The ULTIMATE I’ll Play The Blues For You (Albert King Guitar Lesson)

If you're down and out, and you feel real hurt, here’s an epic blues groove to pick you right back up.

And that’s something special about the blues. It often comes out of sad circumstances. But ironically when you listen to it or play it on your guitar. You feel better.

So grab your axe, that’s what we’re going to do in the post. 

I’m going to break down a classic from none other than the Velvet Bulldozer himself, in this “I’ll Play The Blues For You” Albert King guitar lesson. 

Who wrote I’ll Play The Blues For You?

"I'll Play the Blues for You" is a classic blues song written by Jerry Beach. It was made popular by Albert King though, one of the most influential blues guitarists and singers of all time. King’s recording of it was released in 1972 as the title track from his iconic album "I'll Play the Blues for You." 

The song’s lyrics talk about a musician promising to play the blues for someone who's feeling down or going through a tough time. The track was recorded at Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, known for its rich history in producing soul and blues music. Stax was an important recording studio in the 1960s and 1970s, contributing to the creation of many iconic soul and blues tracks.

"I'll Play the Blues for You" received great reviews when released and has since become a blues standard. Albert King's soulful vocals and electrifying guitar work, combined with the song's heartfelt lyrics, resonated with audiences and critics alike.  

The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years. Gary Moore had a great slow blues version as well as others. 

While it may not have received any specific big awards, Albert King's rendition of "I'll Play the Blues for You" contributed to his legacy as one of the greatest blues musicians of all time.  

He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing his place in music history. Additionally, the song has been featured in various compilations and lists celebrating the best blues songs ever recorded.

What key is I’ll Play The Blues For You in?

Albert King’s original recording of “I’ll Play The Blues For You” is in the key of Gm. It’s a slow minor blues form that alternates between a 14-bar progression and a 16-bar progression at different times during the song. It uses the chords Gm, Cm, Bb, and D7 which all fit under the umbrella of a Gm scale.

I’ll Play The Blues For You Chords

To play “I’ll Play The Blues For You” you’ll need to know how to play 4 chords Gm, Cm, Bb, and D7. As mentioned above the song is in the key of Gm. Let’s next take a look at some ways of playing these chords on the fretboard.

Gm can be played as a bar chord in the 3rd position. Here we’ll play all 6 strings like this:

Then for Cm (a.k.a the iv chord in the blues), we’ll play a bar chord from the 5th string down like this:

Then shift to the 1st position to cover the Bb chord. Here the root is on the 5th string, and I mute the 6th and 1st string like this:

Finally, we get to the D7 chord, which looks like a C chord, just moved higher up the neck, and then I add the pinky down on the 3rd string like this:

These chords can all fall under the umbrella of the “key of Gm”. Let’s next take a look at how each chord relates to each other in this key.

Gm (G minor): functions as the tonic chord. This is the “home base” or the chord of resolution in the key of G minor. It establishes the tonal center and is often used to begin and end phrases or sections of the tune. For example, at the beginning of the song, when King just vamps on the i chord before he starts the blues form. In terms of scale degrees, the Gm chord is built on the 1st degree of the G minor scale (G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G).

Cm (C minor): The Cm chord is the iv (fourth) chord in the key of G minor. It is built from the natural minor scale and functions as a subdominant chord. The iv chord typically provides a sense of tension or instability and is commonly used to create harmonic movement leading back to the tonic chord (Gm).

Bb (B-flat major): Bb is the iii chord in the key of G minor or the relative major. 

D7 (D dominant seventh): The D7 chord is the V7 (five-seven) chord in the key of G minor. It is built on the dominant scale degree and contains the major third (F#) and minor seventh (C) relative to the key of G minor. The dominant seventh chord creates strong harmonic tension and typically resolves to the tonic chord (Gm), providing a sense of closure and resolution.

The basic form of the song follows a 14 bar chord progression that goes like this:

| Gm | Gm | Gm | Gm |

| Cm | Cm | Gm | Gm |

| Bb | D7 | Cm | Cm | Gm | Gm |

It’s essentially a 12-bar blues in the key of Gm but with a few extra bars added on.

If you want to learn to solo over this progression like Albert King, then you’ll need to be very comfortable with your blues scales. To discover the 5 easiest and fastest ways to play this scale up and down the fretboard, grab my free blues scale pdf guide right here: 

Now when you hear Albert King solo on this iconic recording you may be wondering…

Did Albert King use a pick?

Albert King was primarily known for his unique approach to playing the guitar without a pick. Instead of using a traditional guitar pick, he preferred to use his fingers and thumbs to pluck and claw at the strings directly. This fingerstyle technique contributed to his distinctive sound and played a significant role in shaping his playing style.

By using his fingers and thumbs, Albert King was able to achieve greater control over dynamics, tone, and expression. He could vary the attack and articulation of each note, getting a huge array of tones from smooth and fluid to gritty and aggressive. His fingerstyle technique also allowed him to execute his trademark string bending and vibrato with precision and power. All of this built up the emotional impact of his style.

In addition to his fingerstyle technique, Albert King played the guitar left-handed, and upside-down while also tuned to a strange tuning. This unconventional approach, combined with his distinctive use of fingerpicking, helped him carve out a niche in the blues genre and establish himself as one of the most influential guitarists of his time.

3 Killer Albert King Licks From “I’ll Play The Blues For You”

King’s licks were powerful yet 99.9999% of the time used just a couple notes from the blues scale.

Here’s an example in the 3rd position:

Here’s another common walk-down phrase he did all the time:

And finally, a fiery blues lick on the top string:

Daniel Castro Version:

Conclusion:

To wrap it up, King's soulful vocals and electrifying guitar work, created a mesmerizing take on "I'll Play the Blues for You". It’s chock-full of soulful expression and the essence of the blues.

Keep practicing and if you really want to master King’s soloing style and be able to take it anywhere on the fretboard. Grab my free blues scale pdf guide right here now:

Jon MacLennan