How To Play Blues Guitar:

A Beginner`s Guide On How To Play

Blues Chords, Scales And Licks To
Be An Authentic Blues Guitarist!
Copyright © 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be edited or shared without the
prior written permission of the publisher.

Disclaimer
All the material contained in this book is provided for educational and
informational purposes only. No responsibility can be taken for any results or
outcomes resulting from the use of this material.

While every attempt has been made to provide information that is both accurate
and effective, the author does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or
use/misuse of this information.

Free Extras
Go to How to Play Blues Guitar Extras to get your supplementary extras for
this book. This includes the essential audio examples for EVERY piece of
music in the book and a free printable tab and sheet music PDF in one handy
file.

There are links throughout the book but I recommend you get both now.

Reviews
If you enjoy this book, please head over to Amazon and leave it a review. I`ll
be forever grateful and will even buy you a drink if we ever meet in person!

Free eBooks
Head to my website Guitar Domination to join the free mailing list and get my
best tips, tricks and freebies sent to your inbox.

The Elite Guitarist Inner Circle

Would you like to join a monthly programme where you get new video song
lessons, an in-depth, in-focus technique builder, personalized coaching from
me, and a whole lot more all for a very low price? If so, click HERE for more
details.
 Dan Thorpe`s step by step book
teaches you how to play blues rhythm
and lead guitar on both acoustic and
electric…

….from the ground up and so it

sounds amazing and authentic!
 Reader reviews for other Dan
Thorpe books

Five Stars

“This is one of the best guides that I have read.”

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

“Another fantastic book by Dan Thorpe. The book is well

structured and clear. It ‘speaks’ to you almost as if Dan is
in front of you giving you a lesson.

Each chapter flows logically into the next with a good mix
of easy to understand theory and practice exercises to
reinforce the theory.
 The building blocks soon start to stack up and you get
visible results. Can’t get enough of this author’s books –
they’re great!”

Anne

Five Stars

“Starts with the basics and builds upon them. Very detailed
and it has helped me tremendously at the technique. I
would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking
to learn the techniques outlined in this book.”

Jeff M.

Five Stars

“Not my first purchase from Dan and sure it won't be the last. Clear
instruction in a relaxed manner ideal for any guitar student. Can't wait to
get further into it. This guy has been a great help to me!”
 Colin Newcombe

Five Stars

“I took up playing the guitar about a year ago learning from books and
through observation. This book is simply great in helping to develop playing
skills. Btw, I am 68 and believe me this does help.”

Joe (Amazon Customer)

Five Stars

“I was stuck with my guitar progress and then found Dan. His material is
excellent, easy to follow and makes a lot of sense. I am already starting to
see a way forward with my musical journey. Plenty more is available from
Dan, I look forward to becoming a better player.”

Jon Hopkins
 Five Stars

“Excellent book that makes the style very easy and clear to understand. Very
well put together without being overwhelming. Great confidence builder as
you build your skill set. Recommend - yes.”

Mr S. (Amazon Customer)

Five Stars

“Every guitar player should add this to his rehearsal program!”

Vincent Cartier
 Table of Contents
Introduction
The Two Types of Blues!
What is `shuffle` and why is it so important for blues?

Essential Blues Tips

The Key Factors that separate the fakers from the makers!

Rhythm – Getting Started With the Blues!

Easy Blues Chords to Get Started
Adding Some Rhythm – How To Strum the Blues
The 12 bar blues sequence

Lead - Tear Up The Fretboard With Your First Blues Licks

An Easy Blues Scale to Get You Started
How to M ake Your Scales Shine Like A Pro
M aking M usic and Adding Some Licks
Putting it all together to play a blues lead solo

`Call and Answer Blues`

What is a `Call and Answer`?
You play the RHYTHM and I`ll play the LEAD!
You play the LEAD and I`ll play the RHYTHM !

Fingerpicking the Blues – Make One Guitar Sound like Two!

You play the Fingerpicking RHYTHM and I`ll play the LEAD!

Turnarounds – the Secret to Making Blues Sound Fresh and Fun

The Final Song
Two Methods for Playing the Blues in All 12 Keys
The Blues – Now Run With It!
Links and Other Useful Resources
 Introduction

This book is NOT your usual run of the mill `blues you can use` book which
starts off really simple, boring and basic before rapidly jumping into stuff that
is way too difficult to play for any mere mortal trying to get a grasp of the
blues.

Instead, this book is progressive and moves along at a good, steady pace while
keeping everything fun and your excitement levels high!

In fact, to make it extra exciting I have designed the book to be like two mini
books in one.

Half of the book is dedicated to rhythm blues and the other half is dedicated to
lead blues.

Best of all, all the rhythm parts you will learn fit perfectly with all the lead
parts and vice versa.

My aim is to get you playing BOTH rhythm and lead blues – and at the
same time!

Sounds scary, well you should not be scared as I break everything down into
small bitesize steps.

You won`t be scared but you will be pleasantly surprised by just how
awesome and joyous playing the blues like this is.

Once you have completed this book YOU will be able to play both rhythm
blues and lead blues.
I have designed the examples to work perfectly on both electric and acoustic
guitars so every guitarist who wants to learn the blues can do so.

That means there are NO parts that are out of reach for any type of player.
 What This Book Is About
This book is all about getting you playing some fun, exciting and authentic
blues arrangements in real quick time.

I have studied a lot of blues and read a lot of blues books over the years and
most books tend to fall into the same trap.

They start off really basic with lots and lots of exercises or drills that help
build your ability to play the blues but they often tend to take ages in teaching
you how to put them all together to actually play the blues.

And what`s worse is when they teach you how to play the blues in a real 12
bar blues arrangement the skill level required to play it often shoots up with no
thought or help on how to bridge the gap between the easy exercises and the
real deep down, heart and soul blues that sounds authentic.

My aim with this book is to completely turn that on its head.

I have developed and tested a method of teaching the blues that is impressive,
fun and easy to get started on.

All you need is the ability to play a few basic chords, one super easy scale and
a little passion for this wonderful style of music.

If you have the above then you will love what we are going to do.

The book focuses on the key of A. All the examples you will learn all stay in
this key.

I have kept it all in the key of A so that everything you learn fits with
everything else you learn in the book.

Other books I have read have shown one lick in E, one in A, and another in C.
That makes it hard to compare and even harder to put them together in the real
world.

By keeping it all in one key, we avoid those issues. My other students have all
praised my methods for how well they work together and how they can easily
be applied to a variety of settings.

Basically, my private students who have acted as Guinea pigs for this method
over the years love it, so I guarantee you will do so too!

What This Book Isn’t About

If you have played blues for many years and know it inside out, can play all the
arrangements of the classics, can thumb-pick till the cows come home, know
how to jazz up your blues authentically and can play slide blues and the like,
then this isn`t the book for you.

You may find a nugget or two of information that helps your playing, but if you
have played this style for many years this probably isn`t the book for you.
On the other hand if you have played guitar for a while; it could be 20 years,
but have never really had a good grasp of the blues, how to play it, how to
have fun with or how to make it sound real and exciting, then this book is
definitely for you.

I have found my method of teaching the blues works really well for two types
of guitarists:

1 - Those that have zero experience playing the blues but want to know how
to get started quickly.

2 - Those that have tried and dabbled with the blues – probably learnt the
chords and a scale but have never really gotten a good grasp of it.

If either of the above sounds like you, well you have come to the right place.

We are going to have a blast with the blues!

 How to listen to and use the
examples

Audio

All the examples in this book come with audio which you can either:

Listen to by clicking each link as we go along

OR

Download the Audio

You can then save each audio example to your media player and hear them in
action so you know exactly how they should sound and then get learning them!
 Tab
If you are reading on a Kindle, you may need to double click on the image for
the tab to expand it so you can see it clearly.

Depending on your Kindle you may need to turn the Kindle 90 degrees too.

