Riffs in the Key of Robert Johnson | Reverb Learn To Play

In this lesson, Joe takes us from the 1600s to the 1930s for a history lesson, and runs through a few signature licks by the "Father of the Blues," Robert Johnson.
Read more on the Reverb blog: goo.gl/XEafus

[@noahorlowski3328]

there was a Craigslist "want to trade" ad near me for Robert Johnson's​ soul a while back

[@bobgrilli1427]

I like this guy. Enthusiasm evoking and "instrumental" educating.

[@tunesmith.blue.]

Thanks to you and all the guys doing the R.J. stuff. Love the sound of the old cheap guitars, got an old Stella and I love it .

[@scottorlyck2033]

I nailed the turn around and then my wife left me.

[@armcomedy]

Funniest comment ever )))

[@winstonchurchill624]

Scott Orlyck bro play it backwards and she’ll come back

[@mikefox2379]

You might as well go to the crossroads.............

[@Ilikepicking]

Lol

[@inhaleexhale8966]

I understand you so much... My wife goes crazy everytime I try to learn a song

[@Andelo00]

that dirty guitar makes the video even better

[@lptomtom]

It sounds like crap, like dead strings on a plywood box... But yeah tbh that's the early blues sound

[@Scorhos]

Older strings have a nice sound, looks tickier, fatter, than new strings. Our hand gains an oil layer on the points of our fingers, but it worths

[@reverendduke]

Went and bought that guitar cause it looked old. Hell, Muddy Watters invented electricity!

[@TomGoldsmithguitar]

yep

[@CarlosVargas-cn7rx]

@@lptomtom Well, crap has never sound that good xd

[@kenairockband]

There’s a wonderful compilation album/cd called The Roots of Robert Johnson. It’s all material that Johnson lifts the music from and writes his own lyrics to. One example would be Skip James 22-20 blues is where Johnson changes to be his own 32-20 blues. What’s awesome is his guitar adaptations of piano pieces

[@wheninroamful]

Exactly.. many of them did that... and Skip had some lines from blues artists before him... wasn't uncommon or frowned upon then.

[@eazyrider6122]

Robert Johnson tuned his guitar to B.A.D.A.S.S

[@KieraQ0323]

Joke's on you, S is not a note.

[@jcdenton4534]

@@KieraQ0323 I believe this is r/woosh worthy.

[@AdanLucass]

JC Denton I think you were the one who missed his joke

[@jcdenton4534]

@@AdanLucass There's no real joke there. Just a factual comment that ruins the ACTUAL joke.

[@AdanLucass]

JC Denton the joke is: he pretends he didn’t get the initial joke, as if he wanted to outsmart the guy who made the original comment, when in fact he is dumb himself Can’t believe I just had to explain a joke

[@mambricanmambisa374]

I don't know much about historical facts but in my 3 years of piano and guitar lessons on KZbin, this has to be among the coolest. I really enjoyed your style of teaching👌

[@franklhubbard2662]

simply taught, well done, and thanks a bunch, I've been recently looking at Robert Johnson's style, and these are in standard tuning, great, thanks again!

[@nathanrobertschultzmusic2609]

Looks my first guitar, a 50’s Stella Harmony. Loved that little thing. Sounds like it too.

[@SpartanThreeSeven]

Well done. As a bass player that toured with the late Dick Dale, and a "student" of Jaco...Awesome presentation.

[@JamesBrown-ld8um]

Dude, my ears are still ringing from the shows I saw with you and Dick Dale. Respect to you!

[@jamieminsky9436]

Thank you for remembering Robert and for trying to teach people… makes me have hope for the future!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

[@ryanwhiteguitar668]

There's something really eerie about the sound of an old, beat-up acoustic guitar. I think it has something to do with the uncertain history of the guitar you're holding, and the stories it could tell if it could talk. Anyway great video, thank you!

[@patrickjones9278]

The guitar can actually talk... depending on who plays it.

[@lurk7967]

@@patrickjones9278 it's like an old fussy Genie, they won't come alive for just anybody but if the right person comes along then the history of the guitar can shine through

[@LorenzoDeLeon]

you guys are high on something I wanna know what it is :-)

[@tikitikibamboo]

That turnaround is like the most iconic thing ever :) Thanks.

[@claffertymusic]

Thank you so much for your video I'm very excited to try this out on my guitar

[@Reverb]

Charlie L We're excited for you to learn it!

[@daffy464]

Reverb.com

[@steveminatra6210]

Char

[@angelomisterioso]

Very cool. The little history lesson makes this little practical clip unique! Congrats.

