Double Notes
Another technique used by lead guitarists is to play two notes at a time (double notes). This was commonly used in 1950s Rock (e.g., Chuck Berry) and is still used today. The most common notes used to improvise against a Blues progression (from Pattern 1) are shown in the following fretboard diagrams. Each pair of notes to be played together are highlighted as being joined together.
These 6 pairs of double notes are shown in the following example and are most commonly used for improvising against a Blues progression.
Use the left hand fingering as indicated by the white numbers in the previous Pattern 1 diagram.
The following lick uses double notes.
This is a typical Rock double note lick in the style of Chuck Berry. There are some extra notes in this lick which come from chords in the key of A. Adding extra notes to the basic pattern is discussed in Lesson 10. The double note bend in this lick is played with the third and fourth fingers of the left hand.