If you find your kindle won`t allow you to view the tab clearly, you can
download just the tab as a PDF, view it and/or print it out and keep it next to
you while going through the book.

Download the Free Printable Tab Bonus Right Now

If you are reading the PDF version of the book, you can zoom in to see the tab
clearer.
Reading the Tab and Sheet Music
There are a few techniques that occur frequently in blues music that you may
not be familiar with.

I`ll quickly go over them so you can make sense of them without having to
resort to searching on the internet.
 Arpeggiated strum

The symbol on the tab above means you arpeggiate the chord.

This means you will strum the chord as you would normally with a
downstrum…

…but do so slightly slower than you would normally, so that each string sounds
more detached than a normal strum.

Note, you don`t stop and rest on any string when using this technique. The
strum should still be one fluid motion but a slower one than usual. Think of a
harp-type sound.

Repeats

If you have ever done any sight reading from either standard notation or tab you
should know that the following set of double dots as seen on the tab below
mean repeat everything in between it.
 Vibrato

Vibrato is usually shown in tab by a squiggly line (as seen on the last note in
the above example).

Often a note that is ringing out is given the vibrato treatment as this adds
emotion to the note and helps it sustain longer.
Is there a style of music as synonymous with vibrato as the blues?

I don`t think so.

If you ever want to give any lead line a bluesy edge, simply hold the last note
for at least a few beats and give it some vibrato.

Vibrato is simply the act of playing a fretted note and moving your fretting
hand finger up and down in a wavering fashion to create a `warbling` of
the sound.

Singers do this a lot and this is what we are emulating when doing it on the
guitar.

This is one of the most essential blues techniques ever and helps give your
music more feeling and soul.

Vibrato occurs when you essentially change the pitch of a note rapidly up and
down in small increments.

In practice, you are wiggling your finger up and down slightly to create a fast
wavering in pitch. You can spend years perfecting your vibrato as it is such a
unique and expressive sound but the great thing is you can get started on it very
quickly.

The key thing is not to actually bend the string so it goes out of tune. You want
to just give the string a little `wiggle` so to speak.

Click here to watch this video

String Bending
String bending is a super useful skill and is extremely important in the blues.
When string bending, most guitarists assume all you do is bend a string up or
down and that is it.

The truth is though, that you need to be able to bend the string to a certain pitch
as whenever you bend a note you are not just bending it to a random pitch but
you are bending it to a certain pitch.

There are multiple types of string bends but the most basic is when you pluck a
note and then bend that note.

Watch the video below to see how to `tune` your bends properly.

Click here to watch this video

Bend and release

The next step up from a `normal` string bend is the almighty `bend and release`.
I love the sound of this as it just oozes class and smoothness.

A bend and release occurs when you pluck a note, bend it and then while
keeping pressure on the string so the note rings out you return the note to
its original position.

This means you get three notes from just one pluck – the original note, the bent
note and then the return of the original note.

They sound super cool and very slick.

Click here to watch this video

 Repeated Bend
This is another cool bend used a lot in blues. Whereas a `bend and release`
sounds smooth and slick, a repeated bend often sounds aggressive and
powerful.

To play a repeated bend, simply pluck a note, bend it, and then pick it again as
many times as you like while keeping the note bent.

As you can pluck the bent note many times you can use a variety of rhythms on
it creating some very cool and aggressive sounds which can work perfectly in
those big, loud moments in a blues piece.

Click here to watch this video

 The Two Types of Blues!

I have based this book around two core ideas of playing the blues.

These are what I call:

1) `Free flowing` blues

2) `Call and answer` blues

Nearly all blues music you will hear will be based around one of the above
and sometimes a blues song will incorporate both types into one song.

`Free flowing` & `Call and answer`

blues
We will go into detail about what exactly each type of blues is later on in the
book, but for now just realise that they both sound very cool and bring
something different to the blues.

`Free flowing` blues is basically blues played continuously with no stops or

breaks.

`Call and answer` blues is where one (or more) instruments actually stops in
the music and pauses while another instrument fills out the space. `Call and
answer` blues sounds awesome and is a wonderful way to jam with others.

When you combine `Free flowing` blues and `Call and answer` blues you have
something that is very cool indeed.
Both are awesome and interestingly some songs combine the two ideas.

Here are just a few examples of both:

`Free Flowing` blues songs

Chuck Berry – No Particular Place to Go (00:47)

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Pride and Joy

Buddy Guy – First Time I Met the Blues

Eric Clapton – Riding With The King

Robert Johnson - Crossroads

`Call and answer` blues songs

Chuck Berry – No Particular Place to Go (00:03)

John Lee Hooker - Boom, boom, boom

Muddy Waters – I`m Your Hoochie Coochie Man

Bo Diddley – I`m A Man

Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy

Most songs tend to use `Free Flowing` blues but usually the most distinctive
ones use `Call and answer` blues and many combine the two.

Listen to the late, great Chuck Berry`s wonderful `No Particular Place To Go`
to hear how he combines both for an awesome blues sound!

You will learn exactly what these two types of blues are and how to play
them as we go through the book.

For now, feel free to have a listen to the above tracks to get a feel for the
different types of blues…

…Or, if you are eager let`s move forward and you can check them out later.
 What is `shuffle` and why is it so
important for blues?

Before we get into the examples it is important to understand a few blues

fundamentals.

Straight and shuffle feels are two distinct grooves that you can give to a piece
of music.

As I always say in music, rhythm makes a massive difference.

If you want to give something a new lease of life, be able to play a variety of
styles of music and have real control over blues rhythm, you must be able to
understand and use straight and shuffle feels.
 Straight Feel

A straight feel is the most common feel in mainstream music.

All the way from classical to modern pop and rock you`ll hear a straight feel
more often than not in music.

If you understand and have studied your sub-divisions then you will be
comfortable with what eighth notes are.

Basically, straight eighth notes are eight evenly spaced out notes in a bar.

Since they’re an even division, we call them `straight`.

Most styles of music use straight eighth notes.

 Shuffle Feel

It is definitely better to hear a shuffle rhythm in action but for your

understanding I`ll explain how shuffle rhythm words.

The simple explanation is that shuffle eighth notes alternate a long note and a
short note.

The long note falls on the beat and the short one in between - on the upbeat.

Most people associate shuffle feel with blues music as most blues uses a
shuffle feel.

Another way of describing these feels is:

Straight feel is more rigid or mechanical

Shuffle feel is bouncy

Take a little look at this video to see the difference between the two feels in
action.

Click here to watch this video

When talking about rhythm it is nearly always better to actually hear what is
happening than talk about it so ensure you watch the above video if you are
unsure as to the two feels.
 Shuffle – A must have for the blues
The reason you must understand the difference between the two is that nearly
all blues music tends to use a shuffle feel.

It is synonymous with the blues. There are blues tunes out there that use a
straight feel but most tend to have a shuffle feel.

The thing is, when most guitarists want to start playing the blues they generally
come from a rock or pop background where straight feel is king and the shuffle
feel is a bit of a rarity.

Therefore, if you are like most of my students you may not have ever played
with a shuffle feel so take your time with the early upcoming examples and
ensure you are using the correct rhythm.

Remember, rhythm is the most important thing in any style of music –

especially the blues.
 Essential Blues Tips

There are some key factors that make the blues sound like, well, the blues.

These things all make a difference and help separate the blues players who
have dabbled a little into the blues and those who can really play the blues in
the most authentic way.

If you are brand new to the blues, it might take a little time to get the authentic
sound going on, but to help, try to keep the following things in mind.

If you do so, you will find that when you can play the blues it will sound
more authentic, more real and better for it.
 The Key Factors that separate the
fakers from the makers!
The following are all important factors to help you make your blues sound real
and authentic and help you put some of your soul into what you play.
 Groove
Always be working on improving your sense of groove. Groove can be an
ambiguous term in music, but what it really means in simple terms is, make
your music feel rhythmic and musical.