[@taitruppert3613]

You are a wonderful teacher!! Thank you!!

[@austinaustin]

Super cool man! Finally I got some of the Johnson' style in an easy way. Thanks brother.

[@abhijitchatterjee2690]

This is brilliant.. Always wanted to get into Blues.. This will help ease the process.. Cheers..

[@ErnestoDeAnda]

Awesome series, awesome teacher. Keep up the good work!

[@Flux799]

That tone is pure OG blues..

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

Yes, rocking chair and everything...tumbleweed...Robert noodling his tunes👍

[@mattbrigner4815]

Just a solid lesson dude with a great personality... Thanks for that share definitely needed information and you gave me more than I needed... Great lesson as well!

[@carlosdeno]

Great video and l love Robert Johnson those licks a the foundation of the blues, beautiful.

[@absolving]

I love that tone, man... So natural and woody

[@allmendoubt4784]

rather a chilling discovery for me, my paradise lost, since a chorus of scars now plucks out of my guitars...

[@Turn2222]

I’m glad I found this lesson. Great lesson

[@jillybabesno1]

Thanx man I always get something to take away with ur vids it's so cool having this at your finger tips not like the old days, I knw it takes preparation and your time so Thanx for doing it Pls continue. Rock on!

[@jaxnotdead2549]

I’ve learnt more from that 8,5min video than from 4 part tutorial elsewhere, thank you so much

[@Chuck-mp1ji]

I have been looking at many tuto and this one is a dawn good one. Thanks for willimg to share it with us.

[@uriel4829]

Kickass lesson. Learned alot thanks!

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Excellent Lesson

[@andrewhillhousekelly3583]

Stella’s sound so swampy, love it 💙✌🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@toubutey]

Great video! Very fun licks to play!

[@jarvest]

I like to stay with the positive side of things, there are a thousand different stories and they do not have to be more certain than the others. the important thing is that it has been able to transmit three basic ideas very clearly it really is a very interesting video thank you very much.

[@stevehornshaw4478]

Fantastic so interesting and great playing thnx

[@juanromeo131]

great video, really entertaining and original

[@ChristianCziurlock]

Outstanding lesson, The only guy who was legit figuring out Robert Johnson songs was John Hiatt in the 80's, everyone else was so off. That guitar is gold.

[@sonoshango]

Bull. Rory Block, Paul Geremia and others you obviously havent heard were doing it since the 60s. Hiatt is a great songwriter and an enthusiastic hack of a guitar player.

[@BOBXFILES2374a]

Thanks very much for putting this up!

[@neilhawkins1]

Thanks for this,much appreciated

[@martindanburen1994]

Thanks for the tutorial and the history. Very cool. The sound of your ax is very similar to my Recording King Dirty Thirties parlor!

[@ianbuchanan6648]

much appreciated - I like your energy

[@brianthecryinlion]

Wonderful video. Thank you very much!

[@JaysonT1]

Robert is Not considered the father of the blues, he is considered the KING of the Delta blues.

[@MrSwitchblade327]

Correct

[@harrisontownsend910]

King of Delta blues, Father of the Blues, Grandfather of Rock, and The Man the Crossroads. He's got many names.

[@macarius8802]

Right, that would be Charley Patton.

[@5150show]

Correct ❤

[@Jims2517]

Why is it charlie patton is so often left out?

[@elsizzle2000]

Great playing and great lesson. Thanks my guy

[@mattgilbert7347]

This is where it all coalesced and a new art form was synthesized.

[@skynyrdnemoy2418]

Elvis Presley invented the blue note back in the 1600s, when all that was on the radio was church music....and two hundred years later Robert Jhonson and the Devil had a fiddle contest for Roberts soal, and Robert won a golden Fiddle, legend has it....

[@quiuboolokoo9325]

🤣

[@Voshi]

Sounds legit. I approve. 👍

[@nathanarnold9352]

He wasn’t around in the 1600s soo that makes no sense

[@andrewtate4897]

more accurate than what this idiot is spouting in the Vid

[@grimlywallace9358]

this has to be the funniest comment i've read on pootube

[@Beachbumartist]

Man that was a really great lesson, thanks so much. I would say Robert learned most of his chord structures from his teacher Ike Zimmerman s he taught him how to play in the grave yard at night but there was no one to bother them as the haints listened to them. in the grave yard. Probably where the original story started from them practicing at night for a year there.

