Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood - Guitar Cover

Texas Flood (Legacy Edition)

1983 5:21

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About Texas Flood

Few slow blues tracks demand as much from a guitarist's hands as "Texas Flood." Stevie Ray Vaughan plays it in Eb Standard tuning, which drops every string a half-step and gives the bends a slightly looser, fatter feel, so make sure you match that before you start. The key of G minor at 96 BPM keeps things unhurried, but that moderate tempo is deceptive: every note is exposed, and any hesitation in your string bends or vibrato is immediately obvious. The song is essentially a vehicle for expressive lead playing over a slow 12-bar Blues Rock form, and the real challenge is not the notes themselves but the phrasing, the behind-the-beat pull, and the sustained vibrato that makes each phrase sing. Pick one turnaround or one bend-heavy phrase that feels sloppy, use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down, and work on matching the exact pitch and width of the vibrato before bringing it back to full speed.

• The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, dropping all six strings a half-step, which slightly loosens string tension and makes wide bends more physically manageable.
• At 96 BPM over a slow 12-bar form, the biggest technical demand is expressive vibrato and accurate pitch control on sustained bends, not speed.
• Originally recorded by blues singer Larry Davis in 1958, the song follows a slow minor blues structure that rewards focused work on phrasing and dynamics.