Blues Guitar 101 - Dan Amerson.pdf

Blues Guitar 101: The Lead Player’s Guide to Improvisation, Fretboard Mastery, and Rocking Solos Dan Amerson

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Table of Contents Introduction Chapter I - Refresher on Natural and Pentatonic Scales Chapter II - The CAGED System Chapter III - Refresher on Modes and Scale Degrees Chapter IV - Extended Chords/Notes Chapter V - The REAL Root of Blues Chord Progressions Blues Track Mode Track Chapter VI - Dominant Blues Progressions Chapter VII - Major Blues Progression Chapter VIII - Minor Blues Progression Chapter IX - Solo Ideas for All Three Types of Chord Progressions Dominant Major Minor Turnarounds Appendix A: Advanced Blues Soloing Tips Check Out My Other Books! Want a Lesson With Me! Conclusion

Introduction; What This Book Is and Isn’t Congratulations! You have just taken a big step towards improving your skill at guitar. Though Blues is only one genre out of many, the Blues is not only favored by many people, but it also has been a foundation for several other genres. Hence, it’s a useful skill to have in your musical repertoire. The Blues is a very interesting subject to cover; there are some strict rules, yet others are so open and vague that covering all the rules and exceptions would only confuse a willing student. We will be covering rules that will make your soloing fun and easy, but only after you’ve practiced these rules for a little while. If you’re reading this in the Amazon ‘Look Inside’ reader, here’s a little more about what the book is about: What This Book Is First, you need to have a basic understanding of scales, especially major and minor scales in both natural and pentatonic forms (4 scales total). We will review some of these scales, as well as introduce new ones. However, if you aren’t comfortable with scales at all, my strong recommendation is to buy and read my book on the pentatonic scales. Guitar Pentatonic Scales: Master the Fretboard Quickly and Easily & Sound Like a Pro, In One Hour (or Less) Second, you should have intermediate motor skills. This is a very subjective statement, but I would consider the intermediate-level as the ability to play a series of notes (riffs) without interruption. Sure, you may need to practice new riffs, but you are able to do it. If you don’t have this skill, improvisation becomes very difficult because you need to learn two skills at once; improvisation, as well as figuring out how to mechanically play the notes. Third, know basic chords; at the very least you should know the major and minor chords. The dominant 7th would be preferable. Knowing how to play chords at any place on the neck is an invaluable skill. Though we will be seeing specific example, you may be interested in learning more, if so, you may be interested in reading my book, Guitar Chords Handbook: Learn Any Chord, Improve Fretboard Visualization, and Read Fake-Books With Ease Fourth, knowing your guitar modes will help you all the more when it comes to improvisation. The fifth scale degree’s chord on a diatonic major scale is a Dominant 7th, but in the Blues, the Dominant 7 is used over all other major chords (the first and fourth scale degrees).

There will be enough theory to understand the Blues, so there’s no reason to fret. If by the end of this book it’s still a bit confusing, try my book Guitar Modes: Learn Fretboard Mastery, Play Awesome Solos and Improve at Guitar by Gaining the Skill That Few Guitarists Have Fifth, you need only to be able to read guitar tablature and chord charts to be able to extract all the value from this book. Most of the valuable material will be for right-handed players (use their left hand on the frets).

Chapter I - Refresher on Natural and Pentatonic Scales Soloing is much easier when you know the appropriate scales; scales are a sort of “cheatsheet” for guitarists to play the blues, since the right scales contain all the right notes for you to play. You are the one that gets to choose which notes you want to play, as well as when you want to play. This is the basis of improvisation. When you’re improvising, you’re trying to communicate a thought or feeling through the guitar. Your thoughts/feelings are best broadcasted by playing the correct notes, which means that you need to know your scales.

Scales to Chords to Pentatonics Since you know the major and minor scales, we’ll review them quickly and show the connection between them. As you already know, the major scale has 7 distinct notes, and follows a certain set of intervals. Here’s C major as an example: The first note of the scale is C. That’s why it’s bolded. Each gap between each note is a whole tone (2 frets) apart, except for the E & F, and the B & C, which are a semi-tone (1 fret) apart.

The relative minor to C major is A minor. You can find the relative minor by taking the major’s root (C in this example), and going down three semitone.

Both scales use the same framework, except they begin on different places. What is need is that we can use this framework of the major scale for other key. A very simple way of doing this is to change the notes into scale degrees. This is how I prefer to teach, so most of this book will feature scale degrees. Ex: C = 1; D = 2; E = 3, etc.

