• Sweet Home Chicago
• Crossroads
• Thrill is Gone
• Messin’ with the Kid
• Red House
• Born Under a Bad Sign
• Pride and Joy

…and the list goes on.

If you play the blues you better know “Stormy Monday” the slow blues classic by none other than the seminal blues guitarist T-Bone Walker.  I don’t think I have ever been to a jam night where “Stormy Monday” wasn’t played.

Just in case you don’t know the song, here is T-Bone himself takin’ us to school:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVR8lg1YLuc

Damn that’s a big guitar! But that’s the way they rolled in those days.

The Stormy Monday Chord Progression

Of course it’s the chord progression that makes the tune so cool. It’s a slow blues, but not your standard I IV V variety. It almost sounds like jazz, doesn’t it? And it is so darn pretty it makes you want to fall on your knees and pray, does it not?

Here’s how it goes, in the key of G:

|G7      |C7      |G7  G#7 | G7      |

|C7      |        |G7  Am7 |Bm7  Bbm7|

|D7  D#7 |D7      |G7  C7  |G7  D7   |

What really makes The Stormy Monday Blues different is bars 5 & 6. Yes we have that 1/2 step slide in bar 3 and in bar 9, but the really distinctive feature of this tune is when we go up to the ii (Am7), then the iii (Bm7), and then down a 1/2 step to the flat iii (Bbm7), which is completely out of the key, which adds a cool tension and is supremely cool.

Every once in a while the singer will not want all that fancy chord work. Albert King for example played it like a straight slow blues:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FreJv-QABXA

But 99% of the time it is played with the original chord progression. Here is a great live video of Eric Clapton playing Stormy Monday. Notice that while he solos they play the straight I IV V blues progression, but once the starts actually singing the song they go into the signature T-Bone Walker Stormy Monday Blues chord progression:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiNUZTyukC4

That’s some damn fine playing, ain’t it?

Playing Stormy Monday Chords

So what I want to talk about here are some good ways to play this awesome chord progression to keep it interesting.

First of all I’m going to say something that  might surprise you:

DON’T PLAY BARRE CHORDS.

Yes I know that Eric Clapton is playing them in the video, and he may be “god,” but I still say you should not play them. In fact, when you play the electric blues guitar in a band situation you should hardly ever hit that big barre chord that you have been playing since your first year playing guitar.

If you haven’t already, you should check out these posts:

Blues Chords – Part One

Blues Chords Part Two

The thing about those big barre chords is that they are too big. They create this wall of sound that gets in the way of what everyone else is doing. They are unsophisticated and clunky.

Think of it like this: when someone is singing or soloing and you are playing rhythm you are there to support them. The soloist, or singer, should be the top note of the chord, while you play the middle area, and the bass player is handles the bottom. Big barre chords just make it noisy.

Also, if you are playing with another guitar player, which is most likely the case at a jam blues session, the other guy will probably play those big nasty things. It’s bad enough that one guitar is doing it, two guitars stepping all over everything else that is going on just makes it suck worse.

Of course this is the way it often goes at jam nights. I could go on but then this will turn into a rant and we don’t want that. This is supposed to be a blues guitar lesson, not another post where I force my (correct) opinions on you.

So how do you play a m7 chord with the root on the 6th string? Try this:

Its not hard to hold down those 3 middle strings with your 3rd finger. And it is easy to slide this shape up and down on the guitar neck.

And the best thing about it is that it sounds great. This chord shape contains all 4 notes that make up the m7 chord, and none of them are doubled. It’s balanced and sweet.

Here is a video lesson where I demonstrate how to play the Stormy Monday Blues Chords:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYfWzZZSFJE

Coming Next: I will show you some great blues licks to use when you play stormy Monday, and give you a few tips to make it sound more sophisticated than just playing the Minor Pentatonic Scale.

Stormy Monday Blues Lesson – Mixing Up The Chords is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
2. Blues Guitar Lesson: Using Guide Tones In Blues Licks Jazz musicians have a concept, sometimes called “playing through the...
3. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
4. T-Bone Walker – Blues Guitar God Talking about the “T-Bone Shuffle” in the last post about...
5. Get The Blues Right: Taj Mahal And The Diminished 7 Chord Ever since Jake and Elwood did it in The Blues...

So take off yer shoes, grab yer axe, head out onto the porch and learn this lick. Then play around with it, make it yours. Get creative, experiment…play it forwards, backwards upside down. Use a pick, use your fingers, mix it up and change it around. Figure it out: What are you gonna do with it?

|---------------------------|
|-3--5--6--5--3--5--6--5----|
|-4--5--7--5--4--5--7--5----|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7dsTPWDUIM

The next awesome double stop blues lick is not a standard lick like the last one, but it is made of standard blues guitar sounds. Notice that I incorporate the first lick into it when I start using it as I would in a tune.

Once again, when you play the blues the idea is to tell your stories, so whenever you learn some new stuff it’s important to experiment and find ways to use it, change it, make it your own.

So forget about how nobody loves B.B. King but his mother, and she could be jivin’ too. Instead focus on how that women done you wrong, and how you felt when you woke up this mornin’.

So move on down to the country, get yourself a frigidaire, keep that woman in the house, get to learning this sweet blues lick.

|-6-3--------6-3----------|
|-5-3-5-3----5-3-5-3------|
|-----5-4--------5-3------|
|---------5----------5----|
|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewQNY_8gX7E

Double Stop Blues Licks is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Put Those Guide Tones In Your Blues Licks – Example #1 In my previous post I introduced the idea of using...
2. Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style Blues lick #2 is an intro to a slow blues...
3. 3 Cool Blues Licks Many blues guitarists are stuck in the E form of...
4. Guide Tone Blues Lick #2 – T-Bone Shuffle You may know the blues classic “T-Bone Shuffle” by one...
5. Blues Guitar Lesson: Using Guide Tones In Blues Licks Jazz musicians have a concept, sometimes called “playing through the...

The “T-Bone Shuffle” is a great example of the use of guide tones in the blues. The tune consists of a repeating lick, that changes the guide tone depending on the chord.

Here is an excellent recording of the T-Bone Shuffle, from the “Showdown” album by 3 of the greatest blue guitarists to ever hold a guitar: Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and Johnny Copeland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-nVl1RyFuA

“Showdown” is a great album. If you don’t have it you may want to check it out.

One thing that is cool about the T-Bone Shuffle lick is that it dances around the guide tone. This version of “T-Bone Shuffle” is in the key of B. It stays on the I chord for the first 4 bars. The main lick is played twice:

--------------------
--------------7-----
---7-8----3-8---9-8-
-9------9-----------
--------------------
--------------------

The guide tone is the 3rd of the B7 chord, D#, played on the 8th fret of the 3rd string.

