar. It sounds real pretty.

[@stricknine8623]

@@TheErusPrime I've been playing for 36 years. Trust me when I tell you,...Start with blues based guitar or flat picking country guitar songs (non-finger style picking) These contain the foundation of everything you need FIRST. Branch out into more obscure things like jazz and the technique of finger style country once you've been working at least five years on country flat picking and blues. The blend of these two is what formed the original rock and roll sound but that is not exactly why I am recommending them. I'm recommending them as a base, starting point and a foundation because they both contain heavy elements of the foundation for everything you could ever want to do.

[@coppulor6500]

@@stricknine8623 Well put

[@darrenc8776]

No you posted this a while back. But have you tried a lesson on true fire by Robert Renman. #7 blues power lessons. Those really helped me

[@haloskater24]

Strick nine you deserve an award for this comment man

[@craigmadden2435]

This guy is MAGNIFICENT! With everything he plays... and he's bloody humble! He's GREAT!

[@iansnyder274]

Awesome...love how you made it easy to understand the jazz aspect..very helpful..thank you!

[@hisham1111]

I use this video as a milestone. The day I understand everything in it is a day I won't forget!

[@BluesWaveBlues]

Josh, you are a monster player, I grew up in Hollywood FL and I knew the guys in the Rhino Cats...big respect for you brother...

[@Strumbum01]

Wow! What an awesome picker and tone for days.....I could listen to him teach and play for hours! Thanks Josh!

[@petereiseman61]

Every time I listen to Josh I learn something new. This guy is amazing! Just like the guy before me, I didn’t even know who he was a few months ago.

[@michaelcope9501]

Holy cow!!! The skies have opened!!! Thanks Josh! You (and Robben, and LC, and Kirk Fletcher!) are so awesome! Love it love it love it!

[@XLBiker13]

Such a remarkable musician. Love the way he plays.

[@rjdaigle7276]

Quite possibly the greatest blues guitar lesson on KZbin in less than 8 min!

[@cgbadtelecaster8646]

my playing changed big time when i started listing to r ford......your style is great thanks the part about connecting the chords is right on

[@punchbowl1000]

He is one of those guys who is in the music store,just noodling away in the corner pissing everyone off with how good he is !

[@Theweeze100]

Absolutely wonderful, thanks so much for sharing where it all came from. Brilliant technique and heart.

[@adamevans2363]

Thank you for sharing these revelations with us. It's like having a great player and teacher in the room with you for a bit. Best way to learn is to play with folks who know more than you (and have likely played more too). Same with anything in life.

[@neildavidvandenbergh5422]

So brilliant! He is truly one of my favorite players. Thank you Guitarist, for posting!

[@ridge9451]

This is so fantastic! Thanks for sharing this with us!

[@darkphoton7990]

man thaT tone ..this guy is something else..

[@johndenyko469]

I remember in West Palm Beach Fl. Watching you and your magic at Rays Downtown Blues, your mom and dad were there with your grandmother. You have come a long way!!!!

[@abdulabad3733]

I learned so much by pausing, rewinding, and mimicking these lines. Love this video!

[@drutgat2]

That was brilliant. Thanks for posting it. Josh Smith is such a nice guy that I could listen to him talk for days, even though about 40% of what he says is over my head.

[@azbluesdog]

He does an off-the-cuff Robben Ford-like demo like that? Wow.

[@MrMikenstein]

I felt really dumb as I watched this video. I had a classical guitar in my hand and all I needed was to listen to you describe the arpegiatted and single notes over chords and I was playing leads I wouldn't have . I'm a 40 year+ blues performer who has played a lot of jazz standards and you helped me realize that the single notes I've been playing over chords were something I hadn't thought about, something I just did. You've given me a new vocabulary and I thank you..

[@terakureyreymond4514]

Josh reminds me of Danny Gatton...another level...Love your playing Josh...this vid has helped me immensly...playing outside being stuck with basic blues a long time.

[@WeirdErnie]

I've been playing for 23 years and gigging almost as long. I can't believe that I never knew that rootless 7 chord he's using.

[@Nikoo033]

Just seen him live. Monster player, good vocalist, such a tight three pieces band. Beast drummer and bass player, plus a great surprise guest!! Mind blowing performance. He blends country, blues, jazz, funk, rock in a way which when you hear it makes totally sense musically. Absolutely fab. A must see!!

[@SavoPaddy]

Some very solid advice. Thanks Mr. Smith, love listening to your videos and your outstanding playing.

[@MindsetMastery75]

I would so LOVE to take lessons from Josh Smith for like 2 months and my playing would probably improve ten fold. He is so good. A true master of jazz and blues!

