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Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

About the Author Hello, my name is Griff Hamlin. I have been a professional guitarist and guitar teacher for over 20 years. I have taught hundreds, if not over a thousand students how to play the guitar. Most of those students had never picked up the instrument even once before starting lessons. In addition, I have been a performing musician since the age of 15, and have performed as many as 200 concerts per year at some points of my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to tour all over the world including Poland and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Italy, Korea, and of course all over the United States. I have released 2 albums so far, and played releases by several other artists. As for my academic background, I studied music at the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music, and I have taken private lessons from some of the best guitarists in the world. I continue to try and improve and practice every day. I get enormous joy from playing the guitar and making music, and I hope you will too. I currently reside in Southern California with my wife and son. I teach and perform regularly all around Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties. You can find out more about me, and what’s going on with me currently, by visiting my website at http://www.griffhamlin.com.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 2

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Introduction – This book is the culmination of many years of teaching private students how to solo over blues songs. It was always a challenge for me to figure out the best way to get the secrets and the tricks into a manageable form. After 25 years of playing the guitar, I have forgotten many of the ways I got to where I am today. In the process of writing this book, I was able to rediscover the simple, straightforward approach to blues soloing that has worked for me. The title “Playing Through The Blues” is a nod to the secrets we’ll discuss later. The real trick to playing good blues is to be aware of the chords going on behind you and change your approach with them. In this way you play through the blues and not on top of the blues. You sound more sophisticated, and more confident in your solos. There are a couple of assumptions I’m making about you, as the reader. First, that you can at least read TAB, if not a little bit of music. If you are good at playing by ear, then you should be okay with reading the TAB and listening to the audio examples to get the timing and the feel. If you’re not as good by ear, make sure you work with the slower examples before tackling the faster versions. Second, I’m assuming you have at least basic guitar skills. You should have a grasp of most basic guitar chords including major, minor, seventh, and barre chord shapes. For each solo example, I’ve included the rhythm parts. The rhythm parts that I’ve provided are good, standard, blues rhythm patterns that could be used for most songs or jam sessions. If you find that you need more work on your technique and speed, I use and recommend a product called Pentatonic Power. It is a book similar to this one, and includes hundreds of exercises and audio examples all based around the Pentatonic Scale. The Pentatonic Scale is basically the same as the Blues Scale we’ll use in this book. The difference is only one note. My private students all learn the examples in this book along with many of the exercises in Pentatonic Power. I use them concurrently with good results. At the end of each chapter there will be a sentence or two telling you what you must be able to do before moving on. Make sure that you can do what is required. Each chapter builds upon the one before it. If you try to jump ahead, you will almost surely get lost. When you practice your scales and the licks in this book, it’s best to use a metronome if at all possible. Start slowly with your scales and never increase the speed at the expense of the notes. Make sure you hear every note perfectly at the given tempo before moving on. I used to have a rule for myself that I had to be able to play the scale three times in a row, perfectly, before I would move on. Even if I played it right twice, but then messed up on the third, I would start over.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 3

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Stepping up to take a solo at your first jam session or band rehearsal can be an extremely unnerving experience. Most everyone gets the jitters and all of a sudden can’t remember how to play anything they’ve learned. Some people call that “stagefright,” I call it “an attack of stupid.” The better you learn the examples, and the better you ingrain these patterns in your fingers, the better off you’ll be when it’s your time to step up. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 4

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 1 – The Blues Scale In this Chapter: By the end of this chapter, you should be able to play the minor blues scale starting on any note of the sixth string. The A Minor Blues Scale look like this in TAB:

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And here is a fretboard diagram of the scale. I call this fingering of the scale Box 1. There are other fingerings we will cover later in the book.

