Chuck Berry was nicknamed the “Father of Rock and Roll”. He was one of the pioneers who defined rock and roll. He wrote countless classics including Maybellene, Johnny B. Goode, Rock and Roll Music, Roll Over Beethoven, and many others. Chuck Berry was even ranked fifth on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He was also one of the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the time of its opening in 1986.
Lick #1: Johnny B. Goode Lick
Here’s a lick that was inspired by Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode. The lick is not transcribed exactly how Chuck plays it, as I’ve added a few nuances.
Johnny B. Goode is a blues in the key of Bb and the lick mostly sticks to the Bb blues scale and Bb mixolydian.
The lick begins with a pickup and goes right into the classic slides into measure 2. Measure 3 has a descending line that leads into a bit of rhythm playing in measure 4. Measure 6 captures the classic bends that Chuck Berry was known for. Pay attention to the timing and feel here.