Let’s finally give the minor scale its independence by give it its own scale degrees relative to its roots.

The 7th and 4th are removed from the Natural Major to create the major pentatonic.

The 2nd and 6th are removed from the Natural Minor to create the minor pentatonic. Here is the connection between the major and minor pentatonic; on the left side, you have the major scale, on the right, the minor scale.



Chapter II - The CAGED System When you first picked up a guitar, you probably began by playing simple chords. A major, C major, G major, E major, D major. Little did you know is that you were playing chords that would help you connect the scales in your mind. What do I mean by this? I mean that the guitar’s scales are very connected, and the chords help connect these scales in your mind. To begin, let’s find the every root on your fret board. In this example, we’ll do this on F# major. Check the example below. Remember that the 4th and the 7th are removed to create the major pentatonic.



IMPORTANT NOTE: I’m referring to the major FORMS. Every single one of the chords above play F# major, but by using different shapes (C major, D major, etc), you can play the F# major (and any other chord) all over the neck. Wow! Chords you’ve probably already played hundreds of times are indicating how to play the scales all over the fret board, since you can use the chords and make an informed guess on how/where to play your scales. They are interconnected. There’s a very distinct pattern here (that you should practice and memorize). When you look for it, you’ll always know how to find the root of any chord you’re playing. Minor Scale:



If you what to play the minor scale across the neck, follow the example below:



When playing scales and chords, the most accessible position is to play in the ‘E major/E minor‘ form.

When soloing, these positions are the easiest way to find home base, giving you an anchor from which you can go in any direction you please. There is not only the relative major and minor (which are next to one another), but any one position and root could be both major and minor. Note: you should learn to jump from a major to a minor scale and vice versa. Unfortunately, this is only a partial analysis of the major and minor pentatonic scales. This is because we could spend the entire day talking about the pentatonic scales, and that isn’t the scope of this book. I have, however, written a book that extensively covers

pentatonic scales. If you want the complete, unabridged version, check it out here: Guitar Pentatonic Scales: Master the Fretboard Quickly and Easily & Sound Like a Pro, In One Hour (or Less) Exercise: Practice the major and the minor scale and find the connection (relative major/minor). Then, cut off the respective notes to create pentatonic scales. Last, practice the major/minor scales on the same root (starting) note.

Chapter III - Refresher on Modes and Scale Degrees Scale degrees might be confusing, but it’s crucial that you understand them. Firstly, look at whether the letters above the chords are upper-cased or lower-cased. If it is upper-cased, it’s major. If it is lower-cased, it’s minor. The I is the root of a major key. The other chords are basing themselves off the notes of this major key. They play a role in chord progressions; notice that the first (I), fourth (IV) and fifth (V) chords are major. These chords are a crucial part of 12 bar blues.

The modes based themselves off of these chords. Modes are quite interesting since you’re playing the same major scale, but you’re starting at different points. Just like the chords, the first, fourth, and fifth scales are major. I - Ionian IV - Lydian V - Mixolydian Just like the chords, the second, third, sixth scales are minor. ii - Dorian iii - Phrygian vi - Aeolian Just like the chord, the seventh scale is diminished. vii - Locrian Here’s a representation of the scale degrees, with a note assigned to each one.

If you start from the I scale degree and move up to the I scale degree, you have the Ionian (natural major) scale.

If you start from the ii scale degree and move up to the ii scale degree, you have the Dorian scale. If you start from the iii scale degree and move up to the iii scale degree, you have the Phrygian scale. If you start from the IV scale degree and move up to the IV scale degree, you have the Lydian scale. If you start from the V scale degree and move up to the V scale degree, you have the Mixolydian scale. If you start from the vi scale degree and move up to the vi scale degree, you have the Aeolian scale (natural minor). If you start from the vii scale degree and move up to the vii scale degree, you have the Locrian scale. If you change the key of the song, you’re essentially shifting that set of chords, making the I chord the root of the key.

Minor Key You can also start that set of chords with the Aeolian (natural minor), which means that you start the sequence at a different place. The relative minor key starts on the ‘vi‘ scale degree.

We can rename the scale degrees in order to make the root the ‘centre‘ and give it a sense of ‘home-base‘.

The chords above mean that if you’re in that specific minor key, then the chords in the example will sound quite nice.

