How to Play Baby Blue on Acoustic Guitar

An Piece of cake Lesson on How to Play Blues Guitar

Learning how to play blues guitar is a relatively elementary process if you know and sympathise all the basics. Follow our How to Play Dejection Guitar: The Ultimate Guide below with respective videos to quickly learn blues guitar!

Blues is one of the most popular forms of music, both in general but specifically for guitar players! Information technology originated in the southern USA by African Americans around the turn of the 19th century. There'southward many, MANY genres and subgenres of the blues, but here's a couple of the primary styles:

• "Classic Blues": This refers to the commencement blues standards popularized in the 1920s, by bluesmen Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, simply to name a few.
• "Electrical Dejection": This manner emerged when blues musicians started to comprise the electric guitar and electric bass into their ensembles. Each surface area of the country and so started to develop its ain blues manner including "Texas Blues", "Chicago Dejection", and so on.
• "State Blues": Featuring complex picking arrangements on the audio-visual guitar, country blues became popularized past players like Mississippi John Injure and Big Bill Broonzy.

How to Play 12 Bar Dejection: The Structure

If you want to learn how to play the blues guitar, you need to first understand its underlying structure, how it differs from learning how to play guitar in general and how the chord progressions are formulated, because everything is based on that. The most common chord progression in Dejection is the 12 bar progression and it normally has three chords. These Chords are the I IV and V ("1, "iv, "five") of a tonality or key. In traditional music theory, those chords are also referred to as the root, the subdominant, and the dominant.

The interesting thing here is that if you build a chord of each degree of the (major) scale, you'll get a combination of major, modest, and ascendant chords… Simply in blues, the well-nigh mutual progression is to use all ascendant chords (or "ascendant 7th") chords.

For case, in the key of "A", you would have the following chords: I7 = A7 IV7 = D7 V7 = E7 We will talk more well-nigh chords afterwards. There are many possible variations on the basic 12 bar progression. A typical one looks like this:

Observe the chord progression has the following structure: It starts off with 4 confined of the "I" chord, then it has 2 confined of the "Four" chord, followed past two more than confined of the "I" chord…and then a bar of "V", a bar of "IV", and finally 2 more bars of the "I".The bodily chords, equally we mentioned, are oftentimes dominant 7 chords, but they could be major chords, minor chords, or even a combination of different chord types. Hither are a few examples:

1. I, Iv, and 5 in C major would be: C, F, and Thou
2. I, 4, and V in C minor would be: Cm, Fm, and Gm

There are endless variations to the bones 12 bar dejection chord progression.

The 12 Bar Turnaround

The final two bars of the 12 confined are referred to equally a turnaround because the progression "turns effectually" earlier heading back to the beginning. One of the most common variations on the to a higher place 12 bar blues is to use an "I 5" on the concluding 2 bars, rather than "I I".Another extremely mutual way to vary the 12 bar progression is a known as the "quick 4", significant that the progression goes to an IV chord immediately on the 2nd bar.

Here is what a blues progression would look similar that uses both the "quick iv" and the "I Five" turnaround: Some blues progression uses 8 bars instead of 12 bars, such every bit the famous "Hey to the Highway" (originally recorded past dejection pianist Charlie Segal). The bones course looks like this: Yet another (somewhat uncommon) class is the 16 bar blues, which pivots from the Five chord to the IV chord several times before turning around:

Minor Blues Structure

The small dejection structure is nearly the same equally for "normal" blues or major or Dominant tonalities.

The but departure is that you would primarily be using minor chords or minor 7 chords. For case, a blues in Cm would use Cm, Fm, and Gm. Of course, there are endless variations. One popular maneuver is to play VI (Maj7) to V7 on confined 9 and x. This modify was made famous in B.B. Male monarch's recording of "The Thrill is Gone". In a Bm blues, those chords would be Gmaj7 to F#vii, which we'll see later on this page.

Learning How to Play Blues Guitar for Beginners: Basic Rhythms

Now that nosotros've discussed the basic structure, within that construction are specific rhythms, or "feels" or "pulses" that piece of work both for learning how to play blues on acoustic guitar and electric guitar. The iii primary rhythms in blues are:

1. The 4/4 rhythm
2. Triplet feel
3. The Shuffle

The 4/4 rhythm: This is the most common time signature in occidental (western) music. Technically, four/4 means 4 notes to a bar, and the quarter note gets the crush, just in practical terms, yous can just think of this as a "1 2 THREE Four" count.

Information technology's a very easy feel because it'due south the natural pulse we get when we tap our feet on the floor.

Triplet feels: This is one a common basis for the rhythms in blues. It's basically like the 4/4 rhythm only divided into iii notes per trounce. This could also be seen as 12/8 and is oftentimes notated that manner.