The bottom line with groove is, does it make you want to move your body,
nod your head or tap your foot?

That is the million dollar question to ask.

If yes, then it grooves. It not, then the part needs some work.

Just remember, the groove must be rock solid and make you want to move your
body.
 Pauses
Many rock and metal players fall into the trap of trying to cram a lot of notes
into a short space of time.

This often works well in those styles of music, (sometimes not though in my
opinion), but blues music requires space to breathe.

Those rock and metal players who lack feel and melody in their playing can
learn a lot from blues greats such as Albert King Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B.
King and the rest.

What I mean by `pause` is a simple concept – don`t play non-stop note

after note.

You will see in some of the 12 bar blues examples in this book there are times
when I play a lick and hold the last note for a few beats or a bar.

This is what I mean by `pausing`. I`m letting the lick `breathe` and fill the space
- I`m not trying to cram lots into it.

Keep that concept in mind when playing the blues and going through the book.

Sometimes less is more and in blues that is often most definitely the case.
 Dominant Chords

Blues music is nearly always based around dominant chords. If you don`t know
what dominant chords are they are most commonly your “7th” chords.

An example of this would be A7.

Dominant chords can also be “9th”, “11th”, or “13th” chords.

For example A9, A11 or A13.

As most blues sticks with “7th” chords that is what we shall do in this book.

If you ever want to make the blues sound a little more interesting or varied,
later on you can substitute one of the simpler dominant chords for a more
complex one.

For example, in the future you may learn how to play A11. You can then swap
the occasional A7 for this chord for some variety.

Be aware though, this will often change the flavour and move you away from a
straight-up blues sound to a more jazz-blues or even funk-blues sound.

For now, we will stick with the very authentic and bluesy sounding dominant
“7th” chords as shown in the examples.
 Steal and Adapt
One super important concept to remember in blues is that everyone steals off
each other and takes ideas from their heroes.

You should steal off your heroes too. Just to be clear I don`t mean go and
burgle Eric Clapton`s house!

I simply mean learn from your heroes, learn exactly what they play note for
note and take their ideas and make them your own.

When you play a lick you have heard on a recording and adapt it to fit your
own song or blues jam you are getting into the spirit of what the blues is about.

You shouldn`t take a whole piece of someone else’s art but don`t be afraid to
steal a little and then adapt it for your own song.

Small sections such as licks, fills and riffs are a great place to start. You can
start with any of the examples in this book.

Just remember to put your own spin on them and add some of your soul to the
music.

Structure
One of the greatest things about the blues is that it is nearly always played
within a set structure of 12 bars – known as the 12 bar blues.

At first, this structure might not seem like a lot, but it is so, so important.
The 12 bars are a repeatable and predictable pattern that once learned allows
you to freely improvise in any key, any tempo any time you are called upon
to jam the blues.

Have you ever seen those big gigs where lots of blues, rock and pop legends
are up on stage jamming?

You know the gigs, where you see the likes of Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmy
Page, Jeff Beck, etc., all on stage having a good old blues jam.

They can all freely jam and make it look effortless partly because they are
great players but mostly because they know the structure really well and they
know when it starts and stops and when their turn starts and ends and what to
play when.

Understanding the simple 12 bar blues structure is the key to making this
happen.
 Power Tips
Before we get started on the examples, I just want to tell you about the `Power
Tips` located throughout the book.

Often tablature and standard notation aren`t enough so you will get extra help
which you can find in the description below the tab as well as the frequent
nuggets of information you will learn in the `Power Tips` located throughout
the book.
 Rhythm – Getting Started With the
Blues!

Now, it`s time to begin with our very first blues chords.

You may have learnt these chords at some point in your guitar playing and you
may have played them in different ways.

For now, learn them as shown below as these are the simplest ways to play
them while still making them sound good.

It is important to start off with simpler chords as you don`t want the obstacle of
slow chord changes getting in the way and holding you back with the material
in this book.
 Easy Blues Chords to Get Started
The following three simple chords are going to be the bedrock for our blues
playing.

Don`t be fooled by the simplicity of them or the fact there are just three – we
are going to do a LOT of cool things with them!

A7
Track 1
Click here to listen to this audio example
 Power Tip

Very slowly arpeggiate each note to ensure all the notes are ringing clear and
buzz-free in the chord.

D7
Track 2
Click here to listen to this audio example
 Power Tip

Get right on the tips of your fingers for all these chords – especially this D7. It
is very common for the back of the middle finger to accidently `kill-off` the B
string. Getting right on the tips helps to avoid this.

E7
Track 3
Click here to listen to this audio example
 Power Tip

In this version of E7, the most important note is the open D string as this is the
7th note and the one that gives the chord its blues flavour. It is important to
make sure you can hear this note.
 They Might Be Basic but Getting
Them Correct is Crucial!

The reason I recommend you learn the basic versions as shown above is so
that you can change chords a little easier than if you was to learn more
advanced versions of the chords.

There is nothing worse than learning a nice sounding, fancy chord but not
being able to use it in music because your chords changes are slow.

The above chords still might take a little practice changing to and from so
practice the chords, get them sounding clean and clear, and get practicing
changing back and forth between them.

Later on, once you have the essentials sorted and can play a cool sounding
blues piece you can then throw in all the fancy chords – for now, keep it
simple and things will sound better for it.
 Adding Some Rhythm – How To
Strum the Blues
Now, it is time to talk about rhythm and strumming.

Rhythm is integral to the blues so we are going to learn a couple of really

simple blues strum patterns that sound fun and authentic.

Once we have learnt these patterns, we will develop these chords into a 12 bar
blues and we will then be ready to make some real blues music very
quickly!
 Strum pattern #1
The first blues strum pattern we will use is a really simple pattern designed to
get you playing the blues in the most basic sense.

It uses all downstrums on the beat and we will play it using an A7 chord.

Track 4
Click here to listen to this audio example

Power Tip

Aim to tap your foot as you play each of these examples. This will help you get
into the rhythm.

I told you it was really easy.

Now, have a listen to this strum pattern being played using all three chords we
have learnt so far in the following order….

Look out for the repeat sign.

A7 D7 A7 E7

Track 5 – Chord Progression

Click here to listen to this audio example

Remember, to get the most out of this book and your blues playing in general, it
is essential that you practice these chord changes and get them sounding
smooth.

Power Tip!
Practice the chord changes on their own and aim to be able to change between
them blindfolded. That is a sign you are getting them solid!
 Strum Pattern #2

Our second strum pattern is exactly the same as the first except we add in an
upstrum on the very last beat to create a little bit of a `driving` feel.

There is a noticeable `bounce` in this pattern on the last beat.

Try to replicate the bouncy feel heard at the end of the bar.

Do you remember what this `bounce` is called?

Yep, that is the shuffle feel in action as we discussed earlier.

Shuffle is exactly that – a feel. So it is best not to over think it, just get in the
groove and play it.

Remember, the first four strums are all downstrums which land on the beat (tap
your foot if you can), and the final strum is an upstrum.

This upstrum makes the rhythm so much more interesting I`m sure you will
agree.

Track 6
Click here to listen to this audio example
 Power Tip

Remember to give the piece the shuffle sound. It is the bounce on the upstrum at
the end of the bar that creates this shuffle feel. Listen repeatedly if you need to,
to get the sound of the shuffle in your head.

Once again our next example is the above strum pattern but played with a
chord progression which is the same as the one we did earlier.

Track 7 – Chord progression

Click here to listen to this audio example

The upstrum at the end of the bar really makes a big difference to the rhythm. It
helps everything flow so much better.

Power Tip

Aim to ensure you don`t slow down with your strumming hand to compensate
for slow chord changes. Instead practice the whole piece slower and ensure a
steady tempo is kept throughout. This will stand you in good stead for the
future.
 Strum pattern #3

This is our final pattern for now and is also a simple but highly effective one.

This time we are removing the downstrum from the previous bar and replacing
it with a stop – yes, stone cold silence, in its place. This silence is called
staccato.