Chapter IV - Extended Chords/Notes Extended chords aren’t terribly difficult, but it requires understanding basic chords (major, minor, dominant 7th) before going any further. What are the extended chords? In short, they are chords that add extra notes; they give the chord a ‘jazzy’ feel. The most common extended chords include either a 9th, 11th, or a 13th note in the chord. If you include the 9th, 11th or 13th in your scales or solos, you’re playing extended notes. These notes are very similar to the scale degrees we’ve already covered. As you go up the scale, you reach the root note; you can call it either the 8th or the 1st. As you move along, you move up as though you’re building off of the 8th note. That’s where you get 9th, 11th, and 13th notes.

Let’s apply this example to a major scale; you have the same notes, but they are named differently. Chords use this concept as well; if a chord features a ‘9’ in its name, then the 9th note of its respective scale is heard in the chord (see below). If a chord features an ‘11’ in its name, then the 11th note of its respective scale is heard in the chord (see below). If a chord features an ‘13’ in its name, then the 13th note of its respective scale is heard in the chord (see below).

There are three types of 9ths, three types of 11ths, and three types of 13ths; major, minor, and dominant. They are identified with the 3rd and 7th notes. For instance, a major 9th, 11th, or 13th chord needs to include the major 3rd and the

major 7th. A minor 9th, 11th, or 13th chord needs to include the minor 3rd and the minor (flat) 7th. A dominant 9th, 11th, or 13th chord needs to include the major 3rd and the minor (flat) 7th.

Chapter V - The REAL Root of Blues Chord Progressions This is where the blues gets very interesting; though there is a chord progression, it is a bit more complicated than that. A typical 12 bar blues chord progression looks something like so:

Though E7 is the tonic chord, do we base everything on the E7 chord? Do we automatically consider it the Ionian position? We could indeed base everything on the I chord, but it would limit us tremendously. Here is my best answer when it comes to soloing over the blues.

There Are Two “Tracks” For Soloing 1) The first track revolves around the Tonic (first scale degree) and it doesn’t change, despite the numerous chords that are played. 2) The second track revolves around the chord that is played, and changes when the chords change. Let’s focus on each individual track, and tricks for memorizing all of them.

Track 1 - The Blues Track This track is what you would typically equate to the Blues; pentatonic and blues scales all around the fretboard. This track is pretty simple after enough practice, but you need to be able to view these scales on different positions of the neck. On this track, your root is the tonic chord’s root; in this example (E7); the root is E. Even if the chords change to A7 or B7, you will be playing around the root of E. Here is Track 1; it shows the root of each chord that is played on the E string.

On the tonic’s root, you also have the root of the minor blues, the minor pentatonic. On the flat 3rd scale degree, you have the major pentatonic. This makes sense, since it is the tonic (minor)‘s relative major. Since they’re so cohesive, we can combine the minor blues scale and the minor pentatonic scale into one scale, which we’ll simply call the minor blues scale. Look how similar they are; the only difference between the two scales is the ‘Blues’ note; a #4.

Since you would want to be able to play these scales all over the neck, here is an easy chart that will help you:

Let’s look at the Minor Blues Scale, all over the neck.

Let’s separate that into its individual positions.

Do you also see the major pentatonic shape within those notes? Begin on the ♭iii note, and work up the scale. ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7, 1, ♭3 That is the major pentatonic in essence. If you include the #4, you’ve got the major blues pentatonic. ♭3, 4, #4, 5, ♭7, 1, ♭3 OR 1, 2, #2, 3, 5, 6, 1 Don’t worry too much about the scale degrees just yet; simply play the notes and practice the shapes. This track is very easy-going since it will never clash with any of the major chords in your progression. The following track is a bit different; the track is a unified set of scales, but it changes depending on the chord that is played.

Track 2 - The Mode Track This track is called the ‘Mode track’ because it contains 4 positions that each represent one mode. This is also the track that changes with each chord. Why? Played over the tonic chord, this track plays over the major 3rd scale degree (the 3, not the ♭3). All well and good, but what if you change to a IV7 chord? If you kept playing the ‘Mode Track’ in the I7 key, the notes and the chords would begin to clash. So what is one to do? Simply change the ‘Mode track’ to fit over each chord. Here is the track:

Mixolydian Scale

As stated before, the root (I) of this track will always be aligned with the root of the chord that you are playing. The Dominant 7th arpeggio plays a set of notes, whereas the other three scales play a different set of notes; with the latter three scales, the 9th note is accentuated.