EXAMPLE 1-1

Learn this scale and practice it every day. No, wait, practice it ten times a day. No, wait, practice it 100 times a day! Practice it slowly and evenly. Don’t try to speed up until you can play it without making any mistakes, and remember to use your metronome. This scale is the sound of the blues. The better you know it, the more confident you will be the first time you step up to solo. After you have mastered the A minor blues scale, you can play the minor blues scale starting on any note of the sixth string. For example, I started the minor blues scale on an A note in the example above. Starting on A makes it an A minor blues scale. If you were to start the scale on C, it would be a C minor blues scale. Below, is the C minor blues scale in TAB: © 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 5

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

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Griff Hamlin

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EXAMPLE 1-2

If I started the scale on G, it would be a G minor blues scale. If I start it on B, it’s a B minor blues scale, and so on, and so on. Got it? Good. Before moving on, make sure you can play the minor blues scale starting on any fret of the sixth string. Being able to do that is the same as being able to play the minor blues scale in any key.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 6

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 2 – The 12 Bar Blues Format In this Chapter: By the end of this chapter, you should be able to identify the 3 chords that make up a 12 bar blues in any key. A 12 bar blues consists of 3 chords called the I chord, IV chord, and V chord. To explain this concept further, we have to step away from the blues for a minute. The concept of a I chord, IV chord, and V chord is simple, but it comes from a major scale, not a blues scale. Simply put, if you build a chord off of the first note in the major scale, it’s called a I chord. Similarly, if you build a chord off of the 4th note in the major scale, it’s called the IV chord, and if you build a chord off of the 5th note in the major scale, it’s called the V chord. To find the I, IV, and V chords in any key on your guitar: I chord: Find the note on the 6th string that matches the key you’re in. In the key of A, you would find the A on the 5th fret of the 6th string. IV chord: Use the same fret as the I chord, but on the 5th string. In the key of A, the IV chord would be D on the 5th fret of the 5th string. V chord: Go up 2 frets from the IV chord. In the key of A, the V chord is E on the 7th fret of the 5th string. This trick will work for any key, but I’ll make it even easier. Here’s a chart of every key with it’s corresponding IV and V chords Key I Chord IV Chord V Chord

A A D E

Bb Bb Eb F

B B E F#

C C F G

C# C# F# G#

D D G A

Eb Eb Ab Bb

E E A B

F F Bb C

F# F# B C#

G G C D

Ab Ab Db Eb

Check out the music below for a 12 bar blues in the key of A. Here’s what to remember: Bars 1 – 4 use the I chord. Bars 5 and 6 use the IV chord. Bars 7 and 8 return to the I chord. Bars 9 and 10 are the V chord, and IV chord. Bars 11 and 12 are called the turnaround. The simplest turnaround is to use the I chord for both bars 11 and 12.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 7

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

A7 (I)

     D7 (IV)

    

5

E7 (V)

A7 (I)

D7 (IV)

    

9

A7 (I)

The most common variation of this pattern is called a Quick Change Blues, where bar 2 uses the IV chord and all other bars are the same. It is also common to go to the V chord on bar 12. Before you move on, you should be able to play the I, IV, and V chords in any key.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 8

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 3 – Blues Bends In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play several standard blues licks which contain bends. One of the most distinguishing elements of blues soloing is the use of string bending. Guitar players are lucky because the guitar, with its ability to bend notes as much as 2 ½ steps, is arguably one of the most expressive instruments on the planet. Typically, bends are done with more than one finger. I usually use one finger to play the note, and another to help bend it skyward. The trick is to always bend towards the center of the guitar neck. Since most bends occur on the top 3 strings, we’ll bend up towards the ceiling to create the effect. Let’s look at the following lick: full

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EXAMPLE 3-1

I use my third finger on the 7th fret note, and my middle finger to help bend it up to match the pitch of the second note, which I hit with my first finger. The note on the 7th fret of the 3rd string is a D. However, once you grab it and bend it up a full step as indicated, it’s an E, not a D anymore. Bending is just another way to get to a new note, much like sliding or hammering on. If you bend a note a half step, it should sound like the note one fret up from where you start. If you bend a note a full step (or whole step,) it should sound like the note 2 frets up from where you start. In the case of the previous lick, the second note should sound the same as the first once it is bent. Here’s a picture of my hand doing this bend:

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 9

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Below is a half step bend lick. Notice that the note is not only bent up ½ step, it is then released back to pitch. The TAB note in parentheses should not be played, it indicates that the note should still be ringing. 1/2

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EXAMPLE 3-2

Here’s another common whole step bend. Once again, the second note should sound like the first note after it’s bent. full

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EXAMPLE 3-3

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 10

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Here’s a couple of common blues licks that use bends.

