John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) was one of the most distinctive of all electric bluesmen. His style was truly unique and very influential in both blues and rock music. I got to see him play live at the 1986 Chicago Blues Festival - one of my most memorable experiences.

Hooker's is best known for his "boogie" rhythms - many played in open tunings. Hooker played a lot in Open A or Open G capoed at the second fret -- to make it A! He used only his bare fingers to generate his signature sound on many different recordings over the years. It is possible to produce Hooker-like playing in standard tuning, but to REALLY boogie, I suggest you tune it to Open G and slap on the capo. Trust me, it's fun!

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