Skip to content

The Sky Is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughan

Listen To The Lesson :

Lick 1

To play this riff, first rest for 1 and a half beats. Bend the 1st note on the 13th fret with your 3rd finger, but let your 1st and 2nd finger help support the bend.

After playing the 4th note (a C note), quickly slide your hand down two frets so that the 3rd finger can also hit the note on the 11th fret (a Bb note).

Lick 2

Lick 3

The first 3 notes are slow and wide bends. Bend each note gradually until it reaches the target pitch. Use your 3rd finger to perform these bends, and once again use your 1st and 2nd finger for support. You’ll need a little extra help from them to push the string up 1 1/2 steps (the equivalent of 3 frets-meaning will have the same pitch as note 3 frets up).

The notes in the 2nd measure on the 8th fret are for your 1st finger and the notes on the 10th fret are for your 3rd finger.

Use your 1st finger hit the notes laid across the 11th fret at the end of the 2nd measure and the notes on the 10th fret in the 3rd measure.

Strike the notes on the 20th fret in the 4th measure and slide down the entire length of the fretboard to give it a glistening sound.

Lick 4

More of the same here. Then the turnaround in the last measure where you’ll walk right up 1, 2, 3. Let the last 4 notes on the 10th fret ring together.

Backing Track For Practice

Below is the backing track with just bass and drums:

Solo Part I

 Lick 1

Lick 2

Lick 3

Lick 4

Lick 5

Lick 6

Tablature

Stevie Ray Vaughan – The Sky Is