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EXAMPLE 3-4

full

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EXAMPLE 3-5

Before you move on, be able to play along with the recorded examples.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 11

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 4 – Hammer-ons, Pull-offs, and “Tweedlies” In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play several blues licks which contain hammer-ons, pull-offs, and “tweedlies.” One of the easiest ways to speed up your playing, and add a little variety to your phrases, is to articulate your notes in different ways. Instead of picking every single note, try using some slurs. A slur is a generic term for a note that is not articulated with a pick, but is still played. On a guitar this can be done by hammering-on a note, or pulling-off a note. A Hammer-on is quite simply where you push down with your finger very quickly and hard, so as to “hammer” it onto the note. Hammer-ons can only go from a lower note to a higher note. A hammer-on is notated with an arc (slur mark) like this in TAB:

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EXAMPLE 4-1

Pull-offs are basically the opposite of hammer-ons. Pull-offs go from a higher note to a lower note. The nice thing about a pull-off is that you can give the note a little flick to the side with your finger as you pull it off. This technique will keep the volume consistent. A pull-off is notated with a slur mark like this in TAB:

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EXAMPLE 4-2

Some of my students get confused when looking at the TAB as to whether to do a hammer-on or a pull-off. Make sure you understand the difference. Hammer-ons can only go from lower notes to higher notes, and pull-offs can only go from higher notes to lower notes.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 12

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

If you combine a hammer-on and a pull-off, you get what I call a “tweedly,” so named because of what it sounds like to me. You’ll pick the first note, then quickly hammer-on the second and pull-off to the third. Usually these are pretty quick, and add some coolness factor to your solos.

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EXAMPLE 4-3

Here’s a couple of licks that use hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, and tweedlies all together.

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EXAMPLE 4-4

       3 

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© 2006, Griff Hamlin

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Page 13

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

EXAMPLE 4-5

   

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EXAMPLE 4-6

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EXAMPLE 4-7 3                   3 3

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© 2006, Griff Hamlin

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Page 14

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

EXAMPLE 4-8 As with most licks, the key is to play these slowly and perfectly many times before you try to increase the speed. Most people try to do hammer-ons and pull-offs too fast which will make them out of time. Keep them evenly spaced just like they were picked notes. Use the audio examples to help you stay on track. Before you move on, be able to play along with the recorded examples of all of the licks.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 15

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 5 – Example Solo 1 In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play a 12 bar blues solo in the key of A. This solo example is a blues in the key of A with a straight feel. Here’s the rhythm guitar part notated in TAB.

                                  A7

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                            D7

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                                           E7

A7

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© 2006, Griff Hamlin

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Page 16

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

                              D7

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SOLO EXAMPLE 1, RHYTHM ONLY

Now here is the solo in TAB:

               

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© 2006, Griff Hamlin

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Page 17

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

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A7

Griff Hamlin

E7

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SOLO EXAMPLE 1 Solo Analysis and Tips 1. Don’t worry too much about getting the bends up to pitch right now. When you practice your bends, always try to get them up to pitch .When you practice solos, don’t worry about it, there are too many other things to focus on. 2. Notes in parenthesis are NOT to be played. They are simply held from being played already. 3. While I’ve notated when I chose to use hammer-ons and pull-offs, don’t be afraid to insert some of your own, or not use the ones I’ve described.

Before you move on be able to play along with the recorded example. From this point on I will assume that you can execute hammer-ons, pull-offs, and tweedlies. The licks and solos are only going to get faster and more difficult from here.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 18

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 6 – The Swing of the Blues In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you should be able to play the blues scale in triplets and swinging eighth notes.

Normally, eighth notes break each beat into 2 equal pieces. They create the familiar “one & two & three & four &” feel that we’re used to in rock music. In a swing feel, each beat is divided into 3 pieces. Instead of “one & two &,” we get “one & a two & a three & a four & a.” Dividing each beat into 3 pieces creates what are called eighth note triplets. Below is the A minor blues scale written in eighth note triplets. Listen to it first, then play along.

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EXAMPLE 6-1

You will use triplets A LOT in your solos, so get used to practicing your scales in triplets as well as eighth notes. Once you can do triplets, it’s not too hard to turn them into swing eighth notes. Simply remove the “&” from “one & a” and you’ve got it. I know that’s not the easiest thing to explain in words. The next example is of the A minor blues scale played in swing eighth notes. Listen to it a few times first, then play along.

