Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood - Verse 3 - Guitar Lesson

About Texas Flood - Verse 3

Verse 3 of "Texas Flood" is where Stevie Ray Vaughan really opens up, and for guitarists it is the most demanding stretch of the song to replicate faithfully. The slow, grinding feel of Blues Rock at 90 BPM asks you to sit deep in the groove rather than rush, and Vaughan's phrasing leans heavily behind the beat, which is harder to nail than any individual lick. The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, so drop your whole guitar a half step before you start. Bending in Eb feels slightly looser than E Standard, but Vaughan used heavy strings, so his bends still demanded real left-hand strength. The vibrato in this verse is the real test: wide, slow, and controlled, not a nervous shimmy. Pick out the longer held notes and use the Practice Toolbar to loop them slowed down until your vibrato settles into something deliberate and even.

• The song is played in Eb Standard tuning, a half step down from standard, which affects string tension and the feel of every bend.
• Vaughan's vibrato and behind-the-beat phrasing in the slow blues feel are the core technique challenges, more so than the individual scale patterns.
• Using the Practice Toolbar to slow down the held, bent notes in Verse 3 is the most direct way to isolate and improve your vibrato control.