When it goes to the IV chord the guide tone is the D natural, the 7th fret of the 3rd string:

--------------------
--------------7-----
---7-7----3-7---9-7-
-9------9-----------
--------------------
--------------------

When the tune gets to the V chord, F#7, the guide tone is the E note, the 9th fret of the 3rd string. That is the b7 of the F#7 chord:

--------------------
--------------7-----
---7-9----3-7---9-7-
-9------9-----------
--------------------
--------------------

Notice that at the end of that lick it goes back to the D note (7th fret, 3rd string) because the chord goes to E7, the IV chord.

So there you have it, a classic example of guide tones in the blues. If you don’t already know “The T-Bone Shuffle” you should learn it. This is a popular jam night tune, and it really should be in every blues guitar players repertoire. You never know when someone will call it. And, let’s face it, this is a great tune and a great blues lick.

Once you can play it, play around with it. Experiment with the lick, make changes to make it your own.

If you have any trouble understanding the theory in this post, be sure to get your free ebook, Blues Dues, (top of the sidebar on on any page of this site). I put all the basics about the blues in Blues Dues so you can get it one place.

Guide Tone Blues Lick #2 – T-Bone Shuffle is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Put Those Guide Tones In Your Blues Licks – Example #1 In my previous post I introduced the idea of using...
2. Blues Guitar Lesson: Using Guide Tones In Blues Licks Jazz musicians have a concept, sometimes called “playing through the...
3. Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style Blues lick #2 is an intro to a slow blues...
4. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
5. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 So now that you know the first 2 patterns of...

And you will also see that it’s easy.

Before you go any further, download and print the pdf.

The basic repeating lick is very simple, only 4 notes, and it starts right out at the beginning with the 4th note landing right on the 1st beat of the first measure. That 4th note, a B natural, is the 3rd of the the G7 chord:

-3-----|-----
---6-3-|-----
-------|4----
-------|-----
-------|-----
-------|-----

Remember, guide tones are typically 3rds and 7ths. And the 3rd of a chord is especially important; for one thing it’s the 3rd that determines whether a chord is major or minor.

Also, notice that the B note is not in the Minor Pentatonic Scale, or the Blues Scale. If you are just noodling around with a scale pattern you would never hit this note.

When the chord changes to C7, the IV chord, in measure 2, the lick ends on the Bb note, which is the b7th of the C7 chord. And isn’t it cool that the guide tone for the IV chord is only 1/2 step lower than the guide tone for the I chord? That makes it a very smooth movement. It sounds great, and it really reflects the chord change.

-3-----|-----
---6-3-|-----
-------|3----
-------|-----
-------|-----
-------|-----

To keep things from getting boring I put a fancier lick at the end of the 4 bar phrase, and if you look closely you’ll notice that it ends on the B note, reflecting the chord which is a G7.

Looking at the second line, you’ll see that it’s exactly the same, except for the guide tones which always reflect the chord.

The 3rd 4 bar phrase, line 3, does the same thing again, and this time the lick ends on the C note, which is the b7th of D7, the V chord. And I thought it might be nice to end the whole thing by playing the D7 chord, which really would be a simple turnaround to bring us back to the top.

Here is what it sounds like:

Once you learn this 12 bar blues you should change it around, embellish it, make it your own, but always be sure that you play the appropriate guide tone.

Also, I challenge you to write out your own. If you can write the tab please send them to me. If I get enough of them maybe I’ll do a series on readers guide tone 12 bar blues!

Put Those Guide Tones In Your Blues Licks – Example #1 is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lesson: Using Guide Tones In Blues Licks Jazz musicians have a concept, sometimes called “playing through the...
2. Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style Blues lick #2 is an intro to a slow blues...
3. 3 Cool Blues Licks Many blues guitarists are stuck in the E form of...
4. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
5. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 So now that you know the first 2 patterns of...

Even though the basic blues progression is only 3 chords, if you want your licks to sound sophisticated you really should be able to reflect the chords in your lead lines. The nice thing about the basic 12 bar blues is that there are only 3 chords, so there are not a lot of chords to worry about.

When you are playing the blues it’s really easy to play through the changes if you know something about guide tones. Guide tones, to put it simply, are the notes that guide your ear from one chord to the next. Usually guide tones are 3rds and 7ths.

Lets look at the change from a G7 chord to a C7 chord:

In the G7  (G B D F) the 3rd string note (4th fret, B note) is the 3rd. 3rds are extremely important in the character of any chord. Notice that that B note is not in the G Minor Pentatonic scale:

But if you play that note over the G7 chord, it will reflect the chord. Then when the chord changes to C7 you can move to the Bb, the 3rd fret of the 3rd string. That note is the b7 of the the C7 (C E G Bb), and it will reflect that chord. By incorporating that change into your lick you will be using the guide tones to play through the changes.

When you go to the D7 chord you should play the C note on the 5th fret of the 3rd string. That gives you 3 notes right next to each other:

|------------|
|------------|
|-3--4--5----|
|------------|
|------------|
|------------|

Paying attention to these 3 notes will make your blues licks sound more sophisticated. It’s that simple. Other than that all you have to do is play the Minor Pentatonic scale.

In fact, you can hear it when you play nothing but the appropriate of these 3 notes through a blues progression. Try it yourself: with no backing track, play only the appropriate note to the chord through a 12 bar blues progression. You will find that you can hear the chord changes very clearly.

Here are some ways to get this under your fingers:

1. Start a lick with the guide tone - Play a simple pentatonic lick, but start it with the guide tone appropriate to the chord.
2. End a lick with the guide tone - That’s right, do the same thing but end on the appropriate guide tone.
3. Incorporate the guide gone in the middle of a blues lick - A bit more difficult to master, but well worth it!

This little trick will bring your blues guitar playing to a new level of sophistication. It will have the listener thinking “Now that guy (or girl) can play the blues guitar!”

Stay tuned. I’ll be posting some licks that use this technique. Until then, shouldn’t you be practicing instead of surfing the web?

Blues Guitar Lesson: Using Guide Tones In Blues Licks is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
2. 3 Cool Blues Licks Many blues guitarists are stuck in the E form of...
3. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
4. The CAGED Guitar System This article is not specifically about the blues guitar or...
5. Get The Blues Right: Taj Mahal And The Diminished 7 Chord Ever since Jake and Elwood did it in The Blues...

Let’s say you’re at a blues jam session and the singer calls Wang Dang Doodle.

“What did he say about my wang?” you ask the bass player.

“Oh man,” the bass player says to to singer, “this guy don’t know Wang Dang Doodle! I guess we gotta play another slow blues.”

For shame! How can you say that you’re a bluesman when you don’t even know Wang Dang Doodle? Son, you gotta pay yer dues!

So here are 3 gotta know classic blues riffs if you wanna call yourself a blues guitarist.

(Of course there are lots more than 3, but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?)

1. Wang Dang Doodle

I know you are aware that Koko Taylor was the Queen of the Blues. And Wang Dang Doodle was a signature song for her. Now you can hear it, and play it, in blues clubs around the world. This riff is as fun to play as it is to hear, all night long…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp5NIxWdUbI

On that recording they are tuned down a whole step, so it is is the key of D. If you want to sound just like that you will have to tune every string down also. Of course if you play it in standard tuning, which is fine, it will be in the key of E.

