Boom Boom Guitar Lesson John Lee Hooker (Part 1)
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Published 2022-08-16
Ready to level up your blues guitar skills?
Look no further than the classic sounds of John Lee Hooker and his tune "Boom Boom".
In this "Boom Boom" guitar lesson, I'll share with you the key elements of Hooker's bluesy style and break down the chords, signature riffs, grooves, and even how to get started soloing in this classic blues style today.
"Boom Boom" has been covered by countless artists over the years, and its iconic riff and groovy rhythm make it a must-know for any aspiring blues guitar player. So grab your guitar, and let's get ready to jam some blues!
Who Wrote Boom Boom?
“Boom Boom” was written by American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist John Lee Hooker. It was first recorded in 1961, and even though it’s considered a blues standard music critic Charles Shaar Murray called it "the greatest pop song he ever wrote".
The song has a bluesy groove to it but it actually doesn’t follow a typical 12-bar blues chord progression like many traditional blues songs. “Boom Boom” is closer to a one-chord blues like “Boogie Chillen,” or “Smokestack Lightnin”.
Boom Boom Chords
Even though “Boom Boom” does not follow a typical 12-bar blues, it still uses the most common 3 chords of a typical blues progression the I, IV, and V. Since “Boom Boom” is in the key of E, the chords you’ll need to know are E, A, and B.
These chords are often referred to in the blues as the I, IV, and V chords.
E = I chord
A = IV chord
B = V chord
👉Read the full blog here: www.jonmaclennan.com/blog/boom-boom-guitar-lesson
👉Never get lost on the fretboard again with my FREE Fretboard Guide PDF → www.jonmaclennan.com/fretboardguide
All Comments (21)
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►►Discover the 5 MUST-KNOW chords and scales to play in ANY style anywhere on the neck FREE PDF GUIDE → www.jonmaclennan.com/fretboardguide
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As always, awesome, important lessons! Thank you!
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Thanks Jon!! Excellent lesson! You have a awesome way of teaching and a great personality!! I saved this one in my 'guitar lessons' playlist!!
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Thank you for this great lesson. Ever since I saw that scene in the Blues Brothers movie I've thought this would be a really cool song to learn how to play.
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Jon Maclennan. I just finished your BOOM BOOM lesson Man I was so depressed and hopeless feeling and now I'm a crapton better thank you sir
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Thank you! Essential jam to know. These blues lessons are great.
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My favourite is these blues lessons you teach us. Just fun to try and learn. Bernie
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The Blues Brothers brought me here…
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This is so cool!
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Thank you for sharing
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great lesson
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Man what a nice story man and you're playing is good,,, incredible
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Well Jon thats a better story than mine i had a bass guitar i use to walk around town as a kid and try to learn with friends till the town bully took my guitar...thats so cool you got to live this dream of a life and shair with us i have fallowed you for quite sometime and you have quite a track record of accomplishments realy like your styl
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Great story thanks Jon
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Gracias Che, saludos desde Buenos Aires, Argentina !!!
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Nice!
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Need tabs for this to slow it down for a newbie. I can’t catch all the notes your saying
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Super lekcje
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Hey look at that hair when you did Boom Boom for guitar control. What year was that?
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As always, top notch lessons with you Jon...But, you may not want to do this, since you always play clean, but have you ever thought of covering songs that have sections where you need pedals? Simple stuff with basic pedals. In my opinion , it would help a lot of your players discover the new sounds. On the other hand, you do such a great job without, maybe taking the trouble is simply not worth it. Just a wild suggestion ! Thanks for everything Jon. My regards to your entire guitar community.
