If you don’t know who Ronnie Earl is there’s still time to pick up on one of my favorite guitarists. Here’s a page with his story and some great videos of him playing live.
When I think of Ronnie Earl I think of the quote… “It’s not what you do it’s how you do it.” There are guitar players with better technique and chops. But no one has more soul. It’s how he plays a note or a lick that separates him.
Unfortunately there are not many Ronnie Earl Instruction videos on YouTube or even available to buy anywhere. The best way to learn Ronnie Earl is to go to TrueFire and search for Ronnie Earl. They have many lessons from great guitarists that teach Ronnie’s style.
Free Ronnie Earl Lesson from TrueFire
Here is one video I found where someone teaches the parts to Ronnie’s version of Okie Dokie Stomp.
» Here’s one of my favorite Ronnie Earl lessons by Joe Bonamassa.
Why should you listen to and learn Ronnie Earl licks?
The short version is Ronnie is one of the most soulful blues guitarists ever. I’ve seen him play several times and have many of his recordings and he’s just the guy that I keep coming back to when I need inspiration and motivation to keep learning and trying to get better. When I talk about what it takes to be a great blues guitarist as I do on this page, he is the poster boy for everything I’ve learned over the years.
Here’s a full hour + of Ronnie Earl in a DVD called Hope Radio from 2008. If this doesn’t help you get turned on to Ronnie then you’ve got no soul. Great quality and great performances. It was actually recorded at a recording studio as opposed to a concert venue. It’s the mellow and jazzy side of Ronnie but I know you’ll appreciate that. If you need the high-energy version then watch the videos on this page.
The video has a nice acoustic track at the end with Ronnie playing his country blues style. Also there’s a great interview with Ronnie at the end where he talks about his musical influences and his spiritual vision and his life. He also shares his mental problems and health issues in the interview. Now I see why he doesn’t travel or tour much.
