stevie ray vaughan
 

does anyone have any advice on how to approach learning some stevie ray vaughan songs, i had bought one of his tab books but haven't had much luck learning his songs

Listen to his songs. Try to learn them by ear.

I don't understand the issue. Do you not have the chops to play the tabs, or are you not getting the rhythms or something?

This guy is very good, and has many free lessons in the style of SRV

Stevie is more about feeling the music than anything else...
If it's learning the songs that's the issue then just keep working at them and it'll eventually get easier!
If it's actually sounding like stevie, I find some good tips are to practice your right hand technique, and learn to keep it chopping away at the strings. Also play HARD.. that's how he achieves his tone! :)

Good luck! It's definitely worth it when you learn it!

What the hell does that mean?

WiGGEDY has the right idea. Go on youtube and search how to play tightrope or texas flood etc. Then you need to listen, watch, listen, watch, listen......... If you have a tab book then just Listen and look at the tabs. Learn 1 bar at a time. SRV uses a lot of standard blues licks, but hes great because of how he phrases them.

If you're just looking at the tabs and not paying much attention to the notation above the tabs, then you will have a hard time.

Learn to read basic rhythm notation. Transcribing would be ideal but I doubt you'll do that.

Its as much a right hand thing as a left hand thing. You gotta make sure you know how to groove and strum with your right hand

Execute a clockwise circular motion. You'll get a real vicious shuffle that way. Ppl think it doesn't make a difference...

... but it does, cuz of that subtle bit of extra delay, due the pick's increased distance across the strings on the upstroke.

To quote "Blues aint nothin but a good man feelin' bad....."

Get the actual song down pat and then try to add some expression or feelings while playing.

Search Youtube for "Dennis Dullea" - He played and learned with the same people SRV learned from.

Also search "papastache" He has some awsome lessons on Youtube.

SRV used very heavy strings, on a good night he used 13's always tuned down half a step. He reportedly also had a killer handshake. You would need strong hands to play 13's but if you want to get the tone...