Storm: In this lesson you'll learn some blues riffs and put it to this twelve-bar progression, key of A. Use this jam track for this lesson:

12-Bar Jam Track

Storm: Here's an opening riff which mixes together both minor and major pentatonic scales. The second half of the riff uses a 'reverse rake'. Play this using an upstroke from the first string down to the third.



Lick1

Storm: This second lick uses the major pentatonic scale exclusively, working its way up to 9th position. This phrase starts over the D chord, the IV chord in the key. Utilizing a 'unison bend'. The C note on the second string being bent up to the same pitch as the fretted D on the first string.

Lick2

Storm: Then it resolves back to the I chord, 'A', by utilizing a 'double stop'. Two notes played simultaneously like in this next riff:

Lick3

Storm: The distance the two notes are apart is a 'sixth'. Notice too, that the notes finishing the phrase are two of the notes of the A chord. This next phrase uses a popular move of Clapton. Bend the 4th of the pentatonic scale up to the 5th, release the bend, then pull-off to the b3rd. It also uses a chromatic run, and another 'rake'. This time outlining the A major chord.

Lick4

Storm: Another position shifting lick takes us through the 9th and 10th bar of the progression. Over the E7 and D7 changes this riff is entirely with the minor pentatonic scale.

Lick5

Storm: And a turnaround lick to get us back to bar 1.



Storm: I am going to send a couple of jam tracks. This one is a short one, just two bars. Chord hits on G for half of the first bar, then time for you to put your improvisations in.

Two Bar - G Chord Hits

sr: What is the timing on this?

Storm: Timing, about 150 beats per minute, shuffle rhythm. Hits on 1 and the and of 2. 4/4 right. Good for working on short phrases. If you can, see if you get back on the chords. This last track vamps from C to G. Think of it as a IV-I chord change in the key of G.

IV-I

Storm: Try to memorize some of these riff examples. See if you can play them in any order along to the jam tracks for a good experiment in improvisation.