These are some of the more versatile positions on the guitar when it comes to pre-laid-out positions that are ready for action. The 6th chord form is very useful in swing and related styles, and the licks that can be derived from this position are very catchy and have a lot of “bounce” to them.
The use of hammers, pulls and slides as you’ll see, really aid in getting the most out of these positions, and I’d most associate this style with the playing of T Bone Walker, Duke Robillard and Junior Brown. The positions themselves really lend themselves to speed also, and they make great runs to be played in unison with other band-oriented instruments such as vibes, clarinet and even fiddle.
Most of all, you’ll see that these make great “go to” licks, and can be used in many applications, and are simply a ton of fun to improvise with! —
Arlen Roth
The opinions, views, and ideas expressed are the author's own, and do not
necessarily reflect or represent the views of Gibson Guitar Corp. or the Gibson
Family of Brands. Send all thoughts, comments, disagreements, and rants to
editor@gibson.com. All e-mails will be considered
for publication.