Licks
Blues Guitar Lick: Is This the No.1 Must Know Blues Guitar Lick
There’s a lot of Blues licks out there to play in your solos, but there is a specific Blues guitar lick that every guitar player must know. It sounds great at the beginning, at the end or at any point of the solo while playing a 12 bar blues. So, in this lesson you will learn to play possibly the most classic Blues lick ever
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Blues Guitar Licks – Is This the No.1 Must Know Blues Lick
So there are hundreds of blues guitar licks out there. But there is one lick which is played by all the blues guitar greats…and in this lesson I’ll show you how you can start playing it too. It’s one of those blues guitar licks that sounds great almost anywhere in a blues solo and it’s an essential addition to your blues guitar lick library. Let’s dive in!
0:26 Learn to play possibly the most important and ‘must know’ blues lick there is! All the legends know it and use it. It’s an essential bit of blues guitar language.
0:42 Here’s the A minor pentatonic scale shape at the 5th fret. This is the scale that this lick (and dozens of other blues guitar licks you must know!) comes from.
1:04 Here’s the No. 1 blues lick you must know played so you can hear it. Sounds familiar eh? Let’s break the lick up and look at how you can play it.
1:57 I’ll jam over a 12 bar blues in the key of A now. See if you can spot the blues lick in my solo. You’ll hear how it works at all sorts of places throughout the 12 bar blues.
2:45 Blues Guitar Licks Variation. Here’s a basic variation you can do with this lick. It’s just a simple tweak, but can be handy for getting up to the higher notes on the neck in the sliding blues scale.
3:54 So what can you do with blues guitar licks like this one? Take them and practice using them that’s what! Experimentation is the key to making it work in your solos so don’t hesitate, jump in and see how you can use it right away.
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Blues Rock Licks; Unison Bends for Killer Licks
Whether it’s Slash, Schenker, Hammett, Rhoads, Hendrix, Page, Satch or any other great rock player…you can bet they’re using the sound of unison bends in their licks and solos!
But what are unison bends, how can you nail them and how can you use them to play killer solos and licks of your own?
In this lesson you’ll learn the secrets of playing monster unison bends as well as how to use them for powerful and high impact solos.
Discover
- The 2 most important unison bends all the great players use!
- The common mistakes guitar players make (leading to unison bending disasters!)
- How a simple tweak can double the number of unison bending licks you know!
- Plus more…
Once you’ve studied this lesson you’ll be on the road to bending like a boss!
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Blues Rock Licks – Unison Bends for Killer Licks!
Lesson breakdown:
0:09 Blues Rock Licks demo with unison bends. Check out this intro jam to hear the kind of blues rock licks you can play with the unison bends you’re going to learn in this guitar lesson.
0:31 Unison bends…what are they?
If you don’t know what unison bends are, well you’ve definitely heard them before! It’s when we play the same note twice in a row, but using a bend to sound one of them. Even though the note is the same…the sound of the bend creates a cool effect. Here you’ll learn one of the most common unison bends there is. It’s show in the key of C# minor.
1:40 Unison Bending Lick 2
Here we see another of the common bends you hear in all the blues rock licks of your favorite players. You’ll also learn an essential guitar technique for controlling your string bends.
2:39 Technique Tips for Awesome Unison Bends
How good your blues rock licks sound is in large part down to how good your string bending technique is. Here you’ll learn some guitar technique tips for great unison bends.
3:40 Using Unison Bending to Create Blues Rock Licks and Solos.
Here we’ll combine some of the unison bending moves to create some blues rock licks you can use in your solos. It’s not hard to come up with dozens of licks just by using a little imagination!
4:48 Unison Bends and Double Stop Bends
Play both notes at the same time and you get a double stop unison bending. This is a favorite move of players like Slash, Hendrix, Wylde…pretty much everyone!
Check out the essential technique tips for powerful double stop bends.
5:34 Blues rock licks can easily be created simply by combining some of these bends. Follow the picking tips and guidelines shown here to make them easier to play.
