Blues Rhythm Guitar 101 - Learn at your own pace online

If you want to get up at your next jam night and play blues guitar with more grit, this self-paced online course will have you playing confidently after six short modules.

You’ll learn the key ‘roles’ or choices of playing blues rhythm guitar in a band and how to apply these in different situations when you play. You’ll discover the common forms of the blues, including structures, vocabulary, chord moves and how to tackle turnarounds. If you want to learn to play ‘in the pocket’, you’ll also be taught how to build your time base and your feel.

This is a highly practical course with step-by-step guides for each of the six modules. Each is made up of a series of lessons that you can work through at your own pace. Once you’ve completed each module, you’ll have mastered some of the key roles of a blues guitarist and will have developed an authentic blues sound. Gain confidence in your skills and get playing the blues rhythm the right way.

What’s covered?

Module 1: Blues rhythm guitar forms and structure

• Lesson 1: Introduction to module 1
• Lesson 2: Straight time and shuffle time
• Lesson 3: Learn the Quick Change
• Lesson 4: Introducing 8 and 16 Bar Blues
• Lesson 5: Playing the Minor Blues
• Lesson 6: Guitar chords for ‘Need your love so bad’
• Lesson 7: Module 1 summary

Module 2: Blues rhythm guitar riffs and fills

• Lesson 1: Introduction to module 2
• Lesson 2: Blues guitar fretting and picking techniques
• Lesson 3: Introduction to Minor Pentatonic Riffs
• Lesson 4: Introduction to Major Pentatonic Riffs
• Lesson 5: Learn Double Stops
• Lesson 6: Revising Shuffle Patterns
• Lesson 7: Module 2 summary

Module 3: Blues rhythm guitar classic chord moves

• Lesson 1: Introduction to module 3
• Lesson 2: Introduction to the ‘Classic’
• Lesson 3: Learn Gospel Slides
• Lesson 4: Playing Sixths
• Lesson 5: Playing Minor Blues moves
• Lesson 6: Module 3 summary

Module 4: Turnarounds for blues rhythm guitar

• Lesson 1: Introduction to the module 4
• Lesson 2: Learn Chordal Turnarounds
• Lesson 3: Introduction to Open String Moves
• Lesson 4: Learn the Turnaround Formula
• Lesson 5: Module 4 summary

Module 5: Blues rhythm guitar advanced chords and substitutions

• Lesson 1: Introduction to module 5
• Lesson 2: How to extend the dominant chord vocabulary
• Lesson 3: Learn 11ths and 13th chords
• Lesson 4: Learn 6ths, 6/9 and 7#9 chords
• Lesson 5: Introduction to moves for static and moving chords
• Lesson 6: Module 5 summary

Module 6: Playing blues rhythm guitar in a band

• Lesson 1: Introduction to the module 6
• Lesson 2: Guitar complexity versus simplicity
• Lesson 3: Discussing combinations that work
• Lesson 4: The Q & A Role
• Lesson 5: Revisiting timing
• Lesson 6: Learn example changes
• Lesson 7: Module 6 summary 

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