Rockin' The Blues

Hey Guys!

This time I'm turning my attention back to the blues but with more of a rocker's eye.

It all stays strictly pentatonic (except for a chromatic note here and there) so it follows a classic blues chord progression of I IV V. In this case, the chords are Gm, Cm & Dm.

Rather than a laid back blues vibe, I've gone for straight-down-the-middle simplistic rock riffs with single notes and power chords.

The single note riffing will require strong, even picking strokes and is more difficult than you might think. The second half of the lesson uses a slightly more involving mixture of 2 note chords with a repeating pedal tone. A pedal tone is just a note that repeats in between other tones.

You'll also notice some bluesy licks in the second half. They incorporate essential techniques like unison bends, double stops and regular bending and slides. This solo uses the G Minor Pentatonic scale.

So, if you like those American movies with bar room brawls, bottles smashing everywhere and dudes with cowboy hats getting punched in the face, then this might be for you!

Enjoy!

Tempo: 100bpm

Key: Gm

Gear: Marshall JVM 410H. Rhythm: OD2 Channel, Green setting. Lead: OD1 Channel, Green setting.