6:27 Now you can experiment with using these bends to create a load of blues rock licks of your own. Try anything you can think of and keep a note of what works best. Have fun!
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Blues Turnaround Lesson
How To Add the Classic Blues Turnaround Into Your Solos
In this episode of the ASK JAMES GUITAR SHOW I’m going to show you exactly how to do it.
Watch this short lesson to find out:
- What is a ‘turnaround lick’ and how you can use it to give your playing that ‘polished’ sound
- How to play the classic turnaround lick all the blues legends use (step-by-step breakdown included!)
- How you can learn to ‘drop into’ the lick anytime at the end of your solo for that classic ending
- How to practice this skill…for speedy results!
Have fun…and remember you can ASK A QUESTION on the Ask James Guitar Show page…
SUPERCHARGE your Blues Trick Bag with my awesome ‘Blues Guitar Bundle’!
Here’s a breakdown of what’s covered in this lesson:
- 0:25 What is a ‘turnaround lick’? Here I answer this question and demonstrate the turnaround lick we’re going to be using.
It’s in the key of G and I’m going to demonstrate it over a 12 bar blues in the key of G. - 1:12 Here’s how to play the G blues turnaround lick we’re using in this lesson.
- 2:18 The lick begins on beat 2 of the 11th bar of the 12 bar blues. So you need to improvise up to that point before dropping seamlessly into the turnaround lick. I’m going to demonstrate how to do this over a 12 bar blues backing track.
- 3:21 Here I explain what I did in my improvisation. Also how to learn to ‘feel’ when it’s time to begin the turnaround lick.
- 3:44 If we isolate the final 4 bars of the 12 bar blues and practice playing round and round over that section it focuses our attention on combining the lick in with our solo. Do this unaccompanied at first. Then take a 12 bar blues backing track and loop the final 4 bars around so you can play over it.
- 5:07 Another tip for tagging your turnaround lick onto the end of your blues solo.
- 5:46 The ‘turnaround’ isn’t just a lick! It’s actually the final 2 bars of the 12 bar blues chord sequence. You don’t have to play a ‘turnaround lick’ there at all if you don’t want. It’s fine just to carry on your solo. Hear me demo this approach.
Questions? Leave them in the form on the ASK JAMES GUITAR SHOW page
Hope this lesson helped you out and see you next time!
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Get the Rock Sound!
Amp Settings For Awesome Rock Tone!
Having a great sound is just as important as your performance so you need to know how to set up your amp right
The good news is you don’t need to spend a fortune on equipment to get a good sound. I’ll give you a few simple tips to help you get great results!
In this video you’ll discover:
- ‘Crunch’ rhythm guitar set up (for that classic Guns n’ Roses or AC/DC sound!)
- How to set your amp for a killer lead sound that’s punchy and powerful but not too distorted (learn to set your eq and gain just right!)
- A simple trick the pros use for a sound that cuts through every time
So dive in and start getting the sound you want straight away…
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Guitar Amp Settings for an Awesome Rock sound.
Start setting up your guitar amp for a great rock sound and start getting the tone you hear in your head!
This short video lesson shows you step-by-step tips for setting eq, gain and distortion levels and more so you can get started crafting great rock and metal tones. And you don’t need a $5,000 guitar amp to do it!
0:10 In this lesson I’ll show you tips for getting a great rock guitar sound. I’m not a guitar amp ‘guru’ and I’m not playing through high end gear that most guitarists can’t afford! But the good news is that with these easy to use tips you can start getting closer to the rock sound you want.
0:45 Amp Settings for Rock ‘Crunch’ Rhythm Sound
To get a rock rhythm guitar sound similar to bands like AC/DC or Guns’n’Roses set your amp on the distortion or overdrive channel. If you have a ‘crunch’ channel like I do then use this.
I normally set my eq up like this:
Bass: 2-3 o’clock
Treble: 2-3 o’clock
Notice how these are in a similar sort of area – I find this a good starting point before adjusting the mid control. The Mid control has a big influence on the sound so ‘sweep’ the Mid control round till you find the ‘sweet spot’ where it sounds good to you.
