Soul Guitar
Soul guitar is understated and expressive. The guitar sits behind the voice, adding rhythmic comping, melodic fills and the occasional burning solo. Players like Steve Cropper, Cornell Dupree and later John Mayer brought a vocabulary of ninth chords, chromatic passing tones and finger-picked arpeggios that every guitarist should know.
These songs teach you to play for the song, not for yourself. The chords are richer than rock, the rhythms are more nuanced, and the dynamic range matters more than gain.
Songs to Start With
Good to Me as I Am to You 1
Ray Charles 1
The Temptations 1
Soul Guitar Playing
Clean to barely-breaking-up tone. Single-coil pickups with the tone knob rolled back. Chords with extensions: major 7ths, minor 9ths, dominant 13ths. The right hand often uses a hybrid picking approach, plucking chord tones with the fingers while the pick handles bass notes.
Ain't No Sunshine is an accessible starting point that teaches minor key comping and melodic fills between vocal phrases. Related styles: Blues, Funk Rock.