The best part about this ‘Mode Track’ is that you don’t need to know each of these scales all over the neck at all times. It would be nice to know the Dominant 7 all over, since it tells you where to play the other three strings. You only need to know the other 3 scales in their respective string. Stated otherwise, each scale occupies one position on the neck. Let’s start learning.

Dominant 7th

Here, you have all the notes you need to play every one of the scales of the Mode Tracks. But let’s look at each scale so that you can understand what they are. Minor 7 (♭5) The minor 7 (♭5) scale is as follows: 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7, 1 It’s much like a minor arpeggio, but the 5 is flattened. This scale’s root is on the Dominant’s 3rd note. It also accentuates the 9th note of the Dominant scale, but glosses over the Dominant’s root. Here is the scale on the fretboard, with the Dominant 7’s root as a reference:

Minor 6 The minor 6 scale is as follows: 1, ♭3, 5, 6, 1

It’s much like a minor arpeggio, but it contains a major 6, which in accentuated instead of the ♭7. This scale’s root is on the Dominant’s 5th note. It also accentuates the 9th note of the Dominant scale, but glosses over the Dominant’s root. Here is the scale on the fretboard, with the Dominant 7’s root as a reference:

Lydian Arpeggio The Lydian Arpeggio/Scale is as follows: 1, 3, ♭5, 6, 1 It’s similar to a major pentatonic, except there is a ♭5. This scale’s root is on the Dominant’s 7th note. It also accentuates the 9th note of the Dominant scale, but glosses over the Dominant’s root. Here is the scale on the fretboard, with the Dominant 7’s root as a reference (though Lydian technically uses a #4, we shall use a ‘flat 5‘ in keeping with the other scales in the Mode Track):

The ‘Mode Track’ Put Together Let’s review this track by referring to the initial image:

Mixolydian Scale

If you want to get onto the mode tracks, begin with the Dominant 7 arpeggio, then find the iii, the V, and the ♭vii. The most important thing to know is that the latter three scales skip the Dominant 7th root, but touch the 9th. Besides practice, you have here all that you need to master this track.

Chapter VI - Dominant Blues Progressions Here’s a typical chord progression for the dominant and major chord progression.

These have been color-coded based on what you are able to play. They are context driven. That said, we will have to go over what you’re able to play over each chord.

What To Play Over the I7 Chord Since you’re at “home-base”, you have plenty of liberties when it comes to soloing. For one, you’re allowed to play the major 3rd “flair” which is testament to blues soloing. This is good news for you because about half of the 12 bar blues revolve around this chord. Here is a list of scales you can play. Blues Track: · I - minor blues scale · ♭iii - major pentatonic scale Mode Track: · I - Dominant 7 scale (Mixolydian) · iii - minor 7 (♭5) arpeggio (Locrian) · V - minor 6 arpeggio (Dorian) · ♭vii - Lydian arpeggio (Lydian)



What To Play Over the IV7 Chord After moving away from home-base, you have fewer freedoms. You can’t play that major 3rd “flair” anymore, but you have some opportunities to give your solo some style. For one, you have the opportunity to highlight the root’s 9th, 11th, and 13th. Especially the 13th; it’s the IV7th 3rd note, so it gives it more flavor. The scales you pick will allow you to do that. Here is a list of scales you can play: Blues Track: · I - minor blues scale · ♭iii - major pentatonic scale Mode Track: · IV - Dominant 7th arpeggio (Mixolydian) · vi - Minor 7 (♭5) arpeggio (Locrian) · I - minor 6 arpeggio (Dorian) · ♭iii - Lydian arpeggio (Lydian) If you leave the IV7 chord to go back to the I7 chord, you’re allowed to use the major 3rd “flair” at the very end of this chord.

What To Play Over the V7 Chord You’re now near the end of the 12 bar blues. For those 1-2 measures you have near the end, heed this advice. Accentuate the 7th and 9th of the root (I), since it accentuates the V7 very nicely. Otherwise, use these scales. Blues Track: · I - minor blues scale · ♭iii - major pentatonic scale Mode Track: · V - Dominant 7th arpeggio (Mixolydian) · vii - Minor 7 (♭5) arpeggio (Locrian) · ii - minor 6 arpeggio (Dorian) · IV - Lydian arpeggio (Lydian)



Turnarounds For the final two measures of the 12 bar blues, you’re given the opportunity to end the 12 bars with a bit of flair. It also serves to introduce a new section, which is another 12 bars starting on the I7 chord. Turnarounds use the I7 and V7 chords; we will cover this in greater detail later on. We will look at specific riffs and licks that you can play in the Dominant Blues Progression. The other two progressions (Major, Dominant) will use the ‘Blues Track’ and the ‘Mode Track’, but there will be variations. Here’s why: The Dominant Blues Scale Progression uses Dominant 7th chords, so the mode tracks are tailored to be played over each Dominant 7th chord. Since neither the major nor the minor blues progression needs a dominant 7th, the Mode Track appears less frequently.

