Ever wanted to be able to play screamin’ blues solos anywhere on the neck?

Well, one of the keys to becoming a blues guitar master is learning how to solo and tap into specific sounds on the guitar neck. 

Now I often use the words sounds and scales interchangeably. This is because I think of each scale as a sound. For example, the major scale has a specific sound to it. While the blues scale has a very different sound.  

If I used a painting analogy these scales are like colors I can paint with. Sometimes I want green. Sometimes I want bright blue. If I have these sounds worked out on my instrument. I can dial them up and express whatever I want. 

And so that’s what I’m going to share with you today in this lesson, where I walk through the 5 blues scales every guitarist should know. Including one at the very end that I’m sure you’ve never heard of. 

I’m going to show you the scales, talk about the theory behind them, and even show you some licks to start applying them right awa...

Today I want to share with you a soulful and heart-wrenching song from the king of the blues B.B. King.

It’s a minor blues progression and only uses 3 chords.

You’ll discover how to play those chords, a fun fingerstyle groove, and even how to solo over the progression like B.B. King.

So grab your guitar and let’s get started!

Who wrote Chains And Things?

"Chains And Things" was written by B.B. King and Dave Clark and appeared on the 1970 album Indianola Mississippi Seeds. The song was produced by Bill Szymczyk and featured notable contributions by Carole King on piano, Bryan Garofalo on bass guitar, and Russ Kunkel on drums. 

It peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the R&B chart, earning praise for its haunting piano riff and dramatic string arrangement. 

The lyrics have a bluesy melancholy vibe to them. Singing of despair, longing, and hope, with B.B. King's emotional vocals and guitar solo capturing the essence of the song. 

BB King Chains And Things Chor...

Ever wanted to just sit out on the back porch or on your sofa and play some Delta blues?

Well, today I’m going to share with you exactly how anyone can start with this Delta blues guitar lesson in the style of the great Robert Johnson.

For this lesson, I won’t be using a pick. I’ll be playing fingerstyle (no pick).

So grab your guitar and let’s get started!

Delta Blues Chords

The first thing we’ll cover is these classic blues chords you’ll need to know. This blues is in the key of A major. Now a blues in the key of A would typically revolve around just 3 chords A7, D7, and E7. This would be the I, IV, and V, in the key of A. 

We’ll use all 3 of those chords. Plus we’ll make a few classic Robert Johnson style adjustments to them to tap into that iconic Delta blues sound.

Let’s take a look at a few of those moves. The first chord is an A7 played in 7th position like this:

This chord looks like a common open position D7 chord just shifted up higher on the neck. It’s not a cho...

A little while ago I learned a new word:

“Floccinaucinihilipilification.”

It’s basically, the act or habit of estimating something as worthless. 

I’ve noticed a lot of intermediate guitar players often view simple blues progressions as being this.

They scoff, “ah huh huh, 3 chords?...simple shuffle?…” 

Then dismiss it.

Well, don’t fall for this floccinaucinihilipilification trap.

Mastering the blues is essential to becoming a REAL player.

I’ve learned this from being around legends like Kenny Burrell and some of the greatest LA studio guitar players.

That’s why I don’t stop practicing simple blues progressions

In the quest to become a blues guitar master, there are many tunes we have to learn.  

Today I’d like to share with you a fun song that is a must-know blues guitar classic. 

It’s perfect for jamming with friends or with a looper pedal at home.  

It was originally recorded by Freddie King, but in this post, we’ll talk about Freddie’s version and also Eric Clapton’s...

Fingerpicking the blues is a ton of fun!

Now, I love Chet Atkins and the boom-chick style that he played.

And this style has been carried on by players like Tommy Emmanuel and many others…

But what a lot of people don’t know about, is how the blues players played differently than this classic Chet style.

Sure, they didn’t use a flatpick and had alternating bass movements etc. 

But there is much more to getting the sound. 

And it’s quite different from any other style of fingerpicking. 

Today I want to share with you some of these differences. 

And also break down how to play like Mississippi John Hurt using my 2-step method.

So put away those picks for today and let’s get started with this fingerstyle blues guitar lesson!

Fingerstyle Blues Guitar Lesson Step 1:

Let’s begin with learning the chord progression and alternating bass line. There are only 3 chords we’ll use in this song D, G, and A. We’ll play them in open position.

