Digging Into the Blues

Lesson 3/66 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Improvising Lead Guitar

Digging Into the Blues

Apart from using the movable scale forms, many Blues licks make use of the open position Blues scale and its extension, particularly in the key of E (see diagram).

The following solo makes use of this scale. It is based on ideas from the playing of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Howlin’ Wolf. If you haven’t listened to much Blues, it is worth investigating. The first electric guitar players were Blues artists and almost all the techniques used by lead guitarists (e.g., bending and distortion) were invented by them.

You will also pick up a tremendous amount about feel, timing and phrasing by listening to traditional blues players. Other important Blues legends include T-Bone Walker, BB King, Otis Rush, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Freddy King, Magic Sam, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Albert Collins.

Open Position E Blues Scale With Extension

A full length version of this track, featuring the voice of Howlin' Wolf can be found on the author’s album Blues Time at www.petergelling.com.

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Peter Gelling

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Class Sessions

1- Minor Keys and Scales 2- Moving Between Forms 3- The Minor Pentatonic Scale 4- Scale Tone Chords 5- Modes 6- More About Scale Degrees 7- Learning the Guitar Fretboard 8- Using the Scale Forms 9- The Major Pentatonic Scale 10- Scale Degrees 11- Transposing 12- More About Major Scales 13- The Major Scale 14- Movable Minor Scales 15- Relative Major And Minor Pentatonics 16- The Blues Scale 17- Harmonic Minor Scale Fingerings 18- INTRODUCTION 19- Twelve Eight Time ( <span class="symbolA">+</span> ) 20- The F Major Scale 21- Digging Into the Blues 22- Major and Minor Pentatonic Fingerings 23- Analyzing What You Play 24- Enharmonic Notes 25- Sliding Pattern 2 26- Major Key Triad Pattern 27- C Minor Pentatonic in Five Forms 28- Modes and Scale Tone Chords 29- Notes on the Guitar Fretboard 30- Visualizing Scale Degrees 31- The Harmonic Minor Scale 32- Memorizing the Notes of the Scale 33- Five Forms of the Natural Minor 34- Five Forms of the Harmonic Minor 35- Tuning Your Guitar 36- Scale Tone Chords in All Keys 37- Modes in Minor Keys 38- Keys and Key Signatures 39- The Melodic Minor Scale 40- Relative Major and Minor 41- Jam Along Progressions 42- Five Forms of the Major Scale 43- Technique 44- Sequences 45- Notes in More than one Place 46- Licks Using the Minor Pentatonic 47- The Symbols 8va and Loco 48- Sliding Major Pentatonic Fingerings 49- Fretboard Diagrams 50- Common Progressions 51- Position Playing 52- The Key Cycle 53- Mode Formulas 54- Relative Keys 55- Major Keys 56- Major Pentatonic Sliding Pattern 1 57- Chord Symbols 58- Major Pentatonic Sliding Pattern 2 59- Tablature 60- Practical Fingerings for Modes 61- Higher and Lower Versions of Notes 62- Major Scales in All Keys 63- Tablature Symbols 64- Moving Between Scales 65- Music Notation 66- Note Values

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Digging Into the Blues