I normally set mine to about 10-11 o’clock.
Too much distortion (normally controlled by the ‘Gain’ knob) can make chords and riffs unclear and muddy so don’t use too much!
Start by setting it to about 12-1 o’clock and adjust from there.
1:53 Hear me demo the settings on a ‘classic rock’ style chord riff. Notice how the sound is powerful with a good amount of punch – but you can still make the sound of the chords clearly.
2:08 Amp Settings for Rock Lead/Solo Sound
To get a bit more punch for a good lead guitar sound then you can try just increasing the distortion/gain on your rhythm sound. Some players use a pedal to do this so they don’t need to mess around with the amp. If your amp has a designated lead channel then you might prefer to use this.
I normally use the same eq settings as on the crunch sound – I find they cut through but still sounds nice and fat. As with the rhythm guitar sound be aware of using too much distortion/gain!
On my lead channel I set the gain to about 1-2 o’clock but this will vary depending on your amp.
3:43 Obviously these are just guidelines to get you started! They won’t necessarily be perfect for your taste or music. Alter them to get the sound you want. They’re a great starting point though and should take the guesswork out of getting a good sound.
Good luck!
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Amp Settings
For Awesome Blues Tone!
Not sure how to set up your amp to play Blues? No problem.
In this lesson I will show you how to set up your amp to get a great Blues guitar sound. I’ll also point out the number one mistake that most guitar players make when they start setting up their amps to play Blues.
Here you will get.
- Amp EQ settings guide.
- Presence, Reverb and Gain Amp Settings
- Pick up tips and Volume Knob ‘trick’ for chords and solos
If you were struggling with how to get a good blues sound, with this lesson you will solve your problems and get an awesome Blues Guitar sound!
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Secrets of a GreatBlues Guitar Sound
How can you get a great blues guitar sound and how should you set your amp up? In this step by step lesson I’ll show you a simple method for setting up your guitar amp so that you can get a great blues guitar tone out of your speaker every time!
Blues Amp Settings – Setting Your Amp fror Great Blues Guitar Sound
In this guitar lesson I’ll show you how to set your amp for a great blues guitar sound every time. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll learn in this lesson.
0:00 In this lesson you’ll find out how to set up your amp plus how to avoid the no.1 mistake many guitar players make when setting up there guitar amp for a great blues sound. I made it! Now you can avoid it…
0:53 Amp EQ Settings Guide
See the front panel of my tube amp to see how I set it up. I set the bass and treble controls to about 6-7 and the mid to about 3-4. Try sweeping through the mid control though to find the ‘sweet spot’. The mid control is very influential on your sound.
1:32 Presence, Reverb and Gain Amp Settings
Presence controls the overall brightness and I normally set it to about 2-3. A touch of reverb is often nice but don’t use too much! Also with gain or distortion – be aware of using too much! We want a nice crunchy, singing tone that isn’t too ‘fuzzy’ sounding.
2:03 Pickup Tips
Try the different pickups on your guitar. I normally use the neck pickup on my strat for a warmer sound. The bridge pickup is a little too bright for my tastes – but it’s a personal thing so make up your own mind here.
2:39 Volume Knob ‘Trick’ for Chords and Solos
Here’s a simple way to use the same amp settings for solos and chords without being too loud. Simple…but free!
3:26 Many guitarists use way too much distortion and reverb when they play blues. I definitely used to! It takes away the definition of the notes and ‘muddies’ your playing. Try turning the reverb and gain controls down as low as you can stand them and see how you like it.
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Guitar Power Chord Shapes
as used by all the rock & metal masters!
Check out these essential guitar power chord shapes and techniques for killer riffs and chord progressions!.
And discover how this one power chord shape can be used to play any power chord you might need…simply by moving around the guitar neck (don’t worry, I’ll show you how to do it!)