D major we’ll play from the 5th string down ...

What if you had a chord named after YOU?

Picture this…

It’s 50 years from now…

And a bunch of guitarists are all sitting around talking about music.

Suddenly one of them says, “Oh that chord. Yeah, that’s the [YOUR LAST NAME] chord.”

That would be pretty cool.

I mean, how many guitarists have accomplished this?

To be honest, I can only think of one.

Jimi Hendrix!

In fact, here’s a crazy story about the first time I ever learned about the “Hendrix chord." 

Decades ago when my parents got our first computer, I discovered this thing called TAB sites.

Now I’d already been playing guitar for a bit, but this was an amazing thing. 

You see, I figured out (from a TAB at the time) the opening riff to “Purple Haze”.

I was about 12 years old, but I never connected it to the “Jimi Hendrix chord.” 

But I couldn’t stop playing the riff…

I LOVED it!

I remember playing it and thinking, “Wow! What a sound!”

Anyway, a few years later my parents let me take a music theory class at the...

If you want to become great at playing popular music on guitar from the past 120 years, you’ve got to be familiar with the blues.

Now oftentimes players don’t realize a song they love is based on the blues.

They may even know how to play it but still do not realize they are playing the blues.  

Today is a great example of this.

In this “Change the World” guitar lesson you’ll see how the blues can be brought straight into popular music.

So grab your guitar, tune-up, and let’s get started!

Who wrote Change the World?

"Change the World" is a song co-written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick. It was recorded by Eric Clapton for the soundtrack of the 1996 film "Phenomenon." 

The song was produced by Babyface and the recording took place at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, California. It features Clapton on vocals and guitar, along with a notable lineup of musicians, including Nathan East on bass, Steve Gadd on drums, and Dean Parks on acoustic guitar.

The ...

Gary Moore was a phenomenal musician. 

Today I want to share with you one of his AMAZING blues guitar songs.

It’s slow…

It’s groovy…

And it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it!

This is the kind of song you can easily picture being played in a smoky dark club well after midnight.  

It’s a minor blues, and the rhythm part mixes a riff and some sweet chords together. 

And then of course, Gary plays brilliant slow blues licks over the top of this progression which reminds me a lot of songs like “Thrill is Gone” and many other classic blues tunes. 

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Midnight Blues” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Midnight Blues?

"Midnight Blues" is a blues rock song written and performed by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore. The song was released in 1990 on Moore's album Still Got the Blues. 

It is one of Moore's most popular songs and has been covered by many other artists, including Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Moore rec...

Stevie Ray Vaughan was one hell of a player!

Trying to play some of his music can be FRUSTRATING…

In fact, anytime I’ve actually come close to getting it right.  

I’ve only been able to maintain playing for about 30 seconds before my hand feels like it’s gonna fall off…

From the outside, the majority of people place a wall around such levels of mastery… 

Chalk it up to natural talent or being born an innate genius…

They typically think of it as inaccessible…

But this isn’t true…

There is actually latent power within us all…

The right process and the right effort bring it out… 

That’s what SRV did… 

In fact, he didn’t start much different than you and I…

Today, I want to show you an example of this…

Ever wondered how SRV got started? 

What did he practice?

What was his first lesson?...

Was it the riff to Scuttle Buttin’?

Nope…

He started with a simple blues shuffle…

You see I dug up this old interview with him talking about the first thing he learned…

He said “The...

Congratulations on checking out this post!

Today I want to share with you a 12 bar blues guitar lesson. You’ll discover how to build it from the ground up.

And if you are a guitarist or musician who would like to…

• Learn to play your favorite songs faster
• Jam with other musicians
• Start soloing and have a TON of fun

Then you have just stumbled upon one of the most important pages you will ever read.

Taking the time to really internalize and master this progression is not only a life-long journey, but it is also a mark of a seasoned musician.

So tune up, and let’s dive into this 12 bar blues guitar lesson!

What are the 3 chords used in the 12 bar blues?

For this lesson, we will be looking at a 12 bar blues in the key of A major.

Now typically a blues in the key of A is going to use 3 primary chords: A, D, and E. 

These chords are often referred to using Roman numerals in the context of music theory, with A as the I chord, D as the IV chord, and E as the V chord. 

From ...