EXAMPLE 6-2 Before you move on be able to play along with the recorded examples.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 19

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 7 – Moving On Up In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play a different fingering of the A minor blues scale. You will also learn how to combine it with the fingering you already know. The notes in the A minor blues scale are A, C, D, D#/Eb, E, and G. As you probably already know, there’s more than one way to play those notes on a guitar. There’s actually five different ways to finger the blues scale on the guitar. Box 1 was shown at the beginning of chapter 1. Here is the next fingering up the guitar neck - I call it Box 2. Here is the TAB for the A minor blues scale, Box 2:

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Here’s a fretboard diagram of Box 2.

EXAMPLE 7-1 Practice this one as much as you practice Box 1. Once you get Box 2 under your fingers, play it starting on every fret. You should also practice Boxes 1 and 2 consecutively. Notice how the two boxes share many notes and fit together. The better

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 20

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

you can “see” this on your fretboard, the less likely you are to get lost in the middle of your solos. Here is a picture of your fretboard with the notes of the two boxes. Notice how they share several notes.

Try playing the following pattern, which combines Boxes 1 and 2. This is a really important pattern to master. Many great blues legends have used this in nearly every solo they play.

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EXAMPLE 7-2 Before you move on be able to play along with the recorded examples.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 21

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 8 – Example Solo 2 In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play a 24 bar blues solo in the key of A. This example is in a shuffle feel, and contains triplets, hammer-ons, pulloffs, Boxes 1 and 2, and a lot of great blues licks. Here’s the rhythm guitar part written out in TAB for you. As always, take the time to learn it well. In this rhythm example, I’ve taken the opportunity to demonstrate a cool way to play a blues as part of the rhythm section. These chords have just two notes, and move only one or two frets in either direction. This is really effective because it keeps the chords going, but doesn’t get in the way.

                               A7

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6 5

6 5

                                D7



6 5

6 5

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

6 5

6 5

5 4

5 4

5 4

5 4

5 4

5 4

5 4

5 4

Page 22

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

                        A7

E7



6 5

6 5

6 5

6 5

6 5

6 5

6 5

6 5

7 6

7 6

7 6

7 6

                       D7



A7

5 4

5 4

5 4

5 4

E7

6 5

6 5

6 5

6 5

A7

7 6

7 6

7 6

7 6

 

6 5

SOLO EXAMPLE 2, RHYTHM ONLY

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 23

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Here’s the solo which utilizes triplets, swing eighth notes, and both Boxes 1 and 2. Enjoy!

  

   



5

A7

    

D7







A7 



f

5

8

8

10

10

8

10

8

10

D7                                4

3

3



5

8 5

    7



A7

5

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

3

f

7

5

5

   5

3

5

8

5

5

8

3

f

5 7

7 5

f

8 5

3

5 7

7

E7                 3

9

8 10

f

8

10

8

10

f

10

8

10

3

5

8

f

7

7



f 10

Page 24

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

D7 

     10

     A7    



          

E7

3

3

f

10 10

10

Griff Hamlin

8

101010

10 10

5

10

f

8 5

3

3

5

7

5

8

7

f

7

                      13

A7



5

D7

7

5

5

6

3

3

5

7

6

7

5

6

7

A7

3

3

5

7

5

5 5

7

7

D7                         16

3

f

   19



5

A7 

8

5

f

3

7

7

5

5

7

8 9

7

      

8 9

3

 

10

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

f

10

f

3 10 10 8

10

3 8

8

10 8 10



8 9

8 9

8 9

8 9

10 10

8

8

         

E7

3

10

11 10 8 10 8

10 8

Page 25

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

  22



        

D7



10

10

11 10

8

10

8

10

10

 

8

5

A7

 

