Explore how this Keystone Lick connects to familiar shapes and helps you target the blues changes.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

The Classic Major Keystone Lick is useful because it gives you several ways to orient yourself on the fretboard at once. You can anchor it to the B♭ root, see it inside a B♭6 chord shape, connect it to Box 1 minor pentatonic, and understand it as a compact major-pentatonic sound that contains useful target notes for the I, IV, and V chords.

[MCP] Alt text describing what the image shows in relation to this lesson.

Anchor the Lick

The lick begins on B♭ on the D string and ends on B♭ on the high E string, giving you two clear root anchors. Use those B♭ notes to locate the phrase, then notice how the same area can also be seen through Box 1 minor pentatonic or the major 6 chord shape.

 

I recommend using minor pentatonic as your main visualization, but major pentatonic Box 1 can also be a useful reference.

Try playing the lick several times while changing your underlying visualization from minor pentatonic, major 6 chord, and -optionally- major pentatonic. 

 
 

Why This Lick Is So Useful

One small lick gives you clear targets for all three primary blues chords.