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To play the blues you need the right vocabulary (just like for any other genre, too).
Here is a simple blueprint to follow so you can play the blues by yourself.
I kept the lesson easy so even beginners can enjoy playing the blues.
This lesson features…
… A simple blueprint you can copy.
… The open A7, D7, and E7.
… Right-hand thumb playing throughout.
… Slides, bends, and vibratos.
… And the shuffle feel.
You can download the tabs by clicking here (search for HG4 – Blues by Yourself).
Print it. Use it. Make notes.
And here is everything else you need to know. Enjoy!
💪 Action Steps
- Memorize the chords (A7 x02020, D7 x00212, E7 020100, and A7sus2 x02000).
- Play the chords through the 12-bar blues form, 1 downstroke per bar (A7 A7 A7 A7 D7 D7 A7 A7 E7 D7 A7 A7).
- Practice bar 1-2. Mind the details in the tabs.
- Practice bar 3-4. Mind the details in the tabs.
- Practice bar 5-6. Mind the details in the tabs.
- Practice bar 9-10.
- Play the entire piece.
- Memorize the blues scale (G2 B1 3 4 5 E3 5).
- Create your own licks and follow the blueprint.
📈 Difficulty
2/10 (This gives you a rough idea of how difficult it is to play. If you feel it’s actually easier, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
⏰ Time Estimation
3 days (This is a rough estimation that can vary widely. If you’re faster, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
✏️ Extra Tips
- Place your fingertips always close to the fretwires.
- Each chord in bars 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 is played staccato (short, separated). Play it and then instantly mute it with your right-hand palm while getting the thumb ready to play again.
- For the slides, maintain just enough pressure on the string not to loose the note.
- For the bends in bars 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12, push the string towards the ceiling. Bend gradually until the next note.
- Experiment with dynamics to make it sound more interesting. Go loud. Go soft. Go extreme.
🎯 Encouragement
The blues is something else. For many reasons. Even if it’s not quite your cup of tea, give it a go anyway. Many things you learn in the blues, you can then use in almost all other genres, too. Also, you can probably impress one or two people by playing the blues all by yourself. 😉
Talk soon,
Florian from Hi Guitar