[@limejohnny]

Real nice profile of a musician who loves what he does. Keep doing what you are doing, Josh. We love it.

[@BFGALL]

This CAT is a great example of to be inspired, while you are on your lifelong journey to learn, develop and sometimes really kick-ass on stage. I'm kinda proud of 28 years of playing everyday, absorbing as much as I can, learning, falling, developing and now I think: 'What did I miss???'. Thank for sharing the talent to 'the guys and girls out there'. THUMBS WAY UP!!!

[@Briancastillo98]

Mateus Asato has been my guitar idol for a couple of years. He still is, but your my new source of inspiration. Such a great musician.

[@stanesposito2664]

Such a fantastic player and seems so down to earth. One of the best!

[@ciro0107]

This man opened my ears to guitar in certain ways. True guitar player!

[@hollowzangetsu]

Soo basically the main dish is blues but spiced with country and cooked using jazz technics . Goddamn I love it

[@hearpalhere]

This video is incredibly helpful, thanks! Josh is incredible and my wife and I were happy to catch him live a few months ago in Budapest. It was an incredible show! Highly recommended to everyone!

[@gelatosamurai]

This video led me to seeing Josh on tour in Sydney Oz. Josh is a beast of a player. No limit to his playing. And his tone was original and amazing! Anyone who gave this vid a thumbs down just doesn't know music, let alone guitar..

[@pancakekiller91]

I recommend everybody to listen to classical music to really help understand harmony and chord changes. I watched this vid a long time ago and couldn’t keep up or understand what he was talking about but now it makes perfect sense

[@gw2031]

Wow,,,what a gift to land here !!,,,i'm totally blown away at the insight to another level of technique. ,,amazing player !!

[@CVGuitar]

Phenomenal - the best "guitar lesson" video out there - doesn't even really matter what instrument you play, this is all great stuff

[@joshmuz9018]

Christo Volksto technically it’s someone else’s lesson he is re teaching to us

[@riley.schmit]

I learned so much from this it's weird. I took theory lessons for years and still found this super helpful.

[@JoergB]

Such a likeable way the talks! I love it. THANKS!

[@paulhicks3595]

So well articulated! You very slyly got all that across and piqued our interest by putting it in a story. Thanks.

[@misticformula1485]

Wow. Really great stuff! This is very humbling to see how your technique developed over time. Awesome!

[@gabegmusic8156]

Wow. This guy speaks right to my heart. Thanks for the vid!

[@mitchellwieler]

Even after knowing all this theory applying it is what matters. Even if you know it, if you can't apply it...then forget it. As others are saying on here NEVER have I heard it explained in this simple of a form. So many teachers push the theory, but it's about knowing how to apply it that counts. Thank you Josh and Guitarist for this wonderful video. Thumbs up! 👍😎🎸🎵🎶

[@Kdawg270]

I love when some one has so much that they give back even more

[@gelatosamurai]

I'm such a playing noob that I downloaded this and slowed it all down by thirty percent just so I could have the lights turn on for me as well. Wonderful explanation in such a personable manner that made me hang onto his every word and absorb these lessons.

[@georgesb1]

I loved the comment about "finding my own voice" and how you got there. Great stuff!

[@Qwerty-qv5fp]

…I saved this videos a few years ago Didn’t understand a single thing, but somehow i knew it was gold Today i cant believed how could i relate with each lightbulb 🙇‍♂️ thank you master you’ve giving me direction and a lot of homework!

[@CaptainKarma8]

Blessed to hear his knowledge ❤️

[@aidanduncan8187]

Utterly brilliant, what an incredible teacher.

[@powerbylightfutureisnow1579]

Love your approach to blues.

[@widowmakerheartattack5212]

Great honesty, from a monster player.No one knows everything and we can always learn.

[@johnnywlittle]

Saw Josh at Musicians Exchange off Sunrise Blvd in Lauderdale. Think he was 14 or 15. Watched him grow up and progress over the years as a young man. He was amazing all the way through. Always a bluesman at heart and soul. Great journey and glad to see him still be doing it as an adult and become a highly proficient musician.

[@johnnywlittle]

Btw, still have some of his old original CD’s which I think his folks had made for him. Still solid blues jam to enjoy to this day.

[@saltydogkc]

You played a gig in Naples Florida way back, in your teens I think, you were awesome still have your CD Josh Smith and The Rhino Cats, I'm 68 and started playing just 2 years ago. You can teach and oud dog new tricks!

[@twangbarfly]

Interesting - another really great guitarist whose life changed immediately when he heard Danny Gatton. Love Josh Smith - great player and great teacher!

