If you want to learn to play rhythm and lead guitar like the greatest old-school blues masters… then you’re going to need to know some epic blues guitar chords. 

Why chords?

Because chords are the foundation. You can use them to play rhythm but also to unlock leads. You see, there are countless iconic blues solos that use chords in them. And when you understand the connection between chords and lead -- like what I teach in my program Essential CAGED Guitar System. LEAD and RHYTHM guitar up and down the neck get a lot easier.

So grab your 6-stringer and let’s dive into this lesson on 12 epic (major) blues guitar chords every guitarist should know.

The first few examples focus on chords played in the open position. Later we’ll cover some moveable shapes as well. So let’s get started with…

1. Open E7

Blues in the key of E is awesome on guitar. From Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton, the old-school blues masters loved playing in this key. This...

Behold… one of the most legendary rock songs of all time.

I can’t think of any better song to get a crowd stomping, clapping, and singing along than this gem.

The lyrics sing about perseverance and defiance.. and the guitar solo is iconic 

Below I’m going to unpack the unique style behind it. 

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "We Will Rock You" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote We Will Rock You?

"We Will Rock You" is one of Queen's most iconic songs, written by guitarist Brian May and released on their 1977 album News of the World. May wanted a song designed to engage concertgoers, so he created this stomp-clap sing-along to do just that. It has a very minimalist arrangement. 

The majority of the tune is gang vocals and this stomp-clap experience, until the final guitar solo. The stomps and claps were overdubbed multiple times in the studio using wooden platforms on the floor to create this raw and almost tribal energy. ...

This legendary song got The Doors banned from the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. 

It’s a unique blend of rock, blues, jazz, and psychedelia. 

It all began with fingerstyle guitarist Robby Krieger. Below I’m going to share some pro tips on his unique guitar style.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "Light My Fire" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Light My Fire?

"Light My Fire" was written primarily by Robby Krieger, the guitarist for The Doors. However, all members of the band contributed to its development. At the time, Jim Morrison was writing the majority of the tunes and they realized as a band they didn’t have enough original songs.

Morrison said something along the lines of “why do I have to do all the work?”. So Krieger stepped up to write and Morrison advised him to come up with something universal… something that would not be outdated in a year or two. 

So Krieger thought about universal elements like fire,...

Behold… an incredible song oozing with outlaw folklore.

This gem blends elements of acoustic, bluegrass, and rock together in a brilliant way. The guitars were played by two legends Jerry Garcia on lead and Bob Weir on rhythm. 

Below I’m going to break down their guitar styles step by step.  

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "Friend Of The Devil" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Friend Of The Devil?

"Friend of the Devil" is a song by the Grateful Dead that first appeared on their 1970 album American Beauty. It was written by Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter, and John Dawson. Hunter is credited with the lyrics, while Garcia and Dawson worked on the music. The song is a first-person narrative about a fugitive on the run from the law, recounting his dealings with various characters, including women and the devil himself. The lyrics blend elements of outlaw folklore and spiritual imagery, portraying the narrator’s struggles with...

Do you have fretboard hopper syndrome?

Let me explain…

Let’s say you wanted to have a blast jamming along to jam tracks. So you pull one up and it’s called, "JAM TRACK IN A MINOR".

You’ve played the pentatonic box before and so you start winging it over the track. You’re randomly playing notes from the scale and trying to solo.

But after a few minutes you realize you’re stuck in one little spot on the neck. It starts to feel stale and dull.

Maybe you can zoom up the octave (12 frets higher) and try that scale to mix it up, but the notes in between are a mystery.

I see this all the time.

Players can’t connect ALL the areas of the fretboard.

They are stuck hopping around from one little box to the next. This is fretboard hopper syndrome. 

But wouldn’t it be great if there were no dusty areas on the neck for you? 

And what if you could get there using just 5 each chords – you probably already know?

With this imagine now...

A few months back a student asked me about how to play without chord sheets.

They were struggling to jam with others and here’s what they said: 

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Everyone keeps saying "it just a 1 - 4 - 5", but it's never exactly one measure of 1, followed by exactly one measure of 4, then one measure of 5.  They say I should hear the changes coming, and recognize the one, four, five chords by ear.  But I can't.  So I have a binder with 100+ chord sheets, and I need it to play anything.  And, if a measure has 2 beats of C and 2 beats of G, I need that noted on the chord sheet. How do I play without sheets?

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Sometimes musicians say things like “You’ll hear it…” Or “It’s easy, you’ll be fine” as they try to get you to jam songs they know really well, but you’ve never heard in your life. 

It’s challenging.

Of course, many songs seem easy once you can play them. So, THEY will be fine. But if...

Let’s go back in time to 1895…

This song sings of a utopian world free from pain, struggle, and heartache. 

It’s a simple song… it only uses 3 chords.

Below I’ll break down the history and guitar style behind this classic American folk song.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "Big Rock Candy Mountain" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Big Rock Candy Mountain?

"Big Rock Candy Mountain" was originally written by Harry McClintock, a.k.a "Haywire Mac". He was a popular American folk singer, songwriter, and labor activist. Although McClintock first wrote the song in 1895, it later became widely known after he performed it at the 1928 American Folk Song Festival.

The lyrics are quite interesting…

It sings of a utopian paradise where everything is perfect—there are "cigarette trees," "lemonade springs," and "ice cream mountains." However, the song also has an undercurrent of cynicism. It was written during a time when...

Here’s a powerful song from none other than “The Eighth Wonder of the World" himself.

It’s got a groove deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon... 

And will show you how to blend fancy jazz chords and funky rhythms in an amazing way. 

So grab your 6-stringer, and let’s dive into this Stevie Wonder "Higher Ground" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Higher Ground?

“Higher Ground” was written, produced, and performed by Stevie Wonder. It’s one of his most iconic tracks where he recorded the song almost entirely by himself. Wonder is a virtuoso musician that is immensely adapt at playing multiple instruments at a level far beyond most. He played all the instruments on the track, including the clavinet, drums, and Moog bass. 

He’s said “Higher Ground” is about second chances — a chance for people to do better in their lives and strive for enlightenment. He wrote the song just before being involved in a...

I can’t think of any other band that blended rock, punk, and reggae in such a new and exciting way.

From Andy Summers’ driving rock rhythms… to the punk rock attitude Sting’s vocals brought to the mix… to the highly rhythmic and syncopated drum parts of Stewart Copeland… 

The Police were one of a kind.

Below I’m going to dive into the signature guitar style behind one of their most legendary tracks. 

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "Message In A Bottle" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Message In A Bottle?

"Message In A Bottle" is one of most iconic tracks performed by British power rock trio The Police. It was written in 1979 by Sting, and released as the lead single from the band’s second studio album, Reggatta de Blanc. 

Sting reportedly wrote the song while living in a small apartment in London. He was reflecting on his own feelings of solitude after relocating to the city to pursue music.

...

Many guitar players get stuck playing the blues in keys like E and A.

Which are great guitar keys. But they are not as popular as keys like F and Bb are for piano players and horn players. This means if you don’t know your scales and notes in these other keys. Jamming with different musicians can be tough.

In this post, I want to show you a great scale to know whether you are a beginner or an advanced player. I’m going to share ways to play the F blues scale on guitar, how to practice the F blues scale, and even songs that use the F blues scale. This all ties in with music theory as well. But it’s important to realize the blues scale is a Western interpretation of a style that is tough to pinpoint.

But let’s get straight into it, starting with…

What notes are in the F blues scale?

The notes in the F minor blues scale are: 

F - Ab - Bb - Cb - C - Eb - F 

Now, it’s important to point out, that when guitarist say “Blues Scale”...