Want to dive into the soulful world of Blues Guitar? This guide will equip you with everything you need to start your journey to becoming a blues guitar player.
In this essential guide, you will discover:
- 3 killer lead guitar licks to instantly sound bluesy.
- 3 fantastic strumming patterns perfect for blues rhythms.
- The key secret to mastering both rhythm and lead blues guitar.
- 3 must-know blues guitar riffs for beginners.
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What Exactly is Blues Music?
Blues music stands as one of the most beloved and accessible genres for guitarists to learn. It’s engaging, relatively straightforward to pick up, and incredibly rewarding to play.
Originating in the early 20th century, with roots stretching back to the late 1800s, the blues carries a profound, emotive depth. Its rich sound is instantly recognizable and deeply influential across modern music.
Whether you’re captivated by a searing guitar solo or the infectious groove of a tight rhythm section, blues music offers a unique and compelling musical experience.
There’s a distinctive feeling that comes from playing the blues, a connection to emotion and history that’s unlike any other genre.
To begin your blues guitar journey, there are two fundamental areas to focus on:
- Rhythm Guitar: The foundation of the blues sound.
- Lead Guitar: Where you can express yourself with melodic lines and solos.
Let’s explore each of these in detail.
Understanding Rhythm Guitar in Blues
Rhythm guitar in blues focuses on playing chords, creating the harmonic and rhythmic backdrop for the music, rather than melodic single-note lines.
While it may not always grab the spotlight like lead guitar, rhythm guitar is absolutely crucial.
The rhythm guitarist’s role is to establish and maintain a solid, compelling groove. Without a strong rhythm guitar foundation, lead guitar work lacks context and impact.
Blues rhythm guitar utilizes specific chords that evoke the genre’s characteristic sound. These are predominantly known as ‘7th’ chords.
Let’s learn some essential 7th chords for blues guitar.
Essential Blues Guitar Chords for Beginners: 7th Chords
For beginners venturing into blues guitar, learning 7th chords is paramount.
We’ll start with three of the most frequently used and foundational 7th chords in blues:
- E7
- A7
- B7
Let’s break down how to play each of these.
How to Play the E7 Chord
- Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string).
- Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the G string (3rd string).
- Strum all six strings.
Ensure each string rings clearly when playing this chord. We want to hear the full, resonant quality of this quintessential blues chord.
Want to explore more ways to play the E chord? Check out our guide: 4 Easy Ways To Play The E Chord On Guitar
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The A7 Chord for Blues Guitar
- Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th string).
- Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the B string (2nd string).
- Strum starting from the A string (5th string) downwards.
If you find this chord challenging, explore these easier variations: 3 Easy Ways To Play The A Chord On Guitar
The B7 Chord Explained
- Place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string).
- Place your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the D string (4th string).
- Place your 3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd string).
- Strum from the A string (5th string) downwards.
Finding this chord difficult? Here are some helpful tips: B Guitar Chord – Tips For This Tough Chord
The Significance of These Chords in Blues
These specific chords are fundamental because they form the backbone of the most common chord progression in blues music: the ’12 bar blues’.
The E7, A7, and B7 chords are the key components of a 12 bar blues progression in the key of E.
While the 12 bar blues can be played in various keys, we will focus on the key of E for this lesson as it’s a very common and accessible starting point.
To deepen your understanding of the key of E, visit: Chords In The Key Of E
Essential Blues Guitar Chord Progressions: The 12 Bar Blues
The 12 bar blues progression is the cornerstone of blues music. If you aim to play blues, understanding and mastering this progression is essential.
Countless blues artists and bands, from legends like B.B. King and John Lee Hooker to modern artists like John Mayer, have built their music around this progression.
Learning the 12 Bar Blues Progression
It’s called the ’12 bar blues’ because it consists of – you guessed it – 12 bars!
In music, a ‘bar’ is a unit of musical time. Therefore, a 12 bar blues is structured over 12 musical bars.
We’re learning the 12 bar blues progression in the key of E. Here’s the standard chord sequence:
[Image: 12 bar blues chord chart as in original article]
Notice the bar lines, the vertical lines separating each chord segment. Counting the spaces between these lines reveals the twelve bars of the progression.
Here’s how it sounds:
[Audio example of 12 bar blues progression – consider embedding a player if possible, otherwise, describe the sound]
Before you start playing, listen to this progression repeatedly to internalize its rhythm and feel. Once you’re comfortable with the sound, try playing it yourself.
You’ll notice that the 12 bar blues progression is循环, it can repeat endlessly without becoming monotonous. This is one of its great strengths – it’s complete and satisfying on its own!
However, to truly bring this chord progression to life and give it character, rhythm is essential.
Let’s learn three essential strumming patterns that will make your blues rhythm guitar playing sound incredible.
Mastering Blues Rhythm Guitar Strumming
Rhythm is absolutely vital when learning blues guitar, especially for beginners. It’s the rhythmic foundation that binds the music together.
There are a couple of key blues strumming patterns that are fundamental to learn.
[Video embed of strumming patterns – if possible, otherwise, describe and link to a lesson]
You can effectively apply these strumming patterns to the 12 bar blues progression we just learned.
Another crucial aspect of blues guitar is lead playing. Let’s move on to exploring blues lead guitar.
Image of blues guitarist Mance Lipscombe
What is Lead Guitar in Blues?
The lead guitarist in a blues band typically plays single-note melodic lines that complement the rhythm section.
This can take the form of a guitar solo, a memorable guitar riff, or a captivating guitar lick. Exploring lead guitar is where many guitarists find the most expressive and exciting aspects of blues guitar.
