Play the Blues Like...: R.L. Burnside

The late Mississippi Hill Country blues artist R. L. Burnside was heavily influenced by his neighbor, Mississippi Fred McDowell, as well as contemporary blues artists of the day, like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Burnside played many of his tunes in open-G tuning with a funky vibe and percussive attack and relied heavily on single-chord grooves. If you like your blues with drive, learning Burnside’s riffs and licks will get your mojo working.