Chrome Browser

Recommended

Open Slide Rulers

Select Pentatonic

Blues Slide Rule

METS MUSIC DOT COM
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Delicious Share on Digg Share on Reddit Share on Stumble Upon Share on Tumblr Share on LiveJournal Share on Newsvine
Learning to play the Blues     For Guitar Teachers and Students

Jam - Room

INDEX

CTB Index

MODULE 2

PAGE 1

A - Starting an Easy Blues and Strum Variation


Now we are going to start an easy I - IV - V Blues Chord Progression and use a slight variation on the strum pattern we have learned


NOTE: If you need to understand about I - IV - V and the basics of practical theory (Basically the A-B-C of music) I recommend you first go to this section in the Easy Practical Theory Module now


Below we have a 12 Bar Blues chord progression and a video

Study the video and copy this simple blues played using all Easy Open Position Chords

Notice the strumming hand is now using three fingers for the Treble notes, this adds a little weight and slight percussive feel too

B - More on the Pentatonic Pattern - The E Minor Pentatonic Pattern


The Diagrams 1 and 2 shown below show the E Minor Pentatonic Scale

Basically Diagrams 1 is identical to the A Minor Pentatonic you learned before but played using the open strings of the guitar  


Now the E Minor Pentatonic Scale pattern shown below can be altered as shown in Diagrams 2 to create solo ideas


The Pentatonic Scale pattern is really like a skeleton so we can add some meat to it so to speak


Diagram 1.  below shows the E Minor Pentatonic unaltered and using the  open strings of  

the guitar NOTICE The fingering is a little different than the A Minor Pentatonic as we are using open strings


Diagram 2.  below shows the E Minor Pentatonic altered and also using double notes and  

sliding.  The blue  circles and lines show the added notes and double notes played


Study diagrams and copy both videos shown below


IMPORTANT RE Diagram 2.  One of the biggest secrets when adding extra notes and playing around with scales is you normally start on a scale note and end on a scale note (i.e. The grey dots shown in the diagrams below) unless sliding or bending a note


If you slide from a note not on the scale you would not hold it for long as you would slide into a note that is on the scale so the sound would resolve, same if you bend a note not on the scale you would bend it up to the pitch of a note that is on the scale, so basically any note not on the scale is heard only briefly, called a passing note Go back and watch the 1st video Module 1 Page 1 especially about 3 minutes into it for Passing Notes  So the trick with passing notes is you can play a series of notes consecutively one after the other, but start on a note of the scale and end on a note of the scale, use the link just above to re view the video

C


Using the Thumb Pick

to play Lead


Watch the video Right to see how I use the thumb pick to play lead Basically I am holding it like a flat pick but you can use a flat pick too if you prefer

M2 - Project  1

Starting an Easy Blues - Easy Open Chords - Strum variation - Solo

12 Bar Basic Blues in E

Video for Diagram 1

Video for Diagram 2

Notice in the Video for Diagram 2 - I also added a couple of extra notes not shown in  Diagram 2.

1 was by sliding up the 3rd string, and and extra note on the 2nd string, see if you can copy this


Learn to trust your ear and do not be afraid to experiment for yourself

D1 - Starting to play Lead using the E Minor Pentatonic Patterns

Watch the videos below to see how I am just playing around with the E Minor Pentatonic pattern over the I - IV - V Blues chord progression we learned above


In Video 1 - I am just playing around with the basic E Minor Pentatonic pattern basically just like practising the scale over the chords and experimenting a little

Copy and do the same and experiment for yourself


In Video 2 - I am now playing around with the basic altered E Minor Pentatonic pattern shown above, again

basically just like practising the scale over the chords and experimenting a little

Again copy and do the same and experiment for yourself (Notice how I also bend the strings a bit)


Play along with the videos

D2 - Start to play Lead on your own using the E Minor Pentatonic Patterns


Once you are comfortable with all the above go back and play the first video at the top of this page and try playing your own ideas over the chord progression, just experiment and have some fun


This is IMPORTANT RE Diagram 2  so I am showing it again

One of the biggest secrets when adding extra notes and playing around with scales is you normally start on a scale note and end on a scale note (i.e. The grey dots shown in the scale diagrams above) unless sliding or bending a note


If you slide from a note not on the scale you would not hold it for long as you would slide into a note that is on the scale so the sound would resolve, same if you bend a note not on the scale you would bend it up to the pitch of a note that is on the scale, so basically any note not on the scale is heard only briefly, called a passing note Go back and watch the 1st video Module 1 Page 1 especially about 3 minutes into it for Passing Notes  So the trick with passing notes is you can play a series of notes consecutively one after the other, but start on a note of the scale and end on a note of the scale, use the link just above to re view the video