The Role of a Blues Lead Guitarist
In blues music, lead guitarists are renowned for their expressive solos. However, their role extends beyond just solos. They frequently add riffs and licks that enrich the texture and feel of a blues song.
Curious about who the blues guitar greats are? Discover Music Radar’s list of the top 30: The 30 greatest blues guitarists of all time
Solos vs. Riffs: Understanding the Difference
A guitar solo is a prominent feature in a song, providing a moment for the guitarist to showcase their improvisational and melodic skills. It’s a high point for any musician, a chance to truly shine!
[Audio example of a blues guitar solo – embed if possible, otherwise describe and link to example]
Guitar riffs, in contrast, usually play a supporting role. Riffs are short, repeated musical phrases used to add texture, interest, and hooks to a song.
[Audio example of a blues guitar riff – embed if possible, otherwise describe and link to example]
The opening riff of “The Bros. Landreth” song [Song title if known, or describe genre/style] is a perfect example of a killer blues riff! To play like these blues masters, learning guitar scales is essential.
Essential Blues Guitar Scales for Beginners
The two most fundamental scales in blues guitar are:
- The Blues Scale
- The Minor Pentatonic Scale
To keep things straightforward for beginners, we’ll learn both of these scales in the key of E.
The Blues Scale in E
To play the E blues scale, start on the 12th fret of the low E string.
Here is the scale pattern:
[Image: Blues Scale shape diagram as in original article]
Here’s how it should sound:
[Audio example of Blues Scale – embed if possible, otherwise describe and link]
Understanding Moveable Scale Shapes
Remember, scale shapes are ‘moveable’.
This means you can use the same scale pattern across the entire fretboard. The only thing that changes is your starting note, or root note, on the low E string.
Here are all the root notes on the low E string:
Root notes on E string diagram
Alt text: Diagram showing E root notes along the low E string for blues guitar scale practice.
To use this concept:
Simply shift the starting point of the scale shape.
For example, to play the blues scale in A, start the same shape on the 5th fret.
Here’s how it would look in tablature:
[Tab example in text or image as in original article]
Download Our Lead Guitar Cheat Sheet for Easier Learning
Understanding which scales to use with different keys can be tricky.
That’s why we created a handy cheat sheet – a key and scale finder you can use again and again.
[Image: Placeholder for lead guitar cheat sheet cover – similar to original prompt images]
The Minor Pentatonic Scale for Blues Guitar
Here’s the chord box diagram for the minor pentatonic scale. To play it in E minor pentatonic, start on the 12th fret.
[Image: Minor Pentatonic Scale shape diagram as in original article]
This scale is incredibly versatile, used not only in blues but also in rock, metal, and even jazz.
Why are Guitar Scales Important?
For beginners learning blues guitar, understanding scales is crucial. Scales define the set of notes that ‘work’ musically within a particular key or chord progression.
If a song is in a specific key, you can use scales that are compatible with that key to create melodies, solos, and riffs.
For example, when playing a blues progression in E, you can effectively use:
- E blues scale
- E minor pentatonic scale
All the notes within these scales will sound harmonically correct and bluesy over an E blues chord progression. Don’t worry too much about the music theory behind why this works right now. For beginners, the most important thing is to start playing and developing your ear.
If you’re new to blues guitar, it’s far more beneficial to start playing and experimenting rather than getting bogged down in complex music theory.
Now that we’ve covered essential scales for blues, let’s explore some killer blues guitar riffs that utilize these scales.
Want to explore more guitar scales? Check out: Learn Guitar Scales In 8 Easy Steps
Essential Blues Guitar Licks for Beginners – Blues Lick #1
This first guitar lick is fantastic for developing your picking technique and sounds authentically bluesy.
To improve your picking speed and precision, see our guide: How To Alternate Pick With Speed And Precision
This lick is based on the blues scale.
Here’s the tablature:
[Image: Riff 1 Tab image as in original article]
Alt text: Guitar tablature for Blues Lick #1, demonstrating a classic blues scale based lick.
Here’s how it sounds:
[Audio example of Blues Lick #1 – embed if possible, otherwise describe and link]
Once you’ve mastered this lick, try playing it over a blues backing track to see how it fits musically. It works perfectly with this backing track: [Link to backing track or describe type].
Essential Blues Guitar Riffs for Beginners – Blues Riff #2
Here’s a classic 12 bar blues riff. This riff is so versatile it sounds great on both bass and guitar. In musical terms, we often refer to this type of riff as a ‘walking bass line’ when played on bass.
[Audio example of Blues Riff #2 – embed if possible, otherwise describe and link]
Essential Blues Guitar Licks for Beginners – Blues Lick #3
This riff is incredibly effective, whether used as part of a solo or as a standalone riff within a blues chord progression.
[Image: Riff 3 Tab image as in original article]
Alt text: Guitar tablature for Blues Lick #3, a movable blues lick based on the minor pentatonic scale.
You don’t have to limit this riff to the E minor pentatonic position shown. You can move it around the fretboard to follow chord changes in a 12 bar blues progression.
To play this riff in the key of E, start it on the 14th fret.
When the chord changes to A7, shift the lick down and start it on the 7th fret.
Like this:
[Tab example or description]
For the B7 chord, start the lick on the 9th fret.
Like this:
[Image: Moveable Licks B7 Tab image as in original article]
Alt text: Guitar tablature showing how to move Blues Lick #3 to the B7 chord position in a 12 bar blues.
Here’s how these movable licks sound over a 12 bar blues:
[Audio example of movable licks over 12 bar blues – embed if possible, otherwise describe and link]
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