Mastering the Blues: The Ultimate Guide to 'The Thrill Is Gone' Guitar Lesson

Whether you are gearing up for a jam with friends or want to play some blues guitar at home this ultimate guide to "The Thrill Is Gone" guitar lesson is your one-stop shop for playing minor blues in the style of B.B. King.

King was born in 1925 in Leflore County on a cotton plantation close to the city of Itta Bena, Mississippi. He was the son of sharecroppers and grew up surrounded by music from a very young age. He sang in a gospel choir and the local minister gave him his first guitar lesson after he got his first guitar at age 12. In this article, I’ll break down key elements to King’s guitar approach and show you step-by-step strategies so you can get playing in this style today. 

Who wrote The Thrill Is Gone?

King actually was not the original writer of "The Thrill Is Gone." The original writers were Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell. 

King took this slow minor blues and put his own twist on it, releasing his version in December of 1969. One of the most unique things he did in his version was adding orchestral strings. There are not a lot of blues tunes that have strings, so this, combined with his incredibly soulful vocal performance and perfectly melodic blues phrasing, resulted in one of the most successful and signature songs of his.

The Thrill Is Gone Chords

You’ve got to know 4 chords to play “The Thrill Is Gone.” Bm7, Em7, Gmaj7 and F#7.

You can play the Bm7 like this:

Em7 like this:

Gmaj7 like this:

And finally F#7 like this:

How do you play The Thrill Is Gone on guitar?

Once you’ve got down those chord shapes, next you’ll want to incorporate them into a very common 12-bar blues progression that would look something like this:

• Bm7 (4 bars)
• Em7 (2 bars)
• Bm7 (2 bars)
• Gmaj7 (1 bar)
• F#7 (1 bar)
• Bm7 (2 bars)

One thing that is unique about King’s take on this song is in his turnaround progression. In the original Hawkins version he goes up to the V7 chord in bar 9 and stays there for 2 bars before going back to the i chord. But King’s versions sneaks in the Gmaj7 down to F#7, so in the key of Bm this would be a b6 major 7 chord then down to the typical V7 chord then back home to the minor i chord. This little move gives the blues a slight sophistication to it which sounds wonderful combined with the strings and King’s down home vocal performance.

What key is The Thrill Is Gone in?

King’s version of The Thrill Is Gone is in the key of Bm, while Hawkins’ version is in the key of Em. For King’s version the four chords needed in roman numerals would look like this:

• Bm7  = im7
• Em7 = ivm7
• Gmaj7 = bVImaj7
• F#7 = V7

What is the rhythm of The Thrill Is Gone? 

Playing rhythm guitar in the style of The Thrill Is Gone is a must-know slow blues type of groove I would recommend for every aspiring blues guitarist. One of the keys to getting that smokey blues sound is the use of slides.

The example above demonstrates a simple rhythm trick that can add life to the background guitar and create a classic blues sound. Starting on the Bm7 chord, slide three notes up a whole step and then back down. This is an easy way to add some variation to the groove and keep it interesting

What scale does B.B. King play?

After working out the chords and groove, the next step is to learn some tasty King-style blues licks. But before diving into those, it's important to learn the master scale for this song, which is the Bm blues scale. A simple way to play this scale is in the 7th position, like this:

99% of King's licks in this song can be grouped into just these 6 notes: B, D, E, F, F#, and A. These notes make up the B minor blues scale. But King wouldn't just play them in that order. He would often create simple melodic blues phrases that always seemed to be just the right amount for the song. Here is an example of a simple lick in this style:

The above example perfectly demonstrates how King would get so much music out of so few notes. Notice that there are really only three fretted notes being used: the 12th fret of the 2nd string, the 10th fret of the 1st string, and the 12th fret of the 1st string. But with the use of bends, rests, rhythms, and vibrato, he put everything together masterfully.

Example 2 demonstrates another classic King move where he would go way up high on the neck and hit the root note twice with a punchy rhythm. Here, we are in the key of Bm, so King hits the note B on the 19th fret of the 1st string. After this, he comes down the fretboard and plays a blues lick in that 7th position B minor blues scale pattern referenced above.

Example 3 shows how King would approach playing over the more sophisticated sounding turnaround in the last 4 bars of this 12-bar blues. Remember above I mentioned that, in contrast to the Hawkins version, King brought in a bVImaj7 chord in the turnaround. Here, King would often leave playing just out of the B minor blues scale and bring in the note C#. This note creates a jazzier sound over the Gmaj7 chord like this:

How to get a B.B. King style guitar tone?

King played many different amps over the years. In the earlier days, he was seen using Fender Tube amps, but later in his career, he switched over to using Gibson solid-state amps. Because he was performing onstage all the time, he needed as much clean headroom as possible, and he also liked the quick attack of the solid-state sound of amps like the Gibson Lab Series L-5 solid-state combo.

In general, King did not use a lot of effects. To get a similar sound at home, dial in just a little bit of reverb and a big clean sound from a Gibson ES-330 or ES-355 style guitar. Set the EQ like this:

Bass: 4

Middle: 6

Treble: 5

From there, as the band got louder, King would often turn the amp up to the point of breakup, and this is the optimal King-style guitar tone.

Conclusion:

"King's guitar style on this classic blues song is a pinnacle example of his masterful command of the blues. From the soulful vocals to the string bends and unforgettable vibrato, King was able to evoke an incredible range of emotions in this song. 

While it seems simple on the surface, it's the nuances and subtleties that make his music so powerful. Learning some of his licks and grooves is an excellent way to start incorporating some blues guitar ideas into your own music. So, keep practicing and keep the thrill alive!"