Here’s the tab:

|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|-----0---2-0----------------|
|-0h2---2-----2-----5--------|
|---------------3-3---3p0----|

The next time someone says something about yer wang, you will know what to do, won’t you?

And the next classic blues riff is…

2. Messin’ With The Kid

Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were a power team of bluesmen who gave us this gem of a blues standard. And later the Blues Brothers helped the white folks get hip to it too. This riff is burned into my brain, as I have played it so many times at oh so many blues jam sessions. Just don’t play it too fast…that kills the soul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXJ-YPKqguA

And here is how you play it, in the key of C:

|-8--6---------------------|
|-------8--6---------------|
|-------------8-7-5---5----|
|-------------------8------|
|--------------------------|
|--------------------------|

If you don’t know that slick blues riff, you don’t know nothin’!

And finally, the 3rd gotta know if yer gonna call yourself a blues guitarist blues riff is…

3. Mannish Boy

It doesn’t get more classic, or any cooler than this. Muddy Waters was the suavest son of gun that ever graced the bandstand. Hell, I’m glad he wasn’t around when I was wooin’ my wife…I never would have stood a chance.

Simple to play and steaming hot, you gotta know this riff. If you don’t you’d better to get your sorry behind into that woodshed and don’t come out ’til you got it!

Oh yeah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5IOou6qN1o

It doesn’t get any easier than playing this one. Hell, you could do it after a few too many whiskeys at 4 in the mornin’. And by the way, it’s in the key of A.

|--------------|
|--------------|
|---7---5------|
|-7---7---7----|
|--------------|
|--------------|

Everything is going to be alright this morning. Especially if you got these riffs in your bag of blues tricks.

So go on now…learn em!

3 Classic Blues Riffs is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style Blues lick #2 is an intro to a slow blues...
2. 3 Cool Blues Licks Many blues guitarists are stuck in the E form of...
3. Better Blues Licks: Question…Repeat…Answer Image via Wikipedia “I went to the crossroads, fell down...
4. Blues Guitar Lick #1: The Essential Blues Turnaround If you are going to play the blues, there are...
5. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...

All that is well and good, but the problem is that many guitarists stop really learning scales at that point. But blues guitarists don’t really need anything else, right?

Wrong.

If you want to be good, I mean really good, you should learn and master as many scales as you possibly can.

It is true that one appealing aspect of playing the blues is that you can make good music with just a couple of notes.

But it is equally true that the beauty of the blues is that you can do so so much, and the more tools you have the more options you have.

And to tell you the truth, the Minor Pentatonic Scale gets pretty boring sometimes. I’ve sat through many blues jam nights listening to people play the same tired licks over and over again, one after another. And when someone gets up who knows even just a bit more than the Minor Pentatonic/Blues scale approach, they stand out…and it’s refreshing as all get out.

Learn The Major Scale

The best place to start is the major scale. The major scale is the foundation for just about everything we do as musicians.  The way we describe things in music is to compare them to the major scale.

For example, if you know the Blues scale you may be aware that that note added to the Minor Pentatonic scale to form the Blues scale is called the flat 5, b5, or the diminished 5th. What we are really saying is that this not is a half step lower than the 5th note in the major scale.

Another example is the flat 3, or b3, a note in common to the Minor Pentatonic  and Blues scales. Calling that sucker a flat 3rd says that it is a half step lower than the 3rd note in the major scale.

So what?

Well, if you want to be good, I mean really good, understanding what you are hearing and what you are doing is going to help you to make the sounds that you want to to hear.

You know what I’m talking about: those awesome licks you hear in your head when you close your eyes but you have no idea how to actually play.

Learn Arpeggios

An arpeggio is the notes of a chord played one at a time. A very simple way to play an arpeggio is to hold a chord and play one string at a time.

Another way is to play learn the various arpeggio shapes and play each note one at a time as you would when playing a single note lick.

Shredders are big on this.  They spend a lot of time learning the shapes and playing them as fast as they can with unbelievable technique. It can be very mechanical.

To be honest, I’m not a fan of the shredder guitarists. Every time I hear them I think “Wow! They have spent a lot of time practicing!” But after a few minutes I just want to turn them off and put on some music.

(If that offends you, too bad.  This site is about the blues, what do you expect?)

You can apply arpeggios every time you play the blues, in fact most basic blues bass lines are arpeggios.

When you know your arpeggios inside and out your lines will be more mature, plain and simple. If you have ever heard anyone who can play single note lines, with no accompaniment, and you can hear every chord go by, you know that this player knows their arpeggios.

It Didn’t Come Easy

I used to listen to other players and think “What the heck are they doing? What do they know that I don’t?”  I used to be a frustrated player. I was surrounded by some really excellent players and sometimes it got to be quite overwhelming.

But I never gave up. I had 2 really great teachers, and I learned a lot from each of them. I studied books, and DVDs etc.  I have a shelf of them.  I enrolled in a jazz studies program, played in the jazz band, played in lots of blues band. I kept going at it and never gave up.

Over time I tried various approaches, some were good, most were not.  Some were excellent.

Over a decade of teaching private guitar lessons forced me to figure out:

1. What is important? What do people really need to know, and to practice, to get this stuff in their head and under their fingers?
2. What is (or are) the best way(s) to go about learning?

Over time I developed techniques and lessons. I committed myself to doing what is best for the student, and that means that everything is practical and relevant…no fluff. No theory just for theory’s sake. No wasted effort.

Everything you do in your musical study should apply to real playing, or it’s of no use at all.

Of course, as a student you don’t always know why what you are studying is important, but that’s why you have a good teacher to lead you.

You Can Learn This Stuff

If you are still reading this rather long post, you are probably the kind of person I am writing it for: a guitarist who is advancing, but struggling to get to the next level.

I want to help. Really I do.

I am at heart a teacher. For me, a big part of being a musician is sharing what I love, and helping people who are working on it. That is why it put these essential lessons into a book. Well, actually 2 books.

And I am making them available (with a couple of unannounced extras) for less than the cost of a single half hour lesson.

(SORRY – This is not available at this time).

Beyond The Blues Scale is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 2 Now that you’ve got the first position of the scale...
2. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 4 So now that you know the first 3 patterns of...
3. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 5 The 5th pattern of the Minor Pentatonic Scale is the...
4. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...
5. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 So now that you know the first 2 patterns of...

But there’s a whole long neck on your guitar, with lot’s of frets, and the truth is that wherever your hand is on the fretboard you have easy access to every note in over 2 octaves. That’s a lot of notes, and it’s everything you need to play some sweet blues.

So in this post I’m going to show you 3 cool licks in the D form of the minor pentatonic scale. Learn them, love them, make them your own and then store them away safely in your bag of blues licks tricks!

In case you don’t have the D form of the minor pentatonic scale under your fingers here it is:

If you don’t already know it be sure to learn it by heart and then practice it in all 12 keys.