The Shuffle: This is similar to the triplet feel just the second annotation is removed, so that that the first note will last longer. This type of rhythm is extremely common. Sometimes it is called "swing experience."

Blues Chords

Chords in dejection depend on the song, the style, and the performer and are key to learning how to play blues guitar for beginners. They can be basic major and small chords, or they can circuitous chords with extensions and substitutions and more of what y'all might expect in a jazz or fusion setting. Be sure that you understand and larn guitar chords well enough to continue. Remember that the most of import thing is offset the structure, then the rhythm inside that structure, then the chords. So, no thing what chords you play, if you respect the I Iv V structure you will sound bluesy.

Major Chords

Major chords are the about commonly used chords of all. They are built from a root, a major 3rd, and a perfect 5th. You can play any basic "major" dejection with these chords. Here's an instance of a blues in C major: Hither are some specific chord shapes you tin employ for the C, the F, and the M:

C Major :

F Major :

K Major :

Minor Chords

Adjacent to major major chords, pocket-size chords are the most common. They are built past a root, a modest 3rd, and a perfect 5th. The only difference between the small chord and the major chord is the 3rd…and of course, we can observe these in pocket-sized dejection progressions. As discussed, in that location are many variations for minor dejection progressions. This example in the key of A small uses all minor chords: And here are some of the specific chord voicings y'all tin use for the Am, Dm, and Em chords:

A Minor :

D Pocket-size :

E Pocket-size :

Dominant & Seventh Chords

Ascendant chords are another mutual chord type and y'all can usually substitute a dominant chord for a major chord in a major key song or in a "major dejection" progression and are fundamental to agreement how to play dejection on guitar. This is because the dominant chord is built from a major triad with 1 actress note. In other words, they are built from the root, a major 3rd, a perfect fifth, and a minor 7th.Here's what a dejection in C would look like with dominant chords (sometimes chosen "7th" chords) Here are some chord voicings you tin apply for the C7, F7, and G7 chords.

C7 :

F7 :

G7 :

Other Kinds of Chords:

1. Major 7th chords: These are major chords with an added major 7th. So they have a root, a major 3rd, a perfect 5th, and major 7th.
2. Minor seventh chords: These are small-scale chords with an added minor seventh. (m7)

Minor 7th and Major 7th chords are pretty mutual in minor dejection progressions or songs. As we mentioned, i of the about famous small-scale blues songs is the BB King´south classic "The thrill is gone". Here's the progression:

"The Hendrix Chord".

Jimi Hendrix popularized the employ of the dominant #9 chord in songs similar Royal Haze making information technology one of the best blues songs to acquire if you want to acquire how to play complete songs on guitar. You can too use it blues as a substitute for a dominant chord. You can run into we did that here in the arrangement above. This chord contains the root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, and an augmented ninth. Here are some of the specific chord shapes (too called "voicings") that you lot can play:

Bm7 :

Em7 :

Gmaj7 :

F#seven#nine :

The Dominant 9th Chord:

Another neat chord used all the time past dejection guitarists. Stevie Ray Vaughan loved these chords. You will besides. The dainty thing is that you lot can substitute any 7th chord with a dominant 9 chord. The formula is technically a(root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, plus a major 9th. In practice, and in general, when your chords with a lot of notes, you lot don't need to necessarily play all the notes considering the guitar besides has six strings and it can get awkward to observe the right voicing.

Often the fifth is omitted, and the well-nigh mutual voicing does simply that.

The C9 Chord – Yous tin can as well play the fifth degree an octave up on the high E cord by barring the top three strings similar and then:

And hither's a couple of alternative chord voicings for the C Dom9 chord, which is usually only written as "C9"

Dominant 13th Chord:

An even more than exotic version of the Dom9 chord, this one too adds a 13th, which is an octave higher than the 6th degree. Higher notes that are added onto basic chords are called "extensions". Here's the most common voicing:

Detect this is the same shape as the C9 chord except there'due south an additional note on the high E string, which you should play with your pinky. Every bit with the Dom9 chord, you can substitute them for your ordinary garden diversity Dom7 chords most of the time in a 12 bar blues progression. And here are a few more alternate voicings for the C13 chord.

Diminished Chords:

This is a more than advanced chord that you can utilise either to substitute for ascendant chords or as a passing chord. Try replacing a dominant seventh by a diminished 7th up a major 3rd. This will create a 7b9 sound. For example, for G7 play Bdim and you will get a G7b9 sound.

