Texas Flood by Steve Ray Vaughan
Texas Flood is the title track of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's 1983 debut album Texas Flood. The record introduced Vaughan to a wide audience and is widely credited with reviving traditional Texas blues with a modern, searing electric guitar tone. The opening riff and the furious blues solo on the title track became emblematic of Vaughan's blistering style and set the tone for the album's raw, high-energy vibe.
Recorded with a lean, no-nonsense approach that captured the intensity of Vaughan's live playing, the song showcases a classic 12-bar blues structure in a driving shuffle. Since its release, it helped trigger a blues-rock revival and has inspired generations of players to chase tone, phrasing, and dynamic expression in their own blues guitar work.
🎸 Want to know the techniques, practice tips, and lesson details? Scroll below the lesson!
What You'll Learn
In this lesson, you'll learn how to tackle the right-hand blues shuffle of Texas Flood in E, including the iconic opening riff, rhythm comping with E7-A7-B7 progressions, and the explosive lead lines in the pentatonic scale. We'll break down the main riff with tab-by-tab guidance, then show you how Vaughan's phrasing uses hammer-ons, pull-offs, and dramatic bends to shape the solo. We'll also cover tone and dynamics, including how to use your guitar's volume knob and amp settings to reproduce the gritty, singing tone, and discuss tricky parts to watch out for, such as timing the bends and keeping the shuffle feel steady while alternating between rhythm and lead phrases.
Intermediate; prior skills helpful include familiarity with the 12-bar blues form in E, basic blues scales (pentatonic shapes), and comfort with string bending and a blues shuffle rhythm.
🎸 Techniques Used
Practice Tips
- 💡Slow it down with a metronome or backing track, then gradually bring the tempo up as you lock in the feel.
- 💡Dial in your tone by using a guitar with single-coil pickups and moderate gain; use the volume knob to switch between rhythm cleans and lead sustain, shaping the bite on bends.
- 💡Break the solo into small phrases; practice the turnaround lick separately with a metronome before stitching it into the full chorus.
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