Chapter VII - Major Blues Progression The major blues progressions are rather similar to the Dominant Blues Progression in regards to its structure. If a Dominant Progression uses the I7, IV7, V7 (C7, F7, and G7) chords, then a major blues progression might use the I, IV, V (C, F, and G) major chords. However, it can use both major and dominant 7th chords.

This changes how we approach our blues solos. For one, the root of any song with this progression revolves around the major pentatonic/blues scale (as opposed to the minor we’ve been so acquainted to). You can play the minor pentatonic/blues scales just behind the major on the fretboard; remember, they’re connected. As for the ‘Mode Track’, it is completely possible that it might not make an appearance. That is, if you have no Dominant 7th chord in your song, you have no way of introducing the Mode Track. Try playing the ‘Mode Track’ on top of a Major chord, and you’ll hear how it isn’t very pleasant. Often, in the cases in which you have a Dominant 7th chord, it’s only for a brief moment, so you have a small window of time to play on the ‘Mode Track’ before you jump back to the ‘Blues Track’. If that’s too difficult, play a Dominant 7th arpeggio for a quick moment, or simply stick to the ‘Blues Track’ What To Play Over the I-IV-V Chords Whether you’re at “home base” or in a different chord, there isn’t too much variety or difference from what you can play. However, that don’t mean that you can’t create amazing riffs or chords, so here are the scales that you can play: Blues Track: · vi - minor blues scale · I - major blues scale · I - major 7th arpeggio (as follows: 1, 3, 5, 7, 1; the 7th is one semitone away from the root). · IV - major 7th arpeggio Mode Tracks: · Use only when a Dominant 7th chord is present, which could be any almost chord (I7, II7, III7 IV7, V7, etc.)

We will look at specific riffs and licks that you can play in the Major Blues Progression.

Chapter VIII - Minor Blues Progression The Minor Blues Progression differ greatly from the other two chord progressions. Firstly, the root is positioned differently; where the Major/Dominant Progression are based on a major scale, the Minor Progression is based on the minor scale. So, the intervals are different. Here’s an example of the minor scale vs the major scale; the roots are highlighted and put in bold:

The minor scale degrees can be represented as major or Dominant scales. Here is an example of a minor chord progression, from Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”; notice that the v chord has been turned into a Dominant 7th.

What to Play Over All Chords Blues Track: · i - Minor Blues Scale · i - Aeolian (Natural) Minor Scale · iv - Dorian Minor Scale · ♭III - Major Blues Scale Modes Track: · Use only when a Dominant 7th chord is present, which could be any almost chord (I7, II7, III7 VI7, V7, etc.)



Chapter IX - Solo Ideas for All Three Types of Chord Progressions In this section, we will look at individual solos that apply in different contexts. Keep an eye on the chord progressions (notated above each measure), as you can get a sense of the notes contrasting with the chord progression. Some of the solos belong to a song, which will be included in the title. These solos are filled with great individual riffs that you can steal and apply to any key. Notice that a lot of these solos are full of notes; this is to save space in this book. However, it’s actually advisable to give your riffs and solos some air to breathe. There will be a section on this later.

3 Dominant Progression Solos These solos will include the first 10 bars of 12. Later in this book, there will be a brief list of ‘turnarounds’, which covers the final 2 bars. Solo 1



Solo 2



Solo 3 - Come When I Call (John Mayer)



3 Major Blues Solos Solo 1 - Bring It On Home to Me (in C major)



Solo 2 - Don’t Stop Believing Solo (in E major)



Solo 3 - When a Man Loves a Woman (in C# major)



3 Minor Blues Solos Solo 1 - Hit the Road Jack (G# Minor)



Solo 2 - Another Brick in the Wall (D minor)



Solo 3 - I Shot the Sheriff (G minor)