[@MrSwitchblade327]

Bingo. Other big name artists have learned to play by picking in the graveyard in the middle of the night as well.. Even wrote songs dedicated to buried souls there. No place "quieter" than a graveyard at night and nobody to hear you mess up or sing off key as you learn. Nobody still in this plane anyway. If you listen hard enough the spirits may even give inspiration 😉. I'd say they enjoy the company and music.

[@timjohnson5528]

I live next door to a graveyard on hwy 61 so the spirits are always close.

[@aidanwalsh-king8862]

“The father of the blues” is a title held by W.C. Handy, not Robert Johnson. WC Handy was the first person to write out the blues and is therefore called the father of the blues. That is inscribed on his gravestone

[@ZJMusic1990]

Some people also say Charley Patton!

[@MrSwitchblade327]

Yeah should have put a delta in front of the blues

[@macarius8802]

@@ZJMusic1990 EXACTLY! That's what I was thinking.

[@MitchRossMusician]

Great sounding guitar for exactly that style of music.

[@mikefox2379]

Man, you make it interesting and informative. Great stuff.

[@charleswaller1914]

What a great video! Thank you!

[@HarryCollins99]

Good! More of this please!

[@pauldavis7962]

Great lesson! Thanks

[@nicksonthevet]

thank you, can't thank you enough, greetings from Tanzania

[@theclashcalling_]

This is brilliant, thanks fella!

[@WelderRDT]

Old southern tale. Made good conversation piece but no soul selling of soul. God rules the talent given to him.

[@curtjunky]

Excellent, thanks for the lesson!

[@chuckHart70]

Nice lesson!

[@mb4716]

Great lesson man, thanks for sharing 🎵😎

[@leascaart]

I like this instructor.

[@mattstanyer]

Love that guitar 😍

[@desmo999]

Wonderfull lesson, sounds also great on a Strat.

[@alexandercardoso8216]

Wow you helped me out a bunch. Thanks

[@nr1w0r1d]

Good vid man. Thanks

[@hypnosiscenternyc]

Excellent instructor .... thanks!

[@dansteinbok7955]

The tritone that we use in the blues is the major 3 and the (Dom) 7th, not the 1 and the #4. We can play those two notes (3 and 7) to imply our Dom7 chords

[@harrybaier3722]

I Like It - Very good - Thanks and greetings from Germany

[@icespeckledhens]

Interesting video with some good licks

[@sdanen4]

Great video ......so informative!

[@someguitarguy.]

Lovin' my old Stella more and more.

[@ANGRYEEL]

Hell yeah! Classic essential stuff.

[@dougsclapp]

Fabulous!

[@sfpillay]

Awesome!!!!!!!!! More Please!!!!!!!!!!

[@buzzlightyear1191]

Thanks man interesting lesson

[@MrSkunk1964]

great stuff...

[@michar.-cz.5542]

Great Video! 😍 🎸

[@soulvaccination8679]

Robert Johnson is the greatest of all times.

[@isover5269]

Thanks my friend, may Thank you

[@couchpoet1]

Excellent...thx

[@lylewilliams1371]

Thank you!

[@killer070911]

Thanks bro🤟

[@niccolocolzi]

Thanks for the lesson good work!*

[@Snork123123]

1. 3:14 2. 4:49 3. 6:00 Thank you so much!:)

[@FlorenceGrin]

I love it

[@jakeabassi5337]

thank you

[@armandoestebanquito1074]

Gracias Man, desde España.

[@ZachVance108]

Never knew about the devils note very cool !

[@mattasticmattattack8546]

Thats very informative 🖤🖤🖤

[@InTheLifeOfAnArtist]

It was a good video thanks

[@wyattearp5229]

I actually got to meet Honey Boy Edwards, and he told of his time playing the jukes with Robert Johnson

[@brianjacobs8755]

Looks like my Harmony Stella...Great vibe!

[@etiennevanonselen7949]

Respect

[@dontaskwhatkindofmusic]

i like this guy

[@gypsydebris]

Rock on dude!!

[@NickRatnieks]

"Fast forward about 250 years" and that's about 60 years before the birth of Robert Johnson back when guitars were played by genteel ladies in their parlours. "Mama don't allow no blue notes in this house."

[@buddyollie7400]

NickRatnieks "About"

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

Nice...Thanks.

[@bryanstark324]

Ramblin on my mind starts that way

[@darkomtobia]

I liked this video.

[@curtisjacobson7338]

It's a good story keep it up

[@neilsthepoet]

Wonderful man And simple Thanks And and..... Ezzzzzy to c