These licks are in the key of G. Once you get them down you should practice them in all 12 keys. It’s also a great idea to learn them in all of the different CAGED patterns of the Minor Pentatonic scale, in differnet octaves in every area of the guitar fretboard. That’s the kind of practice that will really pay off, in fact it’s essential to truly master the guitar.

The first blues lick is very simple:

|-------6------|
|---6-8---8----|
|-7------------|
|--------------|
|--------------|
|--------------|

Take a listen:

The second lick starts with a full step bend:

|-8b10-6-8---6--------|
|----------8---8-8----|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|

Listen:

The third lick incorporates the 1st 2, but this time instead of bending I’m shifting up to play the high note. You can play it by bending like in the 2nd lick, and of course that will sound great.

|---------------6----------10-6-8---6--------|
|-----------6-8---8---------------8---8-8----|
|-----5-6-7----------------------------------|
|-5-8----------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|

Here’s what this lick sounds like:

So there you have it, 3 cool blues licks in the D form of the Minor Pentatonic scale. Once you learn them be sure to play around with them. Change the rhythm, change a note or 2, expand on them, make them your blues licks. Enjoy!

3 Cool Blues Licks is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...
2. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 2 Now that you’ve got the first position of the scale...
3. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 So now that you know the first 2 patterns of...
4. Better Blues Licks: Question…Repeat…Answer Image via Wikipedia “I went to the crossroads, fell down...
5. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 4 So now that you know the first 3 patterns of...

“I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, have mercy now, save poor Bob if you please”
-Robert Johnson

What Makes A Great Blues Guitar Solo?

The blues is about telling your stories. It’s about baring your soul, expressing who you are and where you’ve been.

Robert Johnson was sharing a very personal thing, he went to mouth of Hell, prayed for salvation, then gave up everything to play the blues.

But the best music is about tension and release. You have to bring the listener to that point of tension where they are glued to everything you do, and you have to reward them in the end. If you can do that, they will love you.

If you can’t bring them to that place in the first place you’ll lose them fast. They won’t pay attention.

If you can get them there, but not get them off, you’re just a tease. And they will hate you for it!

The great thing is that this tension and release is built into the 12 bar blues form. To play the blues well you need to understand the form of the blues. And there is no better way to understand the form of the blues than to study the masters.

So for this lesson I want to look at the classic “Cross Road Blues” by Robert Johnson.

12 Bar Blues

“Cross  Road Blues” is a standard 12 bar blues.

Of course that means that it consists of 12 measures.  But if you look closer, you will see that those 12 bars are divided into 4 bar phrases.  This is very important.

Let’s listen to the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd60nI4sa9A

The first 4 bar phrase contains the lyric

“I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees”

The melody of this lyric poses a musical question that is placed in that first 4 bar area. It is the 1st 4 bar phrase, and it is left open. If he stopped there it would feel incomplete.

The question is repeated in the 2nd 4 bar phrase. This builds tension, you can hardly wait to hear how it’s going to turn out.

“I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees”

Then, the 3rd 4 bar phrase finally has the answer:

“Asked the Lord above, have mercy now, save poor Bob if you please”

The musical question is answered, the tension is resolved. Now we can start the 12 bar cycle over and do it again.

Apply This Principal To Your Blues Licks

Get out some staff paper, or tab paper, and write some 12 bar blues licks that follow the form question…repeat question..answer. Yes, write them down…it will help you to really learn the principle and to remember what you came up with.

Then put on a play along, and play those suckers. How many can you come up with?

When you have a few you really like, practice developing them. Start with your original idea, change it a bit in the next chorus and so on. This is a great way to build a blues guitar solo!

Keep this idea in your head when you play the blues…it will help you to play musically, not just rip out a bunch of notes that don’t really speak to anyone.

Some Final Thoughts

Breathe. Put space in your solos. Too many guitarists never stop to take a breathe. It’s like a screaming child on an airplane. Don’t be one of those!

Listen to singers and other instruments. Miles Davis said that he learned more about soloing by listening to singers than anything else. Singing is all about phrasing…play like a singer and you will connect with your audience.

Guitarists have a tendency to put notes together in a way that lays out well on the guitar. Studying the lines of other instrumentalists helps you to think outside the box.

If you apply this idea to your blues, your licks will speak to your audience, guaranteed! Now, go PLAY THE BLUES!

Better Blues Licks: Question…Repeat…Answer is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style Blues lick #2 is an intro to a slow blues...
2. Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling How do you play the blues with feeling? How do...
3. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 So now that you know the first 2 patterns of...
4. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
5. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...

We take a long flat hunk of wood, hammer some pieces of metal into it, stretch 6 wires across it, and spend the rest of our lives trying to figure the darn thing out. How can something so simple be so complicated?

The guitar is a complicated instrument, and it’s very difficult to master. It’s hard to see all the notes, and most things can be played on the guitar in many ways. And I don’t mean different chord voicings or melodic ideas, I mean the exact same notes.

But if you look closer there is a way to simplify things. All you need to know are these basic chord shapes:

Each of these chord shapes is the basis for a basic chord form (or shape), and each of these basic chord forms can be moved up the fingerboard to play any major chord. For example, when you play the E shape on the 3rd fret (your basic barre chord) you are playing a G major chord. It can be thought of as the E form of the G major chord. In other words, it is shaped like an open E chord.

Each of these chord forms can be found somewhere on the fingerboard with any of the 12 notes as the root. And if you look closely you will notice a few things:

• When the root note is the same (for example, all C chords) for all the chord forms, the shapes lay out on the fretboard in this order: C-A-G-E-D. Of course, the lowest (closest to the nut) form varies. For example, the lowest form of the F major chord is the E form, and the lowest form of the G major chord is the G Form. The shapes then continue up the fretboard from there in the CAGED order. Note that the D form is followed by, and connected to, the C form.
• There are notes common to consecutive chord forms.
• The full pattern (all 5 forms) covers an entire octave and then starts over. (Notice in the chart below that the D form connects to the C form).

C A G E D Guitar Patterns in C Major

C A G E D Guitar Patterns in G Major

Notice that the G form in the chart above can also be played at the 1st position. It’s the basic open G chord.

This way of understanding the fingerboard has come to be known as CAGED theory. The great thing about CAGED theory is that everything we do as guitarists can be seen in the CAGED framework. After you can see the big shapes it is easier to understand how the scales are arranged in all the patterns. And chords are specific notes that we pick out of the scales.

CAGED theory is the framework upon which all of the scale patterns, arpeggios, and positions on this website are based. It is very important that you see the guitar fingerboard in this way.

Video Guitar Lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_lYPR41auc

Learning The CAGED Guitar System

Step 1

Play all the chord forms of the C major chord up the fingerboard. Some of them aren’t the most practical way to play a chord, but remember that the purpose of this exercise is to see the shapes and how they lay out on the fingerboard. Be sure to pay attention to how the patterns are connected, and that you know the location of the root notes in each pattern.

In order to do this you will need to know the notes on the E and A strings pretty well. If you need help with that take a look at this: Learn The Guitar Notes.