8



3 5

7

5

7



3

f

7

      3

8

E7

3





3

3        

24

A7 

Griff Hamlin

7

5

7

5

7

5

5

7

7

5

7

SOLO EXAMPLE 2 Solo Analysis and Tips 1. Notice in bar 1 I’ve used box 1, and then box 2 in the second bar. This is a common technique used by many famous blues players throughout history. 2. It’s a little tricky to start the lick in bar 4 on the second half of beat 1. It is common in blues to NOT start your licks on a downbeat, so get used to that. Listen carefully to the audio example and try to really lock in on that. 3. The lick in bar 21 is a pianistic lick I hear a lot. I use my third finger and pinky to do the opening slurs. 4. Don’t worry about the vibrato that is notated. If you can’t do it now, you will later. It will come in it’s own time all by itself, so don’t force it. Before you move on be able to play along with the recorded examples.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 26

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 9 – Other Keys In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play the blues scale in both major and minor keys. At this point, you should be able to play Boxes 1 and 2 in any minor key easily on your guitar. If you can’t, take the time to go back and review the previous chapters or what follows will be nothing short of bewildering. You may have wondered what to do if you need a major blues scale. The good news is, nothing! Every minor key has what is called a relative major key that contains the exact same notes. The relative major key is always 3 frets up from the minor key. For example, A minor is relative to C major. E minor is relative to G major. You may have heard the trick that you can move your blues scale down 3 frets and you will be playing the relative major key. That is true, but I find that most people have a hard time with this because of the extra step involved. It’s faster to start Box 2 on the root note you’re working with instead of Box 1. There’s no extra step, and you can focus on the actual root note, not a different and seemingly unrelated note 3 frets down. To be more specific, let’s say you want G minor blues. You would put Box 1 starting on the 3rd fret, G, which makes Box 2 start at the 6th fret, Bb. Now if you want G major blues, you would put Box 2 starting on the 3rd fret, G, which makes Box 1 start on the open string. During your solos, you should be able to switch between the major and minor blues sounds whenever you want. Practice the following exercise, which goes up using the major blues scale (Box 2) and then back down using the minor blues scale (Box 1.) The second exercise is the opposite, it uses the minor blues scale (Box 1) going up and the major blues scale (Box 2) coming back down. These are in the key of G to get ready for the next solo example.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 27

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Example 1



G Maj Blues Box 2

3

5

2

6

2

5

5

2

3

4

3

5

3

5

3

5

 

G Min Blues Box 1



6

3

6

3

6

5

3

5

3

5

4

3

6

3

3

6

EXAMPLE 9-1 Example 2

G Min Blues Box 1



3

3

6

4

3

5

5

3

5

6

3

6

3

6

3

6

G Maj Blues Box 2



3

5

3

4

3

2

5

2

5

2

6

5

3

5

6

2

 

EXAMPLE 9-2

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 28

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 10 – The Secret to Playing Like the Masters In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will understand how the blues masters play through the chord changes, not over them. This is truly the secret to making the most of your blues and really sounding great! This is my favorite part, where I really get to show you the secret of playing the blues like your heroes. The secret lies in knowing when to use the minor blues scale, and when to use the major blues scale. It turns out that you can use both, at different times within a blues tune, to show off the different chord changes. Remember a 12 bar blues pattern and when each chord occurs. Since this works for any key, don’t think about chord names, think about their number. We want to know when the I chord happens (bars 1-4, bars 7,8, and bar 11,) when the IV chord happens (bar 2 in a quick change blues, also bars 5,6 and 10,) and when the V chord happens (bar 9 and sometimes bar 12.)

A7 (I)

     D7 (IV)

    

5

E7 (V)

A7 (I)

D7 (IV)

    

9

A7 (I)

The secret, quite simply, is to play the major blues scale (Box 2) over the I chord, and the minor blues scale (Box 1) over the IV and V chords. It’s so simple! But just wait until you hear how cool it sounds. Here’s the 12 bar blues again with labels for when to use the major (Box 2) sounds and the minor (Box 1) sounds.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 29

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

A7 (I) Box 2

     D7 (IV) Box 1

    

5

E7 (V) Box 1

A7 (I) Box 2

D7 (IV) Box 1 A7 (I) Box 2

    

