Boogie Rhythms

Lesson 2/65 | Study Time: 5 Min
Course: Blues Guitar
Boogie Rhythms

Boogie Rhythms

A Boogie is a particular type of shuffle which often makes use of rests and percussive strumming on the beat to help drive the rhythm along. Boogie songs often stay on one chord rather than following a 12 bar pattern. The artists best known for this style are John Lee Hooker and ZZ Top. Example 63 is a basic boogie rhythm.

Here’s a slight variation, this time using percussive strums in place of the rests (represented by an X. To play a percussive strum leave the left hand lightly touching the strings.

Here are two more variations, followed by an eight bar boogie solo.

Here is a solo which uses almost everything you have learned. Practice it slowly and make sure that only the notes you want to play are sounding and no extra unwanted open strings are ringing.

Peter Gelling

Peter Gelling

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