Step 2

Once you can do step 1 easily, play each of the forms in order (C-A-G-E-D) in every key (around the circle of 4ths) beginning with the C form. You will have to shift down the fingerboard for most keys.

Step 3

Play the pattern around the circle of 4ths beginning with the lowest chord form available on the fingerboard. All 12 major chords can be played in the 1st or 2nd position in one of the chord forms.

Step 4

Choose a 5 fret area anywhere on the fingerboard. Limiting yourself to that area, play all 12 major chords around the circle of 4ths.

Eventually you will be able to see how everything you play fits into the CAGED guitar system, and you will be able to navigate all areas of the fretboard easier than ever before.

The CAGED Guitar System is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. The CAGED Guitar System – Learn The Guitar Fretboard Just a quick post to point you to this article...
2. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
3. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 4 So now that you know the first 3 patterns of...
4. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 5 The 5th pattern of the Minor Pentatonic Scale is the...
5. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...

The 5th pattern of the Minor Pentatonic Scale is the G form (from the perspective of CAGED guitar).

The Minor Pentatonic Scale Position 5

It fits over the open G7 chord shape:

Once you get a grip on pattern be sure to follow these steps:

• Play it all 12 keys, ascending and descending
• Practice connecting all 5 patterns up and down
• Experiment! Make some music

Be sure to subscribe to this blog and get your free copy of Blues Rules for a more details and techniques to get the Minor Pentatonic scale burned into your brain, so that you can make music with it. It is the fundamental sound of the blues!

The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 5 is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 4 So now that you know the first 3 patterns of...
2. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 2 Now that you’ve got the first position of the scale...
3. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...
4. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 So now that you know the first 2 patterns of...
5. Get The Blues Right: Taj Mahal And The Diminished 7 Chord Ever since Jake and Elwood did it in The Blues...

So now that you know the first 3 patterns of the Minor Pentatonic Scale it’s time to get your fingers on the 4th pattern.

This pattern is really useful because it fits in the area where you would play a chord with the root note on the 5th string. Notice the root note on the 5th string in the chart below:

The Minor Pentatonic Scale Pattern 4

In the CAGED Theory framework this pattern is the A form because it fits over the open A shaped dominant 7 chord:

Of course that shows the chord in the open position, but if you move it up to the 10th fret you will have a G7 chord. And once again the root note is on the 5th string.

When practicing this pentatonic scale shape be sure to stick to a one finger per fret approach. Take a look at the video to see what I mean:

I tried to put a tab of the scale in this post, but the picture is too big. When I reduce the size it doesn’t look good at all. So if you want a tab, be sure to grab your free copy of Blues Rules. There’s full tabs, licks and charts, as well as a lot more information.

Be sure that you are working through the practice techniques outlined in part 3 of this series. Stay tuned for the next part where I will not only show you the 5th pattern of the minor pentatonic scale, but I’ll post a video lesson demonstrating practice techniques to get the scale under your fingers and in your ears so you can get on with the the business of playing the blues guitar.

So grab your guitar and get at it!

The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 4 is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 2 Now that you’ve got the first position of the scale...
2. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...
3. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 So now that you know the first 2 patterns of...
4. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
5. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...

So now that you know the first 2 patterns of the Minor Pentatonic Scale it’s time to get your fingers on the 3rd pattern.
Many blues guitarists focus primarily on the first 2 patterns of the scale, but if you want to be really good you need to learn to play all over the fingerboard. The 3rd pattern of the scale is the trickiest because it involves shifting positions to play the 7th fret on the 3rd string and the 11th fret on the 2nd string.

Here it is in the key of G:

The Minor Pentatonic Scale Pattern 3

Notice that I start with my 2nd finger so that I can get that 7th fret note on the 3rd string, and then I shift up a fret on the 2nd string so that I can get the 11th fret note on the 2nd string. The truth is that it’s more difficult to go from the 2nd finger to the 4th finger than it is is to go from the 1st finger to the 3rd finger. But it’s more economical to do it this way, and practicing like this helps to strengthen the 4th finger.

In actual playing I may play those lower sting notes with my 1st and 3rd finger, depending on the lick and whats going on around it. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting some licks soon that illustrate what I am talking about.

In actual playing I may play those lower string notes with my 1st and 3rd finger, depending on the lick and what’s going on around it. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting some licks soon that illustrate what I am talking about.

Also, notice that this pattern fits over this Dominant 7 chord shape:

At this point you should be able to play the first 2 patterns easily. So here are some practice suggestions:

1. Once you get this pattern under your fingers play it all 12 keys around the circle of 4ths. For more information about his practice technique be sure to subscribe to this blog and get the free Blues Rules course.
2. Practice playing all three patterns of the scale that you know so far, up and down, starting from the first pattern. Pay close attention to how they are connected. Once you get that down do it around the circle of 4ths.
3. Practice going back and forth between the Dominant 7 chord form shown above and the scale. And once again, do it aound the circle of 4ths.
4. Have some fun with it! Put on a blues play-long and make some music.

So get to work. I will be posting the 4th pattern very soon!

The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 3 is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 2 Now that you’ve got the first position of the scale...
2. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...
3. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
4. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
5. Learn The Guitar Notes In 3 Simple Steps This topic certainly applies to the blues guitar, but no...

Now that you’ve got the first position of the scale under your fingers it’s time to to get to work on the second position.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to read the part 1 of this series on the Minor Pentatonic Scale.

The Second Pattern Of The Minor Pentatonic Scale

When you move up a pattern in the scale, you lose the lowest note on the 6th string but you gain a higher note on the 1st string. Here is what it looks like:

The Minor Pentatonic Scale Pattern 2

When you practice the scale it’s a good idea to start with your second finger. Keep your hand in the 5th position (your first finger should be at the 5th fret of the guitar) play each note with the appropriate finger. Check out the video to see what I mean.

Of course in a real playing situation you may use various fingerings depending on the licks you are executing.  It is common to play the top 3 strings of the D form Minor Pentatonic Scale with the first finger on the 6th fret, the 2nd finger on the 7th fret and the 3rd finger on the 8th fret.  This makes it easier to bend the notes on the first 2 strings.

Once you get familiar with the D form practice switching from the E form of the scale to the D form and back.  Try to use logical fingerings.  You can do a lot with just these 2 scale forms.  Stevie Ray Vaughan and a lot of other great blues guitarists rely heavily on them.

The Blues Rules course contains some guitar tabs to help you get a handle on switching back and forth between these 2 forms, and it’s free when you subscribe to 100 Blues Licks. Just fill in your name and email address at the top of this page.

Here are just a couple of licks to get you started.  There are more to come!

Next: The C form of the Minor Pentatonic Scale.  Also, some video lessons of cool blues licks using the 2 forms covered so far.

The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 2 is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 ...
2. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
3. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
4. Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling How do you play the blues with feeling? How do...
5. Learn The Guitar Notes In 3 Simple Steps This topic certainly applies to the blues guitar, but no...