9

As you get more comfortable, you can actually try using the major (Box 2) or minor blues scale (Box 1) over the I chord. However, you must always use the minor blues scale (Box 1) over the IV and V chords. When soloing, in order to play through the chord changes, you have to really listen carefully to what’s going on behind you. It’s not that hard to learn the scales and play them as needed. What’s hard is to notice that the chord has changed, and more importantly, to anticipate that chord change. As you gain experience, the chord changes will become so natural that your lines will flow from major to minor and back with little thought on your part. You will simply imagine which of the major or minor sounds you want to hear, and it will come from your fingers automatically. Earlier I mentioned that playing over a minor blues is the easiest because there’s nothing to think about. If you have a blues in a minor key, meaning the I chord is a minor or some minor type of chord, you’ll play a minor blues scale throughout the entire tune no matter what happens in the chord changes.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 30

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 11 – Use It Or Lose It Example In This Chapter: In this chapter you will learn a 24 bar solo in the key of G. This example will use the blues licks and secrets we have talked about so far, including the use of the major blues scale over the I chord, and the minor blues scale over the IV and V chords. This next solo example is a shuffle blues in G. We’ll go back and forth between the major and minor blues sounds. Notice that when the I chord is begin played there will be notes from the major blues scale. During the other chords there will be notes from the minor blues scale. As always, first learn the rhythm part. The reason should now be obvious. If you can’t play the rhythm part, you won’t know when the chords change, and you won’t know when to change scales. If you play the wrong scale over the wrong chord, it can sound really bad.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 31

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

G7           



3 4 3

3 4 3

         

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

G7         



3 4 3

3 4 3

    

         

Griff Hamlin

   

 G7            

 

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 4 3

       

   

  

  

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

C9

3 3 3 2 3

3 4 3

   

  

3 4 3

3 4 3

  

        

  

 

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 4 3

   C9

3 3 3 2 3

3 4 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

 

D9

5 5 5 4 5

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

       

   

  

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

               5 5 5 4 5

5 5 5 4 5

5 5 5 4 5

5 5 5 4 5

C9    

       G7                       



3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 3 3 2 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

3 4 3

Page 32

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

D9    



5 5 5 4 5

   5 5 5 4 5



    5 5 5 4 5



    5 5 5 4 5



    5 5 5 4 5

Griff Hamlin

    G7

 

3 4 3

SOLO EXAMPLE 3, RHYTHM ONLY Here’s the solo transcription. There’s a lot of really good standard blues licks here, so try and soak them all up. When you have this memorized, try playing it in different keys. It’s a simple matter of changing frets, your hands shouldn’t know the difference. If you can close your eyes and play it in G, then you can play it in B by simply moving your hand up the neck a little bit and playing the exact same thing.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 33

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

  

Griff Hamlin

 C9                  G7

f

3



3

4

3

3

5

3

3

f

5

8

8

G7 C9                           3

12



6

8

3

3

5

3

12

8



f

3 5 3

6

3

6

3

5

6

3 3                           3

G7

3

3



   D9



3

6 3

12

5

6 5

3

5

5

3

5

12

3

5

4

3 5

           C9       

3

f

8

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

3 8

3

f

6 8

6

8 6

3

5

5

3

4

   

G7

f

8

6

8

8

6

8

8

8

8

8

Page 34

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

  

G7     

D9

f

8

8

8

8

8

        

C9



f

Griff Hamlin

f

8

8

8

6

8

6

5

3

3                           

G7



4

5

5

5

7

C9

3

3

8 7 5

7

7

7

5

               G7

3

f



3

5

3

3

3 6 3

3

f

5

3

3

5

7

8

5

8

5

hold bend

 

f

3

6

5 3 5

          

f

3

8

3

3

3

hold bend

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

C9 3                       3      D9

f



6

3

3

3

3 f

3

6

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

3

5

5

5

3

4 3

6

3

6

3

5

5

3

5

5

5

3

5

3

5

Page 35

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

      G7

3

3



5

3

7

6

6

6

6

 

3

6 7

5

3

D9

  

5

5

5

Griff Hamlin

G7

3

    3

4

5

5



5

SOLO EXAMPLE 3 Solo Analysis and Tips 1. Bar 1 actually looks like the 2nd bar because of the pick-up notes. 2. The lead in is a great standard lick using the G major blues scale (Box 2.) From there, I use Box 1 on bar 2 because it’s the IV chord. 3. The ½ step bend in bar 7 takes us from minor to major sound over the I chord there. The subtle use of bends can make dramatic changes in the sound of your solos. 4. The quick slide in bar 16 is fun. You could do it with hammer-ons or pull-offs if you prefer, but I like the sound of the slide. The notes are actually a peek into Box 3. 5. There’s a really common trick at the end of bar 21. You might wonder where that 4th fret note comes from. It’s hard to explain, and it’s really just one of those things you do in blues.