Sometimes in music a stop is more powerful than an actual note - you will
see why later on.

Track 8
Click here to listen to this audio example

Power Tip
The easiest way to kill off the sound of the strings for the staccato part is to
place the strumming hand on the strings – right where you would normally
strum.
Our next example is this strum pattern but once again with our little chord
progression as used earlier.

Track 9 – Chord progression

Click here to listen to this audio example

Power Tip

Aim to play this piece while tapping your foot. All the strums are downstrums
which land on the beat. Foot tapping will help keep the groove of the piece
tight. This is particularly useful when playing staccato like in a piece like this.
 The 12 bar blues sequence
Have you ever heard of the 12 bar blues?

Well, if not it is time to learn about it as this is the basis of everything we do

in the blues.

For some reason people think:

“Woah, the 12 bar blues - that sounds scary”

…when they hear of it but in reality the 12 bar blues is a really simple
structure of music that once learnt is applied to everything in the blues!

It takes a little time to get to grips with it, but it is your template and your bible
for the blues.

Often you will see gigs of guitarists playing on stage having a blues jam and
making it sound great.

Well, the reason they sound so good and so natural at doing it, isn`t because
they are amazing players (even though many are) but is because they all know
the 12 bar blues structure inside out.

A blues song is after all, this 12 bar blues structure repeated over and over
again, with little variations thrown in at certain points.

So hopefully you can see the importance of learning the structure.

 3 x 4 = 12

Below is the standard 12 bar blues structure that everyone must learn when
they want to play the blues.

Instead of trying to learn all 12 bars in one go it is much easier to learn it 4

bars at a time.

Below are the first 4 bars of a 12 bar blues sequence in our key of A.

A7 A7 A7 A7

Yep, the above is that simple. It is simply 4 bars of A7. That is pretty easy to
remember.

Let`s take a look at the next four bars.

D7 D7 A7 A7
Again, it is pretty simple.

It is just two bars of D7 followed by two bars of A7.

Now, let`s learn the final four bars in the 12 bar blues.

E7 D7 A7 A7

Here you can see the E7 makes an appearance, even if just for one bar, before
we go to the D7 and then we finish on the A7.

Once you play the final two A7 chords we then start the 12 bar sequence again
from the beginning….

This means you will actually stay on the A7 as don`t forget the first bar of the
sequence starts with an A7.

For this reason, we often vary and tweak these final two bars of A7 to keep the
piece fresh and interesting before we go back to bar one. You will find out
more on this and how fun this can be later in the `turnarounds` section.

For now though, learn and memorize the exact structure as above.

There you go, that is the basic 12 bar blues in the key of A.

You might be thinking that is too simple to be true.

Well, in a way it is but it isn’t the structure itself that creates amazing music, it
is what we do with it.
Don`t forget the structure, is just that, a guideline or a beacon to guide you and
point you in the right direction.

Below is the complete 12 bar blues sequence.

A7 A7 A7 A7

D7 D7 A7 A7

E7 D7 A7 A7

Get the above structure ingrained in your mind.

Learn it so you can play it in your sleep.

Most blues songs you will have heard will use the above structure.
 A Basic 12 Bar Blues

Now, what we will do is apply everything we have learnt so far.

We will now play a really simple 12 bar blues using strum pattern #1 as
outlined earlier.

Track 10
Click here to listen to this audio example
 Power Tip

Do what it takes to remember the exact structure of the 12 bar blues. It takes a
little work in the beginning but you need to be 100% confident with its
structure for the future.
 How does it all sound?

I`m not going to kid you – it isn`t overly exciting yet, but do be patient, as it
will start to get much more exciting very soon.

Check out the next example where we will now use all three strum patterns as
outlined in the book to create some more interesting sounds.
 A More Exciting 12 Bar Blues

This time we are going to play the exact same 12 bar blues sequence but now
with a combination of all three strum patterns.

This makes it a touch trickier but have a listen to how much more interesting it
sounds.

Track 11
Click here to listen to this audio example
That is better. That sounds so much more exciting and all we have changed is
our strumming. The fretting hand has done exactly the same thing.

You don`t have to remember the order of the variations exactly as I have
played them but aim to play through the piece just like the above a few times to
get the feel of it.

Also, revisit the earlier sections where we covered the three separate strum
patterns if you need to. You don`t need to learn hundreds of blues strum
patterns but the above three strum patterns are critical to keeping blues
rhythm guitar fun and exciting.

Power Tip

Get at least 3 blues strumming patterns like the ones shown above in your
arsenal so you can call on them and play them in any order and any time – at
will. If you do so, you will sound much more exciting than if you play a whole
12 bar blues just using the same old strum pattern.

There is quite a lot of information already in this chapter so it is best to digest

what you have learnt before we move forward.

Go over the 12 bar blues sequence as many times as needed as getting this
sounding tight is super important for your blues playing.

For now, we will put our rhythm guitar skills to one side to have a look at
playing some lead and then comes the exciting part – combining the two for
an awesome blues sound!
Lead - Tear Up The Fretboard With
Your First Blues Licks

So far, we have spent all our time on rhythm guitar but now it`s time for you to
step forward, be front and centre of the stage and learn some really cool and
classic blues lead guitar licks.

Lead guitar can be very scary for a lot of guitarists who have never delved into
these murky shores before.

So many guitarists, especially acoustic players have no idea what to do or how

to play when it comes to lead blues, but I`ll show you that it is really very
simple.
 An Easy Blues Scale to Get You
Started
The very first `scale` I`ll show you is so simple you might not believe me when
I say it is incredibly versatile and interesting.

It is not actually a complete scale but it is a fragment of a scale which is cool

because you can make awesome music with it but not have to worry about
trying to remember a tonne of notes that in all honestly you don`t really need as
yet.

Track 12
Click here to listen to this audio example
Is that it?

Yep, that is it.

 Why just 6 notes and not the whole
scale?

You might have already at some point learnt the complete minor pentatonic
scale that our `scale` is taken from.

If so, you might also be wandering why we are using this fragment instead of
the full scale.

Well, the answer is really simple...

You can make some freakin` awesome music with just these 6 notes.

They are super easy to remember which is great for the fingers and the brain.

They are also easy to play as they only require two fingers and in all honestly,
the full scale can be overwhelming at first.

Many guitarists learn a full scale and instantly want to use every single note in
the scale to start with as they think they have to use them all.

They try to play lead guitar but instead they end up running up and down the
scale cramming in as many notes as possible and making it sound, well, to put
it bluntly, unmusical.

It ends up just sounding like a scale and often there are too many errors.

With lead guitar, we don`t need lots and lots of notes, we just need to use
them wisely!
 Power Tip

You can use any fingers you like to play these 6 notes, and it can be fun to vary
which fingers you use, but the following examples will be easier to play and
most likely more accurately played if you use the index and ring fingers for all
6 notes.
You might now be wandering, how do you make it sound musical and how do
you actually use it.

Well, steady on, I`ll answer all those questions in a moment but first, just get
playing those six notes so they are nice and clear and once you are happy doing
that we will move on to the next chapter where it all gets much more
exciting.
How to Make Your Scales Shine Like
A Pro

When you play a scale you want to make sure it sounds smooth.

Two common errors when running through scales are, the scale sounds:

1 – Choppy and disjointed

2 – Messy with overlapping notes

Let`s take a look at both of those briefly.

 Choppy and disjointed

The reason why guitarists get this `choppy` sound when playing scales is that
they often lift off the pressure with the fretting hand fingers when moving from
one note to the next – this is particularly worse when changing from string to
string.

This is very common at first.

Most guitarists think if they can play the notes in a scale, they have the scale
down, but in reality you need to be able to play the notes smoothly so when one
note ends the next one begins.

You don`t want silence separating notes.

 Messy With Overlapping Notes

You also don`t want notes to overlap when moving from string to string.

