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Beautiful Black Magic The Guitar Of Peter Green Guitar Bluesman

Peter Greene is widely recognized for his unique and immensely influential guitar style, characterized by its raw, emotive sound and marked by the extensive use of a Gibson Les Paul guitar. With an abundance of distortion and feedback, he crafted a distinctive tone that was simultaneously aggressive and deeply expressive. Rooted in the blues tradition, Greene’s playing seamlessly integrated elements of jazz and rock, resulting in a groundbreaking musical fusion. Undoubtedly, Peter Greene’s innovative approach to the guitar has had a profound impact on contemporary blues and rock music.

You may be more familiar with the captivating music of Peter Green than you realize, as his timeless tunes have been widely covered and featured in numerous advertisements and movie soundtracks throughout the years. While I was already acquainted with the remarkable musical legacy of Peter Green, it was through Mick Pini, a devoted blues guitarist and torchbearer, that my attention was drawn to him specifically. Pini’s heartfelt track “Blues for Peter Green” served as a poignant introduction to the profound impact and enduring influence of Green’s extraordinary talent.

It all began one fateful day back in the 1960s when producer Mike Vernon was taken aback by a peculiar sight in the studio—a different amplifier. Curiosity piqued, he inquired about its presence and learned that Eric Clapton had departed, making way for a new guitarist. This guitarist happened to be Peter Green, originally known as Peter Allen Greenbaum—an exceptional bass player turned masterful guitar virtuoso. Green went on to create some of the most enchanting and spellbinding music ever heard on the six-string instrument. For an immersive experience into the captivating story of Peter Green, I recommend watching this BBC documentary shedding light on his life and career. The film delves into iconic songs like “The Stumble,” “Shake Your Money Maker,” and of course, well-known classics such as “Albatross” and “Black Magic Woman.” But first, let us witness a glimpse of Peter at his prime as he introduces his timeless classic “Oh Well” live at Music Mash in 1969—truly capturing the essence of Peter Green’s unparalleled talent.

Have you heard about the beautiful “Black Magic” tune? It’s said to have a fascinating story behind it, just like the life of its creator, Peter Green. Let me tell you all about it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO-DZ7rWswI

The Les Paul 1959 Standard Peter Green Guitar Nickname “Greeny”

One of the most renowned guitars of all time is Peter Green’s “Greeny”, which he played during his time with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and Fleetwood Mac. Later, the guitar was sold to Gary Moore, who used it in solo performances and during his tenure with Thin Lizzy. Due to financial reasons, Gary sold it in 2006, and after being passed around various guitar collectors, it was eventually acquired by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett in 2014. Kirk has used it in live performances and brought it on tour since then. These are some of the reasons why Peter Green’s guitar is so highly sought after by guitar players and collectors, as explained in the following video by YouTuber “The Guitar Historian”.

Albatross Guitar Tab Peter Green Style Guitar Playiing

For those of you looking into playing the great style of Peter Green you are probably learning tunes like the instrumental track Albatross which uses alot of Fingerstyle techniques. This is an easier version with a downloadable tab as PDF via the Youtube Channel.

Albums peter green played guitar on

Peter is officially credited with playing on 24 albums which does not include other collaborations and projects. His first Two Albums from labels Royal Disks and Eurotrend have an unknown release date while the Album Evil Woman Blues which is his first officially dated recorded album was Released in 1967 after that he released 22 more until his final recorded album “End Game in 2019” and featured on The Many Faces of Fleetwood Mac before passing away in “2020” leaving behind an amazing collection of music for us to enjoy. Like such classics as “The Chain, Gold Dust Woman and this one from 1980 called “Crying won’t bring you back” with Peter on Lead Vocals and Lead Guitar from Paul Westwood on Bass Drums played by Dave Mattacks the Organ player Roy Shipston and Ronnie Johnson on Rhythm guitar to name a few.

Playing Guitar like Green Black magic woman Peter Green Style guitar lesson

As a parting gift, I wanted to share with you a fantastic tutorial that will teach you how to play the classic tune “Black Magic Woman” in the style of either Peter Green or Fleetwood Mac. The tutorial is created by the talented team behind the YouTube channel Shut Up And Play Guitar Tutorials, and it is sure to help you improve your guitar skills and impress your friends and family with your musical abilities. I hope you find it useful and enjoyable!

Chris Dempsey

Chris Dempsey

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