Don’t move on until you’ve got it. The next one’s a killer!

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 36

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 12 – Finishing up the Neck In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play the blues scale in any key throughout the length of your fretboard. There are 5 boxes in total. This turns out to be the magic number on the guitar for a lot of things. There are 5 ways to play nearly every chord and every scale because of the way the octave is divided into 12 frets. Here is the TAB for the remaining 3 boxes. For each Box, once you have it memorized, play it in straight eighth notes, swing eighth notes, and triplets.

 

10

10

13

10

11

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12

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12

13

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12

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12

12

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13

11

10

11

12

11

10

EXAMPLE 12-1

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 37

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

 

15

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12

Griff Hamlin

13

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12

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12

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16

12

EXAMPLE 12-2

 

16

15

15

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

17

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15

Page 38

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

EXAMPLE 12-3 Here’s a diagram of all five boxes on the fretboard

Notice in the picture above how the sequence of 5 Boxes repeats. After Box 5 comes Box 1 again. This is helpful in keys where Box 1 would naturally fall somewhere above the 7th or 8th fret. By the time you get up to Box 5, you may run out of room on your guitar neck. If you’re practicing the Boxes and run out of room, just drop the Box by 12 frets (an octave) and continue. As an example, let’s say you’re in the key of D minor. Box 4 starts on the 17th fret, which might feel awkward. As an option, go down 12 frets to the 5th fret, and all of the notes will be the same, just one octave lower. Here are a few licks that use Boxes 3, 4, and 5, and in some cases more than one.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 39

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

  

   



10

3

3

11

10





  

10





3

f

13

Griff Hamlin

10

12

13

10

Box 3

EXAMPLE 12-4

             3



12

10

12

14



f

12

14

13

f

15

15

 

15

Box 4

                  

EXAMPLE 12-5 3



4

5

3

3

3

4

5

3

5

3

3

5

3

4

3

5



2

Box 5 down an octave

EXAMPLE 12-6

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 40

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

        3                 3



12 10 12

10

12

3

3

10 12 13 14

12

14

3

12

14 12 14

3

13 15

3

16 17

15 17

f

20

Boxes 3 through 1

EXAMPLE 12-7

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 41

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 13 – Final Solo Example In This Chapter: By the end of this chapter you will be able to play a great 24 bar blues solo in the key of E using all of the concepts in the book! This final solo example is in the key of E. You might recognize the feel as being similar to a famous Texas Shuffle. This solo uses all of the concepts discussed so far, and throws in a few blues tricks that don’t really fit into any particular category. As with all the solos, take it slow and be patient. Once you can play it, try changing keys. The key of E can be difficult for some people because of the open position. For that reason I’ve written out the E minor blues scale Box 1 below:

 

3

0

0

0

3

3

0

1

3

0

2

2

0

2

2

0

0

2

3

2

1

0

0

0

3

3

3

0

Now on to the example. Here’s the rhythm part in TAB:

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 42

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

E                            



0 0 1 2

       

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

  

  

 

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

          E



0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

       A7



3 2 2 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

  A7

3 2 2 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

                              3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

   

3 2 2 2

   

  

  

     

  

  

 

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

  

  

B7        

   

   

  

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

   

   

  

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

0 0 1 2

            

0 0 1 2

E

    0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

    B7

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

Page 43

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

    E



0 0 1 2

     

  

     

  

  

   

     

  

 

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

  

  

A7     

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

                             

     

  

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

       

0 0 1 2

    E



0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

     

  

  

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

0 0 1 2

B7        

0 0 1 2

                  3 2 2 2

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

0 0 1 2

3 2 2 2

A7



Griff Hamlin

    

0 0 1 2

3 2 2 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2



0 0 1 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

3 2 2 2

   

   

  