Every blues guitarist must have a firm grasp on the minor pentatonic scale so I thought it would be a good idea to do an in-depth series covering the scale and each of the 5 pentatonic scale patterns. In the first part of the series I will explain exactly what the minor pentatonic scale is and show you the first pattern.

How I Approach Learning Guitar Scales

• Because it lays out so well on the guitar fretboard I like to learn a scale in the key of G. Once I learn it in G then I work on playing it in different keys. So the fretboard charts in this tutorial are all in the key of G.
• I see the guitar fretboard according to CAGED theory. If you don’t know what that is take a look at this blog post: CAGED Guitar before you read any further.
• Learning a scale is just the first step. Turning it into music is another thing. Be sure to check out this post: How To Learn Guitar Scales.

What Is The Minor Pentatonic Scale?

The word pentatonic literally means “five” (penta) “tones” (tonic). A pentatonic scale is one that contains only 5 notes. Actually there are many pentatonic scales, but the most common are the minor and major pentatonic scales.

The 5 notes of the minor pentatonic scale are: R – b3 – 4 – 5 – b7. So in the key of G the notes are G – Bb – C – D – F. For more on what all this means be sure to subscribe to 100blueslicks.com and get the free Blues Rules course. Check the sidebar of this page.

The first pattern of the scale is the E form (see the CAGED Guitar post link under “How I Approach Learning Guitar Scales).

G Minor Pentatonic Scale Pattern 1

Get Started Playing The Minor Pentatonic Scale

In the 3rd position, that is with your 1st finger at the 3rd fret, Play each note from the lowest to the highest and back again. Following a rule of one finger per fret, play the notes on the 6th fret with your 4th finger, and play the notes on the 5th fret with your 3rd finger.

Also, be sure to alternate your pick. The first note should be an upstroke and the then a downstroke and so on.

Once you start to get familiar with the pattern, set your metronome (you do have one don’t you?) at a moderate tempo, around 70 beats per minute, and try to play each note in time.

For more details on learning guitar scales, including a printable chart of the minor pentatonic scale covering the entire fretboard, be sure to subscribe and get your free Blues Rules guitar course.

Make Music With The Minor Pentatonic Scale

The E Form of the minor pentatonic scale is probably the most commonly used of the 5 patterns. Here are here are a couple sample licks to get you started:

The Minor Pentatonic Scale – Part 1 is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
2. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
3. Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling How do you play the blues with feeling? How do...
4. Get The Blues Right: Taj Mahal And The Diminished 7 Chord Ever since Jake and Elwood did it in The Blues...
5. Take My Advice: You Can Play Guitar But You Suck! Sometimes the truth hurts.  But if you can get over...

Blues Jam Night

This is a true story. Some years ago when I was working hard at getting my chops together I was a regular at a local blues jam night.  I was at a point where I was learning lots of technical stuff. My fingers were flying pretty fast and I felt pretty damn good about it.  I couldn’t wait to get up there and show the world what I could do.

When it was my turn to play I gave it all I had.  I played my heart out and then I played some more.  I squeezed every last drop of mojo out of that guitar and then I bled it until it cried out it pain.  I played my proverbial rear end off.

“That’ll show ‘em,”  I thought to myself as I put my guitar away.  I had once and for all established myself as a god of the blues guitar. Now I was gonna get some respect!

That’s when it happened.

A guy came over to me, backed me against the wall and said it: “You can play guitar, but you suck!”

“What!” I said, I couldn’t believe he had just said that.

Before I go on I should tell you about this guy. First of all, he’s a great player.  Not just good, but really great.  Second, he is the very rare type of person that really tells you what he thinks.  He doesn’t sugarcoat it, and he doesn’t really give a damn if you don’t like it.  And yes, he’s pissed off a lot of people over the years.

Well at first I got angry.  How dare he say that to me!  But then I calmed down.  I decided to hear him out.

He went on to compliment my technical skill.  I was really improving, he said, “but when you play, forget about all that stuff and play some music.”

He went on to give me some of the best advice I’ve ever been given.   He told me to practice singing what I play.  To start he said to put on a jam track,  a simple slow blues to start.  Choose 2 notes from the scale and sing them while I play them.  You really can make music with only 2 notes!

When that becomes easy, add a 3rd note.  After a while, add another, and so on.

Simple, isn’t it? But also an incredibly powerful way to get to the music you hear in your soul and make it happen on your guitar.

That one piece of advice helped me learn to play musically, not just throw a bunch of meaningless sound at the audience and hope for the best.

You see, playing the blues isn’t about flashy, fast, technical overplaying.  It’s about telling your stories.  It’s about playing your guitar with feeling.  It’s about baring your soul for everyone to see.

What I had been doing was playing too much, too fast, too often, and not really saying anything.  It’s like I was standing on a chair in the middle of the room and screaming my head off.  People just wanted me to SHUT UP!

Now I use this technique every time I play.  It is one of the most important skills I have as a guitarist.  And, the guy who gave me this bit of advice is my friend.

It’s good to have someone around who really gives you their honest opinion.  And he plays a mean blues guitar, too.

Take My Advice: You Can Play Guitar But You Suck! is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling How do you play the blues with feeling? How do...
2. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
3. The CAGED Guitar System – Learn The Guitar Fretboard Just a quick post to point you to this article...
4. Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style Blues lick #2 is an intro to a slow blues...
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Elwood And Jake

Ever since Jake and Elwood did it in The Blues Brothers, “She Caught The Katie” by blues great Taj Mahal has been a jam night standard.  But this great song has one little twist that often trips up less experienced players:  the Diminished 7 chord.

It’s not that the Diminished 7 chord is difficult to play on the guitar, on the contrary, it’s very easy.   The problem is that many budding blues guitarists have never even heard of such a thing, let alone try to play it.

So, first of all, here are 3 standard ways to play it:

One cool thing about the diminished 7 chord is that any note can be the root! This is due to the symmetrical structure of the chord.

OK, before I lose you let me explain. The 12 notes are:

C – C#/Db – D – D#/Eb – E – F – F#/Gb – G – G#/Ab – A – A#/Bb – B

And the notes of the Diminished 7 chord are each a minor 3rd (3 frets) apart. So to build the chord starting with C the notes are:

C Eb Gb A

And Eb Diminished is:

Eb Gb A C

Gb Diminished 7 is:

Gb A C Eb

And A diminished 7 is:

A C Eb Gb

Notice that each of these 4 chords are made up of the exact same notes. So they really are all the same chord, just voiced a differently. Usually the note we want in the bass is considered the root, but not necessarily.

The other 2 diminished 7 chords are made up of these notes:

Db E G Bb

and

D F Ab B

Since all the notes are a minor 3rd apart, you can move the Diminished 7 chords around up and down the guitar fretboard in 3 fret intervals and you will be playing the exact same chord. This is a great way to add movement to the rhythm. Its really slick.

Here’s a short video demonstration:

And here’s the man himself, Taj Mahal, with Bonnie Raitt, playing the great tune “She Caught The Katie.” Enjoy!

