Charlie Christian Licks

Charlie Christian was the first successful electric guitarist and although he played in swing bands mostly, he was very much influenced by bebop players.

He was a student of Eddie Durham - a jazz guitarist who invented the amplified guitar - and was one of the first guitarist who played amplified. Electric guitar opened up a range of possibilities because guitarists could concentrate on other things besides volume.

Unfortunately Charlie Christian died at the early age of 25 after contracting tuberculosis.

Recommended listening : 'Charlie Christian : the Genius of the Electric Guitar'

Read full bio and more about Charlie Christian's guitar technique here: Charlie Christian

 

Dominant Lick

1) This is a lick Charlie played on 'I Found a New Baby' from the CD Box 'Charlie Christian : the Genius of the Electric Guitar'.

The lick is played over A7. The first 4 notes make a C#m7b5 chord form, a common substitute for the A7 chord. It gives us the 3, 5, b7 and 9 of the A7 chord.

Licks like these are nice to play on a B section of a rhythm changes.