Watch to learn:
- The ‘A root’ power chord shape you really need to know
- Secrets for great palm muting and chord damping technique to get these power chords sounding massive without annoying string noise
- Where to move this power chord shape to on the fretboard to play any power chord you want
So dive in and start getting killer power chord sounds right away…
Learn the Essential Rock and Metal Guitar Power Chords used by bands like Metallica, ACDC, Black Sabbath, Guns’n’Roses and more!
Get my awesome free POWER CHORD GUIDE With TAB and chord boxes for this and other lessons showing you all the essential guitar power chords!
Power chords are essential knowledge if you want to play rock and metal rhythm guitar, songs and riffs. In this guitar lesson I’ll show you more ‘must know’ guitar power chords used by all rock and metal guitarists and classic bands such as AC/DC, Guns’n’ Roses, Metallica and more. Plus you’ll learn how you can use this single chord shape to play ANY power chord!
Here’s a breakdown of what you learn in this video:
0:42 In the previous power chord lessons we looked at the open string guitar power chords and the chord shapes with an E string root. Now it’s time for the shape with the root on the A string.
Let’s learn the basic power chord shape. We’ll start by learning how to play a B5 power chord at the 2nd fret. Then in a minute we’ll start moving it around the neck to get other power chords. Notice the two different options for fingering this chord shape. This is one of the most often used guitar power chords!
I’m mainly playing this shape on the A,D and G strings but as with the E root shapes you can leave off the little finger note if you want (the G string in this chord shape).
2:02 Playing Any Power Chord With This Shape
By moving the power chord shape up the neck it can be used to play any power chord you might need. This is all to do with the root note, which is the note you play with your 1st finger on the A string. Whatever this note becomes as you move the chord shape around determines which power chord you are playing. The chords you get are: 2nd fret-B5, 3rd fret-C5, 5th fret – D5, 7th fret – E5, 8th fret – F5, 10th fret – G5, 12th fret – A5. Make sure you learn this – very important!
1:52 The Moveable Power Chord Shape
By moving the power chord shape up the neck it can be used to play any power chord you might need. This is all to do with the root note, which is the note you play with your 1st finger on the low E string. Whatever this note becomes as you move the chord shape around determines which power chord you are playing. The chords you get are: 1st fret-F5, 3rd fret-G5, 5th fret – A5, 7th fret – B5, 8th fret – C5, 10th fret – D5, 12th fret – E5. Make sure you learn this – very important!
3:42 Sharps and Flats for Power Chords
Make sure you can also play power chords with a sharp(#) or flat (b) root note. These are all played at the frets in between the ones we played the shape at earlier. See the lesson for details and demonstration.
4:57 Power Chord Playing Tips
Remember you only want to play the strings in the chord shape -try to deaden off all other strings by lying your left hand fingers slightly flat across the neck. I mainly do this with my 1st finger. Also experiment with using ‘palm muting’ to give the chords a more chunky, tighter sound. Lightly rest the flesh of your picking hand on the strings to ‘palm mute’.When you want to, release the palm muting slightly to let the power chord ring out a little more.
5:24 How To Use These Power Chord Shapes
It is essential that we practice USING new material in our playing – otherwise we just forget it! Try taking the 3 sets of power chord shapes we’ve covered in these lessons and experimenting with combining them. See if you can make up some killer power chord riffs and chord sequences of your own.
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Master More Essential Power Chord Shapes
as used by all the great rock & metal bands!
If you want to play rock and metal rhythm guitar, then you must know Power Chord shapes. These are chord shapes used by all rock and metal guitarists and classic bands such as Metallica, Guns n’ Roses, AC/DC and much more. Here I’ll show you these chords and how to use them
In this lesson we are going to see:
- Basic Power Chord shape. We’ll see how to play an F5 Power Chord at the first fret and moving it around the neck to get other chords.
- Control string noise. you have to be careful with your fingers so you can get the desired sound, mostly when you are using distortion or overdrive pedals.