Get The Blues Right: Taj Mahal And The Diminished 7 Chord is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
2. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
3. Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style Blues lick #2 is an intro to a slow blues...
4. Learn The Guitar Notes In 3 Simple Steps This topic certainly applies to the blues guitar, but no...
5. Blues Guitar Lick #1: The Essential Blues Turnaround If you are going to play the blues, there are...

To put the lick in context I play a chorus of the blues at the beginning of the video guitar lesson. I didn’t have anything planned beyond the initial lick. Also I slowed it down a bit and showed a couple closeups at the end. Let me know what you think. The great backup track is an mp3 from 50blues.

                       |3-| |-3-|             |--3--|      |--3--|
                  H    Q  E E E E   W   Q    +Q    +E  Q  +E   E E   W
                |-----------------|-3-|----------------------------|------|
                |-------------3-5-|---|-6b8--(6)r--(6)-3--(3)------|------|
                |---------3-4-----|---|------------------------3-4-|------|
                |-----------------|---|----------------------------|-5----|
                |-----------------|---|----------------------------|------|
                |-----------------|---|----------------------------|------|

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWIZ3gI2lHI

Blues Guitar Lick #2 – Slow Blues Intro – B.B. King Style is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

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1. Blues Guitar Lick #1: The Essential Blues Turnaround If you are going to play the blues, there are...
2. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
3. Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling How do you play the blues with feeling? How do...
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So in this post I am going to outline a simple 3-step process for learning all the notes on the guitar. The best thing about this method is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time working on it. All you need is about 10 minutes a day.

It’s too much to learn every note on every string at once, so I suggest that you start with the 6th and 5th strings. This works out great because the notes are the same on the 1st and 6th strings. Once you get a grip on the E and A strings you are half way there. Then you can apply the same technique to learn the other 3 strings.

I think you will find that once you learn the notes on these strings you will have an easier time learning the others. And the E and A strings are the first place for you to see the roots of your chords so learning these first will help you right away.

Step 1: Learn The Guitar Notes Ascending

Starting in the first position, play all the notes on the E string from the open E note to the E note at the 12th fret. Play them using the fingering written at the side of the fretboard chart. You should only have to move your hand 2 times: from the open position to the 5th position, and then to the 10th position.

At this stage you are only going to play the notes in the C major scale, no accidentals (sharps and flats).

Now do the same thing on the A string. If you take a look at the guitar fretboard chart you’ll notice that the patterns of the two strings are almost identical, the exception being the F note on the 6th string and the B note on the 5th string.

Say the notes out loud as you play them. This is to help reinforce what notes you are playing.

Pay attention to the dots on the fretboard. Use them to help you see the notes. Most guitars have single dots on frets 3, 5, 7, and 9, and two dots on fret 12. The pattern is usually different at the 12th fret guitars with inlays. The 12th fret is the octave point on the string. This is where the notes start over on the guitar. So the 12th fret on the E string is an E note, on the A string it’s an A note etc.

Your goal for step 1 is to be able to play all these notes, ascending (from lowest to highest), with the fingering indicated, while you say the notes out loud, by heart. For most people this comes pretty fast. You may be able to do it after only a few minutes.

Don’t move on to step 2 until you can easily do step 1.

Step 2: The Guitar Notes Descending

Playing the notes in a descending manner (from highest to lowest) is a little more difficult. For one thing it’s much easier to say the alphabet forwards than backwards. This makes you think a little harder about the notes.

It is very important to do this with the same fingering as before. To help improve technique it’s a good idea to make sure your fingers are all down behind their respective frets on the fingerboard before you begin to play the notes. To move from one note to the other all you have to do is lift up one or two fingers.

The goal here is to be able to play all the notes with the fingers marked on the guitar fretboard chart to the right while saying the notes out loud from the highest to the lowest notes.

Don’t go on to step 3 until you have a pretty good grip on steps 1 and 2. It might take a few days working on steps 1 and 2 before you are ready to go on to step 3. That’s fine. The goal is not to learn things fast; it’s to learn them right. Just keep plugging away and you will get it. The secret to success in learning to play guitar is to practice the right things and to keep at it. It’s that simple.

Step 3: The Circle of 4ths

Here is where you really get going. Now you are going to play all 12 notes on each of the strings around the Circle of 4ths, and say them out loud while you do it.

The circle of 4ths is all the notes in this order:

C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A D G

You may have heard of the circle of 5ths. This is the same thing only in reverse.

For this step you can use one finger. If you don’t know where a note is, go back to steps 1 and 2 to find it. Then take a moment to look at it closer. Notice the fret number. Try to see it in context. What are the notes around it?

Remember, being able to find a note is not he same as knowing it. In a playing situation by the time you figure it out everyone else will be way ahead of you and you will be lost. The goal here is to be able to play all the notes while saying them out loud very fast. You should do this everyday until your head is faster than your hand.

Once you have a pretty good grasp of these strings make a chart for the other strings and do the same thing. When you do these strings you will find that the fingering patterns have to be different. Figure out what works best and go with it.

Follow these steps and you will know all your notes like the back of your hand. This will open up the fretboard and make it easier to understand chords, play melodies, improvise, to do everything you do with your guitar.

Video Guitar Lesson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX41XTgjEBs

Learn The Guitar Notes In 3 Simple Steps is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two So by now you have those 3 note dominant 7...
2. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
3. Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling How do you play the blues with feeling? How do...
4. Blues Guitar Lick #1: The Essential Blues Turnaround If you are going to play the blues, there are...
5. Guitar Great Lonnie Mack – The Father of Blues Rock I live in Cleveland, Ohio, which also happens to be...

In part 2 of this lesson I’m going to show you some really cool chords built from these basic 3 note blues chords:

And the alternate fingering of the 6th string root dominant 7 chord:

Starting with the G7 fingering in the chord chart above, you only have to add your 4th finger to the 5th fret on the B string to play a G13 chord:

The Dominant 13 chord is a really cool sound, very jazzy!

The 6th string root Dominant 9 chord is not really built on the Dominant 7 fingering, but it’s too cool to leave out:

Notice that the G note is not played in this chord (3rd fret, 6th string). This works out great when you are playing in a band. The bass player will play the root at the bottom, and your chord is in the middle range for a nice smooth sound.

There are two ways to play a dominant 9 chord with a 5th string root based on the 3 note blues guitar chord. For the first all you have to do is add your 4th finger to the B string like this:

The other way is a little bit more difficult. You have to hold the top 3 strings down with your 3rd finger:

Holding 3 guitar strings down with your 3rd finger may be tough at first, but keep at and eventually it will become easy. And once you can do that you can tackle the 5th string root Dominant 13 chord:

That one is probably the hardest. It may be easier at first to work on this fingering higher up on the guitar fretboard where the frets are closer together.

Be sure to watch the video guitar lesson where I demonstrate all of these chords.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXOdtbZ7gn8

Coming Up: Blues Guitar Lick #2!

