Muddy Waters

Latest about Muddy Waters

Jimmy D Lane
Jimmy D. Lane was raised among blues greats, but found his own way, performing with B.B. King, Double Trouble and more

By Andrew Daly Published

The Strat-wielder’s religious moment with Hendrix’s Hey Joe compelled him to spend all his money on a pawn shop guitar… which led to him performing for Bill Clinton, guesting with B.B. King, working with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble and much more

Guitarists
Muddy Waters with his iconic red Fender Telecaster
Muddy Waters is a blues guitar icon who pioneered the sound of electric guitar and invented a new solo language

By David Gerrish Published

In the smoky clubs of Chicago, Muddy Waters turned up the volume on blues guitar, electrifying it, and then the audience – and his slide and open-tuning approach to Chicago blues was integral to his early success

Guitarists
B.B. King, onstage with Lucille in 1982
10 legendary blues guitars, featuring Lucille, Lucy, Greeny – and the Loch Ness Monster of Les Pauls

By Jonathan Horsley Published

Named and famed! Behind every great blues player is a great guitar, and they don’t come more iconic than this...

Guitars
John Paul Jones with his 1962 Fender Jazz Bass
“I wrote Black Dog on a train. There was a Muddy Waters song with a riff that never ended...” How John Paul Jones wrote Led Zeppelin's Black Dog

By Nick Wells Published

Despite Jimmy Page’s masterful guitar playing, Black Dog was written by Led Zeppelin's bass hero John Paul Jones

Artists
John Primer performs on stage at the Bluesheaven Festival on November 12, 2021 in Fredrikshavn, Denmark.
John Primer: "When I played with Muddy Waters, he set my amp tone up for me. I use the same settings he gave me back in the mid-'70s"

By Andrew Daly Published

The blues veteran discusses his love of Epiphones (and why he never clicked with Strats), what he learned as a sideman to Muddy Waters and Magic Slim, and the secret to his enviable tone

Guitarists
John Primer
John Primer: “I tried the Cry Baby wah pedal and a phase shifter, but the blues guys said, ‘Hey, you throw that thing in the garbage’”

By Jim Beaugez Published

The one-time Muddy Waters lead guitarist and living legend of the Chicago blues scene discusses good times, Hard Times, and that time Keith Richards offered him a cigarette

Effects & Pedals
Muddy Waters at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston, Illinois, March 3, 1979.
How to make the most of open strings in blues guitar solos

By Andy Aledort Published

Learn the pentatonic solo approaches epitomized by Muddy Waters and adopted by every blues player since

Lessons
Muddy Waters
How to incorporate open-string drones into an improvised blues solo

By Andy Aledort Published

Taking inspiration from Muddy Waters' Rollin' Stone, this lesson will teach you how to make your one guitar sound fuller

Lessons
Muddy Waters onstage in England for the recording of BBC Television show Jazz at the Maltings
Learn the slippery soloing style of Muddy Waters

By Andy Aledort Published

This improvisation on the Muddy Waters classic, Rollin’ Stone takes electric blues back to the source and plants an almighty hook in an E minor pentatonic lick

Lessons
Willie Dixon with his upright bass and a Fender guitar in the backyard of Muddy Waters' house in Westmont, Illinois on June 21, 1981
11 essential Willie Dixon covers

By Damian Fanelli Published

These covers – by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, the Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, Cream, and more – show the influence of this hugely important figure in blues and rock history

Music Releases
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