If you hold down a note, let`s say the 7th fret A string, while playing the next
note in the scale – the 5th fret D string, you will hear the two notes ringing out
together.

This is called `note bleed` and is not good as it makes things sound messy.

This overlapping of notes doesn`t sound terrible on an acoustic but when

played on an overdriven electric can sound really bad.
 What you should aim for 99% of the time!

What you want to aim for is a smooth and tidy sound when playing this (or any
other) scale.

You want each note to smoothly transition into the next note. As soon as
one note is finished the next note should begin.

Occasionally, there are times you might want choppy sounding notes or notes to
overlap each other.

For example, separated notes can give a jerky, funky feel and overlapping
notes can give a thicker more chordal sound (on an acoustic or a noisy, angular
sound (on an overdriven electric).

These are the exceptions though and not the rule.

Take a look at the video below to hear the difference between choppy,
overlapping and smooth ways of playing the scale…

…and how much better it sounds by making sure each note transitions into
the next nice and smoothly.

Practicing your scales like this will help your real world playing sound much
smoother.

Click here to watch this video

 Making Music and Adding Some
Licks
In the previous chapter we learnt the all-important fragment scale which
contains just 6 notes and we learnt how to play these notes to make them sound
slick and professional.

I also promised you I would teach you how to make that scale sound
musical and how to actually use it – and that is what this exciting chapter
is all about.

Hopefully, you now have the 6 notes in our scale learnt and can play them
smoothly and change between them fluently.

If so, it is time to learn our first lick.

 Blues lick #1
This is one of my all-time favourite guitar licks that is hugely inspired by B.B.
King. It is super melodic and very groovy. Here it is.

Track 13
Click here to listen to this audio example

All this lick is, is three different notes with a little `bend and release` on the
third note.

To play the bend and release you need to bend the string at the 7th fret on the
G string (either up or down, it doesn`t matter which) and while keeping the
pressure on move the string back into its original position.

If you do this correctly, you will have played a very cool blues lick called a
bend and release and all the greats use it as these are a very musical and highly
professional sounding technique.

Once you have played the bend and release you go back to the note on the 5th
fret of the G string and then finally finish with the note of A which is on the
7th fret of the D string.

Power Tip

Remember from earlier that the squiggly line above the last note means
`vibrato`. This is an important part of the lick and in all honesty, most notes
when played in blues which are held for more than a split second tend to use
vibrato so don`t neglect it.
 Blues lick #2

Track 14
Click here to listen to this audio example

Our next lick is pretty simple to play but still sounds great.

Remember, blues is not about playing things to be hard and technical but it is
about playing things to move the listener – if that only takes one or two notes so
be it!

Although not hard to play it is important you get the rhythm correct for this lick.

Power Tip

Rhythm is as essential for lead guitar as it is for rhythm guitar. Listen closely to
how there are faster notes followed by slower notes and emulate the rhythm
precisely.
 Blues lick #3

Track 15
Click here to listen to this audio example

Again, this is a pretty simple lick but one that sounds cool and just uses notes
from our 6 note scale.

This is a lick that has been used countless times and one that you will hear
great players such as Eric Clapton using on a regular basis.

Power Tip

Don`t just try to bend with one finger. For example, the bend here requires your
ring finger to do the bend. Use your index, middle and ring fingers to bend this
note. All three fingers can move the string together with less effort.
 Putting it all together to play a blues
lead solo

Now, the real fun begins. We are now going to combine the previous three
licks and make a 12 bar blues solo out of those.

If you play electric guitar, use your neck pickup, put on a little overdrive and
reverb and play along.

If you play acoustic guitar, pick nice and loud so you get a big bright sound as
your lead sound should be louder than your rhythm - even on an acoustic.

Whatever guitar you use, your lead parts need to be played loud and proud!
 A 12 bar blues solo over the rhythm
The following track is a lead part that uses all three licks you have learnt so
far; played over the rhythm track you learnt earlier on the book (track 11).

Learn it and try to play along with the recording below.

Track 16
Click here to listen to this audio example
When playing lead guitar and improvising, don`t be afraid to leave space in
between licks as I have done here. Notice how every second bar isn`t played.
This lets the lead piece sound musical and lets it breathe.

Many guitarists play lead guitar as a constant barrage of notes with no space in
between phrases.

The reason why this happens a lot is because many guitarists practice lead
guitar in isolation away from any sort of backing track

This means there is no rhythm section to fill in pauses the lead guitarist creates,
so the lead guitarist then fills in these gaps him or herself as no one likes to
hear complete silence when jamming.

The lesson to take from that is to make sure you jam your lead parts –
especially ones you improvise, as much as possible either with a band or over
a backing track.

Power Tip

One of the best bits of lead guitar advice I ever got was to:

“Think of your lead playing just like you do your singing and pause every now
and then just like you do when singing to take a breath.”
Thinking like this really helps you add definitive space to each lick.
 `Call and Answer Blues`

The first time I get a sense of real excitement of the blues from a student
is when I take them through what you will learn in this chapter.

This next section is where things really start to sound awesome and where you
can really start to feel the blues happening so to speak.

If you can play the previous chapter`s examples you will find it pretty easy and
a lot of fun.

Firstly, I want you to listen to the following track so you can hear what `call
and answer` actually is and then we will break it down so you can play both
the `call` and then the `answer` and then both on your own!

Track 17
Click here to listen to this audio example

The above is the sound of a `Call and Answer`. Notice there are distinct
phrases alternating throughout.

Have a couple of listens and hear it for yourself and then we will break it
down so you can fully understand and play it for yourself!
 What is a `Call and Answer`?

`Call and answer` is a simple term used in music to describe two separate
parts usually played by two different musicians.

One plays the `call` and then the other plays the `answer` – it is just like birds
do in nature – but as far as I`m aware blue tits don`t yet know the 12 bar blues!

Although a call and answer doesn`t always have to be played like this, in the
examples laid out in this book the `call` is played on rhythm guitar and the
`answer` is played with the lead guitar.
The `Call`
To play the `call` we will simply play a bar and then miss a bar.

This means we are playing on the odd numbered bars of 1,3,5,7,9,11 and
NOT playing on the even bars.

Basically, you will play the rhythm for one bar and then stop for one bar.

The `Answer`
In the spaces on the even numbered bars of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 is where the lead
guitar will be played.

This is the `answer` to the `call`.

You can also think of `call and answer` as one bar of rhythm and one bar of
lead alternating.
 `The Call` - Rhythm

Okay, now let`s play the `call` part which is the rhythm part.

It is super simple, and it of course still uses our 12 bar blues structure as
shown above but with one small change – we are not playing anything at all
during every even numbered bar.

Let me explain using the 12 bar blues structure.

Below is the standard structure as seen in the earlier chapter.

A7 A7 A7 A7

D7 D7 A7 A7

E7 D7 A7 A7
Now, we will simply erase every second bar so it looks like the
following….

A7 A7 A7 A7

D7 D7 A7 A7

E7 D7 A7 A7

So, we are essentially still playing the same 12 bar blues as before but now
adding in complete silence on every alternate bar.
 `The Call` Rhythm #1

Now, let`s play the above structure using strum pattern #3 from earlier.

Track 18
Click here to listen to this audio example
The above is a really simple way of playing the `call` in a 12 bar blues.

It sounds pretty basic. After all, it uses a really simple strum pattern (strum
pattern #3 from earlier) and there is no actual `answer` as yet.

Without the `answer`, the `call` sounds pretty pointless but you do need to be
able to hear what the `call` sounds like in isolation so you can play it for
yourself.

Aim to play along with the above track with perfection.

Power Tip

Use the drum beat in the audio example to help you stay `tight`. You can try
tapping your foot or counting the beats out loud while you play. When playing
rhythm guitar, being `locked-in` and tight with the drummer is very important.

Now, you might find that strum pattern a little basic so it`s time to learn another
strum pattern and one that works great for call and answer blues.
 Strum pattern #4

You might find the previous strum pattern pretty simple and a little plain, so
let`s make it all a bit more exciting.

