Smokestack Lightning is one of those classic blues songs that sounds incredibly cool because of what the thumb is doing underneath the guitar riff. An independent thumb keeping a bassline going while the fingers play a separate melody on top is one of the most satisfying things you can learn on guitar, and this song is a great entry point into that technique.
The key to getting it is deconstructing it first. Figure out when the thumb moves together with the riff and when it moves independently, practice each layer on its own, then slowly start putting them together. Trying to jump straight in without that approach usually ends in frustration.
Get that thumb going in E and the whole thing starts to click. Try it out.
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