- Sharps and Flats
With these chords, you can play almost any metal and rock song. Don’t forget to download my awesome free POWER CHORDS GUIDE With TAB and chord boxes for this and the other Power Chord Lessons!
Power Chord Shapes – Learn the Essential Rock and Metal Power Chords used by bands like Metallica, ACDC, Black Sabbath, Guns’n’Roses and more!
Get my awesome free POWER CHORD GUIDE With TAB and chord boxes for this and the other Power Chord Lessons!
More Essential Guitar Power Chord Shapes
Power chords are essential knowledge if you want to play rock and metal rhythm guitar, songs and riffs. In this guitar lesson I’ll show you ‘must know’ chord shapes used by all rock and metal guitarists and classic bands such as AC/DC, Guns’n’ Roses, Metallica and more. Plus you’ll learn how you can use these to play ANY power chord!
Here’s a breakdown of what you learn in this video:
0:38 Basic Power Chords Shape
We’ll start by learning how to play an F5 power chord at the 1st fret. Then in a minute we’ll start moving it around the neck to get other chords using the same shape. Notice the two different options for fingering this chord shape.
1:28 Controlling String Noise
Watch your 1st finger position when you play this shape – it should be slightly flat so it mutes off any unwanted strings. This little tip is essential for getting clear and punchy power chords without unwanted string noise!
1:52 The Moveable Power Chord Shape
By moving the shape up the neck it can be used to play any chord you might need. This is all to do with the root note, which is the note you play with your 1st finger on the low E string. Whatever this note becomes as you move the chord shape around determines which chord you are playing. The chords you get are: 1st fret-F5, 3rd fret-G5, 5th fret – A5, 7th fret – B5, 8th fret – C5, 10th fret – D5, 12th fret – E5. Make sure you learn this – very important!
3:05 Alternative Fingering
You can also play the power chord shape without the D string note to get a 2 string power chord shape. These can be used interchangeably with the 3 string version and are basically the same thing. They can also be moved around the neck to get different power chords.
4:20 Sharps and Flats
Make sure you can also play power chords with a sharp(#) or flat (b) root note. These are all played at the frets in between the ones we played the shape at earlier. See the lesson for details and demonstration.
5:15 Chord Connecting Exercise
This simple exercise uses the shape played as A5, C5, F5 and G5.
I’m using the 3 string shape here although you could use the 2 string form if you prefered. Notice how I’m using ‘palm muting’ to gives the chords a more chunky, tighter sound. Lightly rest the flesh of your picking hand on the strings to ‘palm mute’. On the final A5 chord I release the palm muting slightly to let the chord ring out a little more.
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Master the Essential Power Chords
as used by all the great rock & metal bands!
Power chords are essential knowledge for any aspiring rock or metal guitarist wanting to play killer rock songs and riffs.
In this guitar lesson you’ll learn’must know’ open string power chords used by the legends of rock and metal music: bands like AC/DC, Guns’n’Roses, Ozzy Osborne, Black Sabbath and others.
Discover:
- Four crucial power chord shapes used by your favourite rock and metal guitar players (they’re easy to play but sound awesome…)
- How to set your amp for a killer crunch sound and avoid some of the common amp setting mistakes most guitar players make
- How power chords are different from regular open chords you know and when to use them
So grab your guitar,dive in to this power chord lesson and soon you’ll be cranking out massive sounding riffs like the legends…
Power Chords – Learn the Essential Rock and Metal Guitar Power Chord Shapes used by bands like Metallica, ACDC, Black Sabbath, Guns’n’Roses and more!
Get my awesome free POWER CHORD GUIDE With TAB and chord boxes for this and the other Power Chord Lessons
Power Chords – Essential Guitar Power Chords
Power chords are essential knowledge if you want to play rock and metal rhythm guitar, songs and riffs. In this guitar lesson I’ll show you 4 must know power chord shapes used by all rock and metal guitarists and classic bands such as AC/DC, Guns’n’ Roses, Metallica and more. You’ll also learn HOW TO SET YOUR AMP and guitar to get that classic rock sound power chord sound!