As long as you can play the above in time with the track, then it is a good idea
to learn the following strum pattern as it is a little more exciting.

Track 19
Click here to listen to this audio example

The above strum is not as complex as you may think. It is a basic down and up
strum with a stop on the final downstrum.

To play this pattern, strum D U D U D U D – and don`t forget to stop the last
downstrum.
 Power Tip

In the tab above, the upstrums are shown as partial strums and not full strums.

This is to highlight the fact that strumming upstrums shouldn`t be something that
concerns you or gives you problems. The main aim of an upstrum is to just
strum a couple of strings to keep the sound going.

That is why only three strings are shown for the upstrums, but it doesn`t matter
if you hit two or four, just keep the groove going.

Okay, now let`s put it all together and play a more exciting rhythm part for the
`call and answer` blues.
 `The Call` Rhythm #2

Now we will play the `call` once again but this time using strum pattern #4 as
above.

There is a drum beat playing to help you count out the beats so use this as a
guide as to when to come back in with the music.

Track 20
Click here to listen to this audio example
That sounds much more exciting and that is before we put the `answer` in.

Power Tip

You can play the final downstrum in each bar a little louder than the rest to add
even more groove to the `call`. Just be sure to kill the sound of the strings off
quickly.
 Let`s Jam #1!

You play the RHYTHM and I`ll play

the LEAD!

Now, we will do something a little unique. Me and you are going to have a
jam!

You will play the `call` as laid out above and I`ll play the `Answer` and
later on in the book we will swap over.

What we are aiming to replicate is what you heard on track #17 so listen to
that once again for a guide.

To play this jam you will need to look at the tab below and play it as precisely
as possible. On the recording you will hear me filling in the spaces with the
lead guitar or `answer`.

Remember, you are playing the `call` and I`m playing the `answer`.

Track 21
Click here to listen to this audio example
For this jam to work, you need to click on the link above for track #21, listen
to the `four count` and come in right away.

Below is the tab for exactly what you should be playing.

How did that go?

It might not have been perfect right away. If not, don`t worry - not many get it
right first time.

If you found it tough go back and listen to it and play along with track #20 as
on this track you will hear the rhythm guitar part which you should be playing
on track #21.

Aim to play along with track #20 to a high standard before attempting
track #21.

Try again and try as many times as needed.

You will get it!

So far we have got you started on playing the blues on rhythm guitar in two
different ways:

Free flowing

Call and answer

Practice them both as they are both super important.

Now, you will deviate away from the `call` and rhythm guitar for a little while
and start looking once again at lead guitar.

This is where it gets even more fun!

 The `Answer` - Lead

Now, using the information laid out earlier (plus a new simple lick) we will
get you playing the `answer` using lead guitar.

So far you have learnt three licks and with those plus a new lick you are now
going to play lead guitar for our call and answer piece.

Yep, four licks are all you need to make it sound cool and very musical!
 Blues lick #4

Track 22
Click here to listen to this audio example

This is a really cool lick where one note is bent and then while holding the
bent note, we pick the note again and again.

In this instance, it is the 7th fret G string that is being bent and being picked 6
times in total before returning to its original position and then a more standard
series of notes takes place.

This lick is inspired by the blues rock playing of the late, great Jimi Hendrix.
He loved a good ol` aggressive repeating lick. These are great for when you
want to add some energy to a piece.

Power Tip
The rhythm for a lick like this is super important so make sure it sounds in time
with the audio example and keep practicing it nice and slowly.
 Let`s Jam #2!

You play the LEAD and I`ll play the

RHYTHM!

Now you have learnt all the licks needed, understood what a call and answer
is all about, and jammed through one while playing rhythm, we will now swap
and you will play the lead!

The following `call and answer` jam uses the four licks we have gone through
in the book in no particular order.

The reason the order is not as you have learnt them is simple – it sounds better
laid out the following way.

On the following track you will hear the rhythm being played by me and
your job is to play the lead in the gaps.

Track 23
Click here to listen to this audio example
Once again you need to jam along with the backing track on the link above
(track #23) to make this work.

Set the level of your guitar so you can hear my rhythm guitar clearly and at a
volume roughly (but slightly quieter) to your guitar.

How did that go?

If it was tough to stay in time and you forgot any parts, do not worry, this is not
easy to do at first.
If you find you forgot a lick, don`t panic, instead try to create something you
like the sound of to finish off the phrase – this is called improvisation and is a
good skill to master.

You can use track #17 as a guide to play along with as the lead guitar parts are
there on that track exactly as they are on the above tab.

Sometimes deviating from licks, even accidentally can be a good thing!

 Power Tip

Lead guitar should nearly always be played a little louder than rhythm guitar so
if you are playing acoustic, you will need to pick a little harder or if you are
playing electric, either pick harder, use an overdrive or volume booster or turn
up the volume on your guitar.
Fingerpicking the Blues – Make One
Guitar Sound like Two!

It doesn`t matter if you play electric as well as acoustic - fingerpicking the

blues sounds downright awesome!

The fingerpicking style of blues is still famous today and well used by the likes
of Eric Clapton but it dates all the way back to the delta blues with the likes of
Robert Johnson.

You may have found the rhythm side of what we have done so far fun but you
may have thought it could do with a little more oomph.

Well, now we are going to make it super cool and very authentic.

Best of all, it isn`t hard to do.

If you have gone through the book in order you will have gotten a solid
grounding of all the rhythm elements of the 12 bar blues which means that all
we now have to do is swap our strumming pattern for a fingerpicking pattern
and then we are well away!
 Fingerpicking Pattern #1

Below, you will find the tab for this fingerpicking pattern on all three of the
chords in our 12 bar blues.

It is the same fingerpicking pattern but needs to be played slightly differently

on these chords because of the amount of strings in each of the chords.

A7
Track 24
Click here to listen to this audio example

To play this pattern…

Pinch the A and high E string together (thumb and ring finger)

Pluck the B string (middle)

G string (index)

D string (thumb)

High E (ring)

B string (middle)

Finally, strum the whole chord (I use my index finger for this strum)
 D7
Track 25
Click here to listen to this audio example

To play this pattern…

Pinch the D and high E string together (thumb and ring finger)

Pluck the B string (middle)

G string (index)

D string (thumb)

High E (ring)

B string (middle)
Finally, strum the whole chord (I use my index finger for this strum)
 E7
Track 26
Click here to listen to this audio example

To play this pattern…

Pinch the Low E and high E string together (thumb and ring finger)

Pluck the B string (middle)

G string (index)

D string (thumb)

High E (ring)

B string (middle)

Finally, strum the whole chord (I use my index finger for this strum)
 Power Tip

The only difference between each of the three chords is the root note (played
with the thumb on the first beat).

Everything else in the pattern is picked the same for all three chords. Keep
this in mind when learning fingerpicking patterns – often it is just a bass
note here and there that changes.
 Let`s Jam #3!

You play the Fingerpicking

RHYTHM and I`ll play the LEAD!
Now, we are going to have another jam and you will apply what you have just
learnt with the fingerpicking parts.

You will play the `call` for a 12 bar blues and I`ll once again play the
`answer`.
Track 27 – Aiming For
Click here to listen to this audio example

The above track is how it should sound when we jam – that is what we are
aiming for.

Don`t forget you are playing the `call` which is the rhythm part.

Take a look at the tab below to see your parts and jam them along with track
28.

You may want to jam along the following with track #27 first to get it sounding
tight with the pre-recorded rhythm guitar.

Track 28 – Jam
Click here to listen to this audio example
Once again try the above as many times as needed to get everything sounding
tight.

Make sure you are comfortable playing the fingerpicking pattern for each chord
on their own before playing the whole track and remember to jam along with
track #27 as a guide.
Turnarounds – the Secret to Making
Blues Sound Fresh and Fun

So far we have based all of our playing around the 12 bar blues as this is the
core of ALL blues playing.