Turnarounds As mentioned before, turnarounds give you the opportunity to end your set of ‘12 bars’ with some flair. This section looks at the final two measures. Most of the two measures focuses and plays around the I chord, then reverts to the V chord to build some tension. Here are some examples that you could play in almost any key:

Appendix A - Advanced Blues Soloing Tips This section deals not so much with new material, but specific techniques to integrate the new information that you have learned. It interpolates and creates new connections. · Using the ‘Mode Track’, you can figure out which mode you can play in four locations. The Dominant shape uses the Mixolydian mode, the Min 7 (♭5) uses the Locrian mode, etc. If you want to spice up your playing, play a mode instead of a pentatonic/arpeggio. · Find ways to integrate the ‘Blues Track’ and the ‘Mode Track’ in any way that you can. It’s pretty simple; find a way to integrate the 9th. From the 9th, go up to the 3rd, or down to the flat 7, and you’re on the ‘Mode Track’. · Another way to integrate the two tracks; you can play a chromatic note between the 9th and the 3rd (9, ♭3, 3). The ♭3 and 3 are blues-related, so it segues quite easily. · When soloing, take a moment to pause and collect yourself. Like a conversation, playing guitar is an “in-out” sort of thing; you take a few moments to say your piece, and then pause a moment to breathe in. · Listen to as many different blues guitarists as you can. Steal their riffs; figure out what they’re doing, and add it to your repertoire. · Another way to memorize the fretboard is to learn the same riffs on different places on the neck. This way, you understand the notes (scale degrees) and NOT the pattern. This also gives you more “bang for your buck”, as you’re adding to your blues vocabulary twice as fast, or faster! · When bending, you’re not only able to bend whole tones to other strings, but you can also bend up a semi-tone within a ‘Big‘ pentatonic note group; this works either in the major or minor scale. This allows you to bend (in the minor scale) from the 2nd to the ♭3 and the 6th to the ♭7 and (in the major scale) from the #4th to the 5th and the 7th to the root. Practice bending everywhere, in every part of the scale.

Check Out My Other Books!

Guitar Pentatonic Scales: Master the Fretboard Quickly and Easily & Sound Like a Pro, In One Hour (or Less) - Learn the Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales by learning the Natural Major and Minor scales inside and out! There are 5 simple patterns that allow you to connect the entire fretboard together. You’ll also learn how these four scales are intimately connected, allowing you to jump from one to the other with complete ease.

Guitar Modes: Learn Fretboard Mastery, Play Awesome Solos and Improve at Guitar by Gaining the Skill That Few Guitarists Have - Learn the modes, their role in music and solo, and how to systematically learn each mode quickly and easily. Finally learn this elusive skill and become a great guitarist with this knowledge.

How to Write a Song: 19 Rules and Mistakes in Songwriting for Radio - In this book, you’ll receive19 pointers when it comes to writing songs for radio. Some are simple, such as how to end a song, others are more complicated and need

some music theory to fully teach. Though simple practice of the steps, you will be writing songs that will impress even yourself!

Guitar Chords Handbook: Learn Any Chord, Improve Fretboard Visualization, and Read Fake-Books With Ease Let’s analyse guitar chords in an easy-to-learn way, allowing you to learn any chord you want.



Basic Music Theory - Everything You Need to Know about Reading Music and Composing Music If you’re a budding musician, learning to read and write music is an invaluable skill that will help you connect with literally millions of others by being able to read their works and writing works that others can read.

Want a Lesson With Me? If you’re a budding guitarist and want some one-on-one time with a skilled guitarist, look no further! I’m offering online Skype lessons to intermediate guitarists. To me, intermediate guitarists are those who have developed some motor skills, including scales and chords, but have some issues with more complex issues such as fretboard visualisation and more precise playing. My main specialization is in fingerstyle, but I’m also skilled at song-writing and some speed picking. We can work out a reasonable fee for a one hour Skype lesson. Contact me at: [email protected]

Conclusion You now have the information to play rocking blues solos! Please read this book once more to assimilate the information. Also, make sure that you pull out the guitar to practice these individual sections. It’s important that you practice each section of this book - the pentatonic scales, the blues scales, modes, extended chords, the two solo tracks, the chord progressions (major, minor, dominant) and turnarounds - to be able to call upon the information whenever you need it. I genuinely hope that you’ve learned valuable tips of blues guitar. If you have, then I’d love to hear about it on my review page. Amazon reviews truly help me get this information to many more guitarists, helping them reach their goals. Thanks, Dan Amerson