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Stevie Ray Vaughan - Cold Shot - Guitar Lesson

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Key F minor
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Cold Shot guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

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Stevie Ray Vaughan Blues Rock F minor
Capo Advisor 0 F minor · Original key

About Cold Shot

"Cold Shot" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble is a blues shuffle that showcases Vaughan's signature Texas blues style, blending tight rhythm work with expressive lead playing. The song appears on compilations spanning his recorded output from 1980 to 1990, reflecting its lasting place in his catalog. For electric guitar players, it offers an excellent study in blues shuffle rhythm, chord voicings, and the kind of economical yet soulful lead phrasing that defined Vaughan's playing.

  • The song features a classic blues shuffle groove, a foundational rhythm pattern every electric guitarist should have in their toolkit.
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan typically tuned his guitar a half-step down to Eb, which affects tone and string tension when learning his songs.
  • "Cold Shot" appears across Stevie Ray Vaughan's compiled recordings spanning a decade, indicating its consistent popularity within his catalog.

How to Play Cold Shot

The song moves through: Intro, Rhythm, Muting, Continuing riff, Verse, Chorus, Chorus variation, Solo, 1st phrase, 2nd phrase, 3rd phrase, 4th phrase, and more.

Tuning: Eb Standard · Key: F minor · Tempo: 96 BPM

It is played in Eb standard, a half step down, so tune down before you start or every position and bend will sit a half step sharp against the recording. The arrangement runs through 12 distinct sections, and the solo is the steepest jump, so isolate it on its own.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 96 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

SRV's heavily worn '63 'Number One' with thick .013-.058 strings and responsive single-coils defined his expressive, dynamic tone. The guitar's worn frets and responsive pickups let him control saturation purely through picking attack and volume knob, a cornerstone of his finger-driven style.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

SRV used the TS9 as a clean boost with minimal drive, maxing the level to push his cranked tube amps into heavier saturation while adding midrange focus. This approach preserved his dynamic control and kept the tone transparent, letting his fingers shape every nuance of sustain and breakup.

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