Jam Sessions - All Blues Styles

Lesson 12 - Blues In G

Lesson Sample

Lyle: This lesson is in the key of G. Here's your new jam track and chord chart for this 1 - 4 - 5 blues progression:

chord chart


Jam Track - Blues in G

Lyle: For your tone settings try any pickup combination and a little overdrive. No other effects are needed. You want a raw sound. Here's the TAB for the main chords used in this jam. I'm suggesting you use your thumb for the bass notes of each chord:

chords

chords


Lyle: Here's a close-up view of the thumb playing the bass note:

G7 close-up


Lyle: Here's the basic rhythm riff you'll be using for all the chords. Learn it first for the G7 chord and use all down strokes:

rhythm riff 1 example

rhythm riff 1 example

Lyle: Now you can use that riff up and down the neck for any chord you need. Here's how you can play it for this blues in G jam:

rhythm riff 1

guit-clit: Can we do it on the 5th string as well?

Lyle: It doesn't translate well to the 5th string.

rhythm riff 1

Lyle: Here's another way to play rhythm guitar for this jam:

rhythm riff 2 example

rhythm riff 2 example

Lyle: Use a slight palm-mute against the bass strings for this riff. Here's the whole progression using this new rhythm riff:

rhythm riff 2

rhythm riff 2

Lyle: Since you're jamming the blues in G, the G major and minor blues scales are great choices to use while improvising:

G major and minor blues

Lyle: I like to use a combination of scales:

G Blues - modified

Lyle: It's like a maj and minor blues scale combined.

Lyle: Here's the solo from the lesson sample above. It's mostly made from notes in the modified blues scale:

solo 1

solo 1

Lyle: Here's a look at this scale in a few different positions on the neck. It almost uses all the notes!

G Blues - modified 2



Lyle: That wraps it up for this lesson. Have fun jammin'!

* All the looping jam tracks from this series are available on a separate audio CD and also MP3 download. Go to Lyle's web site TheGuitar.net for more info.