One thing we haven`t yet looked at is the use of `turnarounds`.

Turnarounds are one of the easiest and most interesting ways of making the
blues sound fun and exciting time after time.

If you imagine, a typical 12 bar blues song is the same 12 bars repeated over
and over.

As long as the playing is interesting that is fine, but if you want to add even
more excitement and interest to it, you definitely want to include turnarounds.

A turnaround occurs when on the 12th bar, or the 11th AND 12th bars of a 12
bar blues, we move away from what we have done previously and play
something more interesting to link us back to the next cycle of 12 bars.

For example, below is the 12 bar blues structure written as if it was being
played twice in a row.

A7 A7 A7 A7
 D7 D7 A7 A7

E7 D7 A7 A7

------------------------------------

A7 A7 A7 A7

D7 D7 A7 A7

E7 D7 A7 A7

Notice how when we finish the first time through of the 12 bar blues on the A7
chord, we then start the next cycle on the A7 again.

Instead of playing the same old A7 on the 11th and 12th bars before playing the
A7 again on the 1st bar of the second cycle, we will instead play a turnaround.

To put it simply, a turnaround is a way of making the 12th (or 11th and
12th) bar(s) more exciting so that when we play the 12 bar blues cycle
again it sounds fresher.

The most typical way of employing a turnaround is to use the V chord to

lead you back to the root chord.

In our key of A, E7 is the V chord and the one that does the work of leading
back to the root chord of A7.
Now, let`s learn some awesome blues turnarounds.
 One Bar Turnarounds

In this chapter we will learn three simple and fun turnarounds that you can use
in your playing right away!

The following are one bar turnarounds which occur only on the 12th bar.

Bars 1-11 are played exactly as we have outlined in earlier chapters.

For example, if you look at the 12 bar blues structure below, you will see
every bar highlighted in red except for the final bar (bar 12) which is
highlighted in green.

It is this green bar (bar 12) where the one bar turnaround happens.

A7 A7 A7 A7

D7 D7 A7 A7

E7 D7 A7 A7
 Blues Turnaround #1

Track 29
Click here to listen to this audio example

Our very first turnaround uses just two chords – the A7 (I) and the E7 (V).

It is a really simple turnaround where the first half of the bar is played in its
normal strummed fashion and the second half of the bar is where the part that
actually makes it a turnaround happens.

That second half of the bar is a simple:

Downstrum

Mute
Downstrum

Mute…

…All on the E7 chord.

It is the mute in between those E7 strums that makes this bar interesting and
makes it feel like the piece is about to go somewhere.

Power Tip

Turnarounds don`t have to be complex. A simple chord change and rhythmic

variation can and often does the job. If you are new to turnarounds, keep it
simple just like this one.
 Blues Turnaround #2

Track 30
Click here to listen to this audio example

Our next example is also pretty simple although it might not appear to be on the
tab at first glance.

All we are doing here is playing a D7 chord shape and moving it higher up
the fretboard.

Firstly we strum the D7 in its usual position, then move it up one fret for a
quick strum and then up another fret to finish the bar.

This final position becomes an E7 chord voicing. View the strumming symbols
of `d` and `u` above the tab to see where and how to strum.
 Power Tip

It is the rhythm that may catch you out with this bar at first. Watch out for
the two upstrums one after another. Use the strumming guide above the tab
and practice the rhythm slowly.
 Blues Turnaround #3

Track 31
Click here to listen to this audio example

Once again, this is a simple turnaround that uses the D7 shape moved up two
frets to create an E7 chord voicing. This time though we don`t play the open
D string.

You will play this with a choppy rhythm and then slide into a different voicing
of E7 higher up the neck to resolve the piece.

Don`t worry about making the slide from the chord lower down the neck to the
one higher up the neck perfect. The aim is just to slide into the higher chord to
add an expressive sound.

Getting the `choppy` staccato sound is important for this turnaround so practice
killing the sound of the strings on the first two chords and then work on the rest
of the bar separately before putting the two parts together.
 Power Tip

The aim of the slide into the higher chord is to add an expressive sound so
don`t worry about making it perfect. As long as the actual chord sounds cool
then it is cool!
 Two Bar Turnarounds

The following are two bar turnarounds which occur on the 11th and 12th bars.

Bars 1-10 are played exactly like before as we have outlined in earlier
chapters.

For example, if you look at the 12 bar blues structure below, you will see
every bar highlighted in red except for the final two bars which are highlighted
in green to show this is where the turnaround is happening (bars 11 and 12).

A7 A7 A7 A7

D7 D7 A7 A7

E7 D7 A7 A7

Blues Turnaround #4
Track 32
Click here to listen to this audio example

This is one of the classic sounding blues turnarounds that you will no doubt
have heard before.

It has a really strong signature sound and is not as hard as it first appears.

All we do is start off with the A7 shape, then move up the fretboard to pluck
the 6th fret D string and then the 4th fret G string, and then the open high E
string.

Then move that shape down one fret, repeat the picking pattern, move it
down another fret and repeat the pattern again.

That is the first bar completed and the second bar is an A7, followed by an F7,
(using the D7 shape moved up three frets) and then the E7 (using the same
shape moved down one fret).

Take it slow and study the pattern – once you have it under your fingers it will
seem quite easy although it may take a little practice to learn it.
 Power Tip

One of the most signature sounds in blues is this descending sounding

turnaround. It sounds very distinct and very classy, so ensure you learn it
note for note and then feel free to play about with it as much as you like!
 Blues Turnaround #5

Track 33
Click here to listen to this audio example

Whereas the last turnaround used a descending pattern, this one uses an
ascending pattern meaning we go from low to high in terms of notes.

The first bar is pretty simple, (just make sure the shuffle rhythm is there),
before we get to the second bar where we once again play an E7 chord voiced
slightly differently to how you may have already learnt.

Power Tip
A really simple way of making the blues sounds interesting is to use the same
chords voiced differently – particularly the V chord which in our key is E7.
Learn and try to use these different E7 voicings as they are a very useful
addition to your playing.
 Blues Turnaround #6

Track 34
Click here to listen to this audio example

Our final turnaround is the first one where we bring in different chords and not
just different voicings of the same chord.

It is a simple picking pattern played first on an A7, then we take an A minor

chord shape and move it up four frets to create a mini version of C#m and then
play a similar pattern again.

Then we move this `A minor shape` down two frets to create a mini version of
Bm before finally playing the nice bright sounding E7 voicing as seen in an
earlier turnaround.
 Power Tip

Using different chords other than the A7, D7, E7 in our key of A tends to
move us away from the typical `delta` blues sound and slightly more into a
soul, jazz or gospel (depending on the situation) blues.
 The Final Song

Okay, now we have reached the finale of the book.

The next piece you will learn is a combination of everything in the book.

There will be fingerpicking, `call and answer` blues, a variety of licks and a
couple of turnarounds.

…And, you will be playing both the rhythm AND the lead parts.

Yep, this is your moment.

Don`t worry if putting it all together takes a little time as it is not easy but do
persevere as you have come this far.

Once you can play this piece with good timing and feel you will be well on
your way to being a super blues player.

All in all, it is a very exciting piece to play.

Below is how it should sound. Aim to play along with the following
recording….

Track 35
Click here to listen to this audio example
Track 36 – Your Turn Drums Only
Click here to listen to this audio example

Now, for track 36 we have the drums only for a backing track for you to play
the above piece on your own.

If this is a struggle, keep trying it with me on track 35.

If you managed to play it all the way through without errors, then that is
awesome!

If not, keep on persevering as once you are able to play it without errors and
with confidence, you will have an awesome sounding blues piece to play and
show-off with.

Remember, there is no rush.

Take your time and enjoy mastering this piece! It is far from easy but if you
have followed the book in order then you will be well on the road to mastering
it.
 Where next?
Once you have learnt the `Final Song`, I recommend you start to improvise
your own ideas over the track 36 drum beat.