[@Ibanezadept]

All that beautiful solo work I can only dream of

[@ChinchillupaGuy]

Wow, Josh absolutely blew my mind out of the water in less than 10 minutes. I started late and barely consider myself intermediate, but I think this video is just what I needed to get over my little plateau. And this was free. I feel like I won the lotto

[@JoshSmithGuitar]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@ramelak1635]

Good Lord, just "discovered" this guy...everything he said I followed, only to realise I know nothing...he's my hero now

[@frederickkado7763]

Thank you so much for the inspiration Sir ! Really appreciate this video.

[@Guitargate]

This is phenomenal. Thanks for this!!

[@samme79]

This is what I've been struggling on for a while now. I know my pentatonic and major/minor scales but I just love that little jazz influence you add in there to have a little spice in the playing. That's what I want my playing to be as well. Basically a blues jazz RNB country gospel style of playing

[@mymodel6]

*struggling WITH...

[@daffy7588]

Well now that i came out from under the giant rock I've been sleeping under for 15 years I can finally hear someone make it so simple thank you Josh

[@russellalexander6951]

I just saw Josh at the Bullingdon (Oxford) during our UK tour a couple of weeks ago. One of our best friends/fans said "You've GOT to see this guy!" Boy, was he right. I even bought a CD of the latest album. And, this is one HELL of a great segment explaining how he came to his style. I'm sure Danny Gatton would have approved of where Josh has taken this. Plus - I saw he had something like 20 dates with one day off. That is one hard working artist!!! Thanks to Penny for putting such a fine artist out for the public. I hope Josh comes to New York sometime soon.

[@accidentals_hacks]

I get it! That tele-like guitar sounds so sweet! Has that awesome overtonal bite on the bridge pup

[@desmo999]

What a beautifull Guitar man! What a great lesson! So many important things he is telli´n! Wonderfull!

[@stringsandbeard7065]

Best explanation ever! awsomeness thank you for this video! going to go practice these ideas after work for sure

[@rogerhoman8442]

talk about straight to the brain... so direct pithy and connecting... that's s/t else... great words and experience strung together in harmony...

[@FabinhoLyma]

Great lesson man. I learn so many licks and tips in such a short time. Thank you and all the best.

[@patmcgroin9848]

My mind has been blown! Thanks!

[@doktabob328]

That is a lot of useful information, very well explained. Love your style.

[@abaulcomb]

What an incredible teacher.

[@FL-BEACH-MAN]

This is more than theory , it's feeling, technique and style , this stuff you hear and feel , theory you memorize.

[@kevc-69-]

I think he is advertising light bulbs., no seriously, that was very clear thank you.

[@timbalfe6144]

My new favourite Guitarist - what you may have missed is what he said with his eyes - yes the licks and the hybrid picking and the chromatic chord turn arounds as appegios - but the eyes spoke for the Soul. So good to be human & awake. Watch it gain.

[@TheAGSTube]

I've been trying for so long to get a simple overview of how to get outside the pentatonic box and use more "jazzy" riffs. It may sound a little silly, but I always just thought jazz players were on a higher intellectual level to see those lines that had always been a mystery and felt unobtainable to me. This was the absolute perfect intro to how using different chords and scales within the blues/jazz framework can get me on the right track to the next level. And kudos for explaining it from the perspective as your younger self as the learner, because as I watch it now I have all of the same "lightbulb" moments. Thanks!!!

[@BV_Beve]

Awesome Josh. One fantastic musician and always so enthusiastic, inspiring!

[@Jonh22778]

Oh my god. I’ve been playing blues and jazz for 10 years and learning hybrid picking the last 2 and I LEARNED THE MOST I’VE EVER LEARNED in these 8 minutes of my life. It all clicked and got put together. Oh my god

[@hubertsumlin9697]

this wasn't all new to me but i feel it was wonderfully explained. great job!

[@seanslavin1974]

This guy is amazing. Thank you sir.

[@Niksa58]

0:58 Shuffle in A 1:23 Arpeggio 2:09 Diminished 2:49 Four Minor 3:18 2-5-1 Turnaround 4:35 Robben Ford 5:17 Focus on Blues 6:38 Hybrid Picking 6:58 Hybrid Picking Blues

[@vette6600]

Josh is the man. Thanks for this feature

[@daveisoverproduced]

Really excellent video...thank you!

[@dmgjgamm4743]

what fantastic and technician musician is josh!!! extraordinay!!!!!

[@zipperdingo6385]

Amazing Josh, thanks

[@mikeallenpugh]

I could listen to Josh all day long.

[@nazmoking3171]

Powerful playing - I have a lot to learn!