Blues Guitar Lesson – Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
2. Blues Guitar Lick #1: The Essential Blues Turnaround If you are going to play the blues, there are...
3. Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling How do you play the blues with feeling? How do...
4. Guitar Great Lonnie Mack – The Father of Blues Rock I live in Cleveland, Ohio, which also happens to be...

Learn to sing with your guitar.

I don’t know if it’s true, but I once heard that jazz great Miles Davis said that he’d learned more about soloing from listening to Billie Holiday sing than anywhere else. Whether it’s true or not, this is an idea every blues guitarist should think about.

When Billie Holiday sang, all the happiness and pain, the hopes and disappointments of her life, all the experiences that made her who she was when she sang that song could be heard in her voice.

It’s the same when when you play a guitar solo. At least it should be.

You have to be brave to play the blues well. You have to go deep down to the depths of your soul where the sunshine and the muck are stored. You have to have the guts to put it all out there for everyone to see. That’s how Billie Holiday sang. She was fearless.

Remember: the only soul you have to play with is your own. It all comes from you. Like Charlie Parker said, “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”

But how do you get that point? Well, I can’t tell you how to live, but I can give you these suggestions to help you channel that soul through your guitar.

1. Listen To Singers

Study the singers that you like. Why do you like them? Pay attention to their phrasing and dynamics. Try to play what they sing on your guitar. Focus on making your guitar sound as much like the human voice as possible.

In general, guitar players focus too much on studying other guitar players. A lot to be learned from paying attention to singers, and other instruments as well. Listen to some of the great horn players like Miles Davis, Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon and others.. Those guys learned this lesson well, and you can learn a lot from them. Do what they did.

2. Study the Song

For far too many guitarists the song is just a vehicle to show off their chops. They don’t really care about the substance of the song, they just can’t wait to get to that solo!

Face it: the song is the star. You can’t play a meaningful solo unless you know what the song is about. Be sure you know the words. Can you relate what’s going on in the song to something in your own life? Do you know what it’s like to love and get hurt, to feel like you want to die? Or to be happy, on top of the world. After all the blues is a happy feeling too!

3. Sing What You Play

One of the most powerful techniques to make your guitar solos more musical is to sing what you play. On the awesome studio recording “If Trouble Was Money” by Albert Collins, you can hear him grunting and groaning as he plays his solos. He’s not trying to be George Benson, he’s singing what he plays.

Singing what you play helps get to the music inside your soul. Rather than just playing familiar old patterns on the fingerboard, your licks will get closer to the sounds you hear in your head than ever.

But it takes practice. Start by putting on a blues play-along track (check out the “Great Blues Rhythm Tracks link on the sidebar for some good practice tracks) and choose only 2 notes from the minor pentatonic scale. Practice singing those 2 notes as you play them until it becomes comfortable. Then add a 3rd. Then a 4th and so on.

Before long you will find that you are gaining more control over your blues licks than ever before.

4. Repetition Is A Good Thing

Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. Repetition gives the listener something to grab onto and make sense of the music. It also builds tension. One of my teachers told me that you can repeat a phrase 3 times. After that it gets boring. But if you never repeat yourself you will lose most listeners very quickly.

Consider the standard 12-bar blues form. The first 4 bars present a musical question. The second 4 bars repeat the question. The final 4 bars answers the question.

“Sweet Little Angel” by B.B. King for example:

“Got a sweet little angel, I love the way she spreads her wings” – question
“Got a sweet little angel, I love the way she spreads her wings” – repeat question
“When she she spreads her wings around me I find joy in everything” – answer

This call and response form is at the heart of the blues. Use it in your guitar solos.

5. Breathe

Another tendency of guitarists is to play and play and play and never stop to breathe. Just as a singer has to breathe, be sure that you pause to take a breath.

Visual artists have the concept of negative and positive space. Positive space is the places on the canvas that are filled in. The negative space is the places that are not. Negative space is necessary so that the positive space can be seen. It’s the same in music.

Don’t fear the silence. Pausing between phrases will make your playing more interesting, more expressive, and more human. The listener will love you for it.

6. Don’t Forget Dynamics

Take any lick and play it loud. Now play it soft. It’s different, isn’t it? Dynamics is a necessary ingredient in the blues. When everything is at the same level it gets boring really fast.

When you play the blues you have to tease the crowd. Make them wait for it. If you want a crowd in a club to talk louder just play louder. Soon they’ll be shouting over you.

The best way to get people to quiet down and listen is play just a couple of notes very quietly. Once you’ve got them you can bring it up and hit them hard. I’ve seen it time and time again. Always consider the dynamics of a solo, of a song, of a set, even of an entire gig.

7. Less Really Is More

Maybe you’ve heard this before. It’s time to hear it again. Most of us need to hear it over and over. If you’re playing metal it doesn’t apply, but the important thing in the blues is playing your guitar with soul, not showing off your chops.

I’m not saying you can never throw in those impressive fast licks, but if you are always playing tons of notes the right one won’t get noticed. The listeners will get overloaded and you’ll lose them. Always strive to hit the right note and leave the others out.

Just like Billie Holiday did.

Better Blues Guitar Solos – 7 Ways To Play With Feeling is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lick #1: The Essential Blues Turnaround If you are going to play the blues, there are...
2. Blues Chords – Part One One of the defining characteristics of the blues in a...
3. Guitar Great Lonnie Mack – The Father of Blues Rock I live in Cleveland, Ohio, which also happens to be...

And when the root of the chord is on the 5th string, for example a C7, it is often played like this:

To be honest, I don’t really like the 6th string version of the dominant 7 chord. It is too big, too clunky. It gets in the way. If you are playing with a singer, or singing yourself, or someone is taking a solo it will step all over them.

Think of it this way: when you are playing rhythm guitar you are the accompaniment. Your job is to support the lead line whether it be a singer or another instrument. Think of the singer, or lead instrument as the top note in your chord. Every sound has its place an, and they all fit together to make a heavenly blues sound.

The 5th string root version of the dominant 7 is great. No complaints.

But for basic blues guitar chords I like to rely on three note chords. In this case less really is more. Actually, less usually is more. Especially at a blues jam night after a couple of beers. But that’s another post…

So rather than using that big ole’ clunky G7 chord, I would play this:

You can also finger this chord like this:

Not only will it sound better, but it’s an easy transition on the guitar fretboard to my preferred version of the 5th string root C7 chord:

These basic blues chords are also the basis for a few really nice advanced blues chords that I will cover in Part Two of this lesson. Check out the video lesson where I demonstrate these great voicings of basic blues guitar chords.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJnst6T8O_4

Check out part 2 of this lesson: Blues Guitar Chords – Part Two

Blues Chords – Part One is from 100 Blues Licks where you can get more free guitar blues guitar lessons, blues licks and more.

More Blues:

1. Blues Guitar Lick #1: The Essential Blues Turnaround If you are going to play the blues, there are...
2. Guitar Great Lonnie Mack – The Father of Blues Rock I live in Cleveland, Ohio, which also happens to be...