Macerated 7th: Cdim7 or Cº7

Cdim7 notes: C Eb Gb Bbb

Augmented Chords

I'll mention one more chord type: The augmented chord, which is a major chord with a raised 5th. In the key of C, this is sometimes notated as Caug or C+ :

You lot can hear this chord at the end in chord progression from the classic "Stormy Monday".

Blues Turnaround

The terminal 2 confined of a 12 bar blues progression is ordinarily known as the turnaround, although it could also be the last 4 bars. Very ofttimes, in blues guitar, the turnaround is a specific riff or lick rather than simply a chord being played. Really, at that place are hundreds of different ways to play turnarounds. They tin involve full chords, single-notation lines, chromatic notes, diminished chords, and many other techniques. It depends on the specific style of blues, the song, and the histrion.

For example, modern stylists like Robben Ford will add more jazzy elements than a archetype blues actor like BB King. Here'due south an example of a two bar turnaround in the primal of E, and notice the use of open strings, triplet feel notes, as well as some bends.

Here is a second example, as well in the key of the key, merely with a different experience to it:

And here is a third Eastward blues turnaround. Detect this very cool idea: getting a fuller sound with broad intervals. As you study and learn more than blues turnarounds and licks, observe how you lot can add open up strings to fill out the sound, as well.

Here's one in the key of A. You'll meet that many of these blues turnarounds characteristic chromaticism, which means the notes ascend or descend 1 fret at a time, rather than following an ordinary scale.

Here's ane more, similar to the previous instance, and using a pattern with 6th intervals as we bounce betwixt the Yard and loftier E string. This is another common idea you'll run into in blues guitar.

Dejection Scales

At that place are a few chief scales that are used for playing the blues: These include the minor pentatonic calibration, the major pentatonic calibration, and the and so-called "blues scale"."Penta" is Latin for 5, and guess what, pentatonic are 5 note scales. Really, in that location are many possible pentatonic scales, but the main one is oftentimes simply called THE pentatonic calibration, or more accurately: the minor pentatonic scale. The nice thing about pentatonic scales is how they overlap with the diatonic (major/pocket-sized) scales. For example, if you have a C major scale, and remove the 4th and 7th degrees, y'all'll get a C major pentatonic scale.

1. C major scale: C D Eastward F G A B
2. C major pentatonic: C D E G A

The same affair happens with the small scale. Take the A minor scale, and remove the second and 6th degrees, and you get A minor pentatonic.

1. A minor scale: A B C D East F G
2. A small pentatonic: A C D E G

You could write a dozen books on all the various ways to use the scales, but in short: You can pretty much apply the small-scale pentatonic calibration anywhere, and you can apply the major pentatonic scale over any major blues or major chord. A variation to the minor pentatonic scale is known as "the dejection scale" and it simply adds 1 extra note, which is the b5 (flat fifth), sometimes called "the blue note". This note tin exist added to licks as a passing notation. Here is the A dejection scale:

Other scales: Dorian and Mixolydian modes

You can use many other scales in blues such equally the natural major scale or the natural minor scale. You can also use the Dorian manner and the Mixolydian mode. The Dorian mode is a small calibration with a major 6th. A skilful way to come across the structure and to understand from where information technology comes is to compare it to its parent scale. We don't have time hither to get into a complete discussion on modes, only the Dorian fashion is the second inversion of the major scale, so if the "root scale" or "parent calibration" is C major, then D Dorian has all the same notes but starts on the D.:

1. C major calibration: C D East F G A B C
2. D dorian: D E F G A B C D

Try playing the D Dorian way over a D small blues progression. Information technology sounds great over those minor seven chords. Here is a tab for a C Dorian fashion (or C Dorian calibration).

The Mixolydian Manner is another great scale. You tin can think of this one every bit a major scale but with the modest or dominant seventh caste. If you've ever played a two-annotation blues lick with the root and the pentatonic note that's ane note downward (like in the key of A: the notes A and M), and then this is sound you combine with the major calibration. So in the central of A, an A major scale that uses the G instead of G# would be an A Mixolydian. Let's go back to the key of C. The Mixolydian mode starts in the 5th note of the major scale, then:

1. C major scale: C D E F G A B C
2. G Mixolydian: Yard A B C D E F G

This scale is perfect for major blues progressions and peculiarly for playing over dominant 7th chords because of that 7th interval we just talked about. Here's the tab for the G Mixolydian scale.

Learning Dejection Guitar: Conclusion

Well, that's well-nigh information technology for now, my friend. I hope y'all've enjoyed this primer on blues guitar. In reality, yous can't just learn how to play the blues guitar (or any music for that matter) past just reading almost it. Dejection is almost a vibe and a feeling. Condign a better musician comes from playing, practicing, performing, and listening. Join our email list for free resources to help you learn and master blues guitar!

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