Try creating your own licks, combine licks, use other fingerpicking patterns
and generally play about with what we have already done and put your own
spin on it!

The blues is meant to be adapted, so go ahead and make it your own!

 Two Methods for Playing the Blues
in All 12 Keys

To help you with your next steps on your blues guitar journey I want to give
you the tools to be able to play a 12 bar blues in every key.

There are two ways to change the key of a song.

1 – Use a Capo

2 – Change chord shapes

In this chapter, we will briefly look at both so you can go on and play the blues
in any key when needed.
 1 - Using a Capo
The easiest way to change the key of the 12 bar blues is to use a capo.

You will simply use the same chord shapes from the key of A as we have done
so in this book but once a capo is in place the actual key of the song will
change.

For example, a really common key for the blues is the key of D.

If you were to put a capo on the 5th fret and play the exact same shapes as you
have done already you will have transposed the key from A to D.

The reason for this is slightly technical but it helps to learn why….
 A Little Bit of `Capo Theory`

To understand what key you are in, you need to know where your key note is
and what it becomes when a capo is put on the fretboard.

For example, when there is no capo the root note for our key of A is the
open A string (5th string) – that is why our key is A, because of that note.

When the capo is placed on the 5th fret, the 5th string is now tuned to the
note of D and that is why we are now in the key of D.

Take a look at the diagram below to see what key you are in when there is a
capo on the fretboard.
If you place a capo on:
Fret 1, your key is A#/Bb

Fret 2, your key is B

Fret 3, your key is C

And so on…

The above explanation is for when using the chord shapes from the key of A as
we have done in this book.

For more on keys and music theory, check out my highly rated book, Guitarists
Get Theory.
 2 - Changing Chord shapes

The other way to change the key is a little tougher but offers more flexibility as
it doesn`t require you to use a capo and capos can occasionally be a little
limiting.

Some of these keys will be tougher than others due to the chord shapes as not
all the keys can be played using open chords – you will have to learn barre
chords to play in all 12 keys (unless using a capo of course).

I have highlighted the most common keys in blue and these keys don`t require
the use of barre chords!

In the book we have played the 12 bar blues using the chords of:

A7 (I)

D7 (IV)

E7 (V)

In brackets each chord is given a numeral.

To use the key table below, replace each of the I IV V chords from the key of A
with whichever chords are in your new key.
For example, if you wanted to play a 12 bar blues in the key of G instead of A,
your…

I, IV, V chords would now be:

G7 (instead of A7)

C7 (instead of D7)

D7 (instead of E7)

This means whenever you see you see a:

A7 in a chord chart you would now play G7

D7 in a chord chart you would now play C7

E7 in a chord chart you would now play D7

 Key of G

A 12 bar blues in the key of G would look like:

G7 G7 G7 G7

C7 C7 G7 G7

D7 C7 G7 G7
 Key of E

A 12 bar blues in the key of E would look like:

E7 E7 E7 E7

A7 A7 E7 E7

B7 A7 E7 E7
See if you can work out what chords are required to play the 12 bar blues in
the other keys highlighted in blue and then the rest of the keys shown in black.

If you have never done this before it does take a bit of practice so be patient
and use the chart above and keep comparing everything back to our 12 bar
blues in the key of A and see if you can spot any patterns.

All the chord shapes needed to play the 12 bar blues in the keys highlighted in
blue in the above chart are shown below…
 The Blues – Now Run With It!

Wow, we have now reached the end.

Congratulations, you have done great to get this far.

I hope you have enjoyed it!

You might be wandering where you can go next.

Well, if you have learnt all the examples in the book you now have a solid
foundation in blues guitar playing and all the essential elements such as a 12
bar blues, `Call and Answer` blues, rhythmic strumming patterns, lead
licks, fingerpicking blues, turnarounds and more…

You have covered all of the bases so to speak.

The next step is to develop all of those areas some more and run with it!

I recommend you now do a variety of things…

 1 – Adapt to blues
Use the above `Final Song` as a template to create your own blues ideas.

Master track 35 (the `Final Song`) and really get the parts super solid. There
are a lot of great ideas packed into a short space of time in that one track.

Once you have mastered that, put on the drum beat of track 36, play along,
adapt these ideas and generally feel the blues in your veins!
 2 -Learn blues songs
There are countless classic blues songs out there for you to learn. Nearly all of
them use the structure we have outlined in this book.

With the blues there are so many classic songs.

It is a great idea to listen to a variety of classic blues albums, really listen and
enjoy them and then pick your favourites and learn them!
 3 -Develop the ideas in the book
Unfortunately, there is only so much ground we can cover with one book but
we have to start somewhere. That is why this is a beginner book.

You now have a really good grounding of the basics of blues while developing
some very cool ideas such as fingerpicking, licks, `Call and Answer` blues and
turnarounds.

There are countless things you can do with the blues and some ideas you may
want to look at in the near future are:

Playing the blues in all 12 keys, extended chords such as 9th chords, using
chord substitutions and expanding upon the six note scale for more notes
(remember though learning more notes isn`t always the best thing).

There are also different sub-styles of blues that are worth looking at in detail –
such as Texas Blues, minor blues, Chicago Blues, Country Blues, Piedmont
Blues and more…
 4 – Jam with others
I have tried to do something a little unique with this book in that I have tried to
give you a sense of what it is like to be jamming in the same room as me as
well as having a lesson with me.

The `Let`s Jam` tracks are what I go through with students just like you in my
teaching studio.

I hope you enjoyed them. Now, I recommend you jam with as many other
guitarists and musicians as possible. Find a local open mic gig, look on the net,
jam with friends or ask about.

Blues is great to play on your own, and now you have the tools to do so, but
jamming it with others is also very cool and will only make your playing and
your enjoyment of playing the blues even better.
As a by-product, all the techniques in this book will help your guitar playing in
so many other ways, so continue to use them for as long as you play.

You will be a better guitarist for it.

Be the best guitarist you can be.

If you enjoyed this book, please head over to Amazon and leave it a review.
I`ll always be grateful to my students, fans and fellow guitarists for doing so.

Thank you and I wish you all the best!

Dan Thorpe

Guitar Domination

Email me at hq@guitardomination.net for any questions or just to let me

know how you get on.

I love to hear how these techniques help you to achieve your guitar playing
dreams.
 Links and Other Useful Resources

Don`t forget to get your extras for this book on the link below.
This includes ALL the audio for streaming and/or downloading, free printable
tab and the `Core blues techniques` videos.

How to Play Blues Guitar Extras

 Other resources available from the
author

Dan Thorpe currently has two web sites:

Guitar Domination – a free resource for all guitarists to learn and enjoy from

Elite Guitarist – A selection of courses aimed at making you the absolute best
guitarist you can be.

These range from strumming, chord changes, essential beginner guitar skills
and more.

Click the links below for more details:

Elite Guitarist Inner Circle

Do you want to become a better guitarist, have more fun with the instrument,
learn the most exciting songs AND get direct support from me? If yes, then take
a look at the Elite Guitarist Inner Circle
Join the Inner Circle today and get a big discount off all the following…

The Guitar Domination Super Book Bundle

8 of my best selling multiple 5 star rated eBooks all available in both PDF and
kindle formats.

Strumming with Soul - Strum the guitar with technique, passion and power

Learn the most important strum patterns ever, songs and riffs that use these
patterns and how to have an effortless command over your rhythm.

Rockstar 101 – Essential Guitar Skills for Beginners

A one stop solution for those have played for a few weeks, months or years
and don`t know where to go next.

Ninja Chord Changes

Specifically aimed at guitarists who want to get past this frustrating area of
guitar playing so they can get on enjoying the guitar and playing lots of songs.

Fingerpicking Classics: Learn the Most Stunning Songs on Fingerstyle

Guitar

Features 14 of the best fingerpicking songs (from 60`s folk to modern pop).