Freddie King is my personal favorite electric blues guitarist and one of the most influential musicians of the 1960s and '70s. King's mix of the guitar-playing styles of Texas and the West Side of Chicago caught the ear of many future rock stars early in their career—most notably, Eric Clapton.
King's songwriting contributions like "Hide Away" and "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" were considered hip and modern for his time, compared with other blues artists who were still imitating music of the 1940s and '50s. King's searing guitar tone was new, ear-catching, and inventive. Along with his undeniable guitar sound, King was blessed with a powerful, head-turning voice that embodied the true spirit of blues.
Early in his career, King relied on a mid-'50s Gibson Goldtop Les Paul outfitted with two P90 pickups, but later switched to semi-hollowbodies like the Gibson ES-335, ES-355, and a beloved red ES-345 that Gibson later reissued. These guitars supplied Freddie with his huge humbucker pickup tone. King often played with a metal thumb pick and his index finger. This right hand technique, along with his powerful left hand vibrato, created a memorable and undeniable guitar sound.
Because Freddie has such a wide arsenal of licks, I decided to narrow it down to a few of my favorites for this lesson. Trying to replicate the exact feel of King can be frustrating, as nobody plays like Freddie. But just grabbing a little of King's mojo to beef up your own playing will truly be rewarding.
These ideas and concepts will be applicable in either funky, slow, or fast blues music and equally potent in a rock context. A lot of what makes King's playing so great is how much soul and feel he put into each individual recording and live performance.
I strongly recommend checking out any of King's live performances or studio recordings, ranging from his 1960s-era blues all the way up to the funky, groove-oriented music he became known for in the '70s, before his untimely death at the young age of 42.