Here’s a breakdown of what you learn in this video:
0:12 Hear a basic demo of the power chord shapes this video teaches you and what they sound like.
0:48 What is a power chord? Normally when guitarists talk about power chords they mean ‘5’ chords, for example E5, G5, C5 etc. Where they are different from most other chords is that they only contain 2 notes whereas most other chords are made up of 3 or more notes. Strangely by taking a note out we get a bigger, more powerful sound. Even though some of these shapes use 3 or more strings on the guitar they are still constructed of just 2 notes.
1:14 E5 Power Chord Shape. Play the open E string and the A and D strings at the 2nd fret to play this chord. Either use your 1st finger to barre both strings or use your 1st and 2nd fingers to play it. Either way let your fingers lie slightly ‘flat’ to mute other strings we don’t want to hear.
2:15 A5 Power Chord Shape. If you move the E5 power chord shape across onto the next 3 strings it become an A5 chord. Use the same fingering options we had for the E5 shape. Watch that muting like before!
2:49 D5 Power Chord Shape. For this power chord play the open D string, the G string ate the 2nd fret and the B string at the 3rd fret. Use the various fingering options in the video depending on what works best for you.
4:10 G5 Power Chord Shape. This G5 chord is a favourite of all the classic rock bands – it sounds huge! Play the E string at the 3rd fret, the open D and open G strings, and the B and top E strings at the 3rd fret. Mute the A string with the flat of your 2nd finger (which is playing the low E string note).
5:16 Setting Up Your Amp for a Great Power Chord Sound. These are just some guidelines for amp settings – feel free to experiment to get your own sounds. Don’t over-do the distortion – use as much as you need but not too much! The reason is that the chords will start to sound mushy and unclear with too much distortion. I set my bass and treble controls to about 2 o’clock and mid to about 9 o’clock and usually use the bridge pickup on my guitar.
6:39 Power Chord Connecting Exercise. Here’s a simple chord sequence you can use to practice these power chord shapes. Also use songs by your favourite rock and metal bands. The exercise here goes from E5 to D5, then from G5 to A5. See the TAB in my FREE POWER CHORD GUIDE!
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3 Simple Blues Solo Tips For Awesome Blues Solos
Are you frustrated every time you try and play a blues solo? Tired of playing the same old blues guitar licks, riffs and chords? Are your blues solos just missing the mark? These 3 simple blues solo tips and practice techniques can make a big difference to your blues solos…today! Learn to use these in your playing right now and hear the difference in your blues solos straight away!
Get my awesome BLUES GUITAR BUNDLE with full TAB and notation for my most popular blues lessons
Playing a Blues Solo – 3 Blues Solo Tips for Better Blues Solos!
Want to play a better blues solo? If you want to play more awesome blues guitar solos then the 3 blues solo tips in this lesson will help…and fast!
You’ll learn 3 simple soloing concepts you can apply to your solos which are guaranteed to help you play better solos.
Sound like BS? Try it and see – you might be pleasantly surprised.
Here’s a breakdown of what you learn in this video:
0:12 Blues Guitar Solo – Demonstration showing some of the blues solo tips and concepts you’ll learn in this lesson
1:05 The 3 soloing concepts you’re about to learn aren’t all you need to play an awesome blues solo – there’s more to it than that. But they’re easy to understand and apply to hear a difference in your soloing quickly. They’re also devices we hear all the blues guitar legends use in their playing.
2:10 Learning to Use Space In Your Solo is one of the most effective things you can do for better blues solos. Think of how we tell a story: we leave gaps and pauses to allow the listener to absorb what we’re telling them. It’s the same with playing a guitar solo. Leaving space is one of the most powerful blues solo tips I can give you…it makes a HUGE difference!
2:59 Hear me demonstrate use of space in a blues solo. Notice how it creates a sense of structure and allows the phrases to ‘breathe’.
