If you’re a guitar player who’s interested in mastering blues lead guitar, then you’ve simply got to add a wide variety of blues licks to your repertoire. All the best guitar players have long improved their soloing abilities by copying and memorizing licks from other guitar players. From Stevie Ray Vaughan to Eric Clapton, all guitar players have borrowed licks from guitarists and other instrumentalists.

Traditionally, guitar players learn licks by copying and transcribing solos and lead lines. Transcribing blues solos can take a lot of time, but it’s a great way to really dissect another guitar player’s style. Once you’ve transcribed a solo or even individual licks, they tend to stay in your repertoire a while. Transcribing licks and solos is also great ear training.

Of course, if you’re just starting out transcribing or don’t have a lot of time, it’s useful to learn licks from others who have done the hard work. Another advantage to using a book or video for learning licks is the author has probably already analyzed the lick from a theory standpoint and can help you decide where and when to use the lick. They may even provide scales and chords that help you understand best the theory behind a lick.

One of the best books I’ve seen a while for helping people learn and memorize quality licks is “100 Killer Licks & Chops for Blues Guitar.” The licks are identified with a certain player, and there are licks from a wide variety of blues genres (e.g. Delta Blues, Blues Rock, etc).