Duane Allman was best known for his killer slide guitar playing, however, he was undoubtedly one of the better players when it came to traditional fretting and could play a mean blues lick. Live At Fillmore East is an epic Allman Brothers album and featured an awesome guitar solo by Duane on Stormy Monday.

You can check out the full Stormy Monday track at Last.fm where the solo starts at 3:35. You’ll hear this particular blues lick over the IV chord or C9 chord about 4 seconds into the solo. The lick works over a traditional blues scale but flirts with the major 3rd of the C chord with the full bend on the 10th fret (high E string) and the drop to the 9th fret (G string).

Here is a classic double stop lick from the original old time blues legend Chuck Berry. The key to this lick is an early hit, just a hair before the 1st and 3rd beat that invokes a “push-shuffle” feel. The first lick is over the Bb7 chord, or I chord in Bb blues and features a full bend. The second double-stop is for the Eb7 chord or IV chord and features a half bend that lands on the major 3rd.

Check out Chuck’s great solo in his live version of Johnny B. Goode, he starts at 1:39 and you can hear the first I chord lick as he duck steps across the stage. You can also hear the IV chord lick as he does some interesting dance moves at around 2:01.

B.B. was, well, the King when it came to the blues. It only takes about 30 seconds of the classic “The Thrill is Gone” to put to rest any doubts you may have had. This classic slow blues is originally in B minor, but I thought I’d show you a lick in that style in A minor instead. The lick is best served over a IV chord (the Dm in an A blues progression).

It starts with a root note before riding up in a chromatic fashion in the second bar. Be sure to play it nice and smooth with a straight feel, no swing here.