4:11 How can you practice using space in your solo? Easy – find a cool backing track and force yourself to play a phrase, leave a gap, play a phrase, leave a gap and so on. This might be a bit unnatural if you’re not used to leaving space in your playing – but it will teach you to use space effectively in your playing.
4:40 Long Notes .V. Short Notes. Mixing up short notes with long notes in your playing builds some natural contrast and shape into your solo. This keeps the listener engaged and listening out for what is going to happen next.
5:15 Hear me demonstrate how to practice mixing up long and short notes in your blues solos and improvisations.
5:50 The best way to learn to do this naturally is simply to put on a blues backing track and force yourself to use lots of long and short notes. If this feels a bit strange at first keep doing it – after a couple of times round the blues it will feel easier and you’ll hear a difference in the sorts of things you are playing in your blues solos.
6:33 Using String Bending – Maximise the Power of String Bending! String bending is one of the most important elements of a great sounding blues guitar solo. Listen to just how much bending the great players use in their blues solo – make sure you are using them in your playing – lots!
7:25 Listen to me demonstrate how you can use bending in your blues solos. Notice how it creates tension and just sounds authentic and bluesy.
8:38 Practice using each one of these blues solo tips in isolation like you saw me do. This will get you used to using them in your playing. Then – forget about them and just jam! You’ll likely notice that the time spent experimenting with them will have had a positive effect on your blues soloing. By experimenting with these you’ll find these simple blues solo tips will have a massive impact on all areas of you blues guitar soloing. Be patient, experiment and have fun! Good luck!
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Cool, Easy, Blues Guitar Chords
Spice up your blues chord chops today!
Playing blues may seems easy, but if you want to make it sound cool, like the old Blues Masters while playing rhythm blues guitar, you better learn some simple 7th and 9th chord shapes. In this lesson I’ll show you some of these chords and some tricks to put a bit of color into your 12 bars blues rhythm guitar playing. It isn’t hard to do, so let’s see what you are gonna learn today.
- A7, D7, and E7 chord shape. These are powerful but simple blues guitar chords which often sound better than open chords or barre chords
- D9 and E9. These are chord substitutes for D7 and E7.They are totally interchangeable, so you can experiment with swapping between them.
- These chord shapes are moveable, I’ll let you know how to do that.
With these chord shapes, you will find your blues playing way cooler and more colorful, and you will sound like the blues legends!
Get my awesome BLUES GUITAR BUNDLE with full TAB and notation for this and my other most popular blues lessons!
Blues Guitar Chords Lesson – Using 9th Chords
Sick of boring open guitar chords, shuffle licks and barre chords when you’re playing blues rhythm guitar? Let me show you some easy blues guitar chords and tricks which can transform your blues rhythm guitar and get you sounding super cool every time you play a blues.
Here’s a breakdown of what you learn in this video:
0:49 This lesson uses a 12 bar blues in the key of A as an example. Here you’ll see this demonstrated using basic dominant 7th chords – A7,D7 and E7. I also break up the 12 bar blues chord sequence so you can learn the correct form.
1:55 How to play the A7, D7 and E7 chord shapes I used in the demonstration. These are powerful but simple blues guitar chords which often sound better than open chords or barre chords. Complete with description and fingering guidelines.
3:30 Why it’s good to have a few other blues guitar chords to use as well as the basic 7th chords.
3:55 How to play the A7 chord riff I use for extra colour and interest. You need to barre the D,G and B string with your 1st finger at 5th fret and hammer on your 2nd finger at 6th fret on the G string.
5:50 D9 and E9 are chord substitutes for D7 and E7.They are totally interchangeable so experiment with swapping between them.
6:48 How to play the D9 and E9 chord shapes on guitar. Fingerings and playing tips included.
8:15 These chord shapes are moveable. Use the root notes on the E and A strings to figure out where to move them to to get G9, B9 etc.
9:14 Here I put the A7 riff, D9 and E9 together into a complete 12 bar blues to show you what it sounds like. Find a 12 bar blues backing track in A and try it out.
10:15 Summary of chord substitutions and how to combine these various chords.
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