Blues Lead Guitar

Fundamental scales, arpeggios, and rhythms of Blues lead guitar are covered, drawing on styles and techniques from legendary musicians.

Reads and interprets fretboard diagrams, covering fundamental lead guitar patterns and techniques.

Finger placement and movement techniques for the left hand are covered.

Guitar tablature covers the notation system for indicating note positions on the fretboard.

Tablature symbols and techniques covered include hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, release bends, vibrato, muting, rakes, trills, and tremolos.

The course covers the pentatonic scale as used in blues lead guitar playing, highlighting its distinctive features and fingerings.

The E major scale is examined, focusing on its triangular pattern and application to chord progressions and melodic lines.

Introduces the concept of scale degrees, explaining how to identify and utilize them to grasp note relationships within a scale.

Analyzing and recreating guitar licks involves understanding scale degrees and rhythms.

Covers fundamental whole, half, quarter, and eighth note rhythms and their applications to the pentatonic scale.

Introduces the fundamentals of improvisation with scale notes, focusing on setting rhythms and developing musicality.

Notes on and off the beat are identified through naming of note positions, including eighth rests and rhythmic nuances.

Syncopation techniques displace normal rhythmic accents, focusing on timing and phrasing.

Ties in traditional notation and tablature are used to play syncopated rhythms. Examples illustrate the application.

The minor pentatonic scale is explored through its five forms, including their corresponding chord shapes and musical applications.

Triplets cover even spacing of three notes within a single beat.

Ties and quarter note substitutions shape swing rhythms.

Covers the essential blues shuffle rhythm, featuring swung eighth notes.

Introduces 12-note positions within measures of triplets, including syncopated rhythm techniques.

Improvisational techniques are developed through the application of triplets and rhythmic patterns.

The Blues scale formula and fingering are introduced, emphasizing the use of the flattened 5th degree (b5).

Introduces enharmonic notes, demonstrating how different note spellings can produce the same pitch, with application to the C Blues scale.

Playing individual notes of a chord creates arpeggios that fit seamlessly into chord progressions.

The construction and utilization of minor arpeggios, including their connection to chord tones.

Dominant seventh arpeggios, essential to Blues guitar, are introduced and applied.

Blues scales and dominant seventh arpeggios are combined to create licks in various forms, shedding light on key notes.

The major pentatonic scale is explored, including its patterns and forms, as well as practical applications in blues and soul music.

Harmonies and melodies are combined to create new sounds and techniques.

Introduces 16th note rhythms and exercises for counting and playing them.

Improves guitar playing by mastering 16th note figures and rhythms in Funk music.

The art of trilling is examined, with techniques for adding expression and authenticity to Blues music.

Tremolo technique involves rapid, alternating picking strokes to produce a distinctive vibrato-like sound.

The rake technique is applied in Blues playing, producing a muted tone followed by a return to the original note.

Staccato playing technique covers producing short, detached notes.

Recognizes and counts the 12-bar blues structure in slow blues music.

Recognizes and plays 32nd notes in slow blues rhythms for nuanced feel.

Techniques cover slow blues solo playing using both pick and fingers, featuring simultaneous two-note picking.

Develops skills through recorded progressions and live jamming with others.

BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughan's blues guitar styles are examined, with an analysis of solos and visualization of techniques.