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

2 0 2 1 2

E   

3 2 2 2

Page 44

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

SOLO EXAMPLE 4, RHYTHM ONLY Here is the solo in TAB. Take your time with this one. It covers everything we have done in the whole book, and then some.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 45

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

          

            

E7

f



5

5

6

f

f

7

5

Griff Hamlin

7

7

7

7

5

6

7

5

3 3                      3

3

3

f



5

5

5

f

7



A7

2

5

5

3

0

0

2

     5

3

3

0

3

2

3 2 0

2

2

E7

0

2

0

3

4

3

                    3 3

3

3

5

2

5 7 7 7

7

8 7 5

7

7

7

5

6

5 6

6

7

5

3           B7              3 3 3

8

3

f



10

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

10

8

9

10

8

9

7

9

9

7 9

7

5

7

8 7 5

7

5

7

Page 46

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

       10



A7

7

3

5

7

6

3

E7

3

5

0

3

0

       

7

7

0

  

B7

12

3

 

 



Griff Hamlin

7

9

11

          3

3 3

3

9 11

9

f

9 11

11

11 9

11

E7          

3

   14



9



11



9

12

12

15 16

15 16

14 14

14 14

12 12

3

16

3

14

f

12

16 14

14 13

12 13

13

15

3

f

12 12 15

f

15

       A7        





14

16

3

14

12

3

14

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

12

15

3

14

12

14

3

12

14

12

12 12 14

14

14

                

3 16

15 16

12

15

   

f

14



  7

Page 47

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

                            18

E7

3



  20



  22

5

7

8

7

9

3

3

3

8

9

7

9 12

         3 15

f

15

17

A7 

17



17



© 2006, Griff Hamlin

12

14

3

15 16 14

3

15 16

15 17 15 17

       

B7

112

19

18

       f

15

3

14 12 14

19

3 12

9 12

  

f 17

3

17

15

17

15





12 12

12 12

15

3

14

12

14

14 14

Page 48

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

      23 3               3 3 3  E7

f



17

15

17 15

16

15

14 12

14

12

14 13 12

10

12

12

0

SOLO EXAMPLE 4 Solo Analysis and Tricks 1. I started this one off in Box 4 specifically to show you that a lot of solos don’t start in Box 1 and stay there. Be able to start the major or minor sounds any place, any time. 2. Notice the open position E minor lick (Box 1) in bar 4 that leads in to the A7 chord in Bar 5. At this point I didn’t even think about boxes but actually used notes from the chord. Chord tones ALWAYS work and can save you from having to worry about whether or not you’re in the right place. 3. Pay close attention to the double stops in bar 13 as they’re another common move. 4. The climb in bars 18 through 20 demonstrates a good way to work on getting through Boxes within your solo. It’s a good example of how to work your way up to a new area on the neck. 5. The last few bars take all of the basic boxes and move them up an octave. It’s always a good idea to get used to working in the high frets. The guitar cuts through the band better up there and it takes some practice to get used to working in the smaller frets.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 49

Playing Through the Blues – A Guide For the Lead Guitar Player

Griff Hamlin

Chapter 14 – Breaking Boundaries of the Blues The ideas introduced in this book are, for the most part, straight-ahead traditional blues ideas. Many modern guitarists have ventured into jazz and rock territory. It’s funny to think that when Stevie Ray Vaughan started touring he was often shunned for being too modern and non-traditional. The blues, as well as most other styles of music, must and does evolve. Current guitarists like Scott Henderson, Robben Ford, and Joe Bonamassa are changing what the blues can be. While not the topic for this book, those of you interested in pushing the envelope a little can try experimenting with modal scales such as the Dorian and Mixolydian Scale. The Mixolydian Scale is a perfect fit over any 7th chord, and by adding a flatted 3rd and 5th tone, you actually get the same set of notes as the major and minor blues scales put together. The Dorian scale is a really good choice over any minor chord in a blues, particularly when the I chord is minor and the IV chord is a 7th type of chord. One of my favorite tricks is to use what’s called a half-whole diminished scale during bar 4, right before the I chord changes to the IV chord. It creates a kind of odd sound, but I like it. There are also uses for whole-tone, and altered dominant scales. Above all, experiment, and find your own voice. Don’t be afraid to bring other elements into your